Individual Contract, Early Childhood Development, São Luis, Brazil

Contract

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Background & Rationale

The theme of early childhood has been gained prominence due to several scientific evidences proving the investment in this stage of life, since pregnancy and especially in the first three years of life, is extremely important for physical, cognitive, emotional and social development , with long term consequences to children’s lives. During this period, the brain development is extremely fast, forming connections at a faster pace than at any other time in life shaping the basis of brain functions and structures that influence children's mental and physical health, as well as their ability to learn throughout life and adapt to the changes.

Brazil has improved its public policies and legal framework on Early Childhood Development (ECD). Notwithstanding, the attention to young children stil requires strengthening caregiving practices that include health, nutrition, social protection, stimulation and education actions, especially in the vulnerable communities of the Brazilian Amazon Territory (TAM).

According to data from the National Sample Survey of Households (PNAD/IBGE), in 2015, around 9.1 million f children and adolescents up to 17 years old lived in the Brazilian Amazon Region, corresponding to 32,9% out of the 27,7 million residents in the region - where more than 3 million are children early childhood.

The Amazon region has some of the poorest social indicators in the country among which we can mention:

1. In 2019, the infant mortality rate in Brazil was at about 12.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. In the North and Northeast regions, 15,1 and 15,8 respectively;
2. Being registered at birth is a human right. UNICEF likes to call birth registration a “passport to protection”. Date from IBGE (2018) reveal the average national was 2,4% of children without birth registration and in the North region the percentage was 8,5%.
3. The under-five mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 14,4 in Brazil and in the North and Northeast regions respectively 18,1 and 15,8;
4. In 2019, 72.4% pregnant women had seven or more prenatal consultations in Brazil, however, in the North region it was only 53,5% and 67,5% in the Northeast region. Data published in 2018 by the IBGE show that 14.94% of all births were of adolescent mothers up to 19 years of age and the North region has the highest rate (21,03%) in Brazil.
5. Worldwide, syphilis still affects a high number of pregnant women. In Brazil, the number of notified cases of syphilis in pregnancy has increased each year, indicating difficulties in diagnosis and or notification and/or treatment. According to the Syphilis Epidemiological Bulletin of in 2019, 152,915 cases of acquired syphilis were reported across the country, with a detection rate of 72.8 cases per 100,000 habitants. In pregnant women 61,127 cases and 24,130 of congenital syphilis.
6. As for deaths, in 2019, 173 notifications of congenital syphilis were registered in children under one year old. In Brazil, in the last 10 years, there was an increase in the infant mortality rate due to syphilis, which went from 2.2 per 100 thousand live births in 2009, to 5.9 per 100 thousand live births in 2019.
7. The national study on child feeding and nutrition from 2019 points to the progress in breastfeeding outcomes over the past four decades. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for the six months of life was 45,7%, while this practice was less frequent in the North (40,7%) and Northeast (38,0%) regions.
8. The North and Northeast regions also presented the lowest vaccination coverage in 2020 for children under one year-oldby region, respectively 58.1% and 60.2%, while the national coverage reached 64.3%. Due to low coverage it is important to note the number of confirmed new cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially measles and others that are included in the WHO recommended standards for surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases.
9. In Brazil the total population (urban an rural) effectively served by water supply system represents 83,7%. The North region recorded 57.47%, being the state of Pará under the worst situation, with 43.41%.
10. With regard to total population (urban and rural) served by sewage services (with or without treatment), North region covers 12,3%, against 54% in Brazil
11. It is in TAM that sits the lowest per capita income R$ 575.00 (IBGE, 2016).
12. At the end of 2020 in Brazil 14,273 million families were granted with the Bolsa Família Programme. In North region the percentage of benefited families were 13% of Brazilian families. In 2019, 967.711 children aged 0-3 years and 991.266 aged 4-6 years were benefited in the Amazon region.
13. The exposure of young children to violence may affect 2/3 of those under 5 years of age experience harsh discipline and aggression at home (based on regional data), emotionally and neurologically strongly impacting them. In non urban areas, there is a noticeable lack of trustfull data and those indicators may be worst. Boys and girls in Amazon Region are the most vulnerable to the most varied forms of violence, including abuse, sexual exploitation and child labor.
14. In early childhood education the Amazon region points low priority for the provision and the quality of Early Childhood Education. In 2019 only 17,6% children of 0 to 3 years were enrolled in nursery schools compared to 35,6 % in Brazil.

With such an adverse situation due scenario presented, it became evident that children at very early ages suffer the most and the integrated attention to early childood is urgently required.

Recently, the legal and policy Brazilian framework for ECD has received considerable investments at both Federal and State levels through the development of the Criança Feliz programme and integrated plans being developed by municipal and state level governments, with civil society, academia, foundations, NGOs, UN agencies and the private sector actively engaged in the ECD agenda in a diversified and large partnership landscape.

UNICEF in TAM has been developing initiatives to strengthen the capacities of municipal and state public policies to improve the early childhood indicators, and, thus, benefiting and protecting the most vulnerable populations. The UNICEF Seal and the Urban Centers Plataform have reaching out almost 900 municipalities, through capacity development and social mobilization initiatives.

In 2019 UNICEF committed to strengthen its role and strategic positioning on ECD in Brazil, by bringing in its leadership, technical expertise and stimulus for local engagement to advance quality and integrated ECD interventions for the most vulnerable families and communities. UNICEF programme concentrates on strengthening the role and capacities of families to provide responsive and nurturing caregiving to their children, prevent violence and promote stimulation and care, being supported by public policies technical teams at local level.In TAM, UNICEF allies with local governments, experts and civil society organizations to develop the capacity of those technical teams to support families in the role of caring and nurturing young children.

In partnership with the main state and municipal level organizations, the Pediatric Societies and the member organizations of the Committees on Early Childhood in prioitary state of TAM, the present IC will facilitate and offer technical support to strengthen Early Childhood Development (ECD) components in programs and platforms of the public policies, working along with UNICEF team.

Assingment

The purpose of the contract is to provide technical expertise, to facilitate partnership building, to plan and to conduct activities aiming to improve the integration and development of quality public policies on ECD in TAM, with a special attention to the State of Maranhão, in accordance with national strategies, supporting managers, technical teams who work direct with families in poor communities, with the focus on integrated approaches to strengthen the role of families in responsive and nurturing caregiving.

The IC will work under the supervision of the TAM Health and HIV Specialist and the Chief of Office of UNICEF São Luis, in alignment with priorities defined by ECD UNICEF 2021 Brazil Programme for the region.

Expected results:

An integrated ECD strategy in TAM is developed with an emphasis on municipal management, professionals and empowering families in alignment with national strategy, with priority emphasis for the time period of the present contract proposal, through :

1. Supporting the implementation and development of the new Selo UNICEF and other key initiatives in TAM, ensuring that it encompasses the ECD results, tools and strategies nationally defined, in order to strength multi-sectoral (health, education and social assistance), integral and integrated care in early childhood.
2. Supporting the development and expansion of the integrated initiative of UAPI (Unidade Amiga da Primeira Infancia) in TAM, aligned with activities and results foreseen in UNICEF country program and its annual working plan.
3. Supporting TAM team in the implementation of ECD interventions in the scope of COVID-19 pandemic response.
4. Collaborating with Humanitarian response in TAM in the implementation of ECD interventions for vulnerable Venezuelan children and families on the move in Brazil.
5. Supporting the constitution and strengthening of the ECD programmatic area and integrating working group in UNICEF Brazil.

The IC will also engage in achieving the following results, working along with other thematic/sectoral team members at local, national and regional levels:

6. Support the development, implementation and monitoring of the ECD AWP 2021 for TAM, in alignement to UNICEF’s priorities, which encompasses the provision of quality technical assistance to UNICEF teams and its partners in priority states of TAM.
7. Provide inputs on ECD strategies and results at regional and national level, when requested.
8. Consult and support partnerships building with internal and external partners in TAM prioritarity states, capitals and municipalities.
9. Collaborating with TAM Zonal Offices and the national level in the planning and development of innovative strategies as foreseen in UNICEF AWP 2021, that ensure ECD interventions are implemented, including the design, scaling up processes, mapping of partners systematization of experiences, diffusion of lessons learned among others.
10. Support the communication team in TAM, in the development of the public advocacy strategy on ECD.
11. Supporting the expansion and the intersectoral and integrated work of UAPI (Unidade Amiga da Primeira Infancia) Criança Feliz initiative, aligned with SDG ECD Joint Programme UNICEF activities and results, and strengthening linkages between ECD and violence prevention through the concept of the first 1,000 days of protection.
12. Identify new partnership opportunities in TAM both with private and public sectors to advance UNICEF policy and programming on ECD.
13. Nurture relationships with key ECD networks and stakeholders, including government, academies, networks, NGOs, foundations, professional advice and UN System organizations in TAM prioritarity states..
14. Ensure UNICEF in TAM is strategically positioned and actively engaged in local, regional and national ECD policy forums and networks.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Development of a workplan with steps to be taken and key changes related to the ECD program in TAM;
2. Exercise integrated work with other UNICEF programme areas.
3. Generation and systematization of evidences and data/knowledge gathering to strength initiatives and public policies impacts on ECD in TAM;
4. Planning, proposing, conducting and taking part in regular meetings/events, keeping continuous contact in order to nurture a network of local and regional partners to strength ECD public policies and to develop methodologies, exchange information and good practices in key TAM state and municipalies;
5. Prepare reports, briefings, as well suggest and support the analysis of construction of communication pieces, supporting surveys, hold meetings and technical and field visists, among others, on the progress of the initiatives developed for public awareness, donors’ reports, partnership/alliances building donor proposals and fundraising support when requested, in collaboration with UNICEF team at TAM and national level;
6. Participating in UNICEF technical teams at state, regional or national level, providing technical and operational support to programme planning, programme development, programme implementation and monitoring, including on activities related UNICEF Seal strategy,and others TAM initiatives.

The services included in the contract will be delivered continuously through the following deliverables and respective monthly payments:

Regular Deliverables

Payments to be provided at the 30th day of each contract month

Monthly reports on:

1. the activities taken, products developed, results, achievements and bottlenecks with the challenges and measures taken to face them related to each results foreseen in this contract;
2. the progress with evidence of partners engagement in the activities and impacts achieved on the key changes in children’s lives in early childhood on results foreseen in this contract;

R$ 10.000,00

Final Deliverable

Payment to be provided at the 30th day last contract month

Final and approved report on programme initiatives, strategies and results on ECD programmes that will be incorporated to UNICEF Seal and other initiatives focusing on innovative that were implemented in TAM region, with achievements, participants, impacts and future perspectives

R$ 10.000,00

Qualifications of a Successful Candidate

Background, experience and competencies required

• University Degree in health or social assistance sciences, or related fields; post-graduate studies on early child development, public health or related field is an asset
• Strong capacities to integrate different thematic areas and stakeholders related to early child development and to build intersectoral dialogues and consensus, based in previous working experiences
• Experience of at least 04 years with public policies on health or social assistance areas, especially on children, adolescents and/or women health
• Experience of at least 03 years with public policies at state and municipal levels
• Professional experience on capacity building along with diversified type of stakeholders from the government field, professionals with early childhood activities, experts’ institutions and civil society organizations
• Professional experience with participatory approaches in building common knowledge and consensus as feasible, participatory and inclusive method.
• Professional experience in the production and analyze of content of educational material on health areas especially in the early childhood area.
• Professional experience in accessing and using data base, especially Brazilian social assistance, education and public health systems

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Portuguese and working level of English are required.

Competencies based on UNICEF professional competency profile

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impacts
• Innovates and embraces changes
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with other

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• The activities must be carried out according to the criteria and contents defined above, and the products with technical quality and according to the deadlines established in this Term of Reference;
• In accordance with UNICEF priorities, the supervisors and the IC will discuss and consolidate the Work Plan, establishing the detailed content and index of the requested products and deliverables, which will be evaluated during and at the end of the contract. The periodic reports shall be subject to review and approval by UNICEF after delivery by the IC. If needed, revisions and alterations may be requested by UNICEF related to quality and technical depth parameters. Only after final clearance from the UNICEF Brazil, will the payment be processed.
• Activity reports should be submitted with frequency lists of meetings and / or events, minutes of meetings with referrals agreed, photographic record with permission to use image according to UNICEF standard and life histories;
• If the product's delivery date is at the weekend or on a public holiday, it must be delivered on the next following business day;
• UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the contract and/or withhold all or a portion of payment if the rules and the regulations regarding confidentiality, ethics and procedures of UNICEF and the partners are not followed, the performance is unsatisfactory, or work/deliverables are incomplete, not delivered or fail to meet the deadlines.

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• UNICEF will provide the individual contractor all required core equipment and material for fulfilling his duty, including computer
• Expenses related to these travels will be covered by UNICEF and paid to the Individual contractor as per UNICEF travel rules and regulations. For Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or individual Contractor
• Consultants / ICs will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

Insurance and health coverage

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

Payment of fee (individual contractor)

• The payment will be based on submission of agreed 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.

  Restrictions

• Consultants and individual contractors may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF. Notwithstanding, consultants and individual contracts must complete the applicable mandatory trainings.

• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

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:

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.