Individual international consultancy - Preparation of the Resource Mobilization Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2027 for UNICEF Montenegro

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Background: In 2020 UNICEF Montenegro, in consultation with key stakeholders, conducted a comprehensive Situation Analysis of the rights of children and adolescents and their wellbeing in Montenegro and based on the identified needs developed draft Programme Strategy Notes which provide the rationale for the partnership between UNICEF and the Government of Montenegro and outline key issues to be addressed during implementation of the Montenegro Country Programme (2023-2027). The overall vision of the Programme that UNICEF and its partners are working towards is: Healthy, happy and resilient children and adolescents with knowledge, skills and opportunities to grow to their full potential and living free from poverty in supportive and caring families and communities. In recognition of the unique challenges facing children, adolescents and young people at different stages of their growth and development, the Montenegro Programme has been designed in a life cycle, cross-sectoral and risk informed format approach and takes into account key findings, lessons learned, recommendations and opportunities for action based on outcomes of the current Country Programme (2017-2021) and UNDAF and Country Programme evaluations, as well as other recent studies and evaluations.

The programme is envisaged to have the following components:

i) Early Childhood Development which is focused on ensuring that all young boys and girls in their first six years have a good start to life, e.g. that they survive and thrive, learn, and are ready to enter the compulsory education system;

ii) Skilled, empowered and well-supported children, adolescents and young people, including those who are vulnerable and marginalised, such as children with disabilities, Roma children and children affected by poverty. A key focus is to build on achievements in early childhood and ensure that they are sustained through quality, inclusive formal and non-formal education opportunities and meaningful participation programs and services supporting well-being and mental health. The aim is that adolescent girls and boys and young people, particularly the most vulnerable, are able to successfully transition from school to work and become self-confident, resilient and responsible citizens.

iii) Children protected from adversity, violence and poverty, e.g. empower the most disadvantaged boys, girls and families including those who have been left behind in the development process across the life cycle to meet their needs and realize their rights through accessing services and benefits to which they are entitled. This component aims to support children through: the social and child protection system increasingly adapted to the needs to reduce poverty, access to child and family-friendly justice and resolving the issue of violence against children and family violence.

iv) Monitoring Child Rights and Leveraging Resources and Results for Children – through this programme component UNICEF aims to support relevant Government departments and other Child Rights Monitoring stakeholders to generate and use reliable data for planning and budgeting of children’s programmes that are more child-rights oriented and remove key bottlenecks which hinder realization of rights.

Cognizant of the scale of impact Covid-19 pandemic had on child rights, UNICEF Montenegro realized that various partners had to rally around the children’s rights cause, in order to address their needs in a systematic and equitable manner. While the lockdown hindered direct engagement with the private sector, UNICEF conducted the Business Impact Analysis that provided key information about the impact of business on child rights for the next country programme and on opportunities for private sector partnership.

To achieve the intended programme outcomes, expand and solidify partnerships, UNICEF Montenegro will build on and update the existing Resource Mobilisation Strategy, which provides a framework to identify new and emerging opportunities and entry points to engage with traditional and non-traditional partners. The main objective is to further expand and diversify specific partnerships for joint advocacy as well as funding support to advance children’s rights in Montenegro. This relates to a broad variety of different partnerships, including with the European Union, bilateral donors, certain ‘emerging donors’ and foundations. It also includes collaboration with other UN agencies through Joint Programmes and financial support from Global Trust Funds and UNICEF National Committees. There is an opportunity for stronger engagement with international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank, EBRD, EIB) around key reforms and, based on the Business Impact Analysis to work more closely with business partners to promote responsible business practices, and engage business in different ways to achieve results for children.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: Support the development of a Resource Mobilization Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2027) for UNICEF Montenegro. The Strategy and Action Plan should include, but not be limited, to the following elements:

• Country demographic and macroeconomic context

• Snapshot of the focus of UNICEF Country Programme in Montenegro 2023-2027

• Country programme funding status, including an analysis of funding needs and major funding gaps for 2022-2027

• Mapping of current and potential partnerships based on thematic interests from partners considering the key priorities of UNICEF Montenegro’s Country Programme for 2023-2027.

The mapping should include partnerships with both public and private sector:

• Public sector: covering EU and other bilateral donors, emerging donors; UN Joint Programmes and looking at both resource mobilization for UNICEF and leveraging resources for children.

• International Financial Institutions, including the European ones (EBRD, EIB), related to the following areas of work between ECA Regional Office and IFIs:

1) Joint advocacy: Development of investment cases at a macro level, evidence generation, costing, and supporting the national institutions in ensuring effective and efficient budget allocation through their capacity development of national institutions.

2) Coordinated programming: Convergence across the identified sectors of mutual interest (youth skills development & employment, education/TVET and health & nutrition) is critical as an accelerator to achieve faster and more sustainable results for children.

3) Analytical services: UNICEF to provide analytic services at project design stage of infrastructure investments, including recommendations on soft components.

4) COVID-19 response: Support with emergency response and collaboration on socio-economic recovery.

o Private sector: covering business/corporations/associations, foundations and National Committees and including innovative financing trends and opportunities for both resource mobilization and leveraging of resources for children.

This section should also explore innovative financing trends and opportunities for both resource mobilization and leveraging resources for children.

• Driving principles: Summary of the core principles that drive the strategy

• Recommendations on tailor-made engagement strategies that UNICEF Montenegro could apply towards each of the types of partners

• Action plan.

Scope of Work: The consultant is expected to rely on the following methods and approaches:

• Desk review of available documentation;

• Consultations with UNICEF Montenegro senior management and team;

• Consultations with other Country Offices (particularly if there are similarities in context, e.g. middle-income country, EU accession, or any other comparator);

• Interviews with representatives of the donor community, IFIs, or other stakeholders;

• Consultations with at least three National Committee with the highest potential / history of funding for Montenegro;

• Consultations with the key private sector actors

• Consultations with UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia;

• Any other approach for data collection, as required to meet the deliverables of these Terms of Reference.

The following qualifications will be required for this post:

11. Selection method:

All applicants will be screened against the qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below:

1. Technical Evaluation - Technical Proposal – 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points

• Education: 10 points
• Previous experience: 20 points
• Outline of the proposed methodology: 30 points
• Other: 10 points.

Only candidates who obtain a score of at least 70% in the Technical Evaluation (i.e. who score at least 49 points) will qualify for financial proposal evaluation.

2. Financial Evaluation - 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

Financial scores will be calculated using the following formula [lowest offer/ financial offer of the candidate x 30].

12. Remark

Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to submit a valid proof on completing the following online courses:

• Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF

• Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSHAA)

• Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)

Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete the following course before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF.

• BSAFE security training

All certificates should be presented as part of the contract. ​The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link:

AGORA: Log in to the site (unicef.org).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities to apply.

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.

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