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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, a champion.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro, two EU pre-accession countries in the Western Balkans, continue to face challenges in ensuring equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). In BiH, enrolment rates for children aged 3 to 6 remain alarmingly low—with only 42 percent of children aged 3 to 5 enrolled and 59 percent enrolled in the year prior to school entry—reflecting infrastructural constraints, insufficient investments, and regional disparities, as evidenced by extensive waiting lists. In Montenegro, despite achieving an 80 percent enrolment rate for children aged 3 to 6, a shortfall persists relative to the national target of 90 percent. Addressing these disparities demands enhanced investment in infrastructure, targeted policy reforms, and strategic interventions to promote inclusive quality ECEC.

Global evidence underscores the high returns of investing in ECEC. In BiH, every USD invested is estimated to yield a seven-fold return through increased future income potential and enhanced female labour market participation. UNICEF BiH projects that accessible and affordable childcare could enable approximately 4,000 additional women to enter the workforce each year. Nevertheless, substantial investments remain necessary—BiH alone requires an estimated USD 77 million more annually to achieve universal enrolment for children aged 3 to 6. Both BiH and Montenegro have signalled strong governmental commitment to ECEC through its prioritization under the Western Balkans and Türkiye EU Growth Plan.

While current ECEC financing is predominantly sourced from public sector funding and parental contributions, significant opportunities exist to leverage additional resources through public-private partnerships (PPPs). These partnerships—encompassing collaborations with private ECEC providers, large private enterprises, and international financial institutions (IFIs)—offer a strategic avenue to mobilize innovative financing. Stakeholders across both sectors recognize the transformative potential of such investments to generate immediate benefits in human capital development and female labour market participation, as well as long-term economic growth and poverty reduction.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to provide expert support to UNICEF country offices in BiH and Montenegro to assess the PPP landscape and the potential for mobilizing innovative financing solutions for expanding access to quality ECEC services, part of a broader initiative to leverage resources and results in ECEC in the Western Balkans. Further, the assignment will entail designing tailored public-private engagement pathways to inform and shape forthcoming UNICEF interventions in these countries.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:     

Deliverable 1: Comprehensive mapping and analysis for PPP for expanding access to ECEC (BiH and Montenegro):

Task 1.1: Undertake consultations with key education sector partners and private stakeholders to assess the current gaps in service delivery, with particular attention to the needs of children at most risk of being left behind.

Task 1.2: Conduct a mapping exercise to identify and categorize private sector stakeholders—including small businesses, large private entities, philanthropists, high net worth individuals, IFIs, and EU-related financial instruments- that have the potential to invest in or support ECEC initiatives in BiH and Montenegro.

Task 1.3: Analyse existing PPP models in two countries and financing mechanisms deployed within the ECEC sector, including the overview of legal and institutional framework for implementation of PPP.

Deliverable 2: Designing PPP solutions for expansion of ECEC services in the two countries- development of models for PPP financing and private investing (BiH and Montenegro);

Task 2.1: Develop models for PPPs to support the expansion of ECEC services tailored to the contexts of BiH and Montenegro.

Task 2.2: Include an assessment of incentives that could attract private investment into the ECEC sector.

Deliverable 3: Development of a compelling business case to demonstrate the impact and scalability of financing ECEC through PPPs (BiH and Montenegro);

Task 3.1: Construct a robust business case that clearly articulates the potential impact and scalability of leveraging financing for ECEC through PPPs.

Task 3.2: Prepare presentation materials that succinctly communicate the business case to potential investors and decision-makers.

Deliverable 4: Development of a roadmap for UNICEF with concrete recommendations on how to operationalize the PPPs for ECEC services in both countries (BiH and Montenegro). 

Task 4.1. Development of a detailed roadmap for UNICEF country offices outlining strategic steps for leveraging PPPs in ECEC, covering:

• Facilitating partnerships between the government and the private sector for improved service provision (e.g., private sector involvement in managing, co-financing, or delivering ECEC services).
• Resource mobilization from the private sector, leveraging financial contributions and investments to expand access to ECEC.

Task 4.2: Provide concrete, time-bound recommendations that include key milestones, resource requirements, and performance indicators.

The consultant will work in pair with the field consultant to deliver the above specified deliverables. Jointly with the field consultant, the consultant should develop an inception report to elaborate in detail the methodological approach in achieving the deliverables. UNICEF country offices will provide support to the consultant in terms of sharing the available background material, organizing online meetings with relevant stakeholders, and supporting mission travel to the countries. The consultant is expected to organize 1 mission travel per country during the assignment (cca 3 days per country) for the purpose of data collection and another mission per country for the purpose of presenting the data.

The consultant is expected to work in collaboration with the designated staff from UNICEF BiH and UNICEF Montenegro, with the support from the UNICEF Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. When defining the detailed methodology, the consultant is expected to take into consideration the administrative governance of ECEC within the two countries, namely the decentralized nature of ECEC governance and financing.

The consultant is expected to use their own equipment, including computer and other necessary hardware and software, for delivering the assigned. The consultant’s presence in BiH/MNE  will be necessary as determined by the methodological requirements of the assignment.

The consultant shall not make use of any unpublished or confidential information obtained during the assignment without prior authorisation from UNICEF.  The products of this consultancy are not the property of the consultant and cannot be shared without the permission of UNICEF. The consultant shall respect the local norms and refrain from interfering in the country's political affairs. UNICEF remains the owner of the deliverables and UNICEF rules and regulations apply on intellectual property will be applicable where necessary.

Payments to the consultant will be based on the satisfactory completion of deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or part of the payment if the deliverables are deemed incomplete, unsatisfactory, or not delivered on time. Additionally, UNICEF retains the right to adapt and modify deliverables and deadlines as needed.

The assignment is scheduled to begin in April 2025 and should last until December 2025, with the approximate duration of 62 days.

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

• Advanced university degree in Economics/Public Policy and Administration
• Over 8 years of experience in PPPs and education sector/social services financing, including blended financing solutions.
• Knowledge of public administration, governance, and decentralized education financing models, with the knowledge of the Western Balkans context as an asset.
• Excellent research, analytical and writing skills.
• Experience in engaging with the private sector stakeholders to leverage financing for services.
• Strong facilitation skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including public administration, private businesses, and international organisations.
• Leadership and teamwork sills, ability to manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines effectively.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s mandate, policies, and approach to education sector development. Previous experience with UNICEF is an asset.
• Fluency in English.
• Fluency in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Montenegrin is an asset.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their technical proposals for the consultancy, outlining their approach, methodology, and relevant experience.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

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

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. 

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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.