UNICEF in is seeking qualified consultants for the following assignment:

Early Childhood Intervention – National Consultants Ref. Number: VN 56 – 523993

Despite improvements in provision of support to young children at risk of developmental delays and with disabilities and their families during the past decade in Serbia, there is a need for a further investment to improve the capacities of system services to provide early developmental screening, identification, referrals, assessment, early intervention and support to all young children and their families in need of that support. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is a system of professional services for young children with special needs from birth to three or five years of age aimed to support children with developmental delays, fragile birth status, disabilities, malnutrition, chronic illnesses and atypical behaviours or other environmental or biological risks. These services are perceived as extremely important for children with developmental risk factors and early childhood onset of disabilities.

Work Assignment Overview: The main goal for the engagement of the ECI national consultants is to provide different kinds of support in capacity building of professionals from three systems (health, education and social welfare) in selected sites to carry out components and principles of family-centred routine based ECI within national child environments (home and pre-schools) and within Developmental Counselling Units as main relevant institution for ECI. Support should be provided through refreshment of knowledge, guiding & coaching practitioners through reflective supervision of the implementation. Supervision should include individual, as needed, and group online consultations, reviewing experiences related to local specificities, occasional meetings with professionals as well as field visits with and without international consultant and support for direct observations and training, including detailed feedbacks and suggestions for improvements.

Each of the three National ECI Consultants will be responsible for 2 or 3 sites and approximately 20 trainees. The decisions on the locations will be made according to the capacities of relevant localities and location of the potential supervisors in relation to the implementation sites (, Kragujevac, Nis, and municipalities Rakovica, Novi Beograd and Cukarica).

Duration of the assignment: up to 40 work days per consultant in the period from Aug 2019 to July 2020.

Detailed task description: Task 1: • Provide technical support and formative feedback to trainees to conduct routines-based interviews. • Develop IFSP with functional goals (long and short-term). • Upon new training, implement AEPS and supportive strategies for children in accordance with the detailed instructions and guidelines developed and/or agreed upon with the international consultant at relevant sites to the newly trained professionals. • Prepare and organize separate on-line refresher debrief sessions with each group of trainees in collaboration with the international consultant. • Organize field visits to monitor and provide quality assurance of the professional practices for newly trained professionals at relevant sites. Task 2: • Prepare and provide on-line training/sensitization to the selected group of professionals for the implementation of functional assessment (AEPS) and provision of different support strategies in the family, pre-school institutions and DCUs. The translation of working documents (English and Serbian) will be done.

• Prepare and provide case conferencing and other forms of exchange between the trainees.

Task 3: • Co-facilitate the training session implemented by the international consultant with selected professionals from selected sites. • Perform field visits with the international consultant observing implementation of ECI.

Task 4: • When requested by the supervisor, provide additional technical assistance for finalisation and regular update of the ECI Model, on ECI procedures, as well as other related processes and documentation (including for knowledge hub, M&E) implemented as part of the ECI in Serbia and in facilitating working groups of the National ECI Advisory Board.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required: • University degree in social sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Pedagogy/Special Education or similar). Advanced degree and university affiliation will be an asset. • Minimum 5 years of experience related to work with children with developmental delays and disorders and their families. • Experience in supervision and teaching. • Familiarity with the ECI and RBI intervention and current practices existing in Serbia both within health and education sector, as well as knowledge of the educational inclusion process in Serbia. • Ability to establish and use communication platforms and teach/supervise professionals how to use them. • Excellent command of Serbian and English languages, both written and oral. • Excellent writing and communication skills. • Highly organized with ability to work quickly and efficiently as part of a team. • Ability to meet deadlines. • Driving licence.

How to apply: Qualified candidates are requested to submit their application through: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=523993

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing the following information: a) Daily rate (all costs to be included e.g. health insurance, pension, usage of mobile phone), b) Daily travel allowance for overnight stay in Serbia (including accommodation), c) Transportation costs per km.

The closing date for applications is 30th July 2019.

Important note: Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities to apply.