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, education.

We operate in the Pacific, specifically in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. These 14 Pacific islands countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth. They inhabit more than 660 islands and atolls that stretch across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. This area is comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, only a third are on track with reporting obligations. You can explore the different areas of our work at the link provided here: www.unicef.org/pacificislands.

Background of Assignment:

UNICEF Pacific is providing support for parenting in early childhood, which is a priority of the Kiribati government, as reflected in its Kiribati Development Plan 2020-2023, National Kiribati Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy 2023-2032, education sector strategic plan 2020-2023, and Kiribati Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Quality Standards. The term parenting in the context of Kiribati is not limited to biological parents but extends to any guardian or caregiver providing consistent care to children that includes adoptive or foster parents, siblings, grandparents, other relatives and young adolescents, who are also parents.

The consultancy will focus on the development of a multi-sectoral parenting strategy for infants and young children (0-5 years) and aligned manuals/materials/communication approaches and products that target expecting parents and caregivers of infants and young children (0-5 years).

The consultancy will include:

1. Desk review and inception phase which will be co-constructed with stakeholders in Kiribati.
2. Development of a national multi-sectoral parenting strategy for infants and young children (0-5 years) with tools and delivery platforms for different age groups, inclusive of a costed implementation plan and monitoring and evaluation framework, based on evidence (e.g. review of positive parenting programme and data and behavioral analysis collected through various platforms including Kiribati ECCE quality standards) of the key enablers and including current behaviors, beliefs and barriers to positive caregiving behaviours and school’s parent/caregiver engagement
3. Development or update of related approaches/manuals/materials/resources for the corresponding facilitators/trainers and/or parents/caregivers in alignment with the strategy
4. National and sub-national consultations on the strategy and the manuals/templates, and pilot testing of the same
5. Finalization of all documents for endorsement of MOE and ECD steering committee.

The consultant will provide technical support to the government of Kiribati, primarily under the leadership of the Ministry of Education (MoE) as the Chair of the ECD Steering Committee and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs (MWYSSA), Ministry of Health and Medical Services(MHMS), Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED), Ministry of Environment, Lands Agriculture Development and Ministry of Internal Affairs and other related agencies/non-government organizations. The process of developing this multi-sectoral parenting strategy will be designed to ensure government leadership and ownership, building their organizational and individual capacity, led by the Kiribati culture and indigenous approaches across Kiribati communities but also drawing upon global and regional best practices.

The consultant is expected to start remotely with a desk review of available documentation and data on parenting, caregiving and the Kiribati social, cultural and political context, gender norms relating to childcare, and the positive parenting materials and review findings and then travel to Kiribati to co-construct the inception plan for the consultancy.

The consultant is also expected to work closely with all the sections of UNICEF Pacific and Kiribati (Education, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, WASH and SBC) in the process of development of multi-sectoral parenting strategy and aligned manuals/materials/communication approaches and aligned products.

The consultancy is for 126 days, and the consultant is expected to be in Kiribati for at least 100 days (excluding travel days) in which bulk of the consultancy should be achieved and the remaining consultancy may be carried out remotely. The consultant may cover 100 days over two round trips. If there is a time difference, the consultant is expected to follow the Kiribati time zone for scheduling meetings and consultations.

The consultant will be supervised by the Kiribati Education Specialist, in collaboration with the UNICEF Pacific ECD Specialist and specialists in WASH, child protection, health and Gender Equality, SBC, UNICEF Kiribati ECD Officer, and in coordination with Director of Education, MoE.

Please refer to the ToR ( TOR for Positive Parenting Strategy Consultant.pdf) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines.

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:

This vacancy is for an individual consultant only. Candidates are requested to submit a separate financial offer along with an application and CV.   Please include in your applications, a technical proposal (less than 5 pages) on how the deliverables listed here will be achieved. Candidates are also required to provide links or documents of relevant publications which were authored by the applicant (if any).

The financial proposal should reflect a lump sum amount (in USD) for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Monthly/Daily consultancy fees – based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above.
• Travel (economy air ticket where air travel is applicable) to take up assignment plus field mission travel.
• Living allowance/per diem where travel is required.
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.

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

Education: 

• An Advanced University Degree (Masters) in social behavior change, communication, education, child development, social sciences or other related field is required.

Experience, Skills and Language: 

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience related to parenting, early childhood, gender equality and social behaviour change.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise with multi-sectoral parent/community support programmes focusing on ECD/ECCE in developing countries is essential.
• International experience of working with various Ministries in developing countries is essential.
• Experience of working in Pacific countries, especially Kiribati will be preferred.
• Experience of working as a remote consultant will be highly preferred. Prepared and interested to live and work in the Kiribati context, despite limitations in transport options, available foods, regularity of power/internet, etc.

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.

Remarks:  

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.