UNICEF Pacific

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANT

Technical Support to UNICEF Pacific Early Childhood Development and Education Programme

Requesting Section: Education

Date/updated date: April2014

Programme Area and Specific Project involved: PCR 3, IR 3.1: Multi-country Early Childhood Education

1.Purpose of Assignment

To provide technical support to UNICEF Pacific in implementing its targeted 2014 multi-country early childhood development work plan activities.

  1. Background

In 2013, UNICEF Pacific Education Section reviewed its programme, ensuring it is more strategic and focused. In doing this, UNICEF will be building on its leadership and expertise in early childhood development and will focus on both upstream and downstream interventions that would support promotion of holistic early childhood development for school readiness.

The two focus areas in early childhood development for UNICEF Pacific are as follows:

1)Focusing on a different dimension of school readiness:

School readiness is considered to be a powerful framework for improving equity in access to education and affecting learning outcomes, especially for marginalized children ([1]).The current focus of the MoEs in both Solomon Islands and Vanuatu is on increasing the number of formal early childhood education centres (kindies, preschools) so that more 3-5 year olds can access and benefit from early learning opportunities.UNICEF Pacific education programme, however, will look at a different dimension of school readiness that has been identified as a real gap: families’ readiness for school.

Research shows that supportive parenting and stimulating home environments are among the strongest predictors of school performance during primary school and beyond (Bradley and Corwyn 2005; Burchinal et al. 2002; Morrison and Cooney 2002; Richter 2004; Rogoff 2003; Werner and Smith 2001; Whiting and Edwards 1988). The learning environment provided in the home – as indicated by parents’ engagement with their children in learning activities such as singing, reading books, telling stories and playing games – is considered to be one of the characteristics of ready families. There are also ways parents can learn how to turn everyday family activities (such as washing) into learning opportunities for their young children.

The programme will focus on children who do not have access to early childhood development and education services and will strengthen family support to provide developmentally appropriate practices that would nurture and prepare their young children holistically for school. This will be done through development of key strategy such as communication for development and such tools as children’s story books that have key messages for parents. Linking to outreach programmes in health and social welfare services will increase access to families and providing them with better sources of information. In partnership with local NGOs and faith-based organizations (FBO), parents will be supported in use of the materials that will encourage parent-child interaction, while supporting children’s language, cognitive, emotional and emergent literacy development. Low literacy parenting materials will be developed and distributed to parents. A communication for development strategy will be developed to support key interventions and raise awareness among families especially about the importance of early years.

A knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study will be conducted at household levels to see how families are supporting their children’s school readiness and emergent literacy in a holistic manner. The KAP study will inform further appropriate interventions and will be repeated at the end of the programme cycle in 2017 to see if the key interventions resulted in improving care practices that support school readiness.

Using a mobile preschool in Kiribati squatter areas where majority of young children do not have access to any ECD services, will allow both parents and children to benefit. While children engage in developmentally appropriate activities parents will be able to see the model of how to extend these activities at home to sustain the results for their children and support their school readiness.

2)Support to policy and legislative work in ECD:

In Kiribati, PBEP will focus mainly on upstream work, supporting review of the early childhood policy and development of legislations that will ensure equity and access of all young children in Kiribati to quality early childhood services. Additionally, UNICEF work to date on producing the situation analysis of ECD in Kiribati will support informed planning for young child development and education. In Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, UNICEF will support review of the current early childhood education policy and support to the development of theminimum quality early childhood standards; a recently completed situation analysis of ECD in Solomon Islands will inform additional systems direction.

UNICEF will also continue, as leader of ECD in the Pacific region,supporting the Pacific Regional Council for Early Childhood Care and Education (PRC4ECCE) as its secretariat. Key stakeholders involved have included ECCE delegates from Ministries of Education from 13 Pacific Island Countries and representatives from agencies such as the World Bank, Save the Children (Fiji and Australia), World Vision, University of the South Pacific, Fiji National University. One major accomplishment by PRC4ECCE has been the development and finalization of the “Pacific Guidelines for the Development of National Quality Frameworks for ECCE – Programming for Ages 3-5”, presented to the Pacific Heads of Education Systems in Tonga and endorsed for presentation to the Education Ministers’ meeting in early 2014. These Guidelines address education, health, nutrition, WASH, and child protection, and include highlighting being inclusive of disabilities and gender issues (in ECD curriculum, in classroom performance, in HR hiring, etc). The strengthening of PRC4ECCE has increased the Pacific voice in the ECD dialogue, and meets the request by Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat for UNICEF to be Secretariat of a regional body to increase attention to ECD issues. These Guidelines will support a holistic, multi-sectoral planning and implementation for ECD at country level; the intensive regional approach to the development of these Guidelines empowers ownership by the countries.

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  1. Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Pacific Chief of Education and with support from the Education teammembers based in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, the consultant will work closely withthe Education team and government counterparts from the Ministry of Education and NGO partners to:

  1. Support the Pacific Regional Council for Early Childhood Care and Education (PRC4ECCE) Secretariat and maintain and update the PRC4ECCE Facebook page
  2. Provide technical input into ECE policy review and quality standard frameworks of targeted countries
  3. Finalization of Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu situation analysis (print stage)
  1. Develop a framework for the parenting support programme in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

4. Deliverables and Payment schedule(monthly payment)

Monthly payments will be made upon delivery of the following:

May:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1a),
  • Design of the detailed work plan for provision of support to field offices (2a, 3a, 4a),
  • Finalization of the ECE situation analysis for Kiribati,Solomon Islands and Tuvalu (3b).
/ September:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1f),
  • Development of quality standard framework in Kiribati and Tuvalu (2c).

June:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1b),
  • Prepare action plan/next steps for the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu ECD KAP study (4b),
  • Design the parenting programme framework (4c)
/ October:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1g),
  • Organization and facilitation of a Regional ECCE meeting in Fiji(1h),
  • Finalize list of all contact points in the Pacific region countries (1i).

July:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1c),
  • Draft design of the communication for development strategy for PRC4ECCE (1d).
/ November:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1j),
  • Inputs into the Kiribati policy review provided (2d)

August:
  • Monthly report on activities carried out including on-going support to the PRC4ECCE secretariat (1e),
  • Inputs to Solomon Islands policy review provided (2b).
/ December:
  • Final report of technical support provided with recommendation on way forward for ECD in the three priority countries (2e, 3c, and 4d).

All products should be in electronic and hard copy submission.

5.Type of Supervision that will be provided:

The UNICEF Pacific Chief of Education will be the primary technical supervisor for this consultancy with support from theField Office Chiefs and the Education team membersin the field.

6. Consultant’s work plan and Duration of work:

The duration of consultancy is 8 months, starting on 1st May and completed on 31st December 2014.

The consultant will visit all three targeted countries at least once on need basis to provide targeted support to the countries.

The additional international travels will be arranged by UNICEF on actual basis. However the consultant has to make own arrangements for international travel to Suva, Fiji upon approval of consultancy.

7. Consultant’s Work Place:

The consultant will be based in UNICEF Pacific office in Suva, Fiji and will provide support to the targeted field offices both remotely and with occasional visits to the targeted countries. The consultant should bring own computer.

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8. Qualification or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required:

Qualifications

  • Advance university degree in Education with specialisation in early childhood education.

Experience and Skills

  • At least 5 years of experience in early childhood education programmes that included teacher education, parenting, training and material development;
  • Experience in reviewing early childhood development polices, system building for early identification, bilingual approach and design of parenting programmes;
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas;
  • Good facilitation skills and good communicator;
  • Computer skills, including internet navigation and various office applications.

Languages

  • Fluency in written and spoken English required. Knowledge of Pidjin English useful.

Competencies

  • Good analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the work place;
  • Versatility, judgment and maturity;
  • Previous working experience in the Pacific will be an asset.

9. Confidentiality:

The documents produced during the period of this consultancy willbe treated strictly confidential and the rights of distribution and/or publication solely resides with UNICEF.

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([1]) UNICEF (2012). School Readiness, A Conceptual Framework. New York.