National Consultant-Early Childhood Development Consultant, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (11.5 months, full time)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, protection.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in progress, in advocacy and in operations. The equality strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias of favoritism.

Early Childhood Development is one of the areas where inequalities are persisting in Mongolia and UNICEF’s work in demonstrating models for alternative early childhood development strategies and approaches to reach disadvantaged children in remote and rural areas continues in the country programme of 2017-2022.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the implementation of ECD programme of UNICEF Mongolia for 11.5 months during and after maternity leave of ECD officer. The ECD Consultant will report to Education Specialist until mid of September 2022 and will report to ECD officer afterwards. The consultant will provide professional and technical operation for ECD projects within the Country Program to delivery of results.

The consultant will perform the following duties:

Until mid of September

• Coordinate finalization and the approval of two ECD programmes: national IECD programme and development programme for 0-3 years old children

• Coordinate the follow-up works on recommendation to implement physical environment norms and standards of kindergartens, with Ministry of Education and Science (MoES)

• Co-coordinate the nutrition education pilot training for 20 selected kindergartens with UNICEF Nutrition Officer and MoES and revise the nutrition education packages of children’s books and teacher handouts.

• Coordinate the national training on health education for kindergarten methodologists at the national level with Institute of Education and revision of health education handbook.

• Organize at least three exchange visits or workshops/trainings organized in five geographic focused areas (GFA) of UNICEF (Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Zavkhan, and Umnugobi provinces and Bayanzurkh district) on integrated ECD with health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, inclusive education and prevention from air pollution

• Support the selection and implementation of 4 kindergartens to have WASH renovations in Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Zavkhan and Umnugobi provinces with UNICEF WASH team and local Education and Science Department officer who is in charge of Early Childhood Education (ECE) .

• Continue parenting club activities in the selected kindergartens and share experiences to other kindergartens among UNICEF GFAs.

• Contribute to parenting month activities and information sharing are organized with Communication team in June 2022.

• Coordinate and attend an online ECD training from EAPRO and WHO for 5 government participants with English translator

• Support the audio and interactive content development in collaboration with UNICEF Education Officer of Digital Transformation

• Support and contribute to Education cluster coordination/meeting for emergency

• Carry out programme monitoring trips to UNICEF GFAs and submit HACT field monitoring reports in each quarter in eTools platform under guidance of HACT focal point

• Develop ECD/ECE proposals for fund raising, when needed

After October

• Support ECD Officer for organizing of training on child protection policy for kindergartens in four target provinces

• Support ECD Officer in early screening and intervention in the target areas among health service providers with involvement of protection and early education service providers

• Co-organize nutrition education training for ECE teachers with ECD officer

• Co-coordinate development and distribution education materials for parents of 0-3 years old children

• Support the scaling-up of alternative ECE programs for children of herder families and vulnerable groups

• Support the preparation for donor visits during the consultancy period

• Support the COVID 19 related emergency response work, when needed

• Continue supporting the development of interactive and audio lesson contents

Contract duration: 11.5 months

Type of engagement: Full time, office based

For more detailed Terms of reference please click ToR ECD_Consultancy Recruitment_ad.pdf

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

• A Postgraduate University Degree in education, including early childhood education and development, children psychology and development, family studies or other social science field is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in either of the aforementioned areas. Relevant experience in ECD related areas, program/project development and management in a UN system agency or other development organization is an asset.
• Fluency in both written and oral English is required
• Analytical and research skills
• Strong relationship building skills with internal and external counterparts
• Strong organizational skills

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.