Current vacancies

Duration: from May 2025 to October 2025
Workplace: home-based
Modality: part-time

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 fair chance

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Background

The early childhood years are foundational for the development of all human beings and shape the trajectory of life. Over the past three decades, scientific discoveries in a variety of fields have led to the important conclusion that pregnancy and the first three years after birth provide the foundation for the most important components of health, well-being, and productivity that persist into childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
The health system has several points of contact with parents to promote early childhood development (ECD) and early childhood intervention (ECI). These include sick child visits (at home and in the clinic), planned well-child visits, antenatal and newborn care services (e.g. breastfeeding support), home visits by visiting nurses within the framework of the Universal Progressive Model of Home Visiting for Pregnant Women and Young Children (UPHV). In this way, the health system provides effective access to pregnant women, families and young children, and approaches to ECD from conception onwards can be practically integrated into existing health care services.
Primary Health Care provides the foundation for supporting ECD and ECI since it interacts with all pregnant women and young children and adheres to the family principle of service, which is at the heart of the modern ECD and ECI support system. In addition to traditional health services (preventive examinations, disease diagnosis and treatment, immunization, and so on), primary health care provides information to parents, family members, and legal representatives on topics such as rational nutrition, childhood disease prevention, positive parenting etc. The new pediatric care standard requires primary health care organizations (polyclinics) to establish a Center for Development and Early Intervention (CDEI) to support UPHV, and ECD and ECI services. In addition, the CDEI oversees ECD/ECI services supplied by other organizations, particularly in the education and social protection sectors.
The international Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) originally developed in Turkey through over 20 years of research, is a comprehensive package based on bioecological theory and family-centered care. Its brevity and user- and receiver-friendliness make the GMCD feasible to be used in home visits, as well as other PHC services. A large-scale study standardized and validated the GMCD on approximately 12,000 children in four diverse countries. This study showed that healthy children attain GMCD milestones at similar ages, making it feasible to be used in different contexts and settings. The monitoring component of the tool is complemented, and it flows seamlessly into the ‘support’ component, using information on where the child and family are and what should be supported. As both an assessment and an intervention, the GMCD incorporates strengths-based and family-centered approaches, which would strengthen the quality of the services provided for children at PHC level, especially for those with developmental delays or with risks for developmental delays.
In consultation with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF Kazakhstan is planning to adapt the Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) for use in Kazakhstan. This includes adapting the tool, training materials and supporting the training of trainers on GMCD, who will, in turn, train healthcare professionals as well as specialists from other sectors (education, social protection) implementing ECD/ECI activities. These efforts aim to ensure the integration of developmental monitoring across primary healthcare, including UPHV and primary healthcare facilities and its link to other ECD/ECI services provided inside and outside of the health sector (education, social protection). Following the adaptation of the GMCD and the training of master trainers, the Ministry of Health will ensure the GMCD's national implementation, including training of PHC specialists working with young children, primarily pediatricians (around 2,000 specialists), followed by home visiting nurses and general practitioners.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical expertise, support and guidance to UNICEF Kazakhstan to adapt the generic Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) to the national context, strengthen the capacities of 18 regional level trainers to deliver the training on GMCD and adapting the GMCD training materials with the potential for their integration and further scale up across primary health care system in Kazakhstan. Two consultants will work closely together to complete the assignment.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Health and Nutrition Specialist, the expert will undertake the following tasks and produce the specified deliverables under coordination of a lead expert. This assignment requires close consultation and collaboration with the Department for Mother and Child Health Protection of the Ministry of Health, and UNICEF relevant colleagues.
Within the scope of this assignment, the key expected tasks include:
1. Support the adaptation of the generic GMCD training package to Kazakhstan local context.
2. Conduct an online certified training of at most 18 GMCD trainers from Kazakhstan in two batches comprised of at most 9 trainers each.
3. Provide remote supervision to the trained professionals before and after their first training.
4. Following the training of regional level trainers, provide onsite supportive supervision to the 18 trainers for the preparation and facilitation of the GMCD training for end users which includes doctors and nurses. The certification of these trainers will be done after the consultant approves their reliability and after they conduct one successful training of GMCD end users.

 Work Assignment Overview GMCD Consultant.docx

1 Travel International to Astana for 5 days.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
• Education: Master’s in Paediatrics/early intervention/child development and/or public health.
• Experience:
- Proven experience in providing consultancy services in the area of child development and early intervention;
- Familiarity and technical expertise on training on GMCD
- Minimum 10 years of working experience in relevant fields/areas;
- Significant training experience in child development;
- Excellent analytical thinking, training, report writing and communication skills.
- Previous experience in implementation of relevant consultancy work in the ECA countries is an asset;
- Fluency in spoken and written English and Russian.

Evaluation Criteria 
A) TECHNICAL CRITERIA (maximum 70 Points)
Total 100 scores
- Expertise in the integration of child development monitoring in primary health care system area: The candidate should have proven knowledge and experience and demonstrate a thorough understanding of child development and early intervention – 50 scores
- Experience in developing training modules and materials and facilitation of the capacity strengthening sessions. The candidate should have knowledge and skills in adapting training materials to meet the needs of the target audience, organize training content into modules and sessions – 50 scores

B) Financial Proposal (maximum 30 Points)
Candidates must submit a financial proposal for the whole assignment based on these Terms of Reference. The financial proposal should clearly state the cost of the services for each Deliverables/Outputs.
Financial proposal is maximum 30 points. The lowest financial proposal will receive the highest score during financial assessment. This is the main principle because saved funds will be directed towards other activities to aid children in Kazakhstan. Only financial proposals that fully cover all deliverables outlined in the terms of reference will be considered.

For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture)

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. 

Completion of the UN/UNICEF mandatory trainings is obligatory upon commencement of the contract.

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and that UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.