Consultants (International and National) to conduct a Study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Early Childhood (ages 0-8) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Contract

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The first case of COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was announced 02 March 2020. As of 19 July, the Kingdom has 248,416 confirmed cases, the highest among the Arabian Gulf States, with 194,218 recoveries and 2,447 deaths with a recovery rate of 78.2 percent.

Health care in the Kingdom has been transforming under VISION 2030, the national development plan for the country. The related Health Transformation Strategy focuses on issues such as diabetes, mental health, road traffic accidents, strengthening primary health care, bring care closer to families and communities, improving metrics to improve and standardize the quality of care across the Kingdom especially through digital health, and to ensure efficiencies in the health care budget

This renewed focus on primary health care as well as Saudi Arabia’s prior experience with responding to infectious diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) facilitated the Kingdom’s robust public health response to the pandemic.

In addition, the Government has unveiled a series of programmes to soften the effect on the pandemic on the private sector, households and families. Despite these efforts, and similar to countries around the world, the Kingdom has also had to grapple with the secondary impact of the virus – ranging from the impact of extended school closures, the expected reduction in health-seeking practices due to fears of contagion, and the anticipated rise in violence against children in the home. These trends have been observed globally and authorities in the Kingdom have been working to analyse the impact of the virus on the social sector. To support this analysis and forward-looking policies and programmes both in response to the pandemic but also to support the Kingdom’s readiness for any future crisis, UNICEF Gulf Area Office and the Family Affairs Council are partnering to further investigate the impact of COVID-19 on children with a focus on early childhood (ages 0-8).

The proposed Study will be unique in the MENA region, in that it will consist of interviews with two sets of duty bearers of children, namely service providers in the health, social welfare, and education sector as well as caregivers

How can you make a difference?

The main purpose of the study is to independently examine the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted early childhood development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and how the response was implemented so as to design and develop effective and sustainable approaches to address future crisis situations.

The Objective of this consultancy:

The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct a study of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the broad spectrum of early childhood (0-8 years) and their families in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While the Specific objectives are:

1. Social, political and economic trends: Provide a background on the situation of children by analysing the social, political and economic trends affecting them {0-8 years, gender and other criteria relevant to the context}
2. Epidemiological situation: Using available data and information, identify and analyses the treads, patterns, and causes of vulnerabilities during the first 6 months of COVID-19 pandemic”
3. Barriers and bottlenecks: Analyse the factors, barriers and bottlenecks that prevent boys and girls, especially the most disadvantaged, from benefitting from required services due to the COVID-19 crisis. Including barriers of the care role of parents given the increased burden of home domestic work and preventive measures
4. Gender inequalities: Analyse the extent to which gender inequalities and fulfilment /non-fulfilment of the rights of children affect overall inequalities and deprivations as a result of the pandemic.
5. Inequalities related to child abilities/disabilities: Analyse the extent to which child’s abilities/disabilities affect their access to ECD services as a result of the pandemic
6. Risks and shocks: Assess the current or potential presence of risks associated with the virus, the underlying vulnerabilities particularly on vulnerable groups that will be affected. The capacities and coping mechanisms of families, communities, local and national institutions to mitigate these risks.
7. Evidence-based interventions: Analyze the extent to which evidence-based interventions and services required to address deprivations are prioritized in national policies, laws, strategies, plans and budgets, and are supported by UNICEF and other partners.

8. Recommendations to strengthen the ECD related systems: Based on the analysis of the sub- systems (health, nutrition, social protection, early education, etc) delineate concrete recommendations to further strengthen the ECD services so to assure efficient and effective response in future crisis/disruptions

   Key Research Questions:

A key deliverable of the Consultancy is to develop a context-specific Analytical Framework for the Impact Study that is tailored to the trend and realities of the pandemic experience of early childhood and their families in the Kingdom. The Consultants will together also endeavour to make reference to the UNICEF COVID-19 Programme Monitoring and Analysis framework to inform the study. This framework provides UNICEF Country Offices with a streamlined approach to situational, monitoring and analysis of COVID programming.

In the meantime, the following general questions, though not exhaustive are being proposed herein to inform the Study:

1. What existing social, institutional and political factors (e.g. social norms, institutional capacities at all levels of government, accountability and coordination mechanisms, policy and legal frameworks) impede or could potentially support the creation of an enabling environment for the realization of children’s rights in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

2. Considering the evolving situation and unpredictability related to COVID-19 pandemic, the study will also focus on both what has been observed in the last 5-6 months, and also investigate on the potential impacts in the next months /year (and discuss the potential evolution of the crisis over time, and discuss the policy implications as well).

3. What factors have contributed to vulnerabilities of young children? What additional sources of vulnerability (residence, wealth quintile, etc.) as we know all children have been negatively impacted by this crisis in one way or another, though also noting those who are already vulnerable will be worse affected.
4. What are the prevailing perceptions of frontline health workers (including female frontline workers at work and in the households), teachers, caregivers and service providers regarding the wellbeing of children in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic?

• What factors are affecting child development (effects of economic constraint on supply chain, limited fiscal space, reduced remittances, impact of shutdown on informal employment, etc.)
• Analyse how on-line learning has affected children’s learning and their wellbeing (of early graders) and the pressure on caregivers to provide support
• Assess how the lockdown has affected families ECD care practices due to loss of income for those working in the informal sector
• A review of family domestic work and gender barriers for example, how mother’s increased workload has affected IYCF practices, or PSS needs of children
• Availability and demand for services including behaviors and attitudes of persons seeking these services?

5. How has the response to COVID-19 pandemic impacted on innovative thinking, knowledge management and sharing? What strategies and innovations that the KSA has adopted that other countries either in the region or globally could learn from (for example telemedicine, distance learning, etc.).
6. What concrete steps can the Kingdom undertake to strengthen accessibility, efficiency and effectiveness of the ECD-related systems in future crisis/disruptions, i.e. provide recommendations for next steps

Methodology and Scope:

The methodology of the study will adopt an integrated and cross-sectoral approach that takes a holistic view of the child. A life-cycle approach will be used to conduct the analysis of issues affecting early childhood ages 0-8 years as a result of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The situation analysis will adopt a mixed approach, a blend of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. However, qualitative data will provide the primary source of information for the study.

The Consultants should propose a specific and detailed assessment design in the inception report to UNICEF and FAC based on the following mixed methods of information gathering:

• Interviews with key informants
• Focus group discussions with service providers, teachers and administrators as well as parents / caretakers of children (if required)
• Structured and semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders
• Desk review of programme documentation, research papers and other related publications including financial records (both from partners and UNICEF)
• Comparison of the different approaches and interventions employed by different agencies, service providers and institutions in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 virus on children
• Compilation of best practices in high- and middle-income countries, i.e. countries comparable to KSA, related to strengthening ECD-related systems

Where there are gaps or additional information is required, a limited and partial quantitative data collection will be carried out. Primary data collection will be undertaken as appropriate using various channels including the administration of online questionnaires (using KOBO Collect Toolkit). As much as is possible data should be disaggregated by age, sex, socio-economic groups and geographical location, including ability. The WHO UNICEF Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development. will provide the conceptual/theoretical framework to guide the study with all the developmental domains.

The scope of the study will be limited to the broad spectrum of early childhood focusing specifically on the ages of 0-8 years. The study will also cover the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic spanning between March through August 2020.

The consultants will specifically investigate and conduct interviews with pediatricians/ nurses/ midwives, health and social workers, and school teachers and administrators including parents on their roles, participation, contribution, views and perspectives on the impact of the COVID-19 virus on children in the Kingdom and factors impacting on fulfilment of children’s rights. It is recommended that the analysis will be sector-based focusing on specific themes as listed below:

• Health and Nutrition (the right to survive and thrive)
• Home delivery and post-natal visits
• Childhood obesity
• Healthy childhood and maternal nutrition

• Breastfeeding and counselling

• Education (the right to learn);

• Remote learning: online, offline and face-to-face
• Out of school children
• Children with learning difficulties
• Online bullying
• Increased time spent online at home, anxiety and stress issues

• Parental (fathers, mothers) engagement in early stimulation and distant learning support

• Child Protection (the right to protection from violence and exploitation);

• Violence against Children (VAC) and Gender Based Violence (GBV)
• Mental Health and psychosocial issues
• Safety of infants and young children at home
• Positive parenting

• Child Safeguarding

• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (the right to safe and clean environment);

• Hygiene

• Climate change

• Social Policy, Protection and Livelihoods (the right to equitable chance in life and the right to participation).

• Loss of incomes of fathers and mothers due to physical lockdowns
• How are mothers dealing with childcare issues due to lock down of day care centres?
• Impact on cash transfer to beneficiaries of the Citizens Accounts

Data Limitation:

• Data collection will be limited to in-dept interviews with health and social service providers, teachers and parents except if required additional information will be collected from members of the general population on determining the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 virus on young children in Saudi Arabia. The primary data collection should be carried out in accordance with the UNICEF procedure for ethical evidence generation In addition, all data collection activities and interviews will be done remotely as precautionary measure in the context of COVID-19 and following the UNICEF recommendations for the data collection during COVID-19.

• The Study will not require the direct involvement of children. Furthermore, some of the topics to be investigated sometimes poses a cultural stigma, which may make obtaining reliable, first-hand accounts from key informants difficult. The Consultant will do his/her best to find ways to mitigate these challenges by developing culturally appropriate methodologies, approaches and interviewing protocols.

Deliverables and timelines

This consultancy will be conducted in October through January 2021. Below are the deliverables with the duration:

1. Technical implementation of the Study – Inception and data collection phase ( 6 weeks)
2. Technical implementation of the Study - data analysis and preliminary findings phase ( 3 weeks)
3. Technical implementation of the Study - reporting writing and feedback phase ( 2 weeks)
4. Project Closure – Submission of Final Deliverables ( one week).

Management, Reporting and Institutional Arrangements

The impact study and analysis process will be undertaken under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Gulf Area Office together with the Family Affairs Council. Technical support and guidance will be provided by the Advisors in the UNICEF MENA office.

Location and Work Modality

For the International Consultant, all related tasks of the consultancy are envisaged to be home based/working remotely. In addition, all data collection activities and interviews, as recommended by UNICEF for Data Collection during COVID-19 will be done remotely.

International Consultant will be effectively supported by the National Consultant who will be based in Riyadh and will coordinate all the data collection and information gathering activities in KSA.

O****fficial Travel :

No travel / visa is envisaged or required for the International Consultant.

Guiding Principle:

Both consultants working on this project must demonstrate personal and professional integrity during the whole process of the assignment. They must respect the right of institutions and individuals to provide information in confidence and ensure that sensitive data cannot be traced to its source. Further, the Consultants must respect ethics of research while working with children including using age appropriate consent forms, age appropriate data collection, and principle of do no harm. Furthermore, they must take care that those involved in the Study have an opportunity to examine the statements attributed to them.

The consultants must be sensitive to beliefs, manners, and customs of the social and cultural environment in which he/she will work. The consultants must be especially sensitive to and address issues of protection, discrimination and gender inequality. Finally, if the consultants uncovers evidence of wrongdoing, such cases must be reported discreetly to the appropriate investigative body.

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

A team of two (2) consultants will be hired (International and National) to conduct the study. The consultancy will be advertised widely through various channels for a minimum of 2-3 weeks to allow time to attract competent and suitable candidates internally and externally.

(a) International Consultant

Consultant should demonstrate that he/she can meet the following requirements:

• Advanced degree in education, international development, social science, or a related field;
• At least 10-15 years of professional experience including 3-5 years of analytical work in early childhood development
• Demonstrate, excellent analytical and report writing skills (sample analytical products will be requested)
• Experience in gender equality programming
• Ability to work with governments and facilitate among various stakeholders.
• Strong coordination skills and ability to adhere to deadlines
• Excellent writing skills in English language; Good knowledge of Arabic language an advantage.
• Relevant work experience in Middle East and North Africa region is an added advantage.
• Ability to work effectively through email and other means of remote communications.

(b) National Consultant

• Advanced degree in education, international development, social science, or a related field;
• At least 5-10 years of professional experience in development work and relevant work experience with Development partners is an added advantage
• Demonstrate a good analytical and report writing skills
• Strong ability to work with government officials and facilitate among various stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal and coordination skills and ability to adhere to deadlines
• Experience in translation and interpretation for research purposes
• Experience in conducting & facilitating field research on sensitive topics in Saudi Arabia
• Fluency in Arabic, proficiency in English Language (preferred)
• Ability to work effectively through email and other means of remote communications

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

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.