Consultant on Early Childhood Development/Early Childhood Interventions

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and gender parity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

To ensure national integration of ECD and ECI across the system, UNICEF needs technical expertise on a regular basis for drafting, reviewing and integrating various strategic and professional documents. Additionally, UNICEF needs technical support to oversee and support local partners – from municipalities to institutional ones (health centres, pre-schools/schools, social welfare centres/social services, local NGOs and parental groups). This is particularly important as UNICEF has committed to support the Government of Serbia and, until 2025, implement quality ECD parenting programmes in more than 60% of municipalities, and establish ECI services for children with developmental difficulties and disabilities in every district.

Although there have been significant achievements in the past, there is still room for advancement particularly related to reaching and adjusting services for the most vulnerable population groups – Roma, rural, poor and families of children with developmental difficulties and disabilities. This entails improvement of the current professional practices, strengthening of the national and local co-ordination, improving the quality and coverage of programmes for parents of young vulnerable children, facilitating social mobilisation and advocating for sustainable system solutions that would ensure scaling up of the initiatives.

To support these processes, UNICEF is looking for an individual consultant to support the implementation of the UNICEF ECD Program focusing on strengthening the network of ECD/ECI services for the most vulnerable children and their families and mobilizing the community response to ECD. This assignment is expected to contribute to the strengthening of the inter-sectorial capacities and linkages that would nurture social inclusion of families with the most vulnerable children (primarily Roma, rural, poor and children with developmental difficulties and disabilities), including information and education opportunities and promotion of innovative solutions and technologies relevant for the adaptation of working modalities at all levels (national, regional and international) and with all partnerships.

Work Assignment Overview:

The ECD/ECI Consultant will be engaged to provide technical assistance to the implementation of the UNICEF Early Childhood Development Programme and Action Plan 2023-24 signed with the Ministry of Health, with the focus on the most vulnerable populations. The consultant will contribute to drafting and reviewing strategic and professional documents and communication assets, field work and coordination with numerous local partners across numerous municipalities, and will additionally support cross-sectorial linkages, primarily with education, to address social inclusion of the most vulnerable families.

Duration of the assignment: August 2023 – December 2024 (remote, up to 150 workdays)

Task description:

1. Provide technical expertise for drafting and reviewing relevant ECD/ECI strategic, professional and parental education documents in close consultation with relevant stakeholders (Ministries, Academia, professional groups, NGOs and parents) and in accordance with the needs of the most at risk populations, in order to advance the quality and scaling up of inter-sectorial ECD/ECI services and community programmes across the country.
2. Conduct revision of the documents related to inclusive education to integrate perspectives of young children, families and the most vulnerable populations and strengthen the promotion of inclusive education.
3. Provide technical assistance to field implementation, monitoring, documenting and communicating on the implementation of the ECD programme agreed upon with sectorial ministries (health, education and social welfare) that aims at strengthening the support to parents of young children for stimulation and learning, and increases quality and access of inter-sectorial ECD/ECI services and community programmes that benefit particularly vulnerable families such as families of children with developmental risks, difficulties and disabilities, Roma, poor and rural families.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• University degree in Psychology, Sociology, Pedagogy/Special Education or medical sciences. Advanced degree will be an asset.
• At least 5 years of experience in projects/programme management and implementation of multiple activities with different counterparts.
• Knowledge of and experience with the ECD system development in Serbia.
• Expertise and experience in the fields related to this assignment, such as health care, education and social welfare of children, as well as community mobilisation for social inclusion.
• Good knowledge of the social systems (health, education, social welfare) and the functioning of local authorities.
• Experience of cooperating with the government at different levels, NGOs and CSOs, and partnership building, particularly for the most at-risk populations.
• Experience in developing communication assets for public and targeted communities.
• Excellent analytical, communication and planning skills.
• Ability to work in English and Serbian, spoken and written.
• Excellent computer literacy.
• Knowledge of UNICEF related ECD programming and partners is an asset.
• Experience in working with vulnerable groups such as Roma community and children with disabilities is an asset.
• Experience in technically supporting campaigns and communication initiatives is an asset.
• Knowledge of the UN/UNICEF mandate and UN rules/procedures is an asset.
• Competencies required: high level of technical competence, gender awareness, cultural sensitivity, and judgment, high level of negotiation and communication skills and characteristics of a team worker.

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing the following information:

1. Daily rate (all costs included, e.g. health insurance, pension, usage of mobile phone),
2. Daily travel allowance for an overnight stay in Serbia (including accommodation),
3. Transportation costs per km (for travel within Serbia).

Important notes:

• Please do not forget to specify your name in the financial proposal file while saving (to be uploaded online under the “Financial Proposal” tab).
• Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark "n/a” or “00" under the fee-related questions in the online application form.
• Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability.

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.