Freelancer

Early Childhood Development Consultant

Vacancy Notice: ECDC_01_GR/25_12

Location: Home-based with regular meetings at the UNICEF Greece Country Office

Type of contract: ICMC (Consultant II)

Starting date: 25 April 2025

Closing date for applications: 13 April 2025

Contract duration: until end of the year

About ICMC

 The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is an international non-governmental organization, whose mission is to protect and serve children as well as uprooted people, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, victims of human trafficking, and migrants - regardless of faith, race, ethnicity, or nationality.          

ICMC started a partnership with UNICEF in Greece in order to deploy a highly qualified affiliated workforce to assist UNICEF Greece Country Office. 

Scope of work

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programme, 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 fulfil 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.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country as a full-fledged Country Office. The office falls under the auspices of the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 22 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of a mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are now working to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

In the context of the Country Programme for Greece (2022-2026) approved by the UNICEF Executive Board in February 2022, UNICEF and the Government of Greece have agreed on national targets for children, concerning health, education, social protection, child protection, justice and youth employability.

Recognizing the immediate need to support young children and their parents, the Ministry of Health and the UNICEF Greece Country Office have launched ‘Promoting of Child and Family Health through the Paediatric Framework” as a key pillar of the ‘National Action for the Promotion of Family and Child Health in Greece 2023 – 2025’.  Key early childhood development (ECD) activities under this pillar include the creation of a toolkit for paediatricians to facilitate the early detection of developmental disorders in children. These efforts encompass the collection and adaptation of screening tools, preparation of usage guides, mapping of existing relevant health services, and the development of a digital application to support early detection and referrals. A Help Desk for paediatricians is also planned to ensure effective implementation.

Under the guidance of the UNICEF Programme team, the incumbent will provide support with ECD-focused activities, enhancing paediatric capacity to address the developmental and mental health needs of young children and their families.

Responsibilities

The Consultant will be assigned contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following duties:

• Assist the UNICEF Programme team in overseeing and guiding UNICEF Implementing Partners (IP) in the design, piloting, and quality assurance of early childhood development (ECD) materials and activities, including toolkits for paediatricians aimed at early detection of developmental delays and mental health challenges in young children.
• Collaborate with UNICEF IPs to ensure that the screening tools, usage guides, and digital application for early detection are scientifically sound, user-friendly, and tailored to the needs of paediatricians and families.
• Support the mapping of existing relevant health services and the development of efficient referral mechanisms to link children and families with appropriate services.
• Liaise with the Ministry of Health, the national health system, and academic partners to ensure alignment of ECD activities with national health policies and protocols.
• Contribute to the organization and delivery of training workshops and seminars to strengthen the capacity of paediatricians in developmental monitoring, mental health assessment, and family-centered care.
• Assist in the setup and operation of a Help Desk for paediatricians to provide guidance and ensure the effective implementation of screening tools and referral processes.
• Develop concept notes, proposals, presentations, and reports related to the implementation and progress of ECD-focused activities.
• Analyze programme-related issues and policies from an ECD and children's rights perspective, providing insights to strengthen programme outcomes.
• Support communication efforts to promote the goals of the ECD programme and foster partnerships with internal and external counterparts, including other UN agencies, national stakeholders, and health professionals.

Objectives

• To contribute to the overseeing and guiding UNICEF Implementing Partners (IP) and ensure that early childhood development (ECD) related materials are user-friendly and adapted to the needs of the family.
• To assist in the quality assurance of the ECD material produced and the organisation and delivery of workshops.
• To support the liaison with the Ministry, academic institutions and the public health sector, support in the development of concept notes, proposals and presentations as well as foster partnerships.
• To safeguard that progamme-related activities align with ECD and a children’s rights perspective.  

Μajor tasks to be accomplished

• Review the screening tools, usage guides, and digital application for early detection to ensure that they are tailored to the needs of the family.
• Contribute to the mapping of existing relevant health services and the development of efficient referral mechanisms to link children and families with appropriate services.
• Support the liaison with National Authorities, academic partners and the national health system.
• Support the workshops and seminars to strengthen the capacity of paediatricians.
• Contribute to the setup and operation of a Help Desk for paediatricians.
• Promote the goals of the ECD programme and foster partnerships.  

Requirements

1. Education

• Early Childhood Development, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Pediatric Health, Public Health, Child Psychology, Mental Health, Psychology or a related field, with a focus on early detection, developmental disorders, and family-centered care.

2. Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional work experience in programme or project management, particularly in ECD, pediatric health, or child development contexts.
• Experience in developing and implementing tools or curricula for early detection of developmental delays and/or family-centered care approaches is highly desirable.
• Experience in training and capacity building of professionals, particularly pediatricians, is an asset.
• Experience in working with digital applications or tools for health services is an asset.
• Familiarity with multi-sectoral collaboration and working with government health systems and policies is an asset.

3. Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Greek is required.

4. A) Technical Evaluation (75 Points)

• Education Credentials (35 points)
• Relevant Work Experience (40 points)

B) Financial Proposal (25 Points)

Selected candidates will also undergo a final interview before the selection outcome.  

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit a detailed CV of maximum four pages in English, a motivation letter and two professional references with full and up to date contact details via email, to:

Mr. Akis Papakonstantinou, ICMC HR Officer.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 13/04/2025.

The Vacancy Notice number ECDC_01_GR/25_12 and the applicant’s full name must be quoted in the email subject line.

Applications will be evaluated upon reception.

Data Protection

By submitting an application, you agree that ICMC collects and manages the information that you provide. You also agree that your data may be shared with UNICEF. Your personal information will be used for recruitment purposes only. Your application will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Owing to the volume of applications, ICMC regrets that only applicants short-listed for an interview will be notified.

ICMC is committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants. ICMC does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, national origin, religion, physical or mental ability, marital status and age. Applications will be treated with strict confidentiality.

ICMC is committed to a Zero-Tolerance Policy toward sexual exploitation, abuses and all forms of unlawful harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. Screening of applications includes the vetting for records of prior misconduct and reference checking. By submitting your application, you declare your consent for your former employer to disclose any details concerning criminal convictions or misconduct. ICMC can take other necessary measures to ensure that people involved in substantiated cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment are not recruited.