SHORT-TERM INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CONSULTANCY for DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS, GUIDELINES AND MATERIALS FOR CHILD RIGHTS CURRICULA IN TWO UNIVERSITIES

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. 

You can watch our video to learn more about UNICEF Turkiye Country Office and a glance of our worklife.

For every child, inclusivity

Background:

Background information can be found under ToR.  ToR_Act 3.8_signed LAST.pdf

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is as follows:

The selected consultant is expected, in collaboration with UTBA and UNICEF, to plan, identify, monitor, and finalize the deliverables outlined below for the development of a comprehensive child rights curriculum. The curriculum is expected to include, among others, fundamental knowledge such as the principle of the best interests of the child, child-friendly justice, equitable access to justice for children, non-discrimination, and inclusion.

ALL INPUTS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL CHILD JUSTICE STANDARDS.

The selected consultant is expected to complete the following tasks and submit the relevant deliverables in line with the indicative work calendar proposed below.

1. Identification of Universities
   1. Research on leading universities in Türkiye which currently offer courses on the law of the child and/or children’s rights with particular attention to the existence of specific centres on children’s rights and/or multidisciplinary programmes carried out in collaboration with the law faculties and psychology and social work departments.
   2. Contact the academic boards of the reviewed universities to discuss and assess their willingness to participate in the activity for the curriculum development on children’s rights; communicate specifically with the Hacettepe and Başkent Universities.
   3. Carry out a quick analysis of the reviewed universities and select the universities to be involved in the curriculum development according to the above criteria, geographical location and demonstrated willingness based on the initial discussions

2. Overall Assessment of University Curriculum and Capacities
   1. Compile existing course materials from the selected universities and information on the academic staff (area of expertise, level of experience, etc.) who could potentially deliver the course.
   2. Identify the needs of the selected universities by liaising with each academic board in the development of curriculum based on the unique needs of each selected university, student profile and priorities.
   3. Based on the evaluation of the above, prepare an Overall Assessment Report on the needs for the development of the curriculum on the rights of the child, including the proposed topics, learning objectives and methodologies to be covered.

3. Participation in the Working Group Meeting
   1. Contribute to the preparation of a one-day WG Meeting with a draft agenda to be organised with the participation of the relevant academic board members and academic staff of the selected universities (date and venue TBD) to discuss the findings of the Overall Assessment Report.
   2. Present the findings of the assessment and the proposed curricular themes and modalities to the participants and facilitate discussions during the WG Meeting.
   3. On the basis of the contributions made by the participants during the WG Meeting, prepare a short Action Plan outlining the steps to be taken for the development of the curriculum.

4. Demonstrated expertise in the ÇABA ToT and Lawyer Training Program.
   1. Active participation in Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions and the ability to deliver training to relevant stakeholders.
   2. In-depth understanding of the objectives, methodology, and key components of both programs.
   3. Conducting trainings to pilot CRC members and staff.
   4. Capacity to support and guide lawyers in implementing CRC-related activities in line with program principles.
   5. Ability to contribute to the development and improvement of training materials and methodologies.
   6. Monitoring and evaluation of training effectiveness, ensuring alignment with project goals and indicators.

5. Developing the Curriculum
   1. Design the curriculum for the child rights course, incorporating the ÇABA Training of Trainers (ToT) and Lawyer Training Program, and develop a comprehensive training kit. This kit will include course materials (such as case studies, annotations, reference lists, and other practical tools as appropriate), a guidebook for tutors, and PPT slides.
   2. Clearly define the learning objectives for each module/section, ensuring the integration of adult learning methodologies and the principles established within the ÇABA ToT and Lawyer Training Program.
   3. Utilize the course materials provided by the selected universities, in addition to the existing training program being developed for lawyers working with/for children under the ÇABA Project, ensuring alignment with project objectives and best practices.
   4. Establish close contact with academic boards and relevant academic staff in the selected universities throughout the development process to ensure the academic rigor and relevance of the curriculum.
   5. Work in close collaboration with additional experts to be hired for curriculum development and adaptation, ensuring coherence between different components of the training. Define the Terms of Reference (ToR) for these experts, specifying their tasks and responsibilities related to the ÇABA ToT and Lawyer Training Program.
   6. Revise the training materials by incorporating UNICEF and UTBA recommendations and remarks, ensuring they meet international and national standards for child rights education.

6. Piloting the Curriculum
   1. Pilot the curriculum in at least two universities over the course of one semester.
   2. Closely coordinate the piloting process with the tutors by giving necessary information and feedback at timely manner.
   3. Develop assessment tools (i.e. pre- and post-tests, online or offline surveys, etc.) and apply them to gather feedback from students, academic staff (tutors) and the university.
   4. Prepare a report on the evaluation of the activity based on the feedback received and quantitative and qualitative data suggesting areas for improvement in the curriculum.
   5. Finalize the materials on the basis of the evaluation results.

Tasks		Deliverables	Language		Estimated time of delivery
1	Identification of Universities	Analysis on the selected universities	TUR		March 2025 5 person/days
2	Overall Assessment of University Curriculum and Capacities	Overall Assessment Report	TUR		April 2025 6 person/days
3	Participation in the Working Group Meeting	Draft Agenda	TUR		March 2025 1 person/days
		Participation and presentation of Overall Assessment Report	TUR		March 2025 3 person/days
		Action Plan	TUR		March 2025 1 person/days
4	Demonstrated expertise in the ÇABA ToT and Lawyer Training Program	Contributions to updated training materials and methodologies	TUR		April 2025 10 person/days
		Assessment report of ToT training effectiveness based on participant feedback and evaluation			May 2025 10 person/days
		Conducting 10 trainings to pilot CRC members and staff			March-May 2025 20 person/days
		Guidance documents for lawyers implementing CRC-related activities			May 2025 5 person/days
5	Development of the Curriculum	1st Draft of the Training Kit (Course Materials, Guidebook for tutors, PPT slides)	TUR		May- June 2025 20 person/days
		2nd Draft of the Training Kit	TUR		June-July 2025 10 person/days
6	Pilot Implementation of the Curriculum	Coordination of the piloting process	TUR		September 2025- December 2025 30 person/days
		Assessment results	TUR		Jan 2026 10 person/days
		Evaluation report	TUR		Jan 2026 5 person/days
		Finalised curriculum	TUR		Feb 2026 10 person/days
Total number of person/days				146 days

Duty Station: 

Please check ToR

Supervisor: 

Please check ToR

Estimated Duration and Cost of Consultancy: 

Duration: The contract shall commence on the date of signing and remain in effect until the successful submission of all deliverables. The consultancy is expected to require a total of 146 working days, which will be scheduled during the initial phase of the assignment. The consultancy period will span from 30 March 2025 to 15 February 2026.

Estimated Cost of Consultancy: Applications shall include a detailed financial proposal that elaborates on daily costs based on the completion of above-mentioned deliverables, including a total sum demanded. All costs, including travel, accommodation, administrative costs, etc. shall be covered by the contractor and should be included in the financial proposal as a separate heading and broken down into details of accommodation and travel costs in line with UN DSA rates. For further information, check ToR attached. 

Payment: UNICEF will issue a contract in TRY. The payment will be done in instalments upon submission of the deliverables as per the above list and will be executed in TRY.

Payment Schedule: The payments will be made according to the payment schedule noted in the financial proposal template, upon UNICEF’s approval of requested outputs as specified in the contract (please see financial proposal template).

Reservations: UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the contract without a prior notice and/or withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if the rules and the regulations regarding confidentiality, ethics and procedures of UNICEF and the relevant partners are not followed, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

All relevant intellectual property rights in the developed materials/products/documents and associated tools will, upon their development, vest in UTBA and UNICEF. UTBA and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. The selected service provider shall not use the data for their own research purposes and shall not license the data to be used by others, without the written consent of UTBA and UNICEF.

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

Qualifications:

• At least an undergraduate degree in law (having a higher degree would be deemed as a strong asset)
• At least 7 years of experience in programme management/support in the field of child protection with international organisations (previous work with UNICEF is an asset).
• Proven experience in conducting needs assessment or situation analysis or drafting evaluation reports in child justice indicated in CV.
• Proven experience in conducting trainings to lawyers and other law professionals on child justice indicated in CV.
• Experience as a consultant on EU/UN-funded projects is an asset, particularly with UN experience. Familiarity with UNICEF programming and reporting processes is especially beneficial.
• Knowledge, skills and expertise in the multi-disciplinary aspects of the child protection.
• Good command of Turkish and English.
• Excellent writing skills in Turkish.

Skills and personal traits:

• Sensitivity towards ethics with regards to human and child rights issues, different cultures, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, personal interaction and gender roles, disability, age, and ethnicity.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to work closely with national actors with tight deadlines, and to facilitate coordination of a process.
• Computer literacy.

*After the selection process the consultant will be expected to complete the mandatory UNICEF AGORA Trainings.

Application and Selection Criteria

Please note that the assignment can only be held by an individual consultant. Applications should be submitted in English and should include: 

• Financial proposal Financial-Offer-template_3.8.docx
• Most recent CV and
• Sample of relevant work developed by the consultant.

Financial proposals should be submitted in separate folders from the remaining documentation. After the technical evaluation, the financial proposals of qualified candidates will be evaluated. The technical evaluation will be completed based on the attached technical evaluation criteria.

Criteria for technical evaluation	Max points
Having the required academic qualifications as indicated under minimum qualifications	Max. points: 15
Having at least 7 years of proven experience in relevant field	Max. Points: 25
Having familiarity with human rights frameworks, child rights and RBM	Max. Points: 10
Having UN experience, especially UNICEF Programming & Reporting	Max. Points: 10
Quality and relevance of the sample of previously written reports	Max. Points:  10
Maximum total points	Max points: 70

The financial proposals will be opened only for the candidates that reach or exceed forty-nine (49) points out of maximum seventy (70) points. Thirty (30) points will be awarded to the candidate that presented the lowest fee for the services requested. The remaining financial offers will receive proportional points ([lowest bid/bid] x 30 points).

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:  

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.