Individual Consultant for the Stock-taking Review of the Parenting Practices for Early Childhood Development (ECD) in The Gambia Project

Project Background

In mid-2017, Dubai Cares (DC) and UNICEF Gambia started a partnership project targeted at providing children in The Gambia with access to early childhood services. This resulted in Dubai Cares committing US$500,000 for a two-year project called Parenting Practices for Early Childhood Development (ECD) in The Gambia which aimed to improve parenting knowledge, skills and practices so that parents, particularly young parents, provide better nurturing care to their children in an environment where their nutritional, health and educational needs are met. ChildFund The Gambia is implementing partner of the project.

The Parenting project targeted 1,200 young parents and 1,500 children in three (3) regions of The Gambia where ECD enrolment was below the 2017 national average. The project is to contribute to the UNICEF Country Programme 2017-2021 output where children aged 0-6 years benefit from formal and informal quality early learning opportunities for enhanced school readiness. The specific results of the project are:

Outcome[1] 1: 1,200 young parents acquired awareness and applied knowledge of children's rights and parenting skills;

Outcome 2: 30 communities demonstrated acceptance of improved child care, development and nurturing practices through social and behavioral change communications.

Outcome 3: 30 communities acquired and utilized improved ECD outdoor playground equipment and facilities.

Purpose of the In-depth Stock-Taking Review

The overall objective of the stock-taking review is to assess progress, document learning, and map a way forward in using Early Childhood Development (ECD) as a platform for convergence for all other programme areas to support UNICEF Gambia's strategy on ECD. This stock-taking review will take into account the entire implementation period and geographic and programmatic scope of the project. The key stakeholders of this stock-taking review are UNICEF, Dubai Cares, the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), ChildFund, and the Project Steering Committee.

Methodology

The successful consultant will be expected to collect data and information from a sample of about 7-10 project sites from among the 30 communities based on the indicators agreed in the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), which is available upon request. The consultant can use various sources, including both primary and secondary data, specifically focusing on results for children.  Two questions to seek answers to will be: What changed in the lives of children as direct beneficiaries of the project? How can the project be replicated or scaled-up in the next phase? The collection of primary data will include feedback from in-depth discussions, interviews with beneficiaries, field visits, and review of project background documents and donor progress reports. The consultant is expected to specify in detail what methodology to employ and how to apply. 

Qualifications & Experience required

The Consultant must have the following qualifications:

• Masters degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, or related child rights/well-being graduate qualifications;
• Demonstrated expertise and capability in conducting programme reviews, assessment or evaluations using rights-based approaches with specific reference to children and women;
• Proven record of conducting similar assignment in programme/projects relating to Early Childhood Development or in Education;
• Experience with UNICEF and other UN agencies will be an advantage
• Professional experience in development context or in Africa will be an asset
• Excellent communication and interview skills
• Excellent report writing and organization skills\
• Proficiency in English Language
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines, through a proven track record.

Duty Station and Official Travels

The Consultant will work from home to draft the inception report. The Consultant will spend 13 working days (including Saturday as a working day) in The Gambia to have stakeholder consultations, debriefing, facilitate a workshop to discuss and validate the preliminary findings.

During the time in The Gambia, UNICEF will endeavor to provide work space for the Consultant, where this is not available, the consultant will be encouraged to work from the Hotel and come to UNICEF for regular briefing.

How to apply

UNICEF accepts applications from individual contractors. The Selection Committee will review applications and make a final decision of a successful application based the quality of the Technical Proposal about 4 - 6 pages (70%) and the Financial Proposal (30%).

All applications should contain the following documents:

Technical Project Proposal, which would include at least:

Statement of how to address each of the questions;

Conceptual framework of the methodologies to be used

Consultant's profile/portfolio

Proposed timeframes (days/weeks)

Names and contact details of reference persons.

List of publications or analytical reports (if applicable)

Any other additional information to support the application (optional).

Financial Proposal:

Detailed budget breakdown (in US Dollars).

Attached is the TOR for further details on the schedule of duties, estimated duration of contract; Remuneration and Other Terms and Conditions. TOR - Parenting Project Endline consultancy - Approved.pdf

Deadline for applications: 25^th October 2019