National consultancy for Cost-and-benefit analysis of currently provided services for adolescents in conflict with the law in closed institutions, Belarus

Contract

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National consultancy for Cost-and-benefit analysis of currently provided services for adolescents in conflict with the law in closed institutions

TYPE OF CONTRACTS: Individual consultancy

DURATION: *2 November 2020 – 31 January 2**021*

Background and rationale

The number of children (aged 14 to 17 years) convicted of criminal offences dropped from 1,978 cases in 2011 to 727 in 2019,[1] with 90 children serving prison sentences.[2] Long sentencing of children for drug-related crimes is particularly concerning. As at 1 January 2020, 182 children (aged 11 to 18 years) had been sent to closed educational institutions.[3] Diversion or probation do not exist as options. The possibility of long pre-detention periods also poses a risk. Global evidence shows that only restorative approaches address the root causes and help children to perceive their wrongs. Children’s isolation creates risks of stigmatization and exclusion from future opportunities. In 2018, 2,595 girls and 8,650 boys were placed on surveillance lists under the Ministry of Interior, including for being intoxicated in public.

Children who are in closed type institutions have less opportunities for resocialization and successful reintegration with the family and society. Moreover, isolation and imprisonment of children increase pressure on a state budget and reduce spending on restorative services and social work for children in conflict with the law and their families in communities. Belarus Public Finance Management Strategy, introducing results-oriented budgeting, creates an additional opportunity to strengthen governance and improve allocation of public spending for SDGs implementation and their localization at regional level.

UNICEF partner with government authorities, think tanks and CSOs on investment cases for specific service delivery and awareness raising on potential efficiencies of responses which bring better results for children as well as generate and share with state authorities good practices on how to allocate budgets so that past progress and successes are protected.

The national counterparts interested in results of the study, besides the Ministry of Education, include the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Interior, the Parliament’s Standing Committees, and also NGOs.

Purpose/objective

The objective of this consultancy is to:

• Enhance the overall understanding of the current state system providing services for adolescents in conflict with the law in closed-type institutions under the Ministry of Education and their mechanism of financing;
• Identify gaps and describe alternative solutions based on existing experiences performed in partnerships with public institutions in Belarus;
• Conduct elements of cost-and-benefit analysis (CBA), comparing the case-management-based approach of providing services to adolescents in conflict with the law to the application of services in closed-type institutions

Findings will be used in 2021 to develop several scenarios for policy shift from the closed-type institution model to a ‘softer’ model based on prevention, early interventions and small institutions like half-way houses with individual approach to every child in conflict with the law. A set of policies will be prepared that will address the issues of adolescents in conflict with the law at three major levels: prevention before first contact with the law, prevention after the first contact and, finally, re-socializing activities within institutions.

KEY TASKS

The research should examine the current system and two programs implemented by UNICEF partners in a number of rayons and several correction facilities for youth in 2016-2019.

A team of experts should prepare an analytical report that will include:

• Short description of the situation of the target group,
• Description of the current state programme (services) and alternative preventative case-management-based approach tested in Belarus,
• Clear description (scheme) of the current sources and mechanism of financing and potential alternatives
• Calculation of programs’ costs and effects,
• Comparison costs to effects using elements of cost-and-benefit analysis (CBA),
• Developing policy recommendations.

The study will be based on publicly available administrative data and project level data.

DELIVERABLES - TIMELINE

The consultancy is expected to take place during the period of 2 November 2020 – 31 January 2021. The exact schedule of the activities will be agreed with the team of 2-3 consultants based on the consultancy implementation progress.

Full list of deliverables with timeframes is indicated in the TOR TOR_CBA Services for adolescents in conflict with the law_ADV.pdf

Duty station

Minsk, Belarus

SUPERVISION, WORK RELATIONS & OVERSIGHT

The contractor will be supervised by the UNICEF CP Specialist with active guidance and involvement from the M&E Specialist. Debriefings will be arranged upon a need to support the progress of the consultancy.

UNICEF staff members, consultants, contractors and partners will follow the GUIDANCE ON EXTERNAL ACADEMIC PUBLISHING (January 2017) when engaging in external academic publishing, whether in print or digital form, of the final Research Study Report.

The Consultant must respect the complete confidentiality of the data as well as any specific survey documents that will be produced. The Consultant can use the documents and the datasets only for the tasks related to these Terms of Reference.

Payments

Payments to the consultants will be conducted based on the submitted invoices with the number of consultancy days in line with actually reported deliverables.

Unsatisfactory performance

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

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required

The experts are required to have:

• At least 5 year experience in public policy research;
• Advanced university degree and/or academic background in economics or management;

• Extensive experience in conducting research and studies using econometric techniques;

• Familiarity with the national legislation on social sectors, local governance, public finance management and budgeting;

• Record of work with the government on public administration, finance and/or program budgeting;

• Availability of publications or academic works on the topics relevant to the study;

• High analytical and conceptual skills and ability to work in a team;
• Fluency in (written and spoken) English and Russian;

All consultants are required to know the principles and requirements of the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluations and Data Collection and Analysis (UPES), confirmed by submission of a completion certificate for an online course called “Introduction to Ethics in Evidence Generation” (https://agora.unicef.org/course/info.php?id=2173)

• PROCESS FOR APPLICATION

  The interested contractor should submit by November 9, 2020 the following documentation:

1. Cover letter
2. CV or UN P-11 form;
3. Financial proposal with estimation for the daily consultancy fee. The consultant is to indicate their daily fee for the services to be provided. The fees payable to a consultant shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.

Criteria for the selection:

• Selection of the consultant will be on competitive basis.

All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality. UNICEF is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicants should submit their applications in English on-line by closing date 26 October 2020, 23:55 Minsk time, to be eligible for consideration. The deadline for application is extended till 9 November 2020 , 23:55 Minsk time.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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.

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 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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.