UNICEF Brazil prioritizes the quality of early childhood care services to ensure children’s rights and full development. In the 2024–2028 Country Programme, early childhood development is mainstreamed across Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, and Social Policy, and delivered through core strategies such as the UNICEF Seal and #AgendaCidadeUNICEF.

A flagship urban initiative is UAPI (Unidade Amiga da Primeira Infância), created in 2019 with the municipal government of Fortaleza. UAPI provides technical assistance, training, monitoring, and certification to Primary Health Care Units (UBSs), Municipal Early Education Centers (CMEIs), and Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS). It strengthens professional capacity and results-based management to improve services for pregnant women, children under six, and their families. Nine capitals have signed 18‑month partnerships starting in September 2025: Belém, Boa Vista, Fortaleza, Manaus, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, and São Luís. UNICEF has also expanded the UAPI methodology to the Social Assistance sector, reinforcing CRAS services and coordination with Health and Education. The pilot began in Rio de Janeiro and scaled to Belém and Recife in 2024.

In the current cycle, UNICEF Brazil, in collaboration with the Ministries of Social Development and Health, established a unified UAPI methodology for Social Assistance and Health. This framework defines core guidelines, systemic outcomes, and key indicators to strengthen CRAS and UBS efforts to promote comprehensive child development. It supports consistent implementation, capacity building, and results-based management across municipalities. Further details on the complete methodology are available upon request. 

To support UAPI implementation in Manaus, UNICEF will hire a consultant to provide technical support to strengthen municipal teams, analyze indicators, and understand territorial dynamics, contributing to the refinement of the UAPI methodology, development of an evaluation and certification framework, monitoring tools, an integrated training calendar, and baseline/intermediate indicator analyses to improve early childhood service quality. Key deliverables include alignment meetings with UNICEF Manaus and municipal secretariats; a detailed work plan and schedule with indicator monitoring strategy; a consolidated baseline report for Manaus using established UAPI indicators; an integrated training plan for UBS, CMEI, and CRAS teams; technical reports from the first and second field missions documenting progress, challenges, best practices, and interim indicator analysis; and a final comprehensive report summarizing results, indicator analysis, field mission findings, training records, and recommendations for UAPI continuity.

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SCOPE OF WORK:

The selected consultant will: 

 

1.    Provide technical support to the UNICEF team in Manaus in implementing the UAPI methodology, ensuring the integration of health, education, and social services.

2.    Support  UNICEF team in regular technical meetings with the municipal secretariats, and local scientific committees to help intersectoral coordination, clarify doubts, and address challenges related to the implementation of the methodology.

3.    Conduct structured field missions to UAPI participating units in Manaus (Unidade Básica de Saúde - UBS, Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil - CMEI, and Centro de Referência de Assistência Social - CRAS), together with the UNICEF team, offering direct support to local teams to strengthen the use of indicators and improve service quality.

4.    Support the application of the methodology and monitoring tools already defined for UAPI implementation, including monitoring the collection and analysis of baseline and intermediate indicators, as well as clarifying questions and providing technical support to municipal and UNICEF teams.

5.    Support the structuring of an integrated training calendar, in line with municipal needs and UNICEF guidelines.

6.    Produce periodic progress reports, in coordination with the UNICEF team in Manaus, highlighting lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations for strengthening the intersectoral implementation of the UAPI.

 

DELIVERABLES

 

The consultancy is expected to produce the following deliverables:

1. Initial report and work plan (up to month 1)

Holding alignment meetings with the UNICEF Office in Manaus and municipal secretariats. Delivery of a detailed work plan and schedule, including the strategy for monitoring key health, education, and social service indicators.

1st payment – 15% (by month 1)

-    After delivery and approval of the initial report and work plan.

2.    Baseline analysis report (by month 2)

Consolidated report analyzing the initial situation in Manaus based on the UAPI indicators already defined, identifying strengths, gaps, and priorities in the three areas.

2nd payment – 15% (by month 2)

-    After delivery and approval of the Baseline Analysis Report.

3.    Training schedule and training plan (by month 3)

Integrated training plan for UBS, CMEI, and CRAS teams, aligned with UNICEF guidelines, including schedule and priority topics.

3rd payment – 15% (by month 3)

-    After delivery and approval of the training schedule and training plan.

4.    Report on the first field activities (by month 4)

Technical report on the first field mission to participating UAPI units (UBS, CMEIs, and CRAS), documenting progress, challenges, best practices, and recommendations.

4th payment – 15% (by month 4)

-    After delivery and approval of the report on the first field mission.

5. Report on the second field activities and interim indicators (up to month 5)

Technical report consolidating the findings of the second field mission, including analysis of interim indicators compared to the baseline.

Fifth payment – 20% (up to month 5)

- After submission and approval of the report on the second field mission and interim indicators.

6. Consolidated final report (up to month 6)

Comprehensive report summarizing the results achieved, analysis of indicators, consolidation of field activities, record of training conducted, and recommendations for the continuity of the UAPI in Manaus.

6th payment – 20% (up to month 6)

- After delivery and approval of the consolidated final report.

DURATION OF CONTRACT: 06 months

TRAVEL PLAN:

No domestic or international travel is planned for this consultancy, as all activities will be carried out in Manaus, in coordination with the UNICEF Office and municipal departments. The field activities planned in products 4 and 5 will take place within the municipality itself, in units such as UBS, CMEIs, and CRAS, with no additional travel costs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED 

• Academic background in Social Work, Social Sciences, Public Health, Public Policy, or related fields (bachelor's degree required; master's degree considered a plus).

• At least 5 years of professional experience in planning, monitoring, or evaluating public policies focused on early childhood, with proven experience in the Unified Health System (SUS), the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) and/or early childhood education.

• Solid knowledge of early childhood care policies, programs, and indicators related to basic social protection, early childhood education and primary health care.

• Experience in results-based management processes and in the use of evidence to support public policies.

• Experience in intersectoral agendas with government agencies and municipal public services.

• Excellent communication, technical writing, and report writing skills.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY:

Brazilian Portuguese

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

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 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 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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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 for ensuring 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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.