National Individual Consultancy – Assessment of Preschool Enrolment Criteria and Implications for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 47 days, Remote-Home-based

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, education.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains limited, particularly for the most vulnerable children. Preschool enrolment rates are among the lowest in Europe, with only 13% of children aged 0–2 and 43% of children aged 3–5 enrolled. These levels are well below the Barcelona targets, which set benchmarks of at least 45% enrolment for children under three and 96% for children aged three to compulsory school age. Limited coverage, combined with long waiting lists—especially in urban areas—and fragmented enrolment practices across administrative units, significantly constrains equitable access to ECEC services. Enrolment criteria, including admission rules, prioritization mechanisms, enrolment cycles, fee structures, and the availability of part-time or full-time attendance, play a decisive role in determining which children and families are able to access available preschool places.

Access to quality, affordable, and predictable Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services is a cornerstone of child development and a key enabler of family well-being. Enrolment criteria, including admission rules, prioritisation mechanisms, enrolment cycles, and enrolment systems play a decisive role in determining which children and families can access ECEC services.

ECEC enrolment policies also have a direct and measurable impact on women’s participation in the labour market. Women’s labour force participation in BiH remains low, at around 37% compared to approximately 63% for men, reflecting a persistent gender gap in employment. Women are significantly more likely than men to be economically inactive due to family responsibilities and continue to carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. Lack of ECEC services can limit women’s ability to enter, remain in, or re-enter paid employment, particularly for unemployed women and those engaged in informal, freelance, or other forms of precarious work.

In BiH, preschool enrolment criteria are regulated through a combination of entity, cantonal, district, and local-level legislation and by-laws, while operational enrolment practices are defined at either through digitized systems or at the level of preschool institutions. This governance arrangement has resulted in fragmented approaches, varying levels of transparency, and uneven alignment with labour market realities and the needs of working parents.

This assessment is planned as part of the Joint United Nations Programme – Gender Accelerator Framework (Pillar 2- Women Economic Empowerment), which aims to accelerate women’s economic empowerment through integrated, cross-sectoral policy reforms. Within this framework, improving access to quality ECEC services is recognised as a key enabler of women’s participation in the labour market.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks: 

A. Mapping and analysis of enrolment criteria and regulatory frameworks

• Review and analyse ECEC laws and relevant by-laws regulating enrolment at the entity, cantonal, district, and local levels. The analysis should include:
  • admission rules and prioritisation criteria
  • management of waiting lists
  • criteria related to parents’ employment status
• Analyse enrolment cycles (timing, frequency, duration) and assess how they align with the needs of working parents.

B. Assessment of enrolment processes

• Assess enrolment processes across administrative units, including:
  • availability and use of electronic/digital enrolment systems
  • administrative burden placed on parents
  • transparency and predictability of enrolment outcomes
• This includes desk research and online interviews with key stakeholders, identified in the inception phase.

C. Gender implications of preschool enrolment criteria

• Analyse how existing enrolment criteria and practices enable or constrain:
  • women’s labour force participation and re-entry into employment, especially for women who are unemployed or are engaged in freelance, informal, or other forms of precarious work. Special attention should be paid to support to vulnerable and marginalized families.

D. Qualitative analysis of parental experiences

• Collect qualitative data on parental experiences with the enrolment process by conducting FGDs with mothers of preschool-aged children in three cities, including:
  • navigating waiting lists
  • uncertainty and delays in enrolment outcomes
  • compatibility of enrolment cycles with work obligations
• Qualitative data collection should primarily focus on urban areas with high demand for preschool services (tentative locations to be confirmed in the inception phase are Banja Luka, Mostar and Sarajevo).

E. Comparative analysis

• Analyse how preschool enrolment criteria and practices in BiH compare with selected enrolment policies and approaches in EU countries, with emphasis on gender-responsiveness and support to working parents.

F. Policy recommendations

• Develop evidence-based, practical, and implementable recommendations for education authorities and local governments to improve gender-responsiveness of enrolment criteria
• Provide disaggregated analysis and, where relevant, tailored recommendations per administrative unit.

The consultant is expected to use his/her own equipment, including computer and other necessary hardware and software, for delivering the assigned. The consultant’s presence in BiH will be necessary as determined by the methodological requirements of the assignment.

The consultant shall not make use of any unpublished or confidential information obtained during the course of the assignment without prior authorisation from UNICEF.  The products of this consultancy are not the property of the consultant and cannot be shared without the permission of UNICEF. The consultant shall respect the local norms and refrain from interfering in the country’s political affairs. UNICEF remains the owner of the deliverables and UNICEF rules and regulations apply on intellectual property will be applicable where necessary.

The assignment is scheduled to begin in March 2026 and should last until June 2026 in total duration of 47 days.

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

• Master’s degree in Education policy, public policy, economics, social policy, gender studies, sociology, law, or a closely related field
• At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in public sector planning, education policy, gender policy, social policy, public finance, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, including review of laws, by-laws, strategies, or institutional practices, and formulation of practical, evidence-based recommendations for public authorities.
• Experience conducting analytical work such as situation analyses, needs assessments, policy reviews, or similar assignments for governments, international organisations, or public institutions.
• Knowledge of the local context in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including familiarity with education governance arrangements; prior exposure to the ECEC sector is considered an asset.
• Understanding of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment issues, particularly in relation to care responsibilities and labour market participation.
• Strong analytical, drafting, and communication skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information into clear and actionable policy outputs.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Fluency in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and English.

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 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/individual contractors 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 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. 

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.