International Consultant - Integrated Parenting Support Framework (IPF) - Child Protection
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, viewing the promotion of children's rights not just as a job, but as a calling. UNICEF fosters diverse opportunities for professional and personal development.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support for the development of an Integrated Parenting Support Framework (IPF) for Uzbekistan. This framework will build upon existing parenting support interventions, standards, procedures, and service-delivery platforms. The consultant will conduct a focused desk-based mapping and strategic gap analysis across health, preschool education, child protection, and social protection sectors. This review will encompass Universal Progressive Home Visiting (UPHV), parenting standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP) and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE), and relevant digital tools like Bebbo and Internet of Good Things (IoGT). The analysis will examine the coherence, coverage, inclusion, and institutional complementarity of these instruments, aligning with Uzbekistan’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Strategy and UNICEF’s Global Parenting Support Framework.
Responsibilities
The consultant will undertake a focused desk-based mapping and strategic gap analysis across health, preschool education, child protection, and social protection sectors. The review will encompass Universal Progressive Home Visiting (UPHV), parenting standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prepared for the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP) and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE), and relevant digital tools such as Bebbo and Internet of Good Things (IoGT). It will examine the coherence, coverage, inclusion, and institutional complementarity of these instruments. Drawing on complementary behavioural insights, the consultant will produce an overarching framework defining shared objectives, a continuum of universal, targeted, and intensive parenting support, sector responsibilities, coordination principles, and implementation priorities. Within a focused, primarily remote assignment, the consultant will support the policy and framework development process. Key tasks include agreeing at inception with UNICEF and the behavioural insights consultant on the division of labour, document list, strategic review criteria, timetable, and validation process. The consultant will conduct a rapid desk-based inventory of existing parenting support approaches and assess how existing provision addresses responsive caregiving, positive and non-violent discipline, prevention of violence against children, caregiver mental health and psychosocial well-being, fathers’ engagement, gender norms, and disability inclusion. The consultant will identify priority gaps, duplications, and inconsistencies in population and age coverage (0–8 years), accessibility, content, continuity, institutional mandates, workforce arrangements, and coordination, distinguishing existing assets to retain/strengthen from areas needing adaptation or future development.
Work Experience
Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in national policy/framework development, parenting support, early childhood development, child protection, and/or cross-sectoral social service systems strengthening.
Skills
Assessing government programmes, standards, and institutional arrangements, Preparing concise policy frameworks, Identifying strategic gaps, Facilitating high-level technical validation, Knowledge of UNICEF parenting/ECD guidance, Knowledge of inclusive, violence-preventive parenting approaches, Desk-based mapping and analysis, Strategic gap analysis, Framework development, Cross-sectoral coordination