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Consultancy Title: Early Childhood Development (ECD) Consultant (National, Belarus)

Section/Division/Duty Station: ECD/Education Section, UNICEF Belarus CO

Duration: May - December 2025

Home/ office Based: Remote/Home-based (with visits to the office upon request/needs)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. Over 75 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and abuse. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments.

BACKGROUND

Early Childhood Development refers first 1000 days of person’s life and goes up to 5 years involving cognitive, physical, language, motor, social and emotional development. These transitional processes are noted to be supported by social and financial policies’ frameworks and the synergies of health, nutrition, education, child protection services. Early childhood provides an opportunity to shape the trajectory of a child’s holistic development and provides a pillar for their future. To achieve their full potential, children need age and ability specific health care and nutrition, safeguarding and opportunities for early learning, and responsive caregiving which includes positive parenting practices. All of these are contributors to nurturing care.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In the 2025, UNICEF country programme interventions will be focusing on strengthening systems to ensure young children are developing their full potential; parents, caregivers and specialists increase their capacity in providing support and counselling; young children with developmental delays and disabilities covered by specialised health and social protection services.

Program interventions will be planned and implemented a twin-track approach and aim to contribute to:

(1) strengthening normative and legislative base of the primary health care (PHC), ensuring equity and quality access and better coverage; (2) and improving quality of specialised services, such as Early Childhood Intervention (ECI), inclusive nutrition and feeding and deinstitutionalisation (DI); and (3) enhancing professional capacity of future and practicing workforce of the PHC and social protection platforms.

Building on 2020-2024 results and in partnership with Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour and Social protection UNICEF plans to scale up programmatic and advocacy for ECI, inclusive nutrition and DI at the national and regional levels. The envisaged interventions will be delivered through the following strategies: system strengthening, capacity building of professionals, establishing synergies between sectors to ensure effective referral mechanisms and support to parents. The scope of work is nationwide, with some focus on specific regions, such as Brest and Vitebsk oblasts. (Система раннего вмешательства (prostodeti.by))

The Purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support in design and implementation of programme activities of ECD and Child protection programs of UNICEF Belarus during the period from 15 of April 2025 until 31 of December 2025.

Scope of Work:

Under direct supervision of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Specialist and in cooperation with all relevant UNICEF sections (Child Protection, Communications and Partnerships) the Consultant will provide high quality support in designing and implementing UNICEF program activities related to ECI, DI, inclusive nutrition, and support for parents of young children with disabilities.

1. Provide expert support to programme planning and ongoing program interventions on ECI and inclusive nutrition and feeding within overall agenda of ECD/Education section.
2. Provide expert support to programme planning and to ongoing program interventions on DI within overall agenda of Child protection section.
3. Provide expert support to ongoing events, informational and behavior change activities and campaigns, preparation of HISs and other relevant documents within overall agenda of Communication section that is related to the rights of children with disabilities and developmental delays.
4. Provide inputs, relevant to programmatic expertise, to project proposals and donor reports within overall agenda of Partnership section and in close cooperation with ECD section.

Develop materials for parents and caregivers on all domains of Nurturing care, with specific focus on children 0-6 with disabilities and developmental delays.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables / Delivery Deadline:

Travel (if required as per TOR):

Consultant will provide estimated budgets for travels to project sites during the contract period (places, number of visits *rate per one visit* number of days of each visit)

Qualifications

Education:

• University degree (Masters) or equivalent qualification in health, pediatrics, rehabilitation or in a related field.

Work experience/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in areas related to early childhood development, identification, and intervention, in particular experience in working with and for young children with disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and implementation of projects and programmes, management of project budgets, drafting policy and other analytical documents.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to communicate complex issues clearly and succinctly both orally and in writing.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral) in Russian are required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience working in a multicultural environment.
• Passion and demonstrated commitment to UNICEF’s mission and core values.
• Background/familiarity with UNICEF’s ECD programme will be an asset.
• Fluency in Russian and English

Competencies:

• Drive to achieve results for impact.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
• Thinks and acts strategically.
• Works collaboratively with others.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Interested applicants should provide a letter of interest (Cover Letter) describing how they can contribute to the interventions listed under roles and responsibilities and why they should be selected for this position. In addition, they should share their latest CV/Resume and financial proposal  Financial Offer template_ECD Consultant (National, Belarus).docx to undertake this job.
• Samples of the related job/tasks done.
• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal should be submitted using the financial offer template and must:
  • Reflect the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment period (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • Include travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. Consultants are responsible for arranging their own transportation arrangements. UNICEF can provide office vehicle for some duty travel missions with prior agreement as per monthly travel plan approved by the supervisor
  • Include any other costs: visa, health insurance, payment of an incidental expenditure (such as bank charges, insurances, etc.) and living costs as applicable.
• Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.