International Consultant to support UNICEF Belarus Country Office in conducting the Situational Analysis of the situation of children and adolescents in the Republic of Belarus

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, chance 

Consultancy Title: International Consultant to support UNICEF Belarus Country Office in conducting the Situational Analysis of the situation of children and adolescents in the Republic of Belarus

Section/Division/Duty Station: UNICEF Belarus CO

Duration: July - October 2024

Home/ office Based: Remote/Home-based, with two trips to Minsk, Belarus 

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. Over 75 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. 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 abuse. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF Belarus Country Office (CO) seeks to hire an international consultant to support development of the Situational Analysis of children and adolescents in the Republic of Belarus (SitAn) for the period of September 2020 - June 2024. The SitAn is the first step to inform the drafting of the new Country Programme Document for 2026-2030.

The SitAn will assess the situation of children and adolescents (aged 0-18 years) in the Republic of Belarus with respect to implementation of their rights and guarantee of their best interests in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as national and international legislation. The SitAn will also assess Belarus’ progress on child-related SDGs. The SitAn comprises analysis of achievements, challenges, and bottlenecks in protecting the rights and ensuring best interests of the child, paying special attention to the most vulnerable groups such as children with disabilities, children with special educational needs, children in poverty, etc.

By identifying the root causes of deprivation, poverty, and exclusion, the SitAn will contribute to the sustainable inclusive development, SDGs and the realization of child rights. The SitAn is evidence-based, data-driven, risk-informed, and forward-looking. It addresses a broad audience that includes key stakeholders such as policymakers, decision-makers, government counterparts, civil society, donors, the private sector, academia, children and adolescents to achieve understanding and consensus on the key child rights priorities in the country.

The primary purpose of the SitAn is to inform transformational and lasting change for children, adolescents, their families, and their communities. The analysis influences and contributes to changing the lives of children and adolescents by supporting the fulfillment and protection of child rights and addressing the underlying causes of violations and deprivations.

The SitAn is based on official statistics, available research, data from international data bases such as TransMonEE and consultations with experts, specialists and professionals engaged in the implementation of policies, national programmes and legislation aimed at children and adolescents as well as any other relevant and reliable sources.

The CO will implement the SitAn in close partnership with national partners, including key line ministries such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CO will contract a national research institute to conduct the SitAn to ensure robust analysis based on reliable objective data and aligned with national programs and priorities of the Republic of Belarus. The SitAn and related documents will be completed by the national research institute in Russian. SitAn findings and recommendations will be used to inform prioritization of programming areas to be included in the new CPD, contribute to the UN Common Country Analysis, inform United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2026-2030, support the national partners in developing national programs and policies for 2026-2030, and for raising awareness of the key stakeholders and the public on the situation of children and adolescents in Belarus.

The international consultant will support the CO in oversight of the SitAn implementation by the national research institute to provide recommendations on the SitAn methodology; ensure reliability and integrity of the data, use of data-driven and evidence-based approach to provided recommendations; identify data gaps and possible ways to address them; ensure that the situation of the most vulnerable groups is captured to the extent possible; ensure integration of human-rights based approach, gender equality and other cross-cutting issues; and edit the final report in line with UNICEF requirements.

The international consultant will participate in online consultations and meetings, and complete at least two visits to Belarus (tentatively 3-4 days in the country per visit) to meet with the national research institute and the CO, discuss the findings and recommendations of the SitAn, and participate in the presentation of the final SitAn report to the CO and national partners as per the timeline below.

Scope of Work:

Under the direct supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and in close coordination with the Deputy Representative, the CO programme sections and the national research institute to conduct the SitAN the international consultant will support developing and finalizing the SitAn providing expert oversight and recommendations on the SitAn methodology and process, verifying findings and recommendations of the SitAn, identifying potential gaps in provided analysis and ways to address them and streamline the final document with the best practices and UNICEF requirements.

Supervision of the consultancy:

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist is the contract manager and major focal point responsible for coordinating the performance of the tasks, providing necessary documents, arranging consultations and other steps necessary to complete planned deliverables.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables / Delivery Deadline:

Work Assignment Overview

Deliverables/ Outputs

Delivery deadline

Contract signing; initial briefings with the CO

Contract signed

Briefing with the CO held

July 15, 2024

Support provided to the CO in finalizing the SitAn structure, data sources, methodology, tools, and approaches to be defined in the inception report

• Online consultations with the national research institute and the CO conducted to achieve mutual understanding of the scope, content and expected results of the SitAn (as necessary)
• Online consultations with the national research institute and the CO M&E specialist conducted to provide recommendations and expertise to identify data sources, appropriate tools and methodology to ensure robust analysis
• Review and finalization of the SitAn inception report to ensure its high quality, feasibility of proposed methodology to achieve planned results, objectiveness and reliability of proposed data sources and integration of the key cross-cutting issues such as disability, gender, human-rights based approach into the SitAn
• Comments resulting from the review are provided in writing and integrated in the final inception report to be approved by the CO

July 15-31, 2024

Oversight and support provided to the CO and to the national research institute in the process of the SitAn development to ensure robust results

• Ongoing online consultations and support provided to the national research institute and the CO to ensure implementation of the SitAn in line with the inception report, agreed methodology and UNICEF requirements (as necessary)
• Developed SitAn materials to support each child rights domain are reviewed when available for data completeness and integrity, data and analysis gaps are identified, recommendations are provided on addressing identified data gaps
• Reflecting the situation of the most vulnerable groups of children, capturing any substantial differences resulting from disability, gender, other key risk factors is ensured as feasible
• Recommendations are provided to the CO on enhancing the quality and applicability of the final product
• A visit to Minsk, Belarus is conducted (tentatively in the last week of August – first week of September 2024, 4 days consultancy visit) for in person consultations with the national research institute and the CO to enhance the SitAn and verify any data as relevant

1 August – 15 September, 2024

The draft SitAn report is reviewed, recommendations are provided on enhancing the content and streamlining it with UNICEF requirements provided

• The draft SitAn report is reviewed for data verification, integrity of causality links between identified factors impacting the rights and best interests of the child and provided recommendations and consistency of methodological approaches
• The content of the report, including each domain, key findings and recommendations, is revised to properly reflect the situation of vulnerable groups of children and any differences resulting from such cross-cutting factors as gender equality, disability inclusion, place of living and other vulnerabilities
• The text of the report is revised for the consistency, integrity of findings and proposed recommendations, and sufficiency of analysis for each child rights domain included in the SitAn
• Relevant recommendations are provided to address identified gaps, inconsistencies, and lack of analysis

16 September – 10 October 2024

The SitAn report is finalized in line with provided comments and the CO is provided recommendations on further research resulting from its findings and recommendations

• The final SitAn report is reviewed for consistency with provided recommendations
• An executive summary (max 5 pages) and/or a preface is developed by the consultant and reviewed and approved by the CO
• The consultant participated in the final offline event to present the final SitAn report to the national partners and other key stakeholders in Minsk, Belarus (tentatively in the last week of October 2024, 3-days consultancy visit)
• An internal offline presentation to the CO to discuss any observations from the SitAn and provide recommendations for the research and Child Rights Monitoring activities for the CO is conducted during the visit
• A final report by the consultant on key findings and observations made through the SitAn process and based on its results, including recommendations on further research and Child Rights Monitoring activities to be prioritized by the CO in the next programme cycle, is submitted and approved by the CO.

11-31 October 2024

NOTE:  The above timeline is tentative with some flexibility for potential fluctuations preserved for negotiations with the selected consultant.  The final timeframe is to be discussed and finalized in consultation between the CO and the international consultant to accommodate the dates of contracting the national research institute and schedule of work to be developed and agreed with it.

Travel (if required as per TOR):

International travel(s) to Belarus, based on the preliminarily agreed timeline and activities.

Qualifications 

Education:

• Masters degree (advanced university degree) preferably in social studies, statistics and analysis, evaluation, or related field.
• A combination of relevant academic background and relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work experience/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• At least ten years of proven experience in conducting social research/studies
• Proven skills and expertise in applying different statistical analysis tools and models as part of social research and analysis is required
• Experience in supporting and/or developing recommendations for development of national programs in such areas as demography, health, child rights, situation of vulnerable groups and related areas is an asset
• Experience in supporting UNICEF and/or other UN agencies in developing Situational Analysis, Common Country Analysis, other strategic research is an asset
• Previous work experience with UNICEF is an asset
• Ability to produce content for high standard deliverables in Russian
• A strong professional background with a profound understanding of sustainable inclusive development, gender equality and human rights, including child rights, equity/inclusion. Understanding of the current regional and Belarus context will be an asset
• Oral and written fluency in Russian
• Fluency in English is an asset
• Ability to travel to Belarus

Competencies:

• strong leadership, planning, coordination, communications, conflict-resolution and facilitation skills necessary to manage and bring diverse teams to strategic results within limited time
• sensitivity towards ethics with regards to human and child rights issues, vulnerable populations, different cultures, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, personal interaction and gender roles, disability, age, and ethnicity
• strong expertise in virtual and blended facilitation to ensure a dynamic learning experience and meaningful discussions with medium sized teams
• strong remote facilitation and guidance skills; strong virtual meeting production capacities
• strong writing and editorial skills
• strong planning and analytical skills and high attention to details to streamline and ensure integrity of the SitAn report.
  
  

Evaluation Criteria:

A) Technical Evaluation (e.g., maximum 75 Points)

• Demonstrated professional experience of at least least ten years of proven experience in conducting social research/studies (30)
• Proven skills and expertise in applying different statistical analysis tools and models as part of social research and analysis is required (15)
• Experience in supporting and/or developing recommendations for development of national programs in such areas as demography, health, child rights, situation of vulnerable groups and related areas (15)
• Experience in supporting UNICEF and/or other UN agencies in developing Situational Analysis, Common Country Analysis, other strategic research (15)

B) Financial Proposal (e.g., maximum of 25 Points)

• The financial proposal will be evaluated based on the best value for money principle
• Bidders are requested to provide an all-inclusive cost in the financial proposal. In all cost implications bidders should factor the cost of the required service/assignment and provide the breakdown of these costs. Estimated cost for travel should be included in the financial proposal. Travel costs shall be calculated based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). Unexpected trips shall also be treated as above.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Interested applicants should provide a letter of interest (Cover Letter) describing how they can contribute to the interventions listed under roles and responsibilities and why they should be selected for this position. In addition, they should share their latest CV/Resume and financial proposal to undertake this job.
• List of related tasks/research completed (including SitAns if any) with a brief description/summary. An example of previously completed related tasks/research can be attached.
• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal should be submitted using the financial offer template  Financial Offer template_SitAn_consultant.docx and must:
  • Reflect the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment period (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • Include travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. Consultants are responsible for arranging their own transportation arrangements. UNICEF can provide office vehicle for some duty travel missions with prior agreement as per monthly travel plan approved by the supervisor
  • Include any other costs: health insurance, payment of an incidental expenditure (such as bank charges, insurances, etc.) and living costs as applicable.
• 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

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. 

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.