Individual National Consultancy for Developing a Roadmap for Scaling Up Early Childhood Education Interventions in Dien Bien and Gia Lai, Viet Nam

Consultant Programme & Policy

Contract

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For every child, Child Protection

Background:

UNICEF Viet Nam supported Dien Bien, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces in rolling out the Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Programme during2017-2021. This programme aimed at greater integration and synergy across sectors to support integrated programming for children during their very early years and ensure that every child has access to the full-service package at the time they need. The programme was implemented in 27 selected communes of nine districts of these three provinces. The end-line evaluation of the IECD programme[1] confirmed its scalability and commitments of the local authorities to investing further into the programme for sustaining the results in UNICEF supported 27 communes and scaling up in the next phase.

In the new Country Programme between UNICEF and the Government of Viet Nam (2022-2026), UNICEF continues to work in Dien Bien and Gia Lai to implement the Child-friendly Programme across difference areas of child rights including nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, education, child protection and social protection. To follow up on the evaluation recommendations on sustainability, scalability and applicability, UNICEF made field visits to two provinces and exchanged views and perspectives with local leaders at different levels. As a result, Vice Chairpersons of Dien Bien and Gia Lai decided to make a comprehensive plan for each province, identifying solutions for sustaining and expanding good practices and interventions from the previous IECD programme in the 9 UNICEFs-supported communes that are not part of the new 2022-2026 Programme Cycle and scaling up to other locations. This will involve intensive consultations with all relevant departments and local authorities. UNICEF was requested to provide technical support in development of a detailed feasible and practical roadmap and costed plan for sustaining and scaling up of interventions with both financial and human resources from the previous cycle.

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[1] UNICEF Viet Nam (2021). End Line Survey and Evaluation for the Integrated Early Childhood Development Programmme of UNICEFI Viet Nam (2017-2021)

Purpose:

The main purpose of this exercise is to support Dien Bien and Gia Lai in developing a roadmap and costed plan with different scenarios for sustaining and scaling up IECD interventions that were proven effective and impactful from the previous programme cycle (2017-2021) with provincial own financial and human resources. This exercise aims at helping the two provinces to appropriately allocate/mobilize resources (both human and financial resources) for sustaining interventions that were supported by UNICEF in scaling up provincewide.

Following are specific objectives for the exercise to:

- Review and identify effective and high impact interventions from the previous programme cycle;

- Estimate costs of each effective and impactful intervention based on available and up to date financial cost norms applied by the Government at sub-national levels;

- Identify potential funding sources, especially the three nationally targeted programmes - NTPs (new rural development, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous areas); provincial matching funds and funding from other international organizations working in the areas.

- Propose a gradual roadmap and costed plan for Dien Bien and Gia Lai with different financial options and scenarios for sustaining and scaling up effective and impactful IECD interventions provincewide.

Duration:

This assignment will be implemented during October to November 2022, based in Hanoi with field trips to Dien Bien and Gia Lai.

Scope and methodologies:

Scope: This assignment will be based on the performance of the 2017-2021 IECD Programme to identify effective and impactful interventions in Dien Bien and Gia Lai provinces. It also provides an estimation and options for financing these interventions in all communes throughout both provinces. The exercise will look at possible funding sources in two provinces and propose a realistic costed plan to sustain the interventions from the previous cycle and gradually scale up them province-wide. A qualified national consultant will be recruited to provide technical support to this exercise and will be working closely under technical guidance of UNICEF to facilitate consultations (at least two consultations in each province) with all relevant stakeholders in every stage of this assignment.

Methodologies: This exercise will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods. Specifically, it will involve data collection and desk reviews and analysis to identify effective and impactful interventions from 2017-21 IECD programme supported by UNICEF and estimate the costs for these interventions. In addition, this exercise will involve interviews with key informants at both national and sub-national levels, especially the sectors of health, agriculture and rural development. To the extent possible, the exercise will be done based on government cost norms (under regular and investment budget) for various interventions.

Tasks and deliverables:

Task 1:

- Review effective interventions from the previous programme cycle.

- Review the IECD design, implementation and evaluation reports and documents.

- Identify and finalize a list of effective and impactful interventions.

Task 2: Estimate costs of each effective and impactful intervention based on available and most up-to-date cost norms applied by the Government at sub-national levels:

- Work with all relevant counterparts to review sectoral plans and their associated budgets.

- Estimate the costs for those interventions and costed plans for identified effective and impactful interventions based on the most up to date government cost norms.

Task 3: Identify potential funding sources, especially three NTPs (new rural development, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous areas):

- Meet with provincial focal points from provincial departments of finance, planning and investments, committee for ethnic affairs, health and agriculture and rural development to review regular budgeting processes and outcomes.

- Explore how to effectively mobilize resources from sectoral plans and NTPs for sustaining and scaling up effective and impactful IECD interventions.

Task 4: Propose a gradual roadmap each for Dien Bien and Gia Lai with different financial options and scenarios for scaling up identified IECD interventions province wide:

- Based on the inputs and analysis from above-mentioned steps, draft a gradual roadmap and costed plan for Dien Bien and Gia Lai with different options and scenarios for scaling up effective and impactful IECD interventions in both provinces;

- Consult different stakeholders on the draft plan, finalize and submit the final plan to leaders of provincial People’s Committees in both provinces.

Specific Tasks and Deliverables: as attached Oct Consultancy Notice technical support for scaling up IECD intervenions in Dien Bien Gia Lai.pdf

Management:

The overall management will be undertaken by the Chiefs of Social Policy and Governance (SPG) and Child Survival, Development and Environment programmes at UNICEF Viet Nam while day-to-day advice and management will be facilitated by Social Policy and Governance and Nutrition Specialists from the two focal programmes.

Payment Schedule:

Payment for the assignment will be made based on achievement of the following deliverables based on the schedule below:

- 1st payment upon submission of the deliverables # 1 & 2: 40%

- Final payment upon submission of the remaining deliverables: 60%

Performance indicators for evaluation:

- Quality of the deliverables meets the standards set by UNICEF and specifications outlined in the contract.

- Deliverables are submitted in a timely manner as indicated in the contract.

- Technical assistance is delivered in a contextualized and tactful manner, drawing on the inputs from the partners.

- Performance evaluation will be completed at the end of the assignment.

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

This assignment will require a consultant which can meet the following criteria:

Qualifications and Experience

- Post graduate degree in economics, finance, social science or other related fields.

- Over 15 years of work experience in the field of local governance public finance management.

- Experience in conducting research and advising the Government on local governance and/or public finance management with great team work and flexibility to capture and reflect the diverse views of different stakeholders including UNICEF and local authorities throughout the whole exercise.

Knowledge and Skills

- Understanding of public finance for children or children's rights is an advantage.

- Excellent analytical & research skills in the area of local governance public finance management.

Communication

- Excellent communication and writing skills (in both Vietnamese and English).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Assessment criteria:

For evaluation and selection method, the Cumulative Analysis Method (weight combined score method) shall be used for this recruitment:

a) Technical Qualification (max. 100 points) weight 70 %

- Degree Education in economics, finance, social science or other related fields (20 points)

- Knowledge and research skills in local governance public finance management and child rights (30 points)

- Experience in conducting research and advising the Government on local governance and/or public finance management with great teamwork and flexibility to capture and reflect the diverse views of different stakeholders including UNICEF and local authorities throughout the whole exercise (40 points)

- Communication (10 points)

b. Financial Proposal (max. 100 points): weight 30 %

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened/evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview.

Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to the assigned requisition in UNICEF Vacancies: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/:

1. Confirmation of availability;
2. CV/Resume and a brief introduction of the consultant with relevant experience;
3. Separate Technical proposal which clearly describing how the assignment will be carried out;
4. Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available);
5. Separate Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel costs for this assignment as per work assignment.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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.

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.

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.

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org