Early Childhood Development (ECD) - Inclusion Consultant

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries around the world.

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.8 million in hard-to-reach areas. There are four million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria in the fields of health, protection, and economic recovery and development.Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future academic success, health, prosperity and wellbeing. A large body of scientific evidence emphasizes the need for increased investment in early childhood, particularly for children experiencing conflict, crisis and displacement; these children are extremely vulnerable to the long-lasting effects that prolonged stress has on the developing brain.

In December 2017, Sesame Workshop and the IRC were awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change grant to make real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. With the extraordinary investment of $100 million, our partnership will transform the language, early reading, math, and social-emotional skills of a generation of children ages 0-8 affected by the Syrian war. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the next five years, the plan combines the depth of in-person services, reaching 1.5 million children, with the breadth of mass media, reaching 9.4 million children. For more information, please visit: http://refugee.sesameinternational.org/.

INCLUSION INTEGRATION

Reporting to the Integrated ECD Coordinator and in close coordination with the Senior ECD Manager, and in close consultation with the regional Ahlan Simsim Technical Unit the Inclusion Consultant for Northwest Syria will develop inclusion materials and adapt the current ECD-Ahlan Simsim content to ensure addressing the needs of children with disabilities and their caregivers for Syria Country Program. As Ahlan Simsim has a particular focus on inclusion of children and/or caregivers with disabilities sensitivity of different gender, the Inclusion consultant will ensure that inclusion content is integrated appropriately within Program content for the different program activities, including the awareness and the structured sessions of high and low content. This will be based on Ahlan Simsim inclusion Plan and other inclusion materials as provided by the Regional Technical Unit for Ahlan Simsim Program.

DETAILED CONSULTANCY PURPOSE

The consultant will provide a holistic inclusion work that cover the following tasks/ themes integrated in the developing materials:

• Actively review relevant ECD materials, provide technical input and suggest adaptations to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities.
• Gap analysis and upon gap identified in the field; develop support materials for low contact modules.
• Revise and develop inclusion content taking into consideration localization and contextualization of materials to NWS to adequately address the needs of the local community.
• Develop a timeline and a work plan for materials development in coordination with the Senior ECD Manager and the ECD Coordinator.
• Work closely with the Senior ECD Manager and the Regional ECD Technical Unit to provide clear technical support, supervision, training and mentoring to the ECD team, including trainings needed to build specialized skills on inclusion of children with disabilities.
• Explore new areas of programming in Northwest Syria to ensure that children with disabilities and their caregiver’s wellbeing is addressed, girls and boys’ social-emotional skills are improved in both their homes, schools, and communities. And behavioral management and adaptation is considered.
• Holistic integration of children with different types of children with disabilities within the different activities
• Integrating caregivers with disabilities within their communities
• Age range guidance for facilitators of how to do detection and referrals for children with disabilities.
• Developing a guidance booklet for facilitators
• Ensure that inclusion content adhere to best practices, professional global standards and principles. And aligned with the Ahlan Simsim themes ensuring the enrichment not duplications.

DELIVERABLES

• Submitting training materials that cover the detailed tasks and themes.

• Facilitators’ training guide on inclusion of children with disabilities.
• Tips and detailed recommendations of child activities adaptations integrated within Ahlan Simsim Child Activity themes.
• Develop ways to Support the caregivers and children with disabilities and address community acceptance.

• Develop awareness materials on the inclusion of children/caregivers with disabilitiesincluding a 45-minute session.

• Develop information, education, and communication materials to be distributed to beneficiaries on inclusion of children with disabilities including – at least- 1 leaflet and 1 poster for each topic.

• Develop disability accessibility guide that involves accessibility standards for child spaces where Ahlan Simsim activities are taking place.

• Train the facilitators (in-person and remotely)
• The materials need to be developed and submitted in Arabic.

DURATION

The duration of the consultancy is 3 months, expecting to submit and hand over tasks respectively and final deliverables by end of June 2021

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

• Payment will be scheduled based on number of days per month for each deliverable.
• Payment 1 after submitting first month deliverables 30%
• Payment 2 after submitting second month deliverables 30%
• Payment 3 after submitting third month deliverables 40%