Tenders Are Invited For International Ecd Consultant

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Tenders Are Invited For International Ecd Consultant Solomon Islands Unicef Works In Some Of The WorldS Toughest Places To Reach The WorldS 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 Secure Future Scores Of Young Children In Solomon Islands Are Failing To Develop Optimally At 33 Per Cent Solomon Islands Has The Highest Childhood Stunting Rate In The Pacific With Significant Disparities Between Rural And Urban Areas And Between Rich And Poor Households Increasing Access To Improved Water And Sanitation Remains A Key Challenge In The Country Especially In Rural Areas Where Only 30 Per Cent Of Households Have Access To Improved Sanitation Facilities At 54 Per Cent Open Defecation Rates Are The Highest Across The Pacific The Net Enrolment Ratio In Early Education Stands At Only 39 Per Cent Kindergartens Are Mainly Operated By Local Communities And Only Around 50 Per Cent Of Early Childhood Centers In Solomon Islands Are Formally Registered With The Government Despite Legal Provisions Children Experience Violence Exploitation Abuse And Neglect Including In Homes Schools And Communities 72 Per Cent Of Parents Reported Having Used Violent Or Physical Discipline Against Children In Their Households Investments In Young Children Are Necessary If Solomon Islands Is To Secure Inclusive And Sustainable National Development Ecd Investments Pave The Way For Healthier And More Productive Populations With Potential Returns That Far Exceed Costs High Quality Programmes In The Early Years Have Cumulative Effects On Later Academic Achievement Health And Adult Productivity Inadequate Nutrition Stress And Diminished Learning Environments Undermine The Optimal Development Of The Growing Brain With Lifelong Repercussions At The Broader Level Studies Show That Investments In Young Children Yield Dividends Through A Stronger Workforce Better Health And Lower Crime Rates Empirical Studies Also Demonstrate That Ecd Interventions Are Most Effective When They Take A Multi Sectoral Coordinated Approach Experts Underscore The Importance Of Nurturing Care In The Early Years Encompassing Health Nutrition Responsive Caregiving Security And Safety And Early Learning As A Vital Ingredient For High Quality Ecd Services Given All These Ecd Has Been Made A Priority In The Sustainable Development Goals Sdg With Sdg Target 4 2 Demanding From Nations Like Solomon Islands That By 2030 All Girls And Boys Have Access To Quality Early Childhood Development Care And Pre Primary Education So That They Are Ready For Primary Education Ecd Is Also Contained In The Other Sdgs Target 2 2 For Nutrition Target 3 2 For Health And Target 16 2 For Protection And Peace Ecd Also Has Multiplier Effects Across All The Other Sdgs Contributing To Poverty Alleviation Gender Equality And The Reduction Of Inequality Unicef Is Supporting Solomon Islands In Strengthening Its Ecd System Including Improving Its Coordination Mechanism For Ecd This Springs In Part From The Mandate Given To Unicef At The 2017 Pacific Ecd Conference As Secretariat Of The Pacific Regional Council For Early Childhood Development Prc4ecd To Follow Up On The Implementation Of The Pasifika Call To Action On Ecd A Nine Point Action Agenda That Lays Out Critical National Efforts To Secure The Optimal Development Of Young Children The Pasifika Call To Action On Ecd Was Endorsed By All Pacific Island Countries Present At The Conference Including Solomon Islands Unicef Support To Solomon Islands Is Also Funded By The New Zealand Ministry Of Foreign Affairs And Trade Nz Mfat As Part Of A Region Wide Project Called Building Better Brains The Solomon Islands Has A Multi Sectoral Strategy For Children Although Coordination And Implementation Across Sectors Is Informal And Limited An Integrated Multi Sectoral Approach On Children Is Explicit In The National Childrens Policy And The National Plan Of Action In Addition There Is A Multi Sectoral Task Force Called The National Advisory And Action Committee On Children Naacc Established By The Government In 1995 To Monitor And Advocate For Childrens Rights Naacc Serves As The Institutional Anchor For Children And Is Comprised Of Various Ministries And Stakeholders The Ministry Of Women Youth Children And Family Affairs Mwyfa Is The Lead Ministry For Coordination And Maintains Regular Consultation With Other Government Ministries On Education And Health And Key Stakeholders However The Linkages And Coordination Among Sectors Are Not Clearly Or Properly Implemented On October 26 2018 The Solomon Islands Government With Support From Unicef Hosted The National Early Childhood Development Ecd Forum In Honiara Solomon Islands With The Theme Ecd Building Human Resource Capital Redirecting The Next 40 Years It Was A One Day High Level Gathering For Key Government Officials Development Partners And Stakeholders To Further Their Understanding Of And Commitment Towards High Quality Equitable And Inclusive Ecd In The Country There Was A Total Of 48 Participants From Across The Sectors Of Health Education Finance Child Protection And Provincial Government A First Gathering Of Its Kind In The Country Among Other Things The Ecd Forum Participants Agreed To Convene An Ecd Task Team With Nominated Representatives From The Ministry Of Education And Human Resource Development Mehrd Ministry Of Health And Medical Services Mhms Mwcyfa Ministry Of Agriculture Ministry Of Finance And Treasury Moft Ministry Of National Development Planning And Coordination Mndpc Ministry Of Agriculture And Ministry Of Provincial Government The Task Teams Goal Is To Produce Next Steps In An Organized Manner Including Submission Of A White Paper For Cabinet Initial Target Was By December 2018 Although This Was Not Met Unicef Offered To Provide The Secretariat Role For The Team The White Paper Was To Include A Mapping And Review Of Existing Governance Structures For Ecd Including Functions Delivery Mechanisms And Legislative Frameworks Including A Review Of The National Advisory Committee On Children Naacc And To Evaluate Possible Models Of Coordination Of Note Are The Remarks Of Dr Jimmie Rodgers Permanent Secretary Of The Office Of The Prime Minister That Careful Consideration Should Be Extended In Setting Up Coordination Mechanisms As There Are Already Several Mechanisms For Coordination In Government And Vertical Structures Should Not Undermine The Effectiveness Of The Whole In Addition Unicef Is Supporting Guadalcanal Province With A Comprehensive Ecd Programme Guadalcanal Is One Of Solomon Islands Nine Provinces Located In The Southeast Part Of The Country Ecd Outcomes In Guadalcanal Show Many Young Children Deprived Of Their Rights To Optimal Development The Province Has The Highest Rates Of Stunting In The Country With 36 Per Cent Of Children Stunted The Province Also Has One Of The Lowest Pre Primary Enrolment Rates Only One Parent In 62 Per Cent Of Households Is Engaged In Early Learning Activities Many Children Are Exposed To And Affected By Domestic Violence And Only About One Fourth Of Children Under The Age Of Five Have A Birth Certificate The Only Official Documentation To Prove Their Legal Existence And Access To Services Moreover Guadalcanal Province Accounts For The Biggest Share Of Persons Living In Poverty In Solomon Islands Considering Absolute Numbers Given That It Has Higher Poverty Risk As Well As Larger Population Size The Main Objective Of The Unicef Supported Project Is To Strengthen The Sub National Ecd System Of Guadalcanal Province To Deliver Quality Services That Support The Holistic Development Of Young Children Aged 0 5 And Their Parents This Includes Establishing And Strengthening A Provincial Coordination Mechanism For Ecd Through The Guadalcanal Provincial Authority Training Frontline Ecd Workers And Empowering Parents Caregivers And Community Actors To Provide Holistic Care For Their Young Children And To Demand High Quality Ecd Services How Can You Make A Difference To Develop A Report 30 50 Pages On Ecd Coordination In Solomon Islands This Should Include A High Level Mapping Of The Existing Governance Structures For Multi Sectoral Ecd Including Functions Delivery Mechanisms And Legislative Frameworks To Review New And Existing Models Of Coordination For Government Including Links Between National And Sub National Coordination And Then To Propose Next Steps For Solomon Islands Government The Report Should Have A Detailed Segment On Sub National Coordination In Guadalcanal Province National Level Coordination Provides The Mandate For Inter Sectoral Coordination Through Policies And Regulations The Sub National Level Operationalizes The Coordination Or Integration Of Service Delivery All The Way To The Communities And Childrens Homes There Should Be Clear Linkages Between Both Meanwhile Recognizing That The Contexts May Differ With Priorities Institutional Arrangements And Financing Modalities While The Report Is An Extensive Documentation Of The Findings Highlights Of This Report Should Be Developed Into A Draft White Paper For Submission To Solomon Islands Cabinet As Per The Mandate In The 2018 National Ecd Forum Objectives The Consultancy Supports The Goal Of Improved Strategic Governance Coordination Management And Service Delivery Of Ecd In Solomon Islands To Qualify As An Advocate For Every Child You Will Have Advance University Degree In Social Policy Politics Development Studies Or A Relevant Field In Early Childhood Development At Least 5 Years Of Experience In

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