Consultancy: Research Consultant - International Day Care Facilities in Copenhagen,

UN City in Copenhagen houses 11 United Nations organizations with around 1,500 staff members representing more than 100 nationalities in two campuses. A research consultant is being recruited to assess the full options and feasibility of having international day care facilities for children in the age range of 3 to 24 months. The full results of the research will be presented to the management team of UN agencies in Copenhagen. The consultant should carry out the assessment on the basis that the day care facility will be a self-sustaining business.

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.

Research Consultant - International Day Care Facilities in Copenhagen

LOCATION/DURATION:
Duration:  Up to 6 weeks full-time, 30 working days

Location: Consultancy will be home-based, with occasional meetings on-site.

Start Date: As soon as possible

Reporting to: Human Resources Officer, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen.

BACKGROUND:

UN City in Copenhagen houses 11 United Nations organizations with around 1,500 staff members representing more than 100 nationalities in two campuses. Following a survey that established interest amongst UN families for international day care facilities in the Nordhavn vicinity, a research consultant (hereafter 'consultant') is being recruited to assess the full options and feasibility of having international day care facilities for children in the age range of 3 to 24 months.  The full results of the research will be presented to the management team of UN agencies in Copenhagen at an agreed date for discussion and follow-up. The consultant should carry out the assessment on the basis that the day care facility will be a self-sustaining business.

OBJECTIVE:
Research legal framework around child care facilities, and develop market research report. Create a request for proposal document for the provision of international day care facilities for UN families.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:
• Research rules and regulations for day care facilities for children 3-24 months old, including child care background check requirements
• Provide cost estimate per child with state subsidies and without
• Research options for day care sites (real estate property) within 2km radius and at a maximum of 4km radius from Nordhavn Station
• Explore possibility of existing international day cares within the above radius to accommodate below requirements
• Research best practices within existing international day cares for schedules and programs they offer, including frequency of walks, day trips, etc

International day care facilities are proposed with the following requirements:
• Enrolment of children from age 3 months up to 24 months
• Opening hours from 7.30AM to 6PM
• Preferential entry to children of UN Staff but not exclusive to the same
• Location within 2km radius and at a maximum of 4km from Nordhavn Station
• Limited closing for holidays
• English language as the medium of instruction
• Other requirements as revealed in market research

KEY DELIVERABLES:

• Deliverable 1: Legal Framework and Market Research Report ( up to 4 weeks)
• Deliverable 2: Request for Proposal Document ready for issuing (up to 2 weeks)

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Education: Completed Bachelor’s Degree in social science, or in related fields required.

Work Experience: Experience in carrying out research, navigating the Danish service institutions (public/private). Experience in writing reports, request for proposals, analyzing data and developing needs assessments.

Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with Danish social services, pertaining to early childcare.

Language: Fluency in both English and Danish, written and spoken is required.

EVALUATION PROCESS:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:
1. Cover letter
2. Financial quote per deliverable in DKK. Financial quote should be inclusive of service fees, and all other miscellaneous expenses (transport, communication, etc)
3. CV
4. Examples of previous, relevant work.
5. Proposed methodology/approach to managing the project.
6. At least 2 References

Applications should be submitted online through www.unicef.org/about/employ by August 23rd 2017 5:00pm CET. Vacancy Ref number 506559. Please indicate your availability to undertake the terms of reference above.  Applications submitted without a financial quote per deliverable in DKK will not be considered.

UNICEF considers best value for money as a criteria for evaluating potential candidates.  As a general principle, the fees payable to a consultant or individual contractor follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. 

Successful applicants will be invited to a face to face interview and will be evaluated by the following criteria:

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION    (max. 80 points)  
Overall Response (10 points) 
Understanding of tasks, objectives and completeness and coherence of response 
Overall match between the TOR requirements and proposal 
Proposed Methodology and Approach (20 points) 
Quality of proposed approach/methodology  
Quality of proposed work plan 
Technical Capacity (50 points) 
Relevance of consultant’s experience with similar projects and as per required qualifications  
Quality of previous work 
References 
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION - Total Points 
  
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL     (max. 20 points) 
Per deliverable 
Total estimated cost of contract (proposed contract fee only) 
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL - Weight Combined Score 
  
TOTAL SCORE   (max. 100 points) 

General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants / Individual Contractors

1. Legal Status

The individual engaged by UNICEF under this contract as a consultant or individual contractor (the “Contractor”) is engaged in a personal capacity and not as representative of a Government or of any other entity external to the United Nations.  The Contractor is neither a "staff member" under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and procedures nor an "official" for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, 1946 (“the Convention”).  The Contractor may, however, be afforded the status of "Expert on Mission" in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention and if the Contractor is required by UNICEF to travel in order to fulfill the requirements of this contract, the Contractor may be issued a United Nations Certificate in accordance with Section 26 of Article VII of the Convention.

2. Obligations

The Contractor shall complete the assignment set out in the Terms of Reference for this contract with due diligence, efficiency and economy, in accordance with generally accepted professional techniques and practices.

The Contractor must respect the impartiality and independence of UNICEF and the United Nations and in connection with this contract shall neither seek nor accept instructions from anyone other than UNICEF.  During the term of this contract the Contractor must refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on UNICEF or the United Nations and must not engage in any activity that is incompatible with the administrative instructions and policies and procedures of UNICEF.  The Contractor must exercise the utmost discretion in all matters relating to this contract. 

In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, the Contractor  (a) will conduct him- or herself in a manner consistent with the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil Service; and (b)  will comply with the administrative instructions and policies and procedures of UNICEF relating to fraud and corruption; information disclosure; use of electronic communication assets; discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority; and the requirements set forth in the Secretary General's Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. 

Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the office concerned, the Contractor must not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or other entity external to UNICEF any information that has not been made public and which has become known to the Contractor by reason of his or her association with UNICEF or the United Nations.  The Contractor may not use such information without the written authorization of UNICEF, and shall under no circumstances use such information for his or her private advantage or that of others. These obligations do not lapse upon termination of this contact.

3. Title rights

UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract.  At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights.

4. Travel

If UNICEF determines that the Contractor needs to travel in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, that travel shall be specified in the contract and the Contractor’s travel costs shall be set out in the contract. In cases where travel costs have not been set in the contract, travel may either be organized by UNICEF or reimbursed upon submission of receipts within ten (10) days of completion of a specific travel on the following basis:
 
(a) UNICEF will pay for travel in economy class via the most direct and economical route, provided however that in exceptional circumstances, such as for medical reasons, travel in business class may be approved by UNICEF on a case-by-case basis. 
 
(b) UNICEF will pay for out-of-pocket expenses associated with such travel, up to an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes.

5. Statement of good health

Before commencing work, the Contractor must deliver to UNICEF a certified self-statement of good health and take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement.  In addition, the Contractor must include in this statement of good health (a) confirmation that he or she has been informed regarding inoculations required for him or her to receive, at his or her own cost and from his or her own medical practitioner or other party, for travel to the country or countries to which travel is authorized; and (b) a statement he or she is covered by medical/health insurance and that, if required to travel beyond commuting distance from his or her usual place or residence to UNICEF (other than to duty station(s) with hardship ratings “H” and “A”, a list of which has been provided to the Contractor) the Contractor’s medical/health insurance covers medical evacuations. The Contractor will be responsible for assuming all costs that may be incurred in relation to the statement of good health. 

6. Insurance

The Contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the term of this contract as he or she considers appropriate taking into account, among other things, the requirements of paragraph 5 above.  The Contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.  The responsibility of UNICEF and the United Nations is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in paragraph 7 below.

7. Service incurred death, injury or illness

If the Contractor is travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expense in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or is performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval, the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate), shall be entitled to compensation from UNICEF in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the fact that the Contractor was travelling  with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expenses in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or was performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval.  Such compensation will be paid through a third party insurance provider retained by UNICEF and shall be capped at the amounts set out in the Administrative Instruction on Consultants and Individual Contractors. Under no circumstances will UNICEF be liable for any other or greater payments to the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate).

8. Arbitration

(a) Any dispute arising out of or, in connection with, this contract shall be resolved through amicable negotiation between the parties. 

(b) If the parties are not able to reach agreement after attempting amicable negotiation for a period of thirty (30) days after one party has notified the other of such a dispute, either party may submit the matter to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL procedures within fifteen (15) days thereafter.  If neither party submits the matter for arbitration within the specified time the dispute will be deemed resolved to the full satisfaction of both parties.  Such arbitration shall take place in New York before a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties; provided however that should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of the request for arbitration, the arbitrator shall be designated by the United Nations Legal Counsel.  The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of the dispute. 

9. Penalties for Underperformance

Payment of fees to the Contractor under this contract, including each installment or periodic payment (if any), is subject to the Contractor’s full and complete performance of his or her obligations under this contract with regard to such payment to UNICEF’s satisfaction, and UNICEF’s certification to that effect. 

10. Termination of Contract

This contract may be terminated by either party before its specified termination date by giving notice in writing to the other party.  The period of notice shall be five (5) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in the case of contracts for a total period of less than two (2) months and ten (10) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor)  in the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on the grounds of impropriety or other misconduct by the Contractor (including but not limited to breach by the Contractor of relevant UNICEF policies, procedures, and administrative instructions), UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice.  If this contract is terminated in accordance with this paragraph, the Contractor shall be paid on a pro rata basis determined by UNICEF for the actual amount of work performed to UNICEF’s satisfaction at the time of termination. UNICEF will also pay any outstanding reimbursement claims related to travel by the Contractor.  Any additional costs incurred by UNICEF resulting from the termination of the contract by either party may be withheld from any amount otherwise due to the Contractor under this paragraph.

11. Taxation

UNICEF and the United Nations accept no liability for any taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant and individual contractor on payments made under this contract.  Neither UNICEF nor the United Nations will issue a statement of earnings to the consultant and individual contractor.

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.