Consultancy to pilot an assessment tool for benchmarking policy support for universal parenting

Contract

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Context

Parenting programmes and interventions are a scalable and cost-effective way to support parents and caregivers and prevent abuse, neglect, and adversity in childhood. They contribute to good mental health and well-being for children and their caregivers and reduce risk-taking behaviors throughout the life course. Once initial start-up costs have been covered, the cost of delivering parenting interventions per family is roughly comparable to the cost of a routine childhood vaccination programme.

Despite this strong, evidence-based investment case, a WHO survey has estimated that only around 25% of countries globally have established parenting programmes that reach all who need them. There is therefore growing momentum behind a global Call to Action in support of a collective action framework that urges for increased investment in evidence-based parent support initiatives across the globe.

In order to promote this Policy Call, a three-year programme has been initiated that aims to increase the number of Governments that commit to implement publicly funded parenting support interventions and services. To support this objective, a draft programmatic framework is in development. The programmatic framework will establish “benchmarks” and define a series of “checkpoints” that will permit the objective measurement of progress in policy implementation both within countries and allow comparison between countries. The policy standards aim to establish preconditions to universal parenting support within the country and will reflect core domains addressing issues of legal and policy framework, evidence-based content and delivery modalities, human and financial resources, coordination, and data collection, monitoring and evaluation.

The programmatic framework has been developed by a consultancy team contracted by UNICEF New York through Parenting for Lifelong Health. The PLH consultancy team is responsible for supporting the piloting of the tool in five countries and developing a final assessment tool based on findings from the five countries.

Key Activities

1. Participation in online familiarization with the national assessment tool.

The National Consultant and UNICEF staff will participate in an online ‘training/familiarization’ training session(s) in English, likely to be two sessions (one for introduction and one for follow-up clarification). The purpose will be to (i) train the national consultant on the framework and methodology for conducting the assessment (desk review, key informant interviews, stakeholder reflections]; (ii) refine the framework and methodology through participatory exercise with the consultant and other participating stakeholders; and (iii) adapt the methodology and framework to the national context where necessary.

2. Rapid desk review

The consultant will conduct a desk review of national policy and programming documents relevant to universal parenting programmes, with the aim of identifying the national parenting context. This will include research on the national family context and parenting practices; current legal and policy context on issues relating to parenting from at a minimum the ECD, child protection, and health and nutrition sectors; resources available on current parenting interventions being implemented in Mexico; and data collection, monitoring and evaluation on issues related to parenting.

3. Benchmarking assessment

Conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) (online and in-person) with key national and sub-national actors using the questionnaire aligned to the assessment framework, that will identify data on laws, policies, systems and processes related to parenting, and will collect stakeholder perceptions on progress towards universal parenting in Mexico – [to determine, but to include at least the following: national / federal ministries covering child protection, ECD, adolescent health, family status, and other national drivers of harsh parenting; sub-national government stakeholders covering the same contexts; civil society, media and private sector providers of parenting interventions; academics conducting research related to parenting]

PLH consultancy team will draft tools, but these will need to be adapted by the consultant, in line with national context. e.g., PLH can draft a semi-structured interview questionnaire for national policy makers, but this would need to be revised for the relevant sectors that the consultant will be meeting and to reflect the federal context. The main tool is the twelve benchmarks and checkpoints developed by PLH consultancy team, that will be used to source written documents and get feedback.

Consolidate and analyze KII findings within the assessment framework.

Compile a draft national report, including completed programmatic framework, assessment methodology, and summary of key findings and present to UNICEF and stakeholders for review.

4. Participatory consultation on draft findings with key stakeholders

• Facilitate a series of consultative meetings (in-person and online) with key stakeholders [number, membership, process to be determined] to collectively review findings and reach consensus on benchmarks and checkpoints.
• Draft the final national benchmarking report including the completed assessment framework for review by UNICEF and national stakeholders and national recommendations / examples of good practices.
• Last round of refinement and a validation meeting with stakeholders (online).
• 1 travel each to Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez and Michoacán; meetings also in Mexico City.

5. Final national report on Mexico parenting policy

The consultant will support UNICEF in an in-person validation / launch meeting with key national stakeholders, including presentation of assessment process and results. The consultant will then prepare and submit a final report to UNICEF incorporating feedback from the validation meeting.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Finalized methodology and questionnaire adapted to the country context, both developed by PLH consultancy team.

Deliverable 2: Key actors mapping and directory.

Deliverable 3: Preliminary national report in English, including results of the desk review, completed programmatic framework, assessment methodology and summary of key findings.

Deliverable 4: Records of consultative meetings and validation meetings (in Spanish); Draft national benchmarking report in English.

Deliverable 5: Final national report in English and Spanish.

For more information on deliverables, please refer to the terms of reference: Terms of Reference benchmarking policy .pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Master’s Degree in a social science (law, international relations, etc.) or a related social field.
• A consultant with a minimum of 5 to 10 years relevant professional work in social policy-related field, with expertise in parenting, early childhood development (ECD) and/or social welfare fields.
• Experience in providing policy advice to Governments.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in working for children and/or families in need of protective services (violence against children, gender- based violence, etc.)
• Demonstrated outstanding oral and writing skills in Spanish and English.
• Demonstrated outstanding facilitation skills.

Working conditions

The consultant should travel to Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez and Michoacán to carry out the stakeholders’ workshops/ roundtables to test the tool and get inputs. The travel plan should consider 3 trips (with a duration of 4 days each) to Morelia, Michoacán (1); Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (1); Tijuana, Baja California (1); which should be included in the consultant's economic proposal and should consider the quotation of travel expenses (transportation, lodging, food) including how many people are being quoted and their justification.

For working conditions during the consultancy, please consult the following document: Working conditions UNICEF .pdf

Technical and financial proposal characteristics

• The supplier must submit: Technical proposal, financial proposal and work sample, as well as curriculum vitae, study plan, descriptive letter, etc.
• All documents submitted must be authored by the supplier and must be presented. independently and uploaded to the respective links of the application. In order to consider the application as valid, it is important to submit them with the characteristics mentioned in this document: Proposed characteristics.pdf

Evaluation Criteria

• For the evaluation criteria, please consult this document: Evaluation Criteria .pdf
• Only proposals from individuals will be accepted. Payment will be made according to the table provided in the deliverables section.
• Only applications submitting technical and economic proposals will be considered. Please review the attached documents.