National Consultant to Develop Child Friendly City recognition criteria in Tbilisi, Georgia

National Consultant to Develop Child Friendly City recognition criteria

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

To provide support to Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi municipalities to develop results framework for the three Child Friendly City strategies and action plans, with specific targets and indicators and to develop Child Friendly City’s recognition criteria.

Scope of Work:

Background

Following agreements with Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi city halls regarding the Child Friendly City Initiative (CFCI) , UNICEF commissioned an assessment of the child rights situation in these three municipalities with respect to the five fundamental rights defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): the right to be valued, respected and treated fairly; the right to be heard; the right to social services; the right to be safe; and the right to family life, play and leisure. During 2020, the three Situation Analyses (SitAn) were developed to inform the CFCI agenda in three municipalities.

The next stage involved appointing CFCI focal points (FP) and establishing CFCI working groups (WG) tasked with steering the whole process within the municipalities. UNICEF worked with FPs to reach local children, youth, parents, NGOs, etc., as well as municipal authorities including WG members during the situation study and analysis in the three municipalities. Currently, the WGs developed draft CFCI strategies based on the SitAns and action plans.

A city or community is recognized as a Child Friendly City by UNICEF upon a positive evaluation of the implementation of the CFCI Action Plan. As part of this recognition, the city or community obtains the right to use the CFCI logo and receives a certificate, acknowledging its commitment to and active engagement in advancing child rights.

To evaluate the implementation of the CFCI action plans in three municipalities, results framework of the action plan, with specific targets and indicators should be developed. To recognize the achieved results and acknowledge municipalities’ efforts in advancing child rights Child Friendly City recognition criteria and guidance must be elaborated.

The results framework:

• Results framework is intended to monitor the implementation and outcome results of the approved action plan, with specific targets and indicators (including indicators that track children’s influence on local decision-making). While allowing for sufficient contextualization, this should also be linked to country programme results and national advocacy results.

The CFCI recognition criteria:

• Is based on evidence and results, not commitments. Concretely, this means that the recognition is not based only on commitments defined in an action plan, but based upon a positive evaluation of results measured against the baseline and target values in the action plan, demonstrating clear results for children within the agreed goal areas
• Is only granted for the length of the subsequent CFCI action plan. A city or community is consequently bound to continuing delivering results for children to maintain the recognition.
• Is granted by UNICEF as a measure of quality control.
• The global minimum criteria for obtaining recognition by UNICEF are threefold:
  • Demonstrated results for children within the scope of several goal areas to ensure a comprehensive child right approach.
  • Meaningful and inclusive child and youth participation.
  • Demonstrated dedication to eliminating discrimination against children in policies and actions by the local government, including in the CFCI.

Purpose and scope

The main purpose of the assignment is to ensure that the CFCI follows a programmatic approach and contributes to results for children in the three municipalities: Batumi, Kutaisi and Tbilisi.

UNICEF is looking for a national consultant to provide support to Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi municipalities to develop results frameworks for the three CFCI strategies and action plans, with specific targets and indicators. Apart that, the consultant should develop Child Friendly City’s recognition criteria. For that, the selected consultant should review all three CFCI  strategies and action plans, CFCI guidance documents, draft the recognition criteria,  plan and implement consultations with three selected municipalities, as well as UNICEF on the recognition criteria and process, draft the guidance on the recognition and submit written documents as presented in the Work Assignment Overview And Timeline section of this TOR, with structure and content agreed in advance with UNICEF and in compliance with government decree #629 on the rules for drafting, monitoring and evaluating policy documents (for results framework) and Global minimum criteria of the CFCI recognition ( for the CFCI recognition criteria).

Methodology and activities

The consultant will carry out following activities:

• • Review CFCI Strategies, Action plans and CFCI guidance documents- the selected consultant should review CFCI strategies and Action plans for all three municipalities, as well as other guidance documents that will be provided by UNICEF (Building CFCI, strengthening the programmatic approach of CFCI, CFCI branding guidelines).
  • Develop results framework with specific targets and indicators (including indicators that track children’s influence on local decision-making) for all three CFCI strategies and Action plans
  • Develop draft recognition criteria based on evidence and results meaning based upon a positive evaluation of results measured against the baseline and target values in the action plan, demonstrating clear results for children within the agreed goal areas, which will lead to the recognition of demonstrated results.
  • Develop draft guidance on the recognition process and its length: recognition should be granted for the length of the subsequent CFCI action plan. A municipality should become consequently bound to continuing delivering results for children to maintain the recognition.
  • Plan and implement meetings and consultations with the CFCI working groups to review and agree with them drafted documents (results framework with targets and indicators and the recognition criteria). The selected consultant, with UNICEF support should develop agendas and facilitate a workshop in each of the three municipalities to contextualize and localize the criteria to the selected municipality. The consultant should agree on the parties’ entitlements and duties, and on the implications of UNICEF’s formal recognition.
  • Finalize guidance and advise UNICEF on specific recommendations and action points regarding recognition process.
  • Develop final report of the assignment.

Timeframe and duration

The duration of the contract is 2 months. Actions should start immediately after the signing of agreement. 

Supervision and Work Arrangement

The consultant will work under the direct supervision and guidance of UNICEF Georgia’s Social Policy Officer. UNICEF will support the consultant in establishing contacts/working relations with necessary stakeholders when necessary. Performance of the consultant will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, teamwork, and quality of the products delivered. No Sub-Contracting is allowed or inclusion of the overhead (HQ) costs.

Payment Terms

The payment will be done based on the confirmed budget of the proposed activity. The payment will be made upon submission and approval of relevant and good quality deliverables as a lump sum after the submission of final report.

Application Deadline and Documents

The deadline for the submission of applications is 15 May 2022. Applications should include:

• A proposal detailing all actions mentioned in the given TOR and timeline.
• Indication of all activities (as shown in the Work Assignment overview and timeline section) together with the proposed fees.

List of completed similar projects.

Work Assignment Overview

 Minimum Qualifications required:

Education: Master’s degree in Social Sciences, PR and Communications, Public Policy, or related field.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience in the areas of local self-government strengthening, capacity building and support; public engagement, communications.
• Comprehensive knowledge of local self-government, strategy and action plan development, results-based management. 
• Experience in organizing and delivery of workshops/actions
• Partnership building and networking experience.
• Fluency in conducting workshops in Georgian and developing documents in Georgian and English is required

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

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.