National Consultancy Service to Conduct Situation Analysis (SitAn) of Children and Adolescents in Uzbekistan

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The Situation Analysis (the SitAn) of children’s rights and wellbeing is a flagship product designed to inform policy dialogue, partnerships and interventions to improve the lives of children. It is an assessment and analysis of the country situation, with respect to children's rights and critical issues affecting their realisation. The SitAn is a crucial part of the child rights monitoring (CRM) framework and represents a key UNICEF’s programmatic output that helps focus on knowledge gaps related to inequities and child deprivations. By promoting the broad engagement of all stakeholders, the SitAn is expected to inform policy dialogue in the country and child-focused policy advocacy to make an important contribution to accelerating the achievement of child-related goals with equity.

The SitAn reflects UNICEF’s role to urge all levels of government and all key stakeholders to use the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a guiding mechanism in policy making and legislation to: • Develop a comprehensive national agenda; • Develop permanent bodies or mechanisms to promote coordination, monitoring and evaluation of activities throughout all sectors of government; • Ensure that all legislation is fully compatible with the Convention and, if applicable the Optional Protocols, by incorporating the provisions into domestic law or ensuring that they take precedence in cases of conflict with national legislation; • Make children visible in policy development processes throughout government by introducing child impact assessments; • Analyse government spending to determine the portion of public funds spent on children and to ensure that these resources are being used effectively; • Ensure that sufficient data are collected and used to improve the situation of all children in each jurisdiction; • Raise awareness and disseminate information on the Convention and the Optional Protocols by providing training to all those involved in government policy-making and working with or for children; • Involve civil society – including children themselves – in the process of implementing and raising awareness of child rights.

Provide brief background of previous SITAN findings and how the situation has evolved, particularly in relation to emergencies.

As Uzbekistan and UNICEF prepare to discuss the priorities of new Country Programme cycle, there is a growing need to update the analysis and provide UNICEF and its partners with new and robust evidence on situation of children and adolescents in the country, particularly the most vulnerable, to inform programme decisions and guide policy advocacy and partnership efforts, as well as to track progress of child rights implementation.

UNICEF, its partners and other stakeholders conducted a number of major research, studies and evaluations that provided new evidence that could be used to strengthen and broaden data/information evidence on the situation of children and adolescents in the country.

In view of the above, UNICEF Uzbekistan CO is seeking the services of an individual consultant (or institution) to lead the consultations and deliberations with key stakeholders and develop the SitAn report using the available evidence, while paying due consideration to the latest recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda, UNICEF Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, UNICEF Gender Action Plan 2022-2025, and main national and global priorities Uzbekistan Strategy- 2030, De-I Strategy, Strategy on adolescents’ mental health, J4C Strategy, and other national strategies.

PURPOSE, SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ANALYSIS

The main purpose of this assignment is to conduct a human-rights based and equity-focused Situation Analysis of children and adolescents with respect to the realisation of children’s and adolescents’ rights. The analysis should examine the progress, challenges and opportunities for achieving child rights and well-being, and the patterns of deprivation that children and adolescents face. The Analysis should be objective and verifiable and is expected to be used by all partners and stakeholders in the country in addressing key challenges preventing children and adolescents, especially the most disadvantaged, from enjoying their rights ensured in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international obligations of the country.

The Situation Analysis report is to highlight the strategic priorities for the country to reduce disparities and address vulnerabilities, and hence make a contribution to further shape the national development agenda and to accelerate the achievement of national and international development goals regarding children and adolescents, including SDGs. It should look critically at the progress that policy and programme interventions have made towards at-scale coverage of all vulnerable groups; the adequacy of policy delivery and when relevant emergency response, particularly in terms of budget; and the resources for leaving no child behind.

The SitAn is expected to present robust evidence and highlight opportunities for socially-inclusive development. It should unpack and examine the bottlenecks to realisation of child rights, as well as the interrelated roles of duty-bearer institutions. It should highlight inequalities between groups, socio-economic characteristics, urban/rural and intra-urban disparities, genders, geographic locations and other dimensions. The SitAn should pay special attention to looking at disaggregated data and unpacking national and/or subnational averages. Besides presenting an analysis of why inequities exist, it should also present contextualised recommendations and strategies on what could be done by key stakeholders to attain/ sustain inclusive social development that guarantees equal inclusion and participation of all groups of children and adolescents. SitAn should be grounded in the country’s political, economic and social realities, review progress towards the SDGs, and regional and global issues that affect children’s rights and well-being. In the core of SitAn should be national issues but, it also explores global and regional issues that affect the national agenda. By having a strong equity focus, the SitAn should shed light on the situation of children and young people who are most deprived, left invisible or uncounted for.

The Situation Analysis is relevant to a wider audience which includes government bodies, all development partners (including UNICEF), civil society, ombudspersons, children and adolescents, academia, private sector actors, media and others. The process of developing the Situation Analysis, therefore, anticipates engagement with the government and key stakeholders, including children and young people. It serves as an opportunity to promote meaningful dialogue between the main child rights actors in the country on children’s and adolescents’ issues.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY

The SITAN should adopt the following indicative framework:

Conceptual framework

The overall conceptual framework of the situation analysis is the Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming (HRBAP). It should provide an understanding of the existing deprivations and inequities and establish the linkages between the underlying causes and barriers to achieving child rights and well-being. The conceptual framework situates the analysis in the country context and clearly recognises the regional and global issues that are impacting children’s lives in the country. Furthermore, it explores the reasons behind the uneven realisation of child rights and inequities in well-being, and the opportunities for achieving progress for all children, especially those who are left behind or at greatest risk of being left behind.

In addition to the causality analysis that includes key deprivation, immediate, underlying and structural causes, 10 determinants should be applied.

Methodology

The consultant will primarily rely on secondary data analysis, while limited primary data collection from major child rights duty-bearers and other key informants may occur. This will specifically include:

• Desk review of existing nationally and internationally available data and evidence on selected topics published in studies, research, evaluation and survey reports.
• Desk review of data, programme reports and analysis generated by UNICEF, including studies, research and evaluations.
• Desk review and comparative analysis of available legislation, social policy, government strategies and budget allocation and analysis of public expenditure documents.
• Background notes on specific topics where UNICEF and other actors working with and for children do not have or have limited knowledge for a comprehensive Situation Analysis (e.g. gender analysis of disparities; environmental/climate issues affecting children, mental health issues, migration etc.).
• Key informants’ interviews and Focus Group Discussions, including those who shape and implement public policies as well as children and adolescents.

The analysis must fully consider and articulate disparities related to gender, income, geographic location (national/ regional perspectives) and ethnicity. The analysis should look across all child rights and identify where there are deprivations.

The methodology for data collection and analysis and the process of documentation should enable the periodic update of the situation analysis.

Consultants are required to propose a more precise methodology within the Inception phase. UNICEF Guidance on conducting the Situation Analysis is requested as a reference for this purpose.

Stages of the situation analysis (exact time-frame to be agreed with consultants):

Within the assignment consultants should be engaged in establishing partnerships with all relevant stakeholders that can contribute to the SitAn development. This process will be supported by the UNICEF CO.

1. Inception phase:

• Initial desk review to assess availability of data/information
• Development of a final conceptual framework for the SitAn and specific tools for data collection
• Presentation of the conceptual framework and the tools to UNICEF and key stakeholders mapping to facilitate an in-depth common understanding of the framework

• Presentation of an inception report, including finalised conceptual framework and methodology.

  2. Data collection and analysis:

• Data collection and in-depth desk-review of existing evidence regarding the situation of children and adolescents. This includes data/information on most disadvantaged and deprived groups of children. National strategies and planning documents, policies and budgets. Relevant data and information on climate issues, energy and environment, gender equality, public financial management, role of the business sector, and the meaningful children and adolescent’s participation should be collected and analysed.

• Interviews and/or focus groups with key informants.
• Secondary analysis of available data/information.
• Discussion and agreement on strategies to remove bottlenecks to the realisation of child rights, particularly for vulnerable groups.

3. Reporting: Development of draft and final reports, presentation and annexes

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Consultants are required to clearly identify any potential ethical issue, as well as the processes for ethical review and oversight of the research/data collection process in their proposal. UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis should be consistently applied throughout the research process. The procedure contains the minimum standards and required procedures for research, evaluation and data collection and analysis undertaken or commissioned by UNICEF (including activities undertaken by individual and institutional contractors, and partners) involving human subjects or the analysis of sensitive secondary data.

REQUIREMENTS

Key deliverables and time frame

The work is expected to be carried out within a period of 5 months. A total of 50 consultancy working days are estimated for this assignment with the following estimated share of days:

• Inception Phase – total of 14 working days
• Data Collection Phase – total of 10 working days
• Analysis and Reporting Phase, including presentations/workshops for validation of bottlenecks and national actions – total of 26 working days

The times are indicative and can be adjusted in function of the arrangements.

The team is expected to produce and submit following deliverables:

• SitAn inception report, which includes the initial analysis of the information that needs to be updated as a priority in the SitAn.
• Preliminary report on key findings and conclusions, which follows the suggested Outline, including, a power point presentation for validation of the findings. It also includes an Annex of State of Children’s Rights (SoCR) with issues, bottlenecks and national actions as well as major knowledge/data gaps arranged by the proposed child rights domains and sub-domains (format provided)
• Final draft report for validation – as per the suggested Guidelines.
• Final Report – which integrates comments from the validation process, ideally limited to ~ 50 pages (not including Annexes).
• Final PowerPoint presentation and, as applicable, detailed causality analyses.

Inputs on submitted inception and draft reports provided by UNICEF and other stakeholders should be addressed in the process and final documents.

All submissions should be electronic. All materials submitted to UNICEF should be delivered in English, while preliminary report on key findings and conclusions, SoCR, SitAn Reports and PPTs should be submitted in both, English and Russian/Uzbek language.

Outline of the report should be based on the U****NICEF Core Guidance: New Generation Situation Analysis.

Required qualifications and experience:

The assignment is expected to be undertaken preferably by a team of two consultants – one international and one national expert. UNICEF shall approve all members of the team (national and international).

• Recognized institution/researcher with proven experience in public policy, social policy and policy analysis, public finance and child/human rights.
• Advanced degree in social sciences, international development or related fields relevant for the assignment.
• Strong analytical skills – references to previous work or institutions
• Excellent knowledge of statistics, social service systems, development agenda
• Previous experience with UNICEF is an advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in development of analytical reports and policy documents related to children and adolescents;
• Proven experience in in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, policy (and finance) analysis (including experience in the consistent use of age and sex-disaggregated and gender sensitive data) and report preparation;
• Knowledge of human rights-based approach to programming
• Experience in facilitating consultations with government representatives, NGOs, academia, children, adolescents and other stakeholders
• Fluency in English – for all team members; Fluency in Uzbek and Russian for national consultant.
• Excellent writing skills

COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION

Based on recommendations from the analysis, UNICEF will create communication strategy for dissemination of findings, conclusions and recommendations.

UNICEF staff members, consultants, contractors and partners will follow the UNICEF Guidance on External Academic Publishing (January 2017) when engaging in publishing the Situation analysis reports, whether in print or digital form.

MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION The consultants will work in close consultation and under the supervision of UNICEF Uzbekistan Child Rights Monitoring Specialist.

TERMS OF PAYMENT The consultant/s will make their own arrangements for the travel. Travel costs (if relevant) should be estimated and included into the proposal (lump sum and break down by budget lines) along with the requested daily fee. Travel costs shall be calculated based on economy class 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).

Three payments are envisaged during this consultancy:

• First instalment: Upon UNICEF’s acceptance of submitted Inception report - 30%
• Second instalment: Upon satisfactory delivery of the draft SitAn reports (full and annexes report) – 40%
• Third instalments: Upon satisfactory acceptance of the final SitAn Reports (full and annexes, including SOCR) and final PPT and other agreed deliverables/databases – 30%

APPROVAL PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultants should act with integrity and respect for all stakeholders in line with UNICEF ethical guidelines regarding evidence generation.
• UNICEF Uzbekistan Country Office (CO) holds copyrights for all reports. The documents (including raw materials, etc.) may not be reproduced, distributed or published without the written permission from UNICEF.
• All personal data should be accessible to team members, but no one else. The consultants need to set up secure systems (a) to ensure that other staff within their institutions cannot access their data via the shared staff drives, and (b) to ensure secure data transfer between institutions. Cloud based storage with limited sharing rights could be considered in this instance. Different personal data files need to be link-able, they need to be held separately so that they can only be linked purposely, by researchers who are authorised to do so. There is also a need to ensure that data cannot be removed from secure systems in ways that might compromise data security.
• UNICEF Uzbekistan CO will share with the selected consultants all the relevant materials it has and provide required expertise.
• UNICEF Uzbekistan CO and the Regional Office expert will review and provide feedback on reports prepared by consultants.
• UNICEF Uzbekistan CO will provide administrative support for the work of consultants.
• All information from produced reports cannot be shared with the media without the written approval of UNICEF Uzbekistan Country Office.

ESTIMATED COSTS Estimated costs will be identified based on proposals and should include the following costs:

A) Consultants’ fees B) Travel costs

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

Detailed TOR TOR_Situation Analysis_ National_Uzbekistan.pdf