International consultant to prepare analytical review and policy brief on the best practices of public-private partnership models in preschool

The purpose of this assignment is to provide required information to the Government of Uzbekistan to adapt PPP models in education.

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.

Title:

International consultant to prepare analytical review and policy brief on the best practices of public-private partnership models in preschool.  

Background:

In Uzbekistan, the Decree of the President “On measures for radical improvement of preschool education system in Uzbekistan” of September 11, 2017 highlights the importance of introduction of public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms in preschool education with the aim of attracting investments in the sector.

In order for the new mechanism of collaboration between the public and private sector in Uzbekistan be an effective way to improve access, equity and quality of preschool services, it is important to review different forms and models of PPP in education in general and in preschool in particular as well as potential risks and challenges of its implementation. It is also essential to understand key prerequisites of effective application of PPP mechanisms.

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to provide required information to the Government of Uzbekistan to adapt PPP models in education.

Objective:

The objective of this assignment are:

1. to prepare analytical review on the best practices of PPP mechanisms implementation in education in general and in preschool in particular, in the countries with similar to Uzbekistan context;
2. to develop Policy Brief based on the results of the analytical review with recommendations to utilize PPP as a way to improve access, equity and quality of preschool services in Uzbekistan.

Deliverables:

Specific deliverables for the assignment are:

1. Analytical review of the best practices of PPP mechanisms implementation in education in general and in preschool in particular, in the countries with similar to Uzbekistan context. Analytical review  will include:

• definition of public-private partnerships and types of PPP models;
• potential challenges and benefits of PPP implementation in education;
• evidence of PPP effectiveness in the improvement of different aspects of the education (i.e. learning outcomes, education inequalities, efficiency, parental satisfaction, innovation and teachers’ work);
• key factors and policy levers for effective PPP implementation;
• lessons learned for Uzbekistan.

2. Policy Brief based on the results of the analytical review with recommendations to adapt PPP models to improve access, equity and quality of preschool services in Uzbekistan.

Timeline:

The consultant is expected to accomplish the assignment within 15 working days for the period over October 2017.

Management:

The consultant will be working under the direct supervision of ECD Officer.

Resource requirements:

According to UNICEF policy, the final fees will be set up based on the “best value for money” principle. The candidates are requested to submit their financial offer consisting of fee for the services to be provided.

Consultancy fee shall be paid as a lump sum upon successful completion of the assignment and evaluation by the Supervisor.

Required qualifications and areas of expertise:

The candidate should have following qualifications and expertise:

• Advanced university degree in economics, social sciences, statistics or related field (verified by the Diploma);
• Minimum five years of professional experience in social and economic research, verified through examination of CV and if necessary, reference check;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills (verified by examination of previous written work and interview);
• Access to academic journals, research papers and all other reference materials (verified by the submitted proof of affiliation)

The interested candidates should submit a Cover Letter, a current CV and/or P11 form. The Cover Letter should include information on expected fee for the services.

Procedures and Working Conditions:        

Duty station for the assignment is Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The assignment will be both home-based and office based in UNICEF office, as required. No travel will be required for this assignment.

The consultant will be responsible for any taxes that might arise because of this assignment and remuneration received by UNICEF, and UNICEF undertakes no liability for taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant on payments made under this contract.  

Reservations:

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if deliverable(s) incomplete, not finalized or for failure to meet deadlines. UNICEF will reserve copy right of all developed materials and own primary data collected through this assignment. The materials cannot be published or disseminated without prior written permission of UNICEF. UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. The contractor must respect the confidentiality of the information handled during the assignment. Documents and information provided must be used only for the tasks related to these terms of reference.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

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.