Lead consultant for a Rapid Assessment of Caregiving Practices on Early Childhood Development in Saudi Arabia, 4 months
Job no: 538899
Position type: Consultancy
Location: Saudi Arabia Division/Equivalent: Amman(MENA)
School/Unit: Saudi Arabia
Department/Office: Riyadh, Gulf Area Office
Categories: Consultancy
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, Equality
UNICEF Gulf Area Office (UNICEF GAO) supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to advance the rights of children under the framework of a sub-regional programme ending in 2023. This programme emphasizes four priority areas: advancing early childhood development, strengthening child protection systems, improving the collection and quality of data, and strengthening partnerships with a view to amplifying results for children.
Under the early childhood development pillar, UNICEF and partners will be pursuing two streams: the development, adoption and promotion of early childhood development services, policies and programmes; and to increase the number of communities, families, and caregivers who are reached through nurturing and parenting programmes.
The focus on early childhood development is borne out of the emerging evidence that the "first 1000 days" of a child's life - from pregnancy through to the age of 2 years of age, presents an unparalleled opportunity to invest in a child's development and future potential due to the sheer amount of transformation that occurs in a child's brain. In fact, evidence has shown that 80% of a child's brain has formed by the age of 3. UNICEF's 2017 Programme Guidance for Early Childhood Development states: the brain requires multiple inputs: it requires stimulation and care to spark neural connections across multiple regions of the brain, to increase its capacity and function for early cognitive and language skills, social competency and emotional development; it requires good health and nutrition at the right time to feed and nourish not only the body but also the brain; it requires safety and protection to buffer against stress and pollution and allow absorption of nutrients for the growth and development of the nervous system, including the brain. All these aspects of the environment must work together to build a better brain during the early childhood period of life.
In 2017, the medical journal, the Lancet launched a Series, "Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale" consolidating the latest evidence and research on what works in early childhood development. This evidence promotes an accepted standard of care through the 'nurturing care framework' which encourages a seamless investment in health, nutrition, early learning, protection as well as responsive caregiving.
National stakeholders in Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Family Affairs Council, are seeking to invest in appropriate context-responsive interventions, policies and programmes that would strengthen the availability and quality of integrated early childhood development services. To be able to tailor these efforts appropriately, partners in country must be equipped with an understanding of the current situation - particularly, the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) that drive parent/caregiver interaction with children from conception through to the first two years of life. With this information, national practitioners and stakeholders will be better placed to identify appropriate interventions and services packages that address key gaps.
Saudi Arabia's national VISION 2030 plan gives emphasis to human capital formation. This includes specific goals to "enhance family involvement in preparing for their children's future" and to promote "lifelong learning". UNICEF GAO, the Family Affairs Council and its partners are committed to ensuring this research product contributes to these national efforts.
How can you make a difference?
The international consultant with support of a national consultant would be expected to undertake the following:
Deliverable: Inception Report expected week of 25th April. It should include the literature review, a list of proposed stakeholders to interview, interview protocols, and outline for the final report.
Please note that all materials developed for the purposes of interviewing caregivers will be subject to UNICEF's ethical clearance review.
Deliverable: Summary of Reports from focus groups, interviews and discussion. Analysis of difference is knowledge, attitudes and practices based on key demographic, economic, educational, gender and other intervening variables
Timeframe: First draft to be prepared by May 30.
Deliverable: First draft (including literature review and KAP analysis of focus groups and key informant interviews).
Timeframe: Validation workshop expected to take place week of (20-24) June.
Deliverable: Presentation, agenda, and related materials for workshop.
Timeframe: 29 July
Deliverable: Completion of report comprising of the literature review, KAP assessment process and findings, analysis of findings for desegregated groups of decision-makers, service providers, parents and caretakers and concrete policy recommendations.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...
This consultancy involves primary data collections from individuals through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews, and should follow the UNICEF Procedures for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis ( https://www.unicef.org/supply/files/ATTACHMENT_IV-UNICEF_Procedure_for_Ethical_Standards.PDF ).
Before the collection of data (FDGs and KII) a written informed consent must be sought from all participants. The purpose of the study should be thoroughly explained to them, along with the role, and what information will be asked from them, and the assurance of the confidentiality and voluntariness of their answers.
The tools for data collection (FDGs and KII protocols, including the informed consent forms) and the inception report should be submitted to an Ethics Review Board for clearance. The UNICEF Regional Office for MENA will facilitate the process of request of the clearance.
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF's values and competencies.
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:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
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.
Advertised: Mar 17 2021 Arab Standard Time Application close: Mar 27 2021 Arab Standard Time
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This vacancy is archived.