Re-advert: International individual consultant to conduct mapping and functional analysis of child protection social workforce in RT, 90 w/ds, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Conduct functional assessment and mapping of child protection social workforce in Tajikistan.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in relevant area of study, such as social work, social welfare, child protection, case management, or related field.
• At least 10 years of professional work experience in social work, case management, or other social service areas.
• Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity in social service workforce strengthening and child protection programming.
• Strong coordination skills, analytical and conceptual thinking.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of Russian is an asset.

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.

For every child, Social Protection

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity 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 or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

In recent years, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has initiated a process to modernize the social protection system, particularly social services. The objective of this process is to enhance the effectiveness of the sector reform while meeting the social needs of the population and providing a prompt response to their daily requirements.

The social service workforce (SSW), whose roles and responsibilities concern child protection, comprises a diverse group of workers who, depending on their roles, functions, competencies and skills, work across sectors to protect children. These sectors may for example include social welfare, health, education, justice and social protection and their work may involve the performance of promotive, preventive and responsive services[1].

With adopting two key strategies - Social Protection Strategy 2040 and the State Programme on Social Workforce, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan identified a strengthened social protection system as a national priority. A core element of such a system is having a strong social service workforce (SSW) in place, with a clear mandate and well-trained staff who are able to identify, prevent and manage risks and respond to situations of vulnerability and harm. The SSW can be found within the government, private sector and non-governmental sector; in child protection, education, justice, health and other services; and be part of the paid labour force or not. Collaboration between social workers in the different sectors are often crucial for protecting children. Hence, establishment of frameworks which support linkages between sectors and professional groups is a key element in child protection systems.

It should be noted that the social service workforce has a crucial role to play in ensuring efficient and effective case management. The mapping and functional assessment will assess the case management status in Tajikistan, which is an essential part of social work practice, especially in healthcare, mental health, and child welfare settings. By conducting a review of the current legislative framework and case management tools, alongside the functional assessment of the social service workforce, a more realistic understanding of the situation can be gained. This review also provides the opportunity to improve both areas as they are closely linked.

The overall goal of the functional assessment and the mapping is to facilitate a deeper understanding of the current status of the social service workforce and the systems that support the workforce in order to ensure that the workforce is well planned, developed and supported to provide the highest quality services to children and families.

The resulting knowledge should help establish a baseline which will facilitate the measurement of change over time and inform strategic planning and decision-making for policies and programmes focused on strengthening the workforce. The assessment will also uncover the reasons for the shortage of social workers and to gain insight into the perspectives of both employers and students. To better comprehend the profession's high turnover rate, negative image, and lack of appeal among students, it is absolutely essential to understand the rationale behind the viewpoints of social workers, employers, and students.

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[1] UNICEF and Social Service Workforce Alliance (2019) Guidelines to Strengthen Social Service Workforce for Child Protection.

More specifically, the objectives of the workforce situation analysis will be to:

1. Provide a basic overview of the context for workforce planning, including:

• Analysis of legislation and regulations related to the social service workforce and their role in child protection including case management, statutory frameworks, and the administrative structure of services
• Analysis of key stakeholders (government, non-government, private sector, and development partners) involved in supporting social service workforce in the country.
• Review of sectorial financial and other resources currently dedicated to hiring, employing and training social service workers
• Review of the current process and methodology used to determine the number of SSW required to perform various functions, particularly those related to child protection.
• The number of social service workers responsible for child protection per 100,000 children, according to type (governmental and non-governmental), geographic distribution (coverage by region & district level), and vacancy rates where available
• Analysis of existing legislative framework to develop Certification, registration and/or licensing requirements and practices
• Analysis of the state budget /funding for existing social service workforce in the country.

2. Provide a basic overview of the context for workforce development and training, including:

• Availability of training, and field placements/practice learning
• Workers’ perceptions of the availability and accessibility of ongoing professional development opportunities

3. Provide a basic analysis of the case management status in the country

• Evaluation the quality of existing case management practices, including the identification, assessment and follow-up of cases.
• Identification of gaps in the current system and make recommendations for improvement in terms of policy and practice.

4. Provide an overview of the context for workforce support, including:

• Workers’ perceptions of challenges and opportunities, supervision, support system available and career paths
• The presence, role, size and effectiveness of professional associations

Identified implications and recommendations for social service workforce strengthening to be integrated into national strategic frameworks or action plans.

5. Use findings and recommendations to develop, through a consultative process, a final report and strategic framework on planning, developing and supporting the workforce.

The functional assessment and mapping will provide the opportunity to create and analyse a baseline of information and data on the status of the social service workforce for child protection to help facilitate the measurement of change over time and inform strategic planning and decision-making for policies and programmes focused on strengthening and professionalization of the workforce. Based on the experiences made, this work is also expected to make possible identification of a mechanism for obtaining needed data on the number of social workers classified by address, sector and type of service and to make decisions on implementation of such a mechanism. Additionally, a database of existing social workers including para-social workers, which includes their contact information, qualifications, areas of expertise, and work experience will be developed.

In addition to assessing and mapping the functions of the SSW, there is an expectation to analyze the case management policies and guidelines. The goal of this analysis is to identify gaps and areas in need of improvement within the current policies and guidelines. This analysis aims to ensure that the existing policies and guidelines are efficient and effective enough for adequate case management.

The mapping will allow the Government and other stakeholders to address questions of whether the current workforce system is adequate to address the needs of vulnerable children and families, and if not, will help identify approaches to fill gaps in a systematic way.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is seeking an individual international consultant to support the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan (MOHSPP) to conduct functional assessment and mapping of SSW in the Republic of Tajikistan. The international consultant will work in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan.

DUTY STATION/DURATION:

Duration: 90 working days (1 August 2023 - 31 March 2024)

On-site working days: 20 days

Off-site working days: 70 days

Duty station: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Supervisor: Section Chief, UNICEF Tajikistan

Under direct supervision by the Child Protection Section Chief, with technical support from the Child Protection Officer and the Social Protection Specialist and in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, The consultant is expected to perform and accomplish the following tasks:

1. 1. Desk review of country-specific documents and carry out high level stakeholders analysis pertaining to the social service workforce and case management.
   2. Inception report including proposed methodology, adapted tools for data collection provided in the Social Service Workforce Mapping Toolkit[1] and clear detailed workplan for the achievement of the different milestones.
   3. Review, adapt and finalize the methodology and data collection tools in accordance with the Social Service Workforce Mapping Toolkit. Adjust and introduce nationally existing definition provided in all-republican classifier of occupations in collaboration with the MOHSPP.
   4. Pilot data collection tools in a smaller geographical setting (Kulob, Bothtar and other cities) to be able to make eventual adaptions. The mapping will include a comprehensive collection of data related to all SSW workers in country who interact directly with clients in the different social services and those who support the delivery of services, including all governmental sector as well as voluntary and private institutions at the national, regional, and local levels.
   5. Conducting in-depth interviews with experts at national level
   6. Collect, process and analyse data on gaps and challenges in the child protection social service workforce and case management including issues related to staffing, training, and supervision.
   7. Evaluate the quality of existing case management practices and existing case management instruments/tools including information management systems and data bases
   8. Make recommendations for improvement of case management in terms of policy and practice.
   9. Present and discuss the preliminary findings and draft strategic framework with the MOHSPP – brief presentations will be required as well as active participation of the consultant in consolidating comments from the stakeholders.

Finalize and present the final report after consulting with and obtaining clearance from the MOHSPP and UNICEF.

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[1] Global Social Service Workforce Alliance. 2019. Mapping Toolkit for the Social Service Workforce.

Washington, DC: Global Social Service Workforce Alliance.

Work Assignment

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline:

Estimated Budget:

Conduct desk review of relevant legislation, policy, programme documents, stakeholders’ analysis etc and prepare inception report.

Del 1

Inception report including proposed methodology, adapted tools for data collection provided in the Social Service Workforce Mapping Toolkit and clear detailed workplan for the achievement of the different milestones.

The report provided should be in line with UN standards for inception reports. The inception report should take into consideration agreed definitions, outline detailed scope; methodology; ethical considerations; FGD and KII tools; field visit plan, data collection methods, timeline for activities and submission of deliverables.

1 month (End August 2023)

1st payment – 60% upon submission of deliverables #1 and #2

Undertake data collection and data management, quality assurance activities.

Del 2.

Implementation of KIIs, FGDs and survey. Field mission and required meetings will be arranged by UNICEF and MOHSPP to get update on the process

20 days (September - October 2023)

Draft Report Writing and Presentation in a validation workshop format

Del 3.

Draft report mapping PowerPoint Presentation on key findings and

upon completion of the data collection and analysis the mapping report covering goals and objectives as defined in this TOR the reports will be shared with UNICEF. The consultant is expected to present key findings to UNICEF, MOHSPP & key stakeholders after sharing the first draft to allow for discussion and validation of the findings

20 days (October – November 2023)

2nd payment – 40% upon submission of deliverables #3 and #4

Complete, submit and present Final Report

Del 4. Final Report, submit and present, reflecting feedback received from MOHSPP. The Final Report should include the following: executive summary; introduction/background; purpose and objectives; description of methodology, including ethical considerations and limitations; analysis of key findings; recommendations for policy and practice.

20 days (Final report by 15 December 2023; Presentation by end December - Mid January 2023)

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

• Education: Advanced university degree in relevant area of study, in social work, social welfare, child protection, case management, child psychology, social research or related fieldж
• Working experience: At least 10 years of professional work experience in social work, case management, or other social service workforce areas, strategic planning, research, monitoring and evaluation
• Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity in social service workforce strengthening and child protection programming
• Expertise: Proven track record in providing technical guidance and assistance in social work and social service workforce strengthening, and case management with a focus on social protection and child protection in particular. Knowledge of the region and context is an asset.
• Skills: Strong coordination skills, analytical and conceptual thinking. Ability to work with large teams and guide policy discussions. Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills with stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe. Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is an asset;

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application/CV.
2. A technical proposal with proposed approach to managing the consultancy deliverables, showing understanding of tasks. Special attention should be paid to organizing the process of co-development and capacity building.
3. Financial quote for the consultancy in US Dollars per deliverable, stating also the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate in US dollars. An all-inclusive price offer including the airfare and a daily subsistence allowance should be provided
4. Examples of previous written report/works in a similar technical field.
5. Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered.

Applications must be received in the system by 11 August 2023 on UNICEF website.

• 1. Those who have applied already, no need to re-apply. Your qualification will be considered accordingly.
  2. Notes-some eligibility criteria have been changed.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org