National consultant – Data review on school feeding in Ukraine

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,

School feeding goes far beyond the plate of food, producing high returns in the following critical areas: education and gender equality, health and nutrition; social protection and local economies and agriculture. The school system represents an exceptionally cost-effective platform through which to deliver an essential integrated package of health and nutrition services to schoolchildren, as has been well documented in high-income countries. Good health and nutrition need to be sustained when children are being educated during school age and adolescence. 

This is an investment that is necessary for all children and has its greatest returns for the most deprived children and for girls. School feeding promotes education, health and nutrition – in other words, it builds human capital.

Healthy and well-nourished schoolchildren learn better. Healthy children also have better chances to thrive and fulfil their potential as adults. Ensuring that girls and boys stay in school and are able and ready to learn allows countries to develop their human capital and individuals to achieve their full potential in life. These investments in human capital development of children and young people are among the most effective and productive that countries can make in their own future.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly every country in the world has a national school feeding program, serving an estimated 368 million children worldwide with an investment of up to $ 75 billion. Around 2.75 million school-age children in Ukraine make use of school feeding services (“hot meals”), and around 1.4 million of them (~33.5% of all children) are provided with free school feeding.

WFP estimates that some 305 million children in low- and middle-income countries, about half of all those enrolled, are fed at school every day. Many of these children receive other elements of an integrated package of school health and nutrition. Ukraine doesn’t have a universal coverage as according to the law, fewer vulnerable groups are targeted (children from families affected by Chernobyl; orphans; children in institutions; IDPs children and children of families receiving social assistance).

School feeding programmes can help get children into school and help them stay there; studies have shown programmes can increase enrolment by an average of 9%. In Ukraine, this data is not collected.

45 studies of school meals programmes around the world revealed that children receiving a school meal during the entire school year attend school 4-7 days more than children who do not receive school meals. In Ukraine, this is not collected. During COVID-19 quarantine measures imposed by the government, school feeding stops.

There are many more reviews made on the benefits of school feeding on showing positive impact in both school participation (enrolment, attendance, completion) and learning (scores on cognitive, language and mathematics tests), but also on the nutritional impact in addressing the “double burden” of undernutrition and emerging obesity problems.

School feeding has been considered a priority area both for the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine for last years. Data on children benefiting from the school feeding programme is available within the data systems of the above-mentioned ministries and sub-national authorities. Data quality and disaggregation are the two major areas for further analysis and data system strengthening.   

How can you make a difference?

Reviewing the existing regulations and procedures and quality of data on school feeding to identify data gaps on addressing equity and inclusiveness and coverage. On the basis of the analysis, it is planned to engage in advocacy with relevant stakeholders to strengthening the school feeding programme in Ukraine, in particular contributing to the school feeding reform but also suggesting changes to existing methodology, in particular data collection procedures and tools  to be better aligned with the child rights agenda.

Tasks:

• Reviewing the regulations and procedures related to the design and implementation of the school-feeding programme in Ukraine (both at national and local levels) with the focus on equity and inclusiveness. Identify opportunities for alignment of vulnerable groups categories benefiting from school feeding programme with MOSP vulnerable groups described as “people in difficult live circumstances”;
• Undertaking the analysis of existing data from relevant state institutions on school feeding;
• Reviewing the gaps related to data quality and data collection systems.

 

Deliverable								Deadline	# of days
1. Inception report covering methodology description, data sources and expected results								01 April 2021	5
2. Report on legislation and regulations review								15 April 2021	5
3. Report on data analysis and gaps in Ukrainian								05 May 2021	10
4. Recommendations for strengthening the monitoring system on school feeding								15 May 2021	3
									Total

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

Education:  Master’s degree in Social, Data Science or Nutrition and other fields of study relevant to the assignment.

Professional experience: At least 5 years of experience in data analysis or monitoring and evaluation in social sectors; At least 2 years of experience in sociology, statistical and sociological analysis; At least 2 years of experience in data analysis at local and national levels; At least 2 years of experience in developing methodological recommendations on research and data collection.

Language: Ukrainian –  Advanced [C1]; English –  is an advantage.

Skills and competencies: Ability to collect and analyze official data, as well as data obtained by non-governmental research institutions and think-tanks, international organizations and individual researchers; Good analytical and writing skills; Advanced skills in data analysis in Excel; Skills in data analysis by using SPSS, Python, R, Power BI is an asset; Fluency in Ukrainian, knowledge of English is an asset; Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

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.

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.

Please fill in the form properly and indicate your daily fee, travel lump sum and total fee to complete the assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and on any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.