Consultancy: Consultant, Caring for the Caregiver adaptation to humanitarian settings – ECD, PD, NYHQ – Req # 535488

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.

 

Consultancy Title: Caring for the Caregiver adaptation to humanitarian settings 

Section/Division/Duty Station: Early Childhood Development/PD/NYHQ

Duration: (tentative dates) 9 November 2020- 30 August 2021

 

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:

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. In the earliest years of their life this means that all young children need nurturing care, which encompasses good health, optimal nutrition, security and safety, opportunities for early learning and responsive caregiving. Parents, families and other primary caregivers are the main providers of nurturing care, and thus policies, programmes and services must be in place to enable them and their communities to meet all the needs of young children.  As stated in the latest evidence (Lancet 2016), UNICEF’s ECD Programme Guidance (2017), and Nurturing Care Framework (2018) efforts to support children are unlikely to be successful unless they also provide support for the children’s caregivers. Yet there is currently very little support for caregiver emotional well-being in resource- constrained low-and middle-income countries.

 

To address this programming gap, UNICEF led the development of the Caring for the Caregiver (CFC) training module for front-line workers. The goal of the CFC curriculum is to teach a strengths-based counselling approach that builds caregivers’ confidence, and help them develop stress management, self-care and conflict resolution skills. CFC also engages families and communities in support of caregivers’ emotional well-being. A prototype of the CFC module was designed by a multi-disciplinary group, including the University of Witwatersrand and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The package is being further tested and validated in 8 countries. A final version of the package will be finalized in 2021.

 

The purpose of this consultancy is to support efforts to advance UNICEF’s mental health framework and parenting strategy, by adapting training packages aimed at supporting caregiver’s mental health (with special focus on adolescent mothers) to humanitarian settings.

 

Terms of Reference/Deliverables

Scope of Work:

Provide recommendations on how to adapt the Caring for the Caregiver (CFC) prototype package to emergency and fragile contexts, building on the existing humanitarian architecture and with consideration for those affected by COVID-19. This will include:

1.            Contextualizing the CFC content, training process and delivery of key messages for humanitarian settings

2.            Determine the best ways in which CFC can be used in combination with a variety of evidence-based care and support packages in humanitarian settings

3.            Build consensus across the broader MHPSS, CPiE, ECD, adolescents and gender networks on the content and implementation of the CFC package in humanitarian settings, with considerations for those affected by COVID 19.

 

Qualifications:

•             Advanced degree University degree (Masters or above) in one of the following fields is required: public health, psychology, sociology, human development, child development, family studies or another relevant technical field

•             A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in mental health issues, early childhood development and humanitarian responses

•             Experience working in a developing country and humanitarian settings is considered as an asset

•             Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

•             Strong understanding of and experience with global partnerships, coalitions/networks, and UN agencies, especially those focused on MPHSS, ECD, adolescent and gender issues

•             Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

 

Requirements:

–              Completed profile in UNICEF Personal History Form (P11) (attached)

–              Financial proposal that will include:

o             travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.

o             Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.

o             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…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Applications must be received on or before 6 November 2020 consisting of i) a cover letter that includes expected daily rate and ii) Personal History Form (Form P-11) (additional resumé or CV optional).