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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: ECD Parenting Consultant – Global Report on Parenting

Section/Division/Duty Station: Nutrition and Child Development, Programme Group – NYHQ

Duration: 16 October 2023 – 30 September 2024

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Background: In recent years, support for parenting has accelerated globally, particularly in the context of COVID-19. However, data on parenting programmes remains scattered. To help address this gap, the UNICEF HQ Early Childhood Development (ECD) team is initiating the process of developing a Global Report on Parenting which will synthesize the latest global evidence, data, and country examples on ECD Parenting Programmes. This report will serve as a global good for the ECD and Parenting community and may be used as an advocacy tool to strengthen support for parenting programmes among global decision-makers and key stakeholders. The report will align closely with UNICEF’s organization-wide Vision for Elevating Parenting, as well as other global goods and initiatives on parenting. UNICEF is recruiting a consultant to support the development and launch of this report (including technical inputs and coordination support). In addition, this consultant will support the UNICEF ECD team’s broader parenting portfolio which will include liaising with partner organizations and providing technical inputs to global parenting goods/resources.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical and facilitation support to the UNICEF HQ Early Childhood Development team’s Parenting portfolio (with a particular focus on the Global Report on ECD Parenting Programmes), an important and growing area of UNICEF’s programming.

Scope of Work:

1. Facilitate the development and high-level launch of a Global Report on Parenting in collaboration with UNICEF teams and partner organizations.
2. Support development and technical review of UNICEF products/materials on Parenting, including parenting support interventions through nutrition platforms (e.g., briefs, one-pagers, power-point presentations, communications and advocacy materials etc.)
3. Contribute technical review and inputs to global parenting materials produced with/by partner organizations and broader initiatives (e.g., Global Initiative to Support Parents), including parenting support interventions through nutrition platforms.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

1. Facilitate the development and high-level launch of a Global Report on Parenting in collaboration with UNICEF teams and partner organizations.

• Workplan and milestone tracker/timeline for Global Report on Parenting and launch event developed and monitored in collaboration with report writers. – By 30 October 2023
• Regular report and launch event planning and check-in meetings with core team organized, facilitated and documented. – By 30 June 2024
• 2-3 technical review consultations with UNICEF extended team and partners conducted and documented. – By 30 March 2024
• 2-3 rounds of inputs and feedback from UNICEF teams and partners consolidated and shared with writers. – By 15 April 2024
• 2 rounds of technical review provided to designed/edited version of report. – By 15 May 2024
• High-level event organized in collaboration with UNICEF teams and partners. – By 30 June 2024

2. Support development and technical review of knowledge materials and assets on Parenting, including parenting support interventions through nutrition platforms (e.g., power-point presentations, one-pagers, communications and advocacy materials)

• Technical review/inputs provided to 5-8 parenting materials            – By 15 September 2024
• 3-5 key materials produced – By 1 September 2024

3. Contribute technical review and inputs into global parenting products/materials produced with/by partner organizations including parenting support interventions through nutrition platforms

• Participation and documentation/notes from 10 external facing parenting meetings – By 1 September 2024
• Technical inputs/review provided to 5-8 parenting materials produced by/with partner – By 1 September 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in International Education/Education, Early Childhood Development, International Development, Public Health, Psychology, or related field

Work experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant working experience in the area of ECD, education, health or related field

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong writing/communication and research skills
• Strong programme coordination, organizational and time management skills
• Excellent English proficiency
• French proficiency desirable
• Familiar with digital knowledge sharing and dissemination tools (i.e. SharePoint, Sway, Yammer, etc.)
• Communicates effectively to varied audiences.
• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment and has excellent inter-personal skills.
• Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
• Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
• Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly.
• Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.
• Able to work proficiently under tight deadlines.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…