Consultant to document the Sun Center business model and provide a roadmap for effective and efficient implementation at local level, 70 working days, UNICEF RRO Poland, Warsaw

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. 

For every child, Future

Since February 2022, Poland has welcomed approximately 2 million refugees escaping the conflict in Ukraine, with women and children comprising about 90% of the total. In response, UNICEF swiftly established the Refugee Response Office (RRO) in March 2022, operating under an L3 emergency declaration. Initially targeting over 75% of the refugee population, UNICEF’s interventions have been vital in supporting families affected by the war.

The UNICEF education programmes have been developed and implemented in partnerships with Ministry of Education, 10 municipalities and CSOs. Partnerships aim to support access to formal and non-formal education, strengthen education system for inclusive education with a specific focus on migrant and refugee children. Educational activities are one of the crucial elements to guarantee the safe space for development and facilitate inclusion process. One of the elements which education system focus on is supporting children with learning difficulties and their families, provide diagnosis and psycho-pedagogical therapy. As per national regulations the psycho pedagogical system clinics are a part of the education system and its work is organised by local governments.

Partnership with Kraków Municipality since its beginning focused on providing psychological support to children and adolescent from Ukraine who settled in the city of Kraków. The municipality decided to open places called “Sun Centers”, psychological and pedagogical clinics that provide specialized services to refugees and migrants, focusing on educational activities and diagnosis for children with development disorders and psychological support for those in need. These centers also offer programs aimed at enhancing social and emotional learning, helping children from migrant backgrounds integrate more effectively with their peers in school.

The Sun Center model aimed at addressing the challenges Ukrainian refugee children face in accessing mental health support and diagnoses due to language barriers and difficulties navigating the national support system. This model enabled children to receive tailored psychological support by using the professional expertise of refugees with relevant psychological and pedagogical qualifications. The Sun Center model was fully funded by UNICEF in 2023, however since 2024 the City of Krakow is co-funding this program by 50%, allocating core Municipal resources from the city budget. The city agrees on the relevance of this intervention for Krakow migrants and refugee and is willing to maintain and replicate this initiative at scale in the city.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

1. Documenting the current Sun Center models in Krakow implemented by UNICEF and the City of Krakow (Education Department). The documentation will focus on the integration of migrant and refugee children into local psycho-pedagogical support systems. The model will provide clarity of the scope of services, governance, cost drivers, resources required, and funding mechanisms.
2. The described business model should include, but not limited to, the following components: analysis of the needs of target groups; analysis of the impact the current Sun Centers have had on migrant/refugee children, their families, and the local education system; analysis of the national, local and regional context and policies regarding migration, social inclusion, access to psycho-pedagogical services and integration; scope of services; governance mechanism; costing; analysis of potential funding options from local and central budget, including EU funds; ensuring that the business model explores long-term sustainability and scalability across other municipalities or regions; propose strategies for raising awareness among migrant families and communities about the services available at Sun Centers; provide practical support (i.e. step-by-step guidelines, or check-list/framework) to plan and budget for Sun Centers’ services in a local municipality; propose monitoring and evaluation strategy that can be implemented by Sun Centers on their ongoing effectiveness and adapt based on changing needs,challenges, and context specific as compared to alternative models.
3. The consultant will organize a participatory process involving representatives of the Sun Centers and the Education Department of the City of Krakow, and families, including children, receiving and seeking services in the centers.
4. The documentation of the Sun Centers business model should consist of several stages.
   a) The first stage is the development of an inception report with the proposed methodology
   b) The second stage is the provision of a snapshot of the main features related to the current implementation modality of the Sun Center, including on services provided, governance, cost drivers, and funding modality.
   c) The third stage is the preparation of the revised business model based on the inception report and visits to the 4 Sun Centers and consultations with relevant stakeholders.
   d) The next stage is validation and finalization of the business model. This will be done in coordination with the City of Krakow (Education Department), Sun Centers representatives and other relevant stakeholders.
   e) Upon validation of the Business Model, the consultant will develop a roadmap for the inclusion of the business model into existing psycho-pedagogical systems operating at the local level for sustainability and efficiencies.

Tasks/Deliverables:

1. Development of an inception report with proposed methodology for development of the business model and roadmap.
   Deliverable: Inception report
   
2. Drafting the business model based on visits to Sun Centers and meetings with relevant stakeholders (Reference Group).
   Deliverable: Draft business model
   
3. Validation and finalization of the business model, including workshops.
   Deliverable: business model

4. Development of a roadmap.
   Deliverable: roadmap
   
5. Presentation to stakeholders on the implementation of the business model and roadmap.
   Deliverable: workshops’ materials and report

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

• An university degree (Bachelors or higher) or university course in the area of Education, Pedagogy, Psychology, Administration, Economics or another relevant field.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in at least one of the following areas: finance, creating strategies and business models, social policy, social services, integration policies, education management.
• Expertise and experience in social policy, governance, social services, public finance, education
• Knowledge of local, regional and national policies on psycho-pedagogical support offered in education system
• Education for migrants and refugees.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strategic thinking.
• Documented work experience in a similar area.
• Strong organizational, planning and prioritizing skills and abilities.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Ability to deliver on time.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Fluency in Polish and English.

Applicants are invited to:
a. Update e-Recruitment profile.
b. Attach relevant academic degrees, latest CV.
c. Indicate a lump-sum amount quoted in USD/PLN for the whole assignment. The amount should be provided per deliverable by completing the consultancy financial proposal table.

 Consultancy Financial Offer Consultant Sun Center .xlsx

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS FROM CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT SUBMIT A FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TABLE WILL BE CONSIDERED INCOMPLETE AND WILL NOT BE FURTHER REVIEWED.

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. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

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 jobs-near-me.org 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.