International consultancy for provision of technical assistance in the areas of M&E and baseline development for Education and Adolescents Programming of UNICEF Tajikistan

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 106,748 USD and 139,778 USD.

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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,

Background UNICEF Tajikistan country programme has a clear focus on improving quality of education and expanding access to skills building including for the most marginalized, to ensure a successful transition from school to working life.

Working within the framework of Reimagine Education and Generation Unlimited Global Initiatives, UNICEF Tajikistan is focusing on strenghthening the national institutional capacity to actively engage children and youth in building their competencies by providing competency-based education opportunities with interventions designed to support the development of inclusive career guidance complemented by competence-based learning delivered in formal and non-formal education settings in selected Centres, including technology enabled learning. In order to achieving education transformation and empowerment of young people, a holistic programme has been designed to increase national institutional capacity towards providing adolescent boys and girls with relevant competencies and skills (21st century skills) needed for meaningful engagement in school, at home, at the work place, and society at large, further ensuring continuity of learning and skills development opportunities in case of school closure due to COVID-19 and other emergencies. The designed programme adopts a multiple-pathways and blended approach by providing quality and relevant learning opportunities, career guidance, social entrepreneurship, and job coaching both in formal and non-formal education settings.

The proposed action is in line with the EU support to the education sector and the achievement of the main goals of the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2030, towards ensuring a transformational sustainable growth with greater diversification of the economy through a competency-based quality education at all levels. Based on the defined Theory of Change, the action is expected to support the operationalisation of the National Education Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 adopted by MoES in April 2020. This includes the modernisation of education system through institutional capacity development for digital learning and the provision of equipment of relevant technology at central and district level, in order to address limited connectivity and remoteness of schools (85% rural schools) and to ensure continuity of learning through developed digital/e-learning solutions both in urban areas and remote areas. The main strategic approach builds on global UNICEF Reimagine Education agenda and strategic vision and aims at strengthening national capacity at all levels towards preparedness and resilience to shocks while actively engaging adolescent girls and boys in Tajikistan in building their competencies and increase their employability.

How can you make a difference?

In order to implement this strategic vision, the Tajikistan Country Office has established a series of new partnerships across Learning and ADAP sections, with development partners including Islamic Development Bank, the European Union, the World Bank, among others, requiring the development of M&E framework and baseline development.

The consultancy aims to support UNICEF teams and relevant national counterparts in the planning, implementation and monitoring/documentation of results to be achieved by developed programmes, ensuring specific M&E support to the EU funded project “Improving skills and competencies of adolescent girls and boys for school to work transition in Tajikistan and national support to continuity of learning within the framework of the National Education Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19.” This task will require the development of an M&E structure and harmonization of inputs/outputs falling under different project teams, along with synergy within existing programmes and projects implemented by the Learning and ADAP sections.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT: Key tasks and activities to be implemented by the consultancy are as follows:

1. Review existing program result structure and M&E approaches of the Learning and ADAP sections in light of UNICEF Global initiative Reimagine Education and Generation Unlimited. The review will focus on exsisting projects ensuring synergy within the results framework of EU funded project “Improving skills and competencies of adolescent girls and boys for school to work transition in Tajikistan and national support to continuity of learning within the framework of the National Education Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19.”
2. Develop detailed M&E framework including data collection strategies and tools for Learning and ADAP implementing partners, ensuring synergy and linkage between formal and non-formal education interventions as part of the ongoing related programs.
3. Provide technical advice and capacity building for national teams responsible for data collection including development of relevant tools as required.
4. Develop two inception reports for outcome 1 and 2 of the EU funded project “Improving skills and competencies of adolescent girls and boys for school to work transition in Tajikistan and national support to continuity of learning within the framework of the National Education Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19” including drafting of M&E structure and harmonization of inputs from relevant project teams.
5. Ensure data analysis of projects monitoring data collected by Learning and ADAP teams as part of ongoing learning and ADAP interventions.

KEY DELIVERABLES/TIMEFRAME/PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

#

Tasks/Milestone

Deliverables/Outputs

Number of days

Timeline

Payment schedule

1

Inception report with review of existing programmatic areas and synergy across existing Results Framework developed by Learning and ADAP teams

Inception report with completed review of synergy and overlaps in terms of M&E and data

5 days (Off-site working days)

31 March 2021

20% upon completion of deliverable and acceptance by UNICEF.

2

M&E framework including data collection strategy for learning and ADAP sections ensuring synergy and linkage between formal and non-formal education interventions

M&E framework comprehensive of programme and project results and indicators

10 days

(Off-site)

5 days (on-site)

15 April 2021

20% upon completion of deliverable and acceptance by UNICEF.

3

Technical support to data collection and analysis including development of tools for collecting data against developed M&E framework

Developed data collection tools

5 days (Off-site)

15-April - 15 June 2021

20% upon completion of deliverable and acceptance by UNICEF

4

Inception report for outcome 1 of EU funded project

Inception report for outcome 1 (Generation Unlimited)

10 days (Off-site)

26 April

20% upon completion of deliverable and acceptance by UNICEF

5

Inception report for outcome 2 of EU funded project

 Inception report for outcome 2 (Reimagine Education)

10 days (Off site)

30 June

20% upon completion of deliverable and acceptance by UNICEF

Total number of working days

45 days

100%

Note: Due to COIVD-19, the work and deliverables are subject to change. Consultant need to be flexible to adjust to any unforeseen adjustments that might occur during the implementation.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results: The evaluation of the results will be based on:

1. Technical and professional competence (quality of the products delivered to UNICEF);
2. Scope of work (e.g. No. of meetings with the stakeholders);
3. Quality of work (quality of methodology, draft, and final report);
4. Quantity of work (completing the tasks indicated in the table above within the set timeframe)

In addition, such indicators as work relations, responsibility, drive for results, and communication will be taken into account during the evaluation of the Consultant's work.

Estimated duration of contract and remuneration: The assignment will be carried out in 45 working days spread over a period ranging from March till June 2021.

Location: Remote (40 days) and Dushanbe (5 days).

Travel involved: Consultant is expected to travel to Tajikistan. Travel plans to be pre-approved and agreed to by UNICEF Tajikistan. Travel paid for by UNICEF shall be based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

Supervision: Learning and ADAP Section Chiefs, UNICEF Tajikistan. Reporting to******: Education and ADAP Specialist, UNICEF Tajikistan

Insurances: UNICEF does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for consultants and individual contractors, and consultants and individual contractors are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming all costs related to required inoculations, vaccinations and medical examinations. Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. The responsibility of UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation for service-incurred death, injury or illness as per the provisions detailed below.

Recourse: UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Ethical considerations: Adequate measures should be taken to ensure that the process responds to quality and ethical requirements. The contracted consultant should be sensitive to beliefs, manners, and customs and act with integrity and honesty in their relationships with all stakeholders. It should also protect the anonymity and confidentiality of individual information.

Mandatory trainings: Consultants and individual contractors, regardless of contract duration, must complete the applicable mandatory trainings. The link will be provided during the selection process for the successful candidates.

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

1) Education: Postgraduate/graduate degree in education/or social sciences, humanities;- Familiarity with new educational development trends and socio-economic reforms, especially in the CEE/ CIS region; - The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and Lotus Notes.

2) Work experience: Minimum 5 years of practical experience in the field of M&E and baseline development with emphasis on education, educational policies and reform in the educational sector as well as experience with education sector planning processes; - Previous work/experience with similar projects; - Knowledge of UNICEF priorities would be an asset;

3) Competencies: Proficient writing and communication skills; - Proven experience and ability to work in a team; - Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills. - Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion. - Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.

4) Language: Excellent written and verbal communication in English. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.

REQUIREMENTS:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application/CV. 2. A technical proposal with the proposed methodology/approach to managing the project, showing understanding of tasks. 3. Work plan. 4. Financial quote for the consultancy in USD per deliverable, stating also the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate (as well as travel and subsistence costs, as applicable). 5. Examples of previous, relevant work related to the deliverables. 6. At least two references

Queries can be sent to tad-procurement@unicef.org with the subject line "International consultancy for provision of technical assistance in the areas of M&E and baseline development for Education and Adolescents Programming of UNICEF Tajikistan". Applications must be received in the system by 24 March 2021 on our website: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index.php .

Travel costs and DSA will be covered in accordance with UN rules and regulations. No other remunerations apply. As a general principle, the fees payable to a consultant or individual contractor follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible cost.

Please note that consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

EVALUATION PROCESS AND METHODS:

Individual consultants/contractors will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis methodology. The award of the Contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and b) having received the highest score out of a weighted set of technical and financial criteria.

During the selection, the ratio between the technical evaluation and commercial offer is 70 to 30.

Criteria

Weight

Max. Point

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (max. 70 points)

70%

70

Overall Response (30 points)

Understanding of tasks, objectives and completeness and coherence of response

15

Overall match between the TOR requirements and proposal

15

Proposed Methodology and Approach (20 points)

Quality of proposed approach/methodology

10

Quality of proposed work plan

10

Technical Capacity (20 points)

Postgraduate/graduate degree in education/or social sciences, humanities;

Familiarity with new educational development trends and socio-economic reforms, especially in the CEE/ CIS region;

7

Minimum 5 years of practical experience in the field of M&E and baseline development with emphasis on education, educational policies and reform in the educational sector (preferably in early childhood education), as well as experience with education sector planning processes;

7

Excellent written and verbal communication in English. Knowledge of Russian is an asset;

6

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL (max. 30 points) (daily rate, lump sum, per deliverable, Economy Air Ticket)

30%

30

TOTAL SCORE (max. 100 points)

Only candidates who obtain a minimum of 49 points in the Technical Criteria evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial Proposal: Please provide an all-inclusive price for delivering professional services in accordance with the assignment described under this TOR. The formula for the rating of the Financial Proposals will be as follows:

FP Rating = (Lowest Priced Offer / Price of the Offer Being Reviewed) x 100

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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