VA Extended: National Individual consultancy for conducting the Needs Assessment, Moldova, 20 days

Consultant Teaching & Training Programme & Policy

Overview

Conduct a needs analysis and assessment for assistive technologies for children with disabilities.

You have:

• University degree in ICT, education, social protection, economics, or other relevant studies
• Minimum 5 years of working experience in the relevant field
• Proven experience in collecting and analysing data, development of the technical specifications
• Proven experience in inclusive education and/or Assistive Technologies (ATs)
• Demonstrated work experience in the education sector with national/international institutions/organizations
• Experience in conducting desk reviews and research, including qualitative studies and baseline assessments
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, both at technical level and policy level
• Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge in English is required; Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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To have more details please find below the TOR TOR _CRAP_needs_analysis_11.07.2023.docx

Purpose of the assignment: The purpose of this consultancy is to carry out needs analysis and assessment of the of the RCPPA, PPAS and RCEI. The analysis at the national level will determine the existent needs in terms of ICT/AT (for children with SEN), including the needs already met, as well as the provision and maintenance of the AT. This will help better understand the extent to which the education system is serving the needs of the most disadvantaged children and will further inform MER and UNICEF on the development of a prioritized approach for providing AT to the most vulnerable children. Also, the consultant will elaborate a system wide approach (concept note) for the strengthening of the national AT system.

How can you make a difference?

1. Objectives of the consultancy:

• Carry out in-depth analysis and assessment of the existing ICT/AT of the RCPPA, PPAS and RCEI based on the information provided by MER.
• Provide a general overview and a detailed report on the identified ICT/AT needs and gaps correlated to the needs of children with SEN in terms of AT.
• Develop a concept note (CN) for the strengthening of the AT system in the RM based on best international practices.

2. Details of how the work should be delivered

MER will provide the consultant detailed information following a baseline study on the available ICT and AT of the RCPPA, PPAS, RCEI. The baseline study will involve a survey of existing ICT/AT in schools, availability of supporting infrastructure (rooms, internet connection) and availability of trained or trainable personnel at schools. The baseline study will determine:

• The exact number of RCPPA, PPAS, RCEI and their location, number of RCPPA, PPAS, RCEI staff and children.
• Local conditions and constraints faced by a school e.g. lack of internet connection, lack of adequate rooms, etc.
• Type of available and functional ICT/AT, including software.
• Number of teachers that received ICT/AT training.
• Number of teachers that need to be trained.

Accordingly, the consultant will pull information from the provided sources to assess the extent to which the PPAS and RCEI are equipped with ICT/ AT for children with SEN.

A mixed-methods approach will be necessary: a desk-review of existing materials provided by the MER on the recent baseline study of the current situation of the equipment level; and/or focus group discussions with MER relevant staff and/or other stakeholders or focus group discussions with the staff of up to 10 RCEI. The consultant will need to use qualitative data collection techniques and analyse administrative data to develop a report on the current system capacity, availability and accessibility of the assistive devices, level of equipment of RCPPA, PPAS, RCEI.

Also, the consultant will develop a CN, based on a system wide approach for the strengthening of the AT system, which will later help the MER develop the best path to improve access to AT for children with SEN. The concept note will include:

• recommendations for the improvement of the AT system based on developing and strengthening its four components: products, provision, personnel, and policies
• determination of the enabling environments for building and upgrading the existing education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, and inclusive spaces
• series of steps that decision makers can take to arrive at a choice of ICT/AT and services that will meet their desired educational objectives
• sustainability recommendations (follow-up services) including operating, maintaining, training, and upgrading based on some practical considerations and related to specific educational objectives
• development of a national list of priority of ICT/AT products that are affordable and cost-effective and meet minimum quality and safety standards
• description of the minimum/desirable technical specifications of the ICT/AT for further procurement
• a basic budgetary analysis of the recommended priority ICT/AT including deployment, connectivity, maintenance, and technical support.

3. Deliverables and delivery dates

Tasks

Deliverable

Timeline*

1

• Induction meeting with MER and UNICEF
• Conduct a desk review of documentation provided by the MER
• Apply analytical methodology and tools to assess ICT/Ats data; provide initial analysis

Mapping and assessment conducted

Report on the identified ICT/AT needs and gaps provided

8 working days

2

Develop a concept note for strengthening the assistive technologies’ system

First draft of the CN including the technical specification of ICT/ATs equipment

7 working days

3

• Share the draft of the concept note and a PPT (in Romanian and English) with MER and UNICEF, relevant stakeholders, etc.
• Integrate comments received from UNICEF and other relevant stakeholders

Final CN developed and presented that will underline key observations, findings/ conclusions, and specific recommendations

5 working days

Total:

20 working days

* Exact deadlines will be mutually agreed upon contract signature.

4. Reporting requirements

The consultant will report to the UNICEF Project Officer with the Education Officer and Education Specialist in copy, who will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback and guidance on his/her performance and all other necessary support so to achieve objectives of the consultancy, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to consultant’s performance and quality of work.

All activities and deliverables undertaken by the consultant shall be discussed and planned in consultation with UNICEF. The consultant is expected to deliver each component of the workplan electronically (in Word format). At each stage, the deliverable shall be sent to the Project Officer by email, with the Education Officer in copy.

5. Performance indicators for evaluation of results:

The performance of work will be evaluated based on the following indicators:

• Completion of tasks specified in ToR.
• Compliance with the established deadlines for submission of deliverables.
• Quality of work.
• Demonstration of high professional and ethical standards in cooperation and communication with UNICEF and counterpart

Content of technical proposal

• Relevant experience with similar type of assignments (max 300 words)
• Proposed approach and methodology (max 1500 words), including:
  • Timeline and milestones
  • Risk and mitigation measures
  • Ethical considerations and how the consultant will address them
  • Sample questionnaire: 2-3 interview questions per type of stakeholder
• Annex: Short Sample or links to related work previously conducted by the consultant
• In addition, please provide your Curriculum Vitae.

Content of financial proposal

Please find the financial template below:

Financial Offer_Assessing needs.xlsx

The applicant should fill in the Financial Offer Template and specify an all-inclusive fee to complete the tasks/deliverables described in the Terms of Reference in MDL.

Other expenses directly related to the ToR assignments and deliverables such as: (translation/interpretation costs, local transportation etc.) may be included in the financial offer unless specified that UNICEF will cover them separately (see paragraph 14 and 15 below).

The final selection will be based on the principle of “best value for money” i.e. achieving desired outcome at lowest possible fee.

If not provided by ToR, UNICEF will not reimburse costs not directly related to the assignment. This contract does not allow payment of off-hours, medical insurance, taxes, and sick leave.

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

In case when a Moldovan resident is selected for contracting, MDL will serve as contract currency, converted at the UN exchange rate applicable at contract signature date.

Evaluation criteria for selection

The candidate is expected to reflect in the submission the qualifications, knowledge and experience related to the requirements listed above. Technical evaluation will be performed through a desk review of applications, evaluation of technical proposals, and if necessary, may be supplemented by an interview.

Technical evaluation criteria for selection

Evaluation Scale Points

1. Academic degree in ICT, education, social protection, economics, or other relevant studies

5

2. Minimum 7 years of working experience in the relevant field

15

3. Experience in conducting desk reviews and research, including qualitative studies and baseline assessments, evaluations will be an asset

15

4. Proven experience in inclusive education, ATs, and the development of technical specifications

15

5. Demonstrated work experience in the education sector with national/international institutions/organizations is a strong asset

10

6. Excellent verbal and written communications skills, both at technical level and policy level

5

7. Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

5

Total score (minimum 50 points required for technical qualification)

70

The total amount of points to be allocated for the price component is 30. The maximum number of points (30) will be allotted to the lowest price proposal of a technically qualified offer. Points for other offers will be calculated as Points (x) = (lowest offer/ offer x) * 30.

The selection process is aimed at selecting the applicant who obtains the highest cumulative score (technical evaluation + financial offer evaluation points) following “best value for money” principle.

Payment schedule:

The payment will be linked to the following deliverables upon satisfactory completion and acceptance by UNICEF:

Deliverable (delivered according to the timeline agreed upon with UNICEF)

Proportion of payment

Deliverable 1

30%

Deliverable 2

40%

Deliverable 3

30%

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

Definition of supervisory arrangements:

The consultant will work under the oversight of Project Officer of UNICEF Moldova. Payments will be rendered upon successful completion of each task, as per the schedule outlined above.

Work location and official travel involved:

The work will require local travels in order to conduct in-person visits and interviews with the different government authorities, as per their availability. The consultant is expected to cover costs, arrange, and schedule such visits, including transportation. The UNICEF office will facilitate introductions to key informants.

Support provided by UNICEF:

UNICEF will regularly communicate with the specialist and provide feedback and guidance and necessary support so to achieve objectives of the work, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the performance and quality of work. UNICEF will provide an initial package of relevant documents and available research, and an initial list of relevant experts and counterparts to work with. UNICEF will also request relevant data – as agreed upon with the consultant – from relevant government counterparts.

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

• University degree in ICT, education, social protection, economics, or other relevant studies
• Minimum 5 years of working experience in the relevant field
• Proven experience in collecting and analysing data, development of the technical specifications
• Proven experience in inclusive education and/or Ats
• Demonstrated work experience in the education sector with national/international institutions/organizations is a strong asset
• Experience in conducting desk reviews and research, including qualitative studies and baseline assessments, evaluations will be an asset
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, both at technical level and policy level
• Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

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 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