National Consultancy - Individual Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW) for Review and Finalization of the Subsidy Guideline. 3 months, Windhoek, Namibia. (Open to Namibia Nationals only)

UNICEF Namibia is hiring an individual consultant for three months, to conduct regional and national consultations with key stakeholders in Early Childhood Development (ECD), in order to obtain information to finalize the Subsidy Guidelines for educarers responsible for ECD children 0-4 years. The finalization of the Subsidy Guideline will help the Ministry of Gender, Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare to improve the implementation of the programme; increase its cost efficiency and effectiveness, and contribute to equitable provision of inclusive quality ECD service in Namibia. This Consultant will undertake a thorough analysis of the ECD educarer subsidy programme implementation, the effectiveness of the structures and stakeholders and make appropriate recommendations for enhancement; to ensure all subsidy stakeholders and structures are well designed to deliver effective service on the well-being of all the Namibian children 0-8 years and especially the most marginalized and poor communities.

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Background and Justification

The Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) has set up a subsidy programme to provide financial support to Early Childhood Development (ECD) educarers, focusing on those from far remote rural, poor and vulnerable communities, which depend on contributions from parents, guardians and benefactors. The majority of ECD centres in Namibia are established and run privately by individuals, communities, faith-based organizations, Non-Governmental Organisations and Local Authorities. The majority of the educarers do not have the necessary qualifications and expertise, are lowly paid and work with minimal resources to meaningfully support children to develop their basic competencies before formal education.

In 2013, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare launched an ECD Subsidy Programme to support 293 Educarers working in some 255 ECD centres that were serving poor and marginalized children and families. The ECD subsidy programme is implemented through subsidy guidelines, revised edition, 2017. The purpose of the subsidy guidelines is to support the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare ( MGEPESW) in the management and implementation of the Subsidy Programme for educarers. It also includes a revised set of tools for use in the monitoring and reporting on the subsidy programme. Though the draft guidelines are in place, there is a need to finalize them to enhance the subsidy programme cost efficiency and effectiveness, and most importantly ensure that the subsidy is benefiting the most deserving ECD centres and educarers. The educarer subsidy is critical for the well being of children and families that are vulnerable, poor and marginalized. The GRN prioritizes those centres which are in poor communities and are found to be serving poor families through the support of an educarer. Over the years the Subsidy Programme has grown and expanded to 1307 Educarers who must qualify according to a set of stringent criteria. The educarers receive allowances of between N$1500 to N$2500 per month.

In 2017, the 2013 Subsidy Guideline was further reviewed but was not finalized. It is therefore important to review the status of the subsidy programme, identify gaps and challenges and make recommendations for implementation.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose
Undertake a thorough analysis of the ECD educarer subsidy programme implementation, the effectiveness of the structures and stakeholders and make appropriate recommendations for enhancement; to ensure all subsidy stakeholders and structures are well designed to deliver effective service on the well-being of all the Namibian children 0-8 years and especially the most marginalized and poor communities.

Tasks and Activities
The Consultant will carry out all the tasks and lead the Subsidy Guideline review and finalization process in consultation with UNICEF, ECD specialist and Director of Community Development and ECD, MGEPESW. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and activities:

1. Conduct interviews and consultations with various key stakeholders to establish the gaps and what needs to be in the Subsidy Guideline.
a. Key Stakeholders: MGEPESW (Finance Department, Directorate Directorate of Community Development and Poverty Eradication, Child Welfare Directorate), Regional Councils (Chief Regional Officer and Finance Department, MGEPESW Regional staff members), Educarers on subsidy and ECD Parents Committee.
b. Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture: Planning and Development Directorate (PAD), Programmes Quality Assurance (Pre-primary education).
c. Other stakeholders as identified by the Consultant during the Inception phase.

2. In consultation with MGEPESW, Directorate of Community Development and Poverty Eradication review, update and draft ECD subsidy guideline.
3. Following a participatory approach with relevant stakeholders validate the draft Subsidy Guideline
4. Finalize the Subsidy guidelines
5. Update the tools on the identification of New ECD centre for the Subsidy programme and the subsidy monitoring tool.
6. Draft Implementation plan developed through consultation with the Government
7. Submit final consultancy report, including approved Subsidy Guidelines and tools both soft and hard copies.

Deliverables, Duration and Payment Schedule

NB: Adjustment to some tasks in this TOR could be made during the inception stage.

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

Desired profile

• Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Planning, Public Finance Management for Early Childhood Development, Education, Human Resources, or closely related field. A minimum of 5 years of progressive work in planning, financing, economics.
• An economic expert with knowledge and experience in respect to Early Childhood Development in the Namibian context is a strong asset.
• Have a good understanding of  ECD financing and subsidy management at a national and global level.
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills and experience in conducting subsidy budget analysis; analyzing budget allocations and expenditures in the ECD Sector; identifying trends and variations in allocations and spending.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Excellent proficiency in computer and information technology skills, including word processing, electronic presentations, spreadsheets, email, and the internet including highly proven capabilities of keeping electronic records and producing reports

Administrative issues

Work relationships:

Day-to-day, the Consultant will report to the ECD Specialist at UNICEF under the overall guidance of the Chief of Child Survival and Development (CSD) and the Director of Community Development, MGEPESW. The activity as a whole will be overseen by the EU/UNICEF/GRN project steering committee made up of officials from the MGEPESW, Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Ministry of Health and Social Services, the EU Delegation in Namibia and UNICEF. The Consultant will provide a progress update to the Chief CSD and Director of Community Development 1-2 times a month.

Terms and Conditions:

The Consultant will be contracted by UNICEF through a competitive bidding process.

Conditions:

• The Consultant will work on their computer(s) and will be home-based.
• The Consultant will be allocated office space at the MGEPESW with occasional meetings/working time at UNICEF as may be necessary if based in Windhoek. Please note considering COVID-19, remote work/working-from-home is preferred. 
• UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to material which bears a direct relation to or is made in consequence of, the services provided to the Organization by the consultant. In certain cases, UNICEF may be prepared to share intellectual property rights, requiring at a minimum, that UNICEF must be acknowledged in all use and publications of the data generated under the present consultancy, and retains the right to use the data for further analysis and publication with acknowledgement of any research institution concerned.
• Financial proposals must be inclusive of all costs including in-country travel and DSA to regions/communities earmarked to benefit from the subsidy.  Please note that applications without financial proposal will not be considered.
• The Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Child Welfare and UNICEF reserve the right to terminate the contract should the work not be satisfactory.
• Payment will be based on the submission of satisfactory deliverables. Deliverables will be reviewed for completeness and quality by both UNICEF and MGEPESW before any payment can be made.

The Consultant will be expected to provide proof of medical insurance cover at the contracting stage. A full list of UNICEF’s Standard Terms and Conditions will be shared at the contracting stage.

Risks

A sudden increase in COVID-19 cases may lead to renewed movement restrictions, which may affect travel for meetings and therefore impact timelines for assignment completion. Candidates are encouraged to plan for online consultations/interviews. The contract manager will have regular meetings with the consultant to assess progress. The Consultancy timeline of 4 months already accounts for potential COVID-19 related delays.

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How to Apply

Qualified candidates are invited to complete an online application to the respective advertisement on  Vacancies | UNICEF Careers. This online application should include the profile/CV, a letter of interest indicating how their qualifications and experience match the requirements, a technical proposal that demonstrates an understanding of the ToR and overall approach to undertake the work, and a financial proposal. The financial proposal must be all-inclusive. UNICEF will not cover any cost not included in the financial proposal (other than the cost of meetings with partners or as already stipulated under ‘Terms and Conditions’). Samples of relevant previous work may be requested at a later stage.

Please note that applications without either a technical proposal or a financial proposal will NOT be considered.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

If you have not been contacted within 2 weeks of the closing date please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.