Individual Consultancy - Strategies to Expand Childcare Services Using Underutilized Spaces, Mexico City, Mexico (7 months)
Apply now
Job no: 582550
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Mexico City
Level: Consultancy
Location: Mexico
Categories: Social Policy
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.
Context and Scope
Access to affordable and quality childcare services is a key challenge for low-income families in Mexico. The coverage of children attending Childcare Centers (Centros de Atención Infantil, CAI) in Mexico is low—around 11%—compared to other countries in the region. Besides, access to childcare in Mexico remains highly unequal. Around 60% of children attending CAIs belong to the wealthiest quintile of households. Moreover, most centers are located in non-marginalized areas, with the exception of the CAIC model run by the DIF, which has less than half of its centers located in areas of medium, high, or very high marginalization. This highlights that low-income families living in marginalized and highly marginalized areas have the least access to childcare centers.
The burden of care and its challenges most drastically affect women in informal employment. Currently, 54.7% of employed women work in the informal sector—a higher rate than men, who are at 49.5%. These workers lack social security, do not contribute to a pension, and are not entitled to maternity leave, childcare services, or caregiving leave, making them one of the most vulnerable groups with significant challenges in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.
A closer look at the challenges of expanding services reveals that existing CAI hours are similar to school hours—8 a.m. to 4 p.m.—with some variations. However, depending on parents’ jobs, this schedule may be inadequate or insufficient to support their caregiving responsibilities. Additionally, there are spaces that serve children but only cover half a workday, or public spaces that are only used for part of the day and remain unused the rest of the time. On the other hand, the current care offerings that free up parents’ time are concentrated in CAIs. However, in Mexico other types of care services that have been very successful in other countries—such as home-based family care, paid in-home nannies, and agencies that connect services with users—have yet to be regulated and fostered.
Some alternatives to address the challenge of extended hours and underutilized spaces remain unexplored. Increasing the number of part-time care spaces using existing and underutilized infrastructure could help reduce time poverty among caregivers (mostly women), promote their self-care, and ensure quality childcare.
Work Assignments Overview
-
Adjusment of timeline and technical proposal given in the procurement phase.
2. Assessment of Public Infrastructure for Childcare
3. Estimation of Potential Demand
4. Identication of potential New Childcare Spaces
5. Proposal for Operational and Financial Models
6. Final Report with Strategic Recommendations
Deliverables
- Deliverable 1: Adjusted Work Plan and Final Technical Proposal
- Deliverable 2: Assessment of potential supply of public infrastructure for part-time care and estimation of potential demand.
- Deliverable 3: Mapping of part-time care facility locations and development of an operational and funding model
- Deliverable 4: Final Report with Summary of Findings and Recommendations
*Each product must be delivered to UNICEF; it will be considered a final version after UNICEF's approval.
**Estimated dates, final dates will be established once the contract is awarded.
For more information, please check the terms of reference: 
TORICS~1.PDF
Minimum Qualifications required:
1) Education
- Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Social Sciences, Economics, Education, International Development, urban planning or related fields.
- Specialized training or certification in statistical analysis, business model design, early childhood development or project evaluation will be considered an asset.
- Doctorate desirable
- Other
2) Work Experience / Knowledge / Skills
-
A minimum of 8 years of experience in the design, evaluation, or implementation of social policies or public service delivery, particularly linked with the spatial provision of the services.
-
Demonstrated experience working with government institutions, international organizations, or NGOs on projects involving territorial planning, service expansion, or social protection.
Specific Experience:
Proven experience in conducting territorial diagnostics and identifying opportunities for the repurposing of public infrastructure.
Experience in designing and costing public service models, including the development of scalable and cost-effective operational strategies.
Strong background in quantitative and qualitative research, including the use of statistical tools to estimate service demand and assess population needs.
Familiarity with gender-sensitive, child-perspective and equity-based approaches in the design of care services or social programs.
Experience in preparing technical reports and visual presentations for high-level decision-makers, ideally in collaboration with UN agencies or public sector partners.
Demonstrated capacity to engage with diverse stakeholders and facilitate participatory processes.
Desired Skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, managing deadlines.
Demonstrated capacity to engage with diverse stakeholders and facilitate participatory processes.
Experience drafting executive and technical documents for international organizations, governments, or public institutions. Must present a technical document related to design, evaluation, or implementation of social policies or public service delivery, particularly linked with the spatial provision of the services.
3) Language
- Fluency in Spanish
- Advanced English in reading and listening, basic English in speaking and writing
Evaluation Criteria
- Technical Evaluation
1) CV and Work Experience Assessment.
2) Technical Proposal Assessment:
- A timeline.
- Work plan and methodological proposal describing the approach and how the activities and deliverables outlined in the Terms of Reference will be achieved.
- Brief summary describing the main challenges/obstacles of part-time childcare models and strategies to avoid or mitigate their impact (maximum 2,500 words).
- Brief summary identifying the main underutilized spaces or infrastructures to be explored, and proposal of how to assess their availability (maximum 2,000 words).
- Financial Evaluation
Please consult the following document for further detail regarding how to prepare your financial proposal:
-
The intention is to have a cost breakdown as detailed as possible.
-
The economic proposal must be presented by the consultant indicating the COST PER DELIVERABLE, as well as the breakdown and explanation of the proposal, signed and in a letterhead.
-
Costs must be considered for all project expenses.
-
Costs must be fixed for the entire project.
-
Present your proposal in Mexican pesos; if you are a foreign provider, you must send your offer in US dollars
You can review the following example to prepare your financial proposal: Financial Proposal Template.docx
For more information, please check the terms of reference including working conditions and details: TORICS~1.PDF
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.
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.
For further information, please refer to the Individual Consultants General Terms and Conditions [ General Terms and Conditions Individual Consultants EN.pdf/ General Terms and Conditions Individual Consultants ES.pdf]
Advertised: Central Standard Time (Mexico)
Deadline: Central Standard Time (Mexico)