International Consultant to support finalization and operationalization of Evidence Agenda (Not for Bangladeshi); Dhaka

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.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Bangladesh Country Office (BCO) aspires to continuously learn and improve based on evidence in order to provide the best support and service to all children in the country. To do this well, the office needs more than abstract evidence frameworks but instead a practical strategy that maps the ways in which evidence generation will be conducted and utilized for learning and improving. To meet this need, the office initiated the development of a comprehensive Evidence Strategy to guide and streamline the Evidence Agenda for the coming years.

This Terms of Reference (ToR) has been commissioned to assist programme sections and management in UNICEF BCO to jointly finalize and operationalize the evidence strategy and agenda for better informed and impactful programming.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The overall purpose of the consultancy is to provide expert technical support and quality control for the finalization and operationalization of the Evidence Strategy/agenda, and three sectoral programme evidence generation activities conducted by a variety of contracted agencies.

As implementation of the evidence agenda (and evidence generation activities) are at different stages of the evidence generation cycle, the main responsibilities will include but not limited to:

1. Support to the finalization and operationalization of the Evidence Strategy
2. Support to the three sectors (Nutrition, Education and Child Protection) in their research work – including development/refinement of ToRs; guidance to contracting agency on all deliverables, methodologies, and ethical review; in-depth review (with feedback) of inception report, data collection tools, data analysis plan; supplemental quality control of training, data collection, and data analysis; in-depth review (with feedback) on all draft and final reports and products.
3. Support all sectors in effective utilization of research findings to improve quality of programming.

The consultancy will focus on the following detailed work as per the main deliverables:

1. Finalization and operationalization of Evidence Strategy/Agenda
   1. 1. Finalize the section briefers, BCO Evidence Agenda, and knowledge management, partnerships, and capacity building components of the Evidence Strategy with senior management (and PMT) endorsement (20 days, June-August 2022)
   2. Implement the knowledge management (KM) component, including any capacity building or development of a KM structure/system, analyzing utilization of IMEP (last CPD and to date), and designing and kickstarting a 2022-2023 plan for evidence dissemination and sharing (60 days, July-May 2023)
   3. Actualize the evidence capacity building and partnerships plan, including the identification/facilitation/design of workshops for internal staff, forming a “Data for Children” community of practice (for pushing the external capacity needs), designing new LTAs for evidence, and cultivating new long-term evidence partnerships (60 days, September 2022-May 2023)
2. Technical support to three sections research work:
   1. Child Protection Section: Full technical support on all EU-funded studies (nine studies at different stages), from ToR development to dissemination and utilization of findings.
   2. Nutrition Section: Full technical support to key studies and research, including RCT; development of a knowledge management strategy and plans for the section with at least 3 knowledge management products.
   3. Education Section: Support to the contracted agency conducting monitoring, documentation, learning, and research/studies under EMDC and EQUIP-B:

A comprehensive strategy for efficient implementation and management of EMDC covering the evidence generation plan as per proposal and dissemination plan with:

1. 1. 1. Monitoring plan with tools, guidelines, data collection methodology, analysis, reporting, training, data visualization, M&E and Logical Framework finalization.
   2. Documentation as per need of the EMDC project with key activities, achievements, decisions, and learnings.
   3. Action researches for the EMDC project.
   4. A Knowledge Management plan with at least one knowledge product.
   5. Learning framework with the implementation and documentation of two learning events.
   6. Sustainability plan as per evidence and engagement with stakeholders and partners.

   c. Support for effective utilization of research findings:

2. 1. Identify, set up and roll out the system (“evidence technical review group”) for fully utilizing the Evidence

Strategy, including using the Evidence Agenda in IEMP submission reviews, conducting ToR reviews and TEC proposal reviews, and implementing the knowledge management guidance (50 days June-December 2022).

This consultancy is critical as the skillset and time necessary to complete these activities effectively is beyond the capacity of the office currently, given other workload and priorities.

Tasks/Milestone:

1. Finalize the Evidence Strategy

   2. Operationalize the Evidence Strategy (including all components):

2. Put in place a system for reduction of evidence generation, improvement in quality and better utilization (60 days)

3. Develop a platform for dissemination and sharing of evidence (knowledge management) (50 days)
4. Actualize the evidence capacity building and partnerships plan (60 days)

Child Protection: Provide full technical support on all EU-funded studies (9 studies all at different stages), from ToR development to dissemination and utilization of findings

Education: Provide technical support to the contracted agency conducting monitoring, documentation, learning, and research/studies under EMDC and EQUIP-B

Nutrition: Provide full technical support to:

1. key studies and research, including RCT;
2. development of a knowledge management strategy and plans for the section.

Deliverables:

1. Final Evidence Strategy
2. All components of the Evidence Strategy implemented
3. All 9 EU-funded Child Protection related studies finalized and disseminated
4. EMDC and EQUIP-B related monitoring, documentation, learning and research/studies
5. completed
6. Key nutrition related studies and research completed
7. Knowledge Management Strategy and plans available

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

Minimum Qualifications/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Master’s in social sciences, statistics, demography, economics public health, monitoring and evaluation, or related fields
• More than 8 years of conducting evaluation and research
• Experience conducting comprehensive literature reviews and evidence gap mapping methodology, as well as drawing synopses of evidence translatable for the average UNICEF staff member and partners
• 5+ years of experience designing learning, research, or evidence agendas for institutions
• Experience creating an evidence strategy for large country-level institutions, including components of funding, knowledge management, capacity development, and market engagement
• Experience of conducting qualitative research and analyzing large amounts of narrative data intosynthesized summaries
• Experience in working with host country governments
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s organizational procedure and systems
• Excellent English speaking and writing skills
• Ability to produce appealing dissemination products based on data and communicate them in concise and visual format
• Team player mentality and desire to collaborate with multicultural and diverse colleagues, as well as work independently
• An inquisitive and creative mindset, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills for coordinating across teams

• Ability to work remotely efficiently

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• A minimum of [insert years] of relevant professional experience in
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

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:

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).