Consultancy: Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) “Integrating Early Childhood in Sectoral Planning” Project Evaluation - Req

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

Consultancy Title: Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) “Integrating Early Childhood in Sectoral Planning” Project Evaluation

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Team, Programme Group – New York HQ (Remote Position)

Duration: 30 days – March 15th to May 15th 2023

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

The UNICEF Education Section was awarded a Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) grant to scale up an innovative approach and global toolkit for in-country capacity development for enhancing ECE analysis, planning and implementation (called the Better Early Learning and Development at Scale or “BELDS approach”). This KIX project aims to support the effective and strategic integration of the pre-primary sector within Education Sector Planning processes in five Global Partnership for Education (GPE) member countries (Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tajikistan), while generating and mobilizing global knowledge and resources on ECE policy and practice.

Purpose of Evaluation/Objectives/Research Questions

Purpose: Findings from this evaluation will enable relevant stakeholders to better understand how the BELDS approach and ECE Accelerator Toolkit can be leveraged in different regional and geopolitical contexts to effectively mainstream ECE into all the phases of Education Sector Planning processes and scale the provision of quality ECE services in line with SDG 4.2 objectives

.Objectives: Guided by the research questions underpinning the KIX project, the objective of this consultancy is to evaluate the KIX project in its final year of implementation. More specifically, the evaluation aims to:

• Evaluate the project design, scope, implementation status and the capacity to achieve the project objectives
• Collate and analyze lessons learnt, challenges faced, and best practices obtained through project implementation
• Assess the preliminary indications of potential impact and sustainability of project results, including the contribution to Education Sector Planning.

• Generate knowledge from the implementation of the KIX project and propose actionable recommendations for future programming for the both the BELDS approach and the ECE Accelerator Toolkit.

  Scope of Work:

The evaluation will cover the entirety of the KIX project covering the implementation of global, regional and country level workplans covering the time period of June 2020 through March 2023. Utilizing mixed research methods, the evaluation should use a participatory approach engaging all relevant stakeholders involved in project implementation via remote research methods.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Deliverables:

Expected deliverables for this consultancy include the following:

1. The elaboration of an inception report which includes the following:

• Understanding of the issues the project aims to address
• Understanding of how to assess the research questions this project aims to address
• Research methodology
• Detailed schedule of activities
• Proposal for a learning event/validation of evaluation findings.
• Appropriate validated draft data collection tools (e.g., methodological guidelines, group interview questions). The tools and methodology will be verified by UNICEF.
• Identification of statistical packages to be used and data protection (if applicable).

2. A desk review of relevant project documents

3. Data collection and analysis

4. The development of a final evaluation report

A max 30-page evaluation report consisting of:

A. Executive Summary in bullets (max. 2 pages)

B. Introduction

C. Methodology, including sampling and limitations

D. Analysis of findings of the evaluation conceptualized around the following components:

• Relevance/quality of design,
• Efficiency (delivery of outputs)
• Effectiveness/Efficacy (delivery of outcomes
• Sustainability (of progress, impacts)

E. Challenges and Lessons learned

F. Stories of change and quotes from respondents

G. Conclusions for each of the evaluation objectives

H. Recommendations for effective scaling and uptake of the pilot interventions integrated into the project (BELDS approach and ECE Accelerator Toolkit)

I. Annexes

• Finalized data collection tools and analyzed tables and graphs
• List of interviewees
• PowerPoint presentation of preliminary findings

5. Presentation of findings

The consultant will and present findings to relevant stakeholders in the form of an evaluation report and virtual formal presentation.

Qualifications

Education:

• Masters Degree in Statistics, Research, Programme Evaluation
• Full command of spoken and written English is essential.
• Proficiency in Russian desirable

Work experience:

• Master’s Degree in education, social sciences, economics, development studies, evaluation or related fields with demonstrated strong research experience;
• Knowledge and experience in early childhood education highly desirable
• At least 8 years’ experience in the field(s) of program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and qualitative research in international development contexts

Competencies:

• Excellent analytical skills including quantitative, qualitative and participatory analysis
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment

  Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials

• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

  U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.