Home based in Cyprus or in Europe with travel to Cyprus: Lead Early Childhood Education Consultant for Development of sector analysis, ECEC quality framework (132 days between 20 Oct 2023 and 05 Sept 2024) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

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, an advocate

Scope of work

Cyprus acknowledges the provision of affordable high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) as a condition for promoting children’s early development and their subsequent school performance. It recognizes ECEC as an area that needs improvement and therefore has high policy priority. This is highlighted in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) adopted in 2021.
With funding from the EU Commission, DG REFORM, under which UNICEF has been contracted to provide technical support, UNICEF will be working with the Cypriot Ministry of Social Welfare and the Cypriot Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth to support the raising the quality, affordability, accessibility and inclusiveness of early childhood education and care, by guiding investments and reforms in the sector as outlined in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan for 2022-2026. This includes the expansion of facilities and the development of a national ECEC Strategy by 2024.

This will be achieved through the following outcomes:

• Outcome 1: The Cypriot authorities have gained extensive knowledge of the current status of the ECEC sector through 1) a mapping of existing services including supply and demand, 2) a sub-sector analysis, and 3) analysis of good practice from other European countries, which enables them to conduct the relevant investments and reforms outlined in the national Recovery and Resilience Plan.


• Outcome 2: Cyprus adopts a National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care, together with a set of related indicators [and targets] reflecting the data collected and quality needs across the split system, which have been created jointly with all relevant authorities, and stakeholders, and have been validated for use by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth.


• Outcome 3: The Cypriot authorities are in a position to adopt a comprehensive national strategy for early childhood education and care, based on recommendations developed with the help of the mapping, sub-sector analysis and European good practice and the quality framework development process.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

UNICEF is seeking a consultant to be the technical lead for the work surrounding improvement and development of early childhood development and care (ECEC) and the adoption of a comprehensive national strategy for ECEC in Cyprus.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Develop a Recommendations Report based on the Evidence Generated under Phase 1 of the project.

• From the Good Practice Study, Sector Analysis and Supply and Demand Mapping already created under the project, develop a summary consolidated recommendation report synthesising the broad recommendations under the pillars of the EU ECEC Quality Framework to inform the development of the ECEC Quality Framework.

2. Develop ECEC Quality Framework including overseeing of field testing/ validation phase.

• Develop draft quality framework reflecting the split system for ECEC with:

o Quality statements at national, local and pedagogical practice level based on existing policy, legislative and normative frameworks and;
o Quality indicators at national, local and pedagogical practice level based on existing data collection and M&E processes where possible.

• Ensure co-creation in framework development through hosting series of working group meetings, through existing working group sessions.

3. Consolidate recommendations and support knowledge management to prepare national stakeholders for ECD Strategy development.  Working closely with the steering committee and expert working group:

• Integrate all recommendations into one comprehensive ECEC Recommendations for Reforms Report, designed to inform the development of an ECEC Strategy and proposed next steps for the reform agenda including recommendations for split system and for potential changes/ adaptations needed to accommodate the framework.


• Together with the expert working group present these recommendations and next steps to the high-level management of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and Education, Sport and Youth.


• Summarise project activities and lessons learned in a project summary report and accompanying deck of PowerPoint slides.

4. Contribute to coordination meetings and reports.

• Partake in regularly project standing meeting (every 2 weeks).


• Join three-monthly project steering committee meetings and provide updates as required.


• Provide the ECARO ECD Team with timely information to inform project reports.

 

Work Assignment Overview

Develop a recommendation report based on evidence Generated under Phase 1 of the project.
1. Draft recommendations report

10 working days

By 10 November 2023

Develop a recommendation report based on evidence Generated under Phase 1 of the project.
2. Final recommendations report with inputs provided

5 working days

By 20 November 2023

Develop ECEC Quality framework
3. Draft ECEC quality framework and guidance

45 working days

By 30 December 2023

Develop ECEC Quality framework
4. Organization and host working group sessions

10 working days

By 5 May 2024

Develop ECEC Quality framework
5. Final, validated quality framework

30 working days

By 30 May 2024

Programme and knowledge management, monitoring and results delivery
6. Consolidated recommendation report and associate communication documents, PPTs.

20 working days

By 30 June 2024

Programme and knowledge management, monitoring and results delivery
7. Support to end of project meeting

4 working days

By 30 July 2024

Coordination and reporting
8. Join twice-monthly coordination meetings and quarterly steering committee meetings and contribute to reporting.

8 working days

By 30 July 2024

 

Estimated Duration of the Contract

132 working days from 20 October 2023 to 05 September 2024

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a remote consultancy based in Cyprus or it may be home-based in Europe with travel to Cyprus. 

As part of this assignment an average of five travel to Cyprus will be expected as follows: October 23, November 23, February 24, March 24, April 24. Travel as and when they take place will be reimbursed by UNICEF.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Please propose a Professional Fee for 132 working days between 20 October 2023 to 05 September 2024 to undertake this assignment.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master's) in Education, social studies and development, public health and/or medicine, nutrition, psychology, human development, child development, families' studies or another relevant technical field

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• Seven years minimum of relevant professional experience in social development planning and management in early childhood development related areas is required.


• Experience working with EU funded grants, and Ministry reform programmes is an asset.


• Experiencing in developing ECEC Frameworks, Strategies, and Policy documents is essential.


• Experience working on ECEC reforms across a split system.


• Understanding of ECEC curricula development, teacher training and mentorship and tools/processes for measuring ECEC quality.


• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.


• Experience working in ECEC in Cyprus.


• Extensive research and monitoring and evaluation skills essential.


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

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Greek is essential. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV, and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and a lumpsum based on 132 working days to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.