UNDP Jobs - 87006- Expert on Care Provision Models

Expert on Care Provision Models

Location :

Home based with up to two 5-day missions to Georgia, GEORGIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

06-Sep-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Up to 25 working days, October-December 2019

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

With the support of the Swedish Government, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) works as part of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality on enhancing political and economic empowerment of women through: (1) Policy advice, (2) Strengthening national systems, and (3) Strengthening public advocacy. As part of the work on women’s economic empowerment (WEE), UNDP is developing analytical and advocacy work in the field of care economy in order to redress inequalities in unpaid domestic care work, develop a modern care sector, and improve women’s opportunities to access the labour market. I.e., to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work in the country.

Identifying the care economy as an interconnected sector recognizes its economic and social functions and uncovers the systemic imbalances within this sector, be it in terms of participation in the labour market or (non-)remuneration. These are governed by the legislative framework, state- or private- service provision, as well as social customs and household-level inequalities. Addressing the appropriate policies can unleash a huge economic development potential, as those currently tied up in unpaid domestic care work can realize their economic and civic potential through employment, entrepreneurship, etc. What is more, developing the care sector itself provides employment and can be a source of valuable employment opportunities in otherwise underprivileged communities.

This ambitious goal will be achieved by the realization of the following outcomes:

Analysis of current legislative and analytical framework governing and indirectly influencing the distribution of care work;
Proposing and advocating for regulatory, legislative, and investment initiatives to help redress the imbalance in unpaid domestic care work;
Piloting innovative approaches to community-based care service provision.

The Joint Programme will address those issues in a coherent and comprehensive manner, covering a wide range of issues, such as economic and labour policy, social protection, education, as well as the ongoing decentralization agenda.

This initiative is implemented within the framework of the Czech-UNDP Partnership for Sustainable Development Goals (CUP) through which the Czech Republic provides financial assistance for transferring transformation experience to third countries. The project will leverage the positive experience of the transformation of the Czech social care sector which is well known for innovative initiatives and a vibrant NGO activity in the area of care service provision. The outcomes of this initiative will support Priorities I. and III. of Czech Bilateral Programme in Georgia.

Duties and Responsibilities

The expert will work under the direct supervision of the UNJP Project Manager, and with the support of the Local Consultant on Care Economy. The main objective of the assignment is to develop a project proposal for two pilot daycare centres in UNJP target municipalities, targeting the elderly and/or persons with disabilities (PwDs). This work will serve as a proof of concept for innovative models of daycare provision at the municipal level and will be a basis for further implementation of the daycare model. The expert will work alongside an International Policy Expert on Care Economy and will mutually inform each other on the intermediary findings and recommendations of their work.

Specifically, the expert will be expected to conduct:

I. Preparatory work and desk research:

Building on the desk research of the International Policy Expert on Care Economy, the Care Systems expert should analyze successful international best practices for daycare provision, and conduct an overview mapping the Georgian care sector. Following this, the expert should identify the most appropriate model for local-level care service provision which could be implemented within the existing framework as a proof of concept for a more equitable and effective care service provision. As part of the project elaboration stage, a consultation with the chosen target communities in UNJP target regions should be conducted in order to identify the specific needs, attitudes and possibilities in the specific locality.

Overview of the Georgian care sector:

In the initial desk research phase, the expert will:

Conducts an overview of the existing models of state care provision in Georgia;
Collect qualitative data on main NGO activities in this field in Georgia;
Research similar practices being carried out by other UN Agencies, such as UNICEF;
Provide international examples of best practice (e.g. Macedonia) for daycare provision and their potential application in the Georgian context.

Proposal for a daycare centre model applicable in Georgia:

Using international best practice in daycare provision, the expert will:

Propose two possible models for daycare centres in two target municipalities identified in consultation with UNJP colleagues. The proposals should be in line with Georgian legislation and the division of competences and responsibilities between state actors. The model should identify all key stakeholders and possible service providers, and should aim to be financially self-sustainable after an initial investment and period of external financial support.
In preparation for the field missions, elaborate a list of key informants from government, national and local administration and the NGO sector.
Develop a detailed mission plan for two field missions.

At the end of the preparatory phase, the expert will deliver a high-quality assessment of the Georgian care sector [min. 8 pages], as well as a proposal for two municipality-based daycare model in two localities, and a detailed field mission plan identifying contacts for further information gathering, policy-makers for advocacy work, and consultations with local stakeholders in the identified localities.

II. Field research and advocacy:

The expert will conduct up to two missions in Tbilisi and the identified localities for the pilot daycare initiatives. As part of the missions, the expert will conduct additional information gathering among policy-makers, NGOs and other partners in order to finetune the proposed model in line with local legal and regulatory framework. The expert will then conduct in-depth consultations in the target municipalities, including local decision makers, key stakeholders and representatives of the public, to present and ensure ownership of the proposed care service model. The expert will ensure that the proposed pilot project model corresponds to the needs and expectations of the community and address their concerns.

In-situ information gathering and consultation with partners:

During the field mission, the expert will:

liaise with the Czech Embassy in Tbilisi and conduct at least one official visit at the Embassy as part of the mission. The expert should also be ready to share any additional information with the Embassy and managers of the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs regarding the mission and activities conducted.
conduct information gathering with key national stakeholders, including policy makers, representatives of relevant ministries, NGOs and international organizations.
Advocacy with target communities

As part of the community-based work, the expert will:

Conduct at least two visits to each identified locality, including
- consultations with local stakeholders, municipal government representatives, Local Action Group representatives (if applicable), NGO and civil society representatives, as well as the private sector (if applicable); and
- a workshop open for the community as a form of public consultation of the proposed model and further identification of the local needs. As part of the workshop, the expert should address the broader question of unpaid care work and the care economy in order to raise awareness to the issue in the local community;
Update the daycare models according to the specificities of each locality, including location-based risk management;

Concluding the field missions, the expert will deliver a field mission debriefing [approximately 3 pages] outlining the activities undertaken in research and advocacy work, stating the broad observations and conclusions from the work, as well as an overview of the public consultations in each of the target localities.

III. Final report:

Following the field missions, the expert will update and conclude the project proposal for the two daycare centres, and give applied recommendation on implementation. The report will be delivered via a conference call with the UN Joint Programme colleagues.

At the end of the assignment, the expert will deliver an updated high-quality assessment of the municipal daycare models, including (i) an updated overview of the Georgian care sector; (ii) updated and most applicable international examples of local care service provision; (iii) an updated model for local daycare provision applicable to the Georgian context and in line with the legal and regulatory framework; and (iv) a detailed proposal for two daycare centres in the target localities [min. 6 pages per proposal], with an thorough overview of the local actors, potential partners, and possible investment and financing arrangements, including approximate costing. The proposals should ensure long-term financial sustainability of the daycare centres, as well as close involvement of the local community.

Deliverables and payment modality:

The expert is expected to provide the deliverables outline below. The payments will be made upon the satisfactory completion/submission and approval of the deliverables by the supervisor.
Results of the desk research, field mission workplan: end of October 2019; 30% of the consultancy fee
Formal mission completion, written mission debriefing: end of November 2019; 30% of the consultancy fee
Final report (English version) adjusted upon the comments from the UNDP that includes: Final project proposal recommendations: by 20 December 2019; 40% of the consultancy fee

The timely and high-quality submission of the deliverables is a pre-condition of the payments. The official language of communication for the present contract is English.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
Effective in quality assurance, working with teams, and time management;
Ability to think strategically while focusing on details and delivery process;
Ability to deal with pressure and overcome obstacles in start-up like environment.
Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, focuses on impact and result and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
Demonstrates strong written communication skills;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;
Exceptional communication skills, in order to explain technical concepts and the implications clearly to a wide and non-technical audience and to translate policy objectives into actionable analyses;
Self-motivation and resourcefulness.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Minimum Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Social Work, Economics, International Development or other relevant filed (minimum requirement: 8 points).

Experience:

At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience of working in social policy or social care management, with an international perspective (minimum requirement: 6 years - 8 points; more than 5 - additional 4 points);
At least 3 years of experience in at least two of the following areas: (1) Project management; (2) Social impact investment; (3) International development; (4) Local approaches to social service provision; (4) Institutional development; (5) Field work with PwDs; (6) Programme development; (7) Creation of practical tools in social economics; (8) Practical research on care economy; (9) Policy analysis of international best practices in care based social service provision (minimum requirement: 3 years - 6 points, more than 3 years - additional 4 points);
Direct experience from the Czech Republic in Social Policy or Social Care Management is a requirement (minimum requirement: 6 points);
Experience of working in the ECA region would be an asset (4 points);
Understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as UNDP gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and women’s empowerment priorities;
Prior experience of working on community engagement;
Experience in developing project proposals would be a strong asset;
Outstanding communications skills, for a range of different audiences;
Ability to communicate with diverse audiences through interpreter.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in both English and Czech (both written and oral);
Knowledge of other languages of the ECA region would be an asset.

Evaluation:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis: Individual consultants will be evaluated against combination of technical and financial criteria. Technical evaluation stage encompasses desk review and interview of applications. Experts not meeting any of minimum technical qualification requirements will be automatically excluded from the list of candidates for further technical evaluation. Maximum obtainable score is 100, out of which the total score for technical criteria equals to 70 points (70%) and for financial criteria 30 (30%). Offerors who pass 70% of maximum obtainable scores of the desk review (i.e. 40 x 70% = 28 points as a result of a desk review of applications will be invited for the interview. Those offerors who pass 70% of maximum obtainable scores as a result of the interview (i.e. 30 x 70% = 21 points) will be considered as short-listed offerors and requested to provide financial proposals.

Financial Proposal:

The financial proposal will specify the daily fee, travel expenses and per diems quoted in separate line items, and payments are made to the Individual Consultant based on the number of days worked. All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed