UNICEF REGIONAL OFFICE for CEE/CIS

Terms of Reference for a Consultancy for a

Rapid Reviewon Inclusionand Gender Equality

  1. Background & Rationale

The UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Knowledge and Leadership Agenda (RKLA) focuses on key strategic result areas[1] where UNICEF can deliver high-quality, relevant results that contribute to the realization ofthe rights of all children, especially the most disadvantaged.There are several groups ofchildren identified by the RKLA that are particularly marginalized,consistently across the ten result areas, and hardest to reach - children with disabilities, children affected by migration, andchildren from ethnic and linguistic minorities,in particular, in a sub-set of CEE/CIS countries, the Roma. In addition, gender-related inequalities continue to affect girls disproportionately in some contexts, while in others, boys.

These groups of childrenare not only deprived of their rightsbut face additional barriers such as discrimination, segregation, stigma and prejudice which put them at a disadvantage vis à vis their peers in the pursuit and equal enjoyment of their rights. They often do not appear in national statistics and thereby become ‘invisible’ and risk being forgotten – by decision-makers, service providers and the general population.The RKLA aims to give a face and a voice to different groups of disadvantaged children; it addresses the barriers to their equitable and sustainable inclusion, and shows that effective practices exist and tangible results can be achieved.There is a need to ensure that the barriers faced by particular groups of children are documented and addressed systematically, consistently and in a synergetic manner, across all the ten child rights areas that are part of the RKLA, and in all concerned countries and territories of the CEE/CIS region[2].

While inclusion and gender equality have been part of UNICEFs agendas for the past six decades, the continued observed gaps in the realization of child rights in the CEE/CIS region call for a renewed and strengthened commitment to understanding and addressing the situation of the most disadvantaged children. In addition, in the context of strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of UNICEF’s work, there is scope for promoting more systematic synergies in the strategies, structures and tools for addressing the specific barriers that particular groups of children face in enjoying child rights with equity and gender equality.

The current consultancy is aimed to provide a rapid reviewof the evidence available about the child rights violations, equity gaps in the realization of rights, and the barriers and bottlenecks that specifically affect children with disabilities, children affected by migration, and children from ethnic and linguistic minorities, in particular, in a sub-set of CEE/CIS countries, the Roma, as well as the gender-related inequalities that affect girls and boys. The evidence gathered and presented through the support of this consultancy will be used to agree on priority results for particular groups of children to be achieved across the ten result areas of the RKLA and/or under each result area, and to devise the appropriate programmatic strategies and tools that UNICEF can support to achieve and monitor the agreed priority results. It will also support the CEE/CIS region to provide inputs to the roll-out of the new UNICEF Strategic Plan 2014-2017, and to the crafting of UNICEF Corporate Strategies and Plans related to the realization of rights for the above-mentioned groups of children.

  1. Objective

Production of a rapid review of the child rights violations, equity gaps in the realization of rights, and the barriers and bottlenecks that specifically affect children with disabilities, children affected by migration, and children from ethnic and linguistic minorities, in particular, in a sub-set of CEE/CIS countries, the Roma, as well as the gender-related inequalities that affect girls and boys, across the ten result areas of the RKLA and all countries of the CEE/CIS region.

  1. Guiding questions for the rapid review

The rapid review should be guided by and attempt to respond to the following overarching questions:

a)What are the main child rights violations and equity gaps in the realization of rights that currently specifically affect children with disabilities, children affected by migration, and children from ethnic and linguistic minorities, in particular, in a sub-set of CEE/CIS countries, the Roma, as well as the gender-related inequalities that affect girls and boys, across the ten result areas of the RKLA (and beyond) and all countries of the CEE/CIS region?

b)What are the key barriers and bottlenecks that currently determine the observed rights violations and equity gaps for particular groups of children? Such barriers and bottlenecks could be common to more than one result area or specific to a particular result area of the RKLA.

  1. Assignment

The consultancy will be expected to perform the following tasks:

1)Review existing literature, focusing on the last 5 years. The UNICEF Regional Office (RO) will provide access to available relevant literature; in addition, the consultancy is expected to conduct internet and other searches. Produce a research outline by January 2014.

2)Conduct telephone interviews with selected UNICEF Regional Advisors, Chairs of Regional Knowledge and Leadership Areas and other UNICEF Staff at the Country or Regional Office level, as well as relevant partners, to obtain additional documentation and information where gaps were identified in the literature review. The UNICEF RO will facilitate contacts with relevant UNICEF staff and partners.

3)Produce a first draft of the review, including references, tables and figures (excluding: formatting, design, pictures, etc.) by January 2014.

4)Produce a second draft of the review incorporating peer-reviews and comments received from UNICEF,by February 2014.

5)Produce a final draft of the paper incorporating peer-reviews and comments received from UNICEF, by March 2014. Comments from different UNICEF staff members will be centralized and consolidated by the UNICEF RO before sharing with the consultant(s). Additional rounds of revisions and comments may be requested by UNICEF.

Copy-editing, design, printing, etc. of the paper are not included in the tasks of this consultancy.

  1. Deliverables
  • Research outline – Jan 2014
  • First draft report – Jan 2014
  • Second draft report – Feb 2014
  • Final report – Mar 2014
  1. Technical knowledge and qualifications required

Applicants should ensure that in-depth technical knowledge and 5-10 years minimum of work experience in the following four main thematic areas are adequately covered by the profile of the consultant(s):

  • Gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and/or gender programming
  • Rights of children with disabilities, inclusive education, and understanding of the UNCRPD
  • Minority rights
  • Migration and its linkages to social development and children

Required qualifications include:

  • Advanced university degree in social sciences, public policy,human rights, gender and development, education, sociology, or other relevant field.
  • Familiarity with rights-based approaches and with principles of gender mainstreaming.
  • Familiarity with international norms and standards for children including the Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Knowledge and experience of research on socio-economic issues in CEE/CIS region. Field experience in CEE/CIS countries is an asset.
  • Record of academic research experience and written publications.
  • Excellent written English language skills, demonstrable with samples of publications. Knowledge of Russian or any other language in the CEE/CIS region is an asset.
  • Excellent drafting skills and ability to synthetize complex information and issues.
  • Strong analytical and conceptual thinking.
  • Ability to organize and plan own work following the established timeframes.
  1. Duration and location of the consultancy

Three months, home-based.

  1. Supervision and work arrangements

The consultancy will work under the overall supervision of the Deputy Regional Director for CEE/CIS. The RO Focal Point for Minority, Roma and Migration, the RO Focal Points for Gender, the RO Focal Point for Disability, and the RO Partnerships Manager in Brussels will be jointly responsible for the daily management of this consultancy.

  1. Estimated cost of the consultancy

The consultancy will be paid in a lump sum upon satisfactory completion of all deliverables.

Any costs related to communications with UNICEF offices in the CEE/CIS region should be included and covered by the budget of the consultancy. If necessary, any travel costs related to the milestones and deliverables of this consultancy will be covered by UNICEF separately.

  1. Who can apply and how?

Individuals, teams of individuals or companies with the required profile andcovering the four areas of expertise, are invited to submit an Expression of Interest based on the present Terms of Reference by 20 December 2013, by 12am CET. Please send your applications to Ms. Karine Sukiasyan, Applications should contain: a) an expression of interest; b) CV(s) of individuals / teams / company members; c) a cost estimation for the proposed work; and d) any academic record or samples of similar review/assessment /research conducted in the past. Upon evaluation of applications received by the deadline, the suitable contract modality(individual or institutional) will be defined and applied.

1

[1]The ten Regional Knowledge and Leadership Areas or RKLAs are: 1. A child's right to a supportive and caring family environment, 2. Justice for Children: enabling justice systems to respect and protect child rights, 3. A child's right to early learning, 4. A child's right to inclusive quality education, 5. A child's right to be born free of HIV, 6. A child's right to health: 'A promise renewed', 7. A young child's right tocomprehensive well-being, 8. A child's right to social protection, 9. A child's right to protection from the risks of disasters: reducing vulnerability, 10. An adolescent's right to a second chance.

[2] Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo (UNSRC 1244), the Kyrgyz Republic, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.