Home-based Consultancy: Economic Analysis Expert (40 working days; home-based in Italy with field travel) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Rome, Italy

Contract

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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, Protection

Background

Despite the strength of the European economy and a tradition of investment in the welfare of the most vulnerable citizens, nearly one-quarter of Europe’s children remain at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2022. The EU has long recognized the need to address entrenched inequalities, including through the European Union (EU) Council recommendation of June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee to reduce child poverty and social exclusion. As families, societies, and governments in Europe were faced with the devastating socio-economic impact of COVID-19, recommendations such as this took on a new urgency.

To test the European Child Guarantee in practice, the European Commission partnered with UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) to pilot the European Child Guarantee in seven Member States through to March 2023. Four Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Italy) developed and are currently testing for scalability, innovative models of services and interventions focused on ensuring access to services to children in need from disadvantaged backgrounds. While the programme interventions implemented by UNICEF in Italy address mainly the needs of children with a migration background and those without parental care, some of the models also include children in precarious family situations, children with disabilities and children with mental health issues, in line with the European Council Recommendation.

This pilot phase of the European Child Guarantee in Italy is being carried out through to March 2023 under the oversight of an interinstitutional Steering Committee, composed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (MLSP), the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Department for Family Policies and UNICEF, with the European Commission in the role of observer. In addition, several governmental and non-governmental partners have contributed to the development and implementation of the models, including the Ministry of the Interior, several Regional Education Offices, professional associations, academia, civil society organizations and municipalities, amongst others. In March 2022, the Italian Government submitted to the European Commission its Child Guarantee National Action Plan, which had been informed by UNICEF’s Deep Dive analysis of child policies and programmes and features some of the pilot service models.

In view of the approaching completion of the pilot phase in March 2023 and building on the operational research evaluating the conditions and processes of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and scaling the service models, UNICEF intends to undertake a complementary cost analysis and projection and consolidate a comprehensive investment case to support the adoption and scaling up of selected models by the relevant Government authorities.

Scope of Work

The purpose of this assignment is to review, document and develop cost scenarios for three pilot models of services implemented by UNICEF ECARO in Italy within the framework of the European Child Guarantee, so as to build an evidence-based investment case to promote their financial sustainability through leveraging public resources and advocate for their scale-up at national level with the relevant decision-makers.

The selected models of services to be costed through this assignment are:

1. Foster care for unaccompanied and separated children: this intervention aims to integrate into the mainstream childcare system a model of foster care for unaccompanied and separated migrant children. To date 56 migrant children have been placed in foster care. The project is implemented in 4 regions (Sicily, Lombardy, Veneto and Latium) in partnership with two different community-based organisations (CSOs).
2. Skills building for adolescents: this intervention seeks to address the risk of school drop out for adolescents, focusing on those with a migration background and to support their school-to-work transition. The intervention aims to promote for replication UPSHIFT, UNICEF’s flagship XXI century skills’ building programme. UPSHIFT was piloted to date in 15 schools in Lombardy, Sicily and Latium and 2.584 students were involved to date.
3. Peer support for vulnerable families: the intervention aims at providing the Family Support Centres (Centri per la Famiglia) with a replicable model of primary prevention targeting vulnerable families , with a focus on families of children with disabilities. A mapping of existing peer support initiatives was finalised in consultation with 70 Family Support Centres and 6 of these, distributed in the North, Centre and South of Italy were selected for implementation of the pilot model, which started in September 2022. Three additional Family Support Centres are supporting the implementation of the model as “experts”, given their previous work on other forms of peer support between families.

The three models are at different stages of implementation, with the first two having started earlier than the families’ peer support model. Relevant documentation and analysis have been developed to date about their design process, implementation and monitoring, which UNICEF will provide the appointed consultant with, as needed for the completion of this assignment. It is expected that the methodology of the assignment will be developed according to the service models specific context, history and phase of implementation.

Purpose of the Assignment

Under the overall supervision of the Child Protection Specialist and in close collaboration with the Skills Building consultant and the Social Policy consultant, the appointed Consultant for this assignment will be primarily responsible for:

a) reviewing available documentation, including financial and narrative reports on the three models of services, to understand each Theory of Change, including objectives, expected results, activities and inputs; b) carrying out a budget and expenditure analysis of the models, identify key cost items and develop draft costing scenarios for each, including projections for the short to medium and long-term; c) further to UNICEF’ feedback, review and consolidate the cost analysis and projections in a user-friendly format, to support UNICEF’s advocacy with the relevant counterparts.

Specifically, the consultant will:

1. Review key project documents as provided by UNICEF upon assignment’s inception and submit a draft work plan with clear methodology and timeframe for delivery of expected outputs (in line with these terms of reference). Further to consultation with the supervisor and relevant UNICEF team members, incorporate feedback and submit a revised final version of the assignment work plan.
2. Compile and analyse budget and expenditure data (including direct, indirect and “hidden costs" for each of the three service models, through review of project documents provided by UNICEF and/or through consultation with relevant stakeholders, as agreed with UNICEF. This might entail contacting national, regional or local authorities to collect relevant budget information for each of the models, as needed for costing projections (e.g., government HR costs etc).
3. Based on the available data, consolidate a multi-year costing model which includes both: a) an accurate overview of the actual costs of the current pilots and b) the projected costs of scaling the pilot models up according to varying parameters of service, such as intensity of demand and frequency/quantity of service provided throughout the short, medium and long term. The three costing models should be developed considering, to the extent possible: i) the financial implications of scaling up at national level (e.g., distinguishing set up and operational costs); ii) the implications of replicating the model in other regional/local contexts, different from those where pilots are implemented to date iii) the progressive transition of responsibility for the management of the models between UNICEF, implementing partners and local authorities. The draft costing models should be presented in a standardised format (e.g., Excel).
4. Further to UNICEF’ feedback, review the costing models and present them in user-friendly Brief, highlighting key findings and recommendations for the relevant authorities. The Costing Analysis Brief should include conclusions on the financial sustainability of the three service models, considering the current budget envelope of relevant Ministries as well as prospect funding, including European, national and regional sources

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline1. Review key projects documents for each service model and consolidate inception work plan to UNICEF.Inception work plan submitted to UNICEF.10 working days;

Month 1

2. Compile from various sources and analyse budget and expenditure data to assess current costs and develop draft costing scenarios for each of the three service models, according to various service parameters, across the short, medium and long term.Draft costing models for each of the 3 projects according to agreed format, submitted to UNICEF.20 working days;

Month 2

3. Based on UNICEF feedback, present each service model costing scenario in a user-friendly narrative brief, including key findings, conclusions on each model’s financial sustainability and recommendations for scaling up and replication for relevant Government authorities.Three Costing Analysis Briefs for each of the models in an agreed user-friendly format submitted to UNICEF10 working days;

Month 3

Estimated Duration of the Contract

40 working days (between November 2022 and March 2023)

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based in Italy.

The Consultant will travel to field locations in Italy. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount for travel overall will be EUR 4,000.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate a daily fee based on 40 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• Bachelor's in Economics, Public Administration, Social Policy, Sociology, Development Studies, Social Sciences.
• At least 7 years of experience in Public Finance Management and/or Public Finance for Children and in conducting economic budget analysis and economic evaluations, including cost analysis and projections, cost-benefit analysis, etc.
• Proven experience in social policy, including proving technical assistance for systems’ design and reform;
• Knowledge of the Italian public financing system, including at local level, is an asset;
• Strong analytical and drafting skills;
• Good written and verbal communication skills and ability to interact with senior government officials;
• Fluency in Italian and English required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and daily rate (in EUR) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered. 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.

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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.