International Consultancy to support the rolling out of the contextualized Adolescent Toolkit for Expression and Innovation (Adolescent Kit) as additional skills-building prog. at the Adolescent Innovation Labs at Centers for Add-l Educ-on in Tajikistan

The purpose of this assignment is to support the process of testing, adapting and documentation of use of the guidebook and Adolescent Kit by local partners and provide the detailed roll-out plan for its expansion.

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Background
The Tajikistan Country Office has successfully piloted Adolescent Innovation Labs in 2018 (AILs) within the Centers of Additional Education under the Ministry of Education, following which the Ministry and Committee on Youth Affairs of Tajikistan requested expansion of this contextualized model with a view of sustainability to other regions of the country.

The CO in Tajikistan, is also moving towards integrated adolescents programming, within which a cross-sectoral programming has been launched for achieving results for adolescents. One of the intermediate results of integrated adolescent programming has been the development of Adolescent Competency Framework by ADAP and Learning teams that provides a framework for developing skills, competencies and innovation among adolescent girls and boys through multiple platforms of formal, non-formal and outdoor education. To implement the Adolescent Competency Framework content (curriculums) are required for skills and competency building. The team in Tajikistan builds on UNICEF best practices for this purpose that includes, amongst others, UNICEF Adolescent Kit for Expression and Innovation.

The overall concept is to use the Adolescent Kit as a resource to build a curriculum that will support adolescents experiential learning, practice, and application of competencies, with a focus on utilizing arts and expression methodologies to support positive outcomes for adolescents, specifically with respect to their psychosocial wellbeing, acquisition of life skills, and positive, active engagement in their communities. This curriculum will especially focus on reaching and opening opportunities for those that can access and benefit from skills-building programmes implemented in Tajikistan at the Adolescent Innovation Labs in Centers for Additional Education. The kit will be used by the programme for the majority of adolescents who are not successful in their applications to the labs for UPSHIFT, but who are still interested in taking part in outdoor skills-building activities.

According to the plan, during the pilot phase in Tajikistan, the use of the kit will be tested in 6 selected Adolescent Innovation Labs to begin and if successful, it will be rolled out for use with young people around the country.  By the end of 2019 Young Leaders training with the use of the Kit will be carried out in at least 14 established Innovation Labs. The same training will be continued in 2020 in these labs and potentially in the new labs that will be established that year.

Thus, in November 2018, UNICEF-Tajikistan's ADAP team entered into a short-term contract with Juliet Young, consultant. The overall purpose of the consultant's assignment was to support the ADAP team's ongoing programmes and initiatives to build adolescents competencies through experience, practice and application through non-formal education at the Adolescent Innovation Labs in Centers for Additional Education. A focus of the activities was to support the contextualization of programme guidance, learning resources and supplies from UNICEF's global Adolescent Kit for Expression and Innovation (Adolescent Kit), harmonizing these with UNICEF-Tajikistan's Peacebuilding Competency Framework, and contextualizing them for relevance and usability in the Tajikistan context.

How can you make a difference?

In the framework of the preparatory process with support of the international expert ADAP section developed a framework and then a guidebook for UNICEF's partners to use specific resources from the Adolescent Kit to implement competency-based learning activities in non-formal settings. Functionally, the guidebook (with the kit resources) offer a curriculum for use in Innovation Labs, Centers for Additional Learning, summer camps, and other related programmes.

Reviewing first draft of the guidebook, it has been acknowledged that it fit the standards and expectations. However, section also recognized an opportunity to strengthen the guidebook by working with implementing partners to use, test and adapt it collaboratively for a period of approximately 3 months. This process will enable partners who work directly with adolescents to gather, and share with UNICEF, lessons learned from experience with respect to which elements of the guidebook worked as planned, and what should be revised, eliminated, or added to make the guidebook effective. Additionally, this process will provide an opportunity for partners to share the specific strategies they used, and the adaptations they made through practice, while using the guidebook and kit to lead activities with adolescents successfully. These lessons and additions can be incorporated into the final version of the guidebook, making it more contextually relevant, strengthening partners ownership and investment in its use, and acknowledging their expertise and contributions to this initiative.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this assignment is to support the process of testing, adapting and documentation of use of the guidebook and Adolescent Kit by local partners and provide the detailed roll-out plan for its expansion.

 DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT: 

• Develop documentation report on the pilot of Adolescent kit curriculum in Tajikistan as a result of visits to programme sites, where partners are implementing the guidebook with the Adolescent Kit.
• Conduct a follow-up workshop with implementing partners in July or August 2019 to gather lessons learned, recommendations and inputs for the final version of the guidebook.
• Develop a second draft of the guidebook, reflecting partners recommendations and incorporating inputs that reflect their strategies and adaptations.
• Support UNICEF-Tajikistan ADAP in the development of a plan for national-level roll out and expand the curriculum developed based on Adolescent Kit, including guidance, activities and the supply kit.
• Develop one session on Participation and incorporate it into the Curriculum with a new activity guide or adapt existing activity guides from the Adolescent Kit.

KEY DELIVERABLES and PAYMENT SCHEDULE: 

Upon completion of the deliverables, the following documents shall be developed and submitted to the UNICEF ADAP Section in soft copy:

• Brief report on consultancy period;
• Technical recommendations and step-by-step guidelines on rolling out plan based on deliverables;
• Ready to use and conceptualized training materials;
• Documentation of the piloting of Adolescent kit in Tajikistan as evidence-based document.

Estimated duration of contract and remuneration: The total duration of the assignment will be seven and half (5) months (15 working days) from 20 July - 31 December 2019.

 Travel involved: Consultant is expected to travel to Tajikistan. Travel plans to be pre-approved and agreed to by UNICEF Tajikistan.
Travel paid for by UNICEF shall be 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). Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

Supervision: The consultant will work under the technical guidance of UNICEF Chief ADAP and the day-to-day supervision of the ADAP Officer in charge of Skills and Innovation. The consultant will have a one -time travel (maximum of 10 days) to the country. UNICEF will be responsible for arranging meetings with Government counterparts and other stakeholders and for convening consultation events with children and adolescents. Furthermore, UNICEF will provide interpretation and translation services to the consultant if and when needed.

Reporting to: Reporting to: Chief, ADAP, UNICEF Tajikistan

 Insurances: UNICEF does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for consultants and individual contractors, and consultants and individual contractors are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming all costs related to required inoculations, vaccinations and medical examinations.  
Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. The responsibility of UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation for service-incurred death, injury or illness as per the provisions detailed below.

Recourse: UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Ethical considerations: Adequate measures should be taken to ensure that the process responds to quality and ethical requirements. The contracted consultant should be sensitive to beliefs, manners, and customs and act with integrity and honesty in their relationships with all stakeholders. It should also protect the anonymity and confidentiality of individual information.

Mandatory trainings: Consultants and individual contractors, regardless of contract duration, must complete the applicable mandatory trainings. The link will be provided during the selection process for the successful candidates.

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

Education: Advanced University Degree on Social Science and/or Education.

Work Experience: At least 10 years of productive work experience in the area of Adolescent Development and Participation.

Competencies: Good knowledge of Adolescents programming at UNICEF Tajikistan. Experience in provision of trainings and developing skills-building toolkits for Adolescent. Past experience of working with UNICEF in adolescent programming and contextualization of skills-building content and toolkits.

Technical Knowledge: Excellent analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, proven ability to develop training content and to deliver training, excellent writing skills, oral communication skills and facilitation skills and ability to work under commitment to work to tight timeframe.

Language: Fluency in English.

EVALUATION PROCESS:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application/CV.
2. A technical proposal with proposed methodology/approach to managing the project, showing understanding of tasks.
3. Financial quote for the consultancy in USD per deliverable, stating also the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate in USD.
4. Examples of previous, relevant work related to the deliverables.
5. At least 2 References

Queries can be sent to: tad-procurement@unicef.org  with subject line International Consultancy to support the rolling out of the contextualized Adolescent Toolkit for Expression and Innovation (Adolescent Kit) as additional skills-building programme at the Adolescent Innovation Labs at Centers for Additional Education in Tajikistan. Applications must be received by the 11 July 2019.  

Please indicate your availability and rate per deliverable in USD to undertake the terms of reference above.  Applications submitted without a rate per deliverable in USD will not be considered. Currency of payment will be agreed upon at time of contracting.

Travel costs and DSA will be covered in accordance with UN rules and regulations. No other remunerations apply. UNICEF considers best value for money as 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. Please note that consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis methodology. The award of the Contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a weighted set of technical and financial criteria.

* Technical Criteria weight - 80%;

* Financial Criteria weight - 20%;

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 64 points in Technical Criteria evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial Proposal

Please provide a rate all-inclusive price (in US dollars) for delivery of professional services in accordance with the assignments described under this TOR.

The formula for the rating of the Financial Proposals will be as follows:

FP Rating = (Lowest Priced Offer / Price of the Offer Being Reviewed) x 100

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF's core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity 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:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.