Consultant on parenting engagement on early learning

  • Contract
  • Ukraine
  • Posted 9 months ago

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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,  hope…

UNICEF Ukraine 

Background:

The dramatic escalation of the war in Ukraine has left millions of people, including children in need of safety, protection, education, and humanitarian support. Even before the war COVID-19 pandemic interrupted quality preschool education for children and kept millions of children at home with limited access to preschool education. As current circumstances in the country influence the offline attendance of the kindergartens by preschool-aged children, the need for alternative learning tools, products, and parents at home engagement remains high. According to the MoES data (as of 15 Sep 2023), 18% of enrolled preschoolers attend online-only classes, while 9% follow a blended approach. This represents nearly 200,000 children out of 723,356 enrolled.44% of preschool-aged children are still unenrolled in preschool education at all (end 2022 data) 

UNICEF Ukraine CO is developing a series of alternative learning products for early learning and preschool education (2-6 years) in blended format together with range of activities for parenting engagement. The aim is to support preschool children with early learning and stimulation materials and programs to enable young children’s development in online and blended format engaging parents to the learning and developmental process.

Moreover, through 2024 a comprehensive social and behavior change campaign in 2 waves will be rolled out, that will focus on the key competencies and stages of learning and development of young children and demand generation for alternative learning models designed by the Education Section, which foresees the need for expertise in development of the SBC content. 

In order to address these problems UNICEF needs to continue comprehensive programme on early childhood education focused on behaviour change communication and promotion of positive practices among children, caregivers and educators all over Ukraine.

Purpose of assignment:

The SBC Consultant with solid technical expertise in  parents  engagement and ECE  is urgently needed due to support planned  interventions within Outcome on Social and Behaviour Change  on Education (ECE) with the following tasks:

  • Enhance Behaviour Change Content Development for ECE: Offer specialized technical expertise and contribute insights to the creation of behaviour change messages and content for early childhood education, ensuring that it effectively resonates with the target audience and achieves desired outcomes. Deliverable1,2.
  • Support of the parents engagement for alternative ECE Tools (puppet show, fairytale book, cartoons, NUMO umbrella): Assist SBC in coordination of regular meetings and liaise with government entities, national authorities, and other key stakeholders to support the development of alternative learning tools for ECE. This role involves ensuring cohesive efforts for optimal implementation, addressing individual requests from partners for capacity building and knowledge sharing.
  • Support Creation of IEC and Edutainment Materials: Contribute to the development of informative, educational, and communication (IEC) materials, as well as edutainment content and digital campaigns. These materials are essential for effective behavior change interventions in ECE, fostering an engaging and informative learning environment.

The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNICEF CO SBC Officer and close coordination with Education section.

 

How can you make a difference? 

Work assignment overview: 

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

1. Technical support to IEC and edutainment materials(up to 100), digital campaigns (Up to 3)for behavior change campaigns and ECE programmes. Ensure production quality and advise on messaging, design and promotion..

31.11.2024

 

30

2. Provide technical expertise to alternative learning tools development in ECE (book 16 fairytales, 10 cartoons), development of roadmap, holding biweekly meetings, collection of inputs, providing reports and suggestions during alternative learning tools implementation.

31.05.2024

25

 

3. Development of additional 50 serries to Online Kindergarten in line with Governmental standard and close coordination with ED section selected partners.

 

31.07.2024

25

4. Provide technical expertise to support capacity building of education partners to develop, revised and update innovative/alternative IEC materials and to engage with parents  to use alternative learning tools, including 20 online-trainings, and 10 regional events conducted by UNICEF CO and other implementing partners.

31.08.2024

30

5. Revision of the NUMO platform repository and enhancing with additional edutainment materials to support community building(parents, caregivers, teachers) around preschool aged children

30.03.2024

10

6. Technical support for the development of the educational component to the gamified application for preschoolers NUMO to Mriya in partnership with the Government.

31.12.2024

30

 

 

 

Sub-total:

150

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

 

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

Education: Master’s or higher degree degree in one of the following fields is required: Pedagogy, Sociology, Social Science, Journalism.

Professional experience:

  • Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in preschool education and 2 years+ in project management.

  • Solid experience in cooperation with international organizations on emergency response would be an asset.

Languages: 

  • Ukrainian: Proficient/Native [C2];
  • English: Proficient [C1].

Skills and competencies:

  • Proven experience of working with national government institutions.
  • Experience in development of IEC materials and work with creative agencies.
  • Understanding of development and humanitarian work, preschool education and development of learning tools.
  • Good organizational skills, ability to manage complexity and multicultural environment.
  • Working with others, good communication skills.
  • Networking and partnership building.
  • Drive to achieve result for impact

 

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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