Contract Duration:  13,5 months

Working arrangement: Home based

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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a chance.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical leadership for the analysis of behavioural, social and structural (institutiona and system) determinants of positive parenting practices and caregiver engagement with parenting-support services and cross-sectoral systems to inform the development of an Integrated Parenting Framework. The analysis will examine factors influencing parenting practices and caregiver engagement with relevant services and platforms, with particular attention to strengthening the complementarity and integration of parenting support across existing service-delivery platforms, including the Universal Progressive Home Visiting (UPHV), social service, and pre-school education workforces, as well as parenting applications and digital platforms, like Bebbo and Internet of Good Things (IoGT).

The consultant will develop analytical methodology and tools, provide technical guidance to local team responsible for data collection, analysis and synthesizing the findings, and translating the evidence into actionable recommendations for the Parenting Framework.

The consultancy will also contribute to the operationalization of Uzbekistan’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Strategy by identifying opportunities to institutionalize integrated parenting support across health, preschool education and social protection systems, strengthening continuity of services and promoting holistic child development from birth to age eight.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  External ToR TMC0007295.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master's degree in health communication, behavioral science, psychology, sociology

• Work Experience:
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in application of behavioural research relevant to parenting, child protection/ECD, qualitative or mixed methods, and service improvement.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
• In-depth knowledge of behavioural science theories, frameworks and approaches, including their application to understanding and influencing individual, social and institutional behaviours.
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying and analyzing behavioural, social and structural determinants, including knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, motivation, habits, social and gender norms, and contextual barriers and enablers.
• Strong expertise in designing and applying qualitative research methodologies, including focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), behavioural inquiry techniques, social norms inquiry and caregiver journey mapping.
• Proven ability to develop research methodologies, data-collection tools and analytical frameworks; guide local research teams; and systematically analyze, synthesize and triangulate qualitative findings.
• Strong understanding of social and behaviour change approaches, including the application of behavioural insights to intervention design and addressing harmful social norms.
• Knowledge of systems approaches and demonstrated ability to examine how service-provider behaviours, institutional practices and service-delivery arrangements influence individual behaviours and access to services.

• Desirables: Previous work with UN organisation will be desirable.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0007295.xlsx