Technical facilitation of the process for development of national multisectorial Early Childhood Development (ECD) program (Guideline, Implementation plan, costing and financing , M & EL)

1. Background, Problem Statements, and Justification

The Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC-Principal Department of Community Development) is developing the first National Multisectoral ECD (Early Childhood Development) Programme. The process of developing National ECD Programme will be participatory with lead involvement of the National ECD Task Force, and targeted participation of Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and a range of Non-State Actors which are involved in ECD in Tanzania. In view of this, UNICEF on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children invites consultancy firms to facilitate the process of developing the National Multisectoral ECD Programme.

The development of the National Multisectoral ECD Programme is a result of a long participatory process which will involve stakeholders from the key ECD Ministries and Agencies as well as Non-State Actors. The process of developing National Multisectoral ECD Programme is a culmination of extended multisectoral dialogue catalyzed by an ECD Situational Analysis conducted by Children in Crossfire in 2017. The situation analysis pointed to the Multisectoral ECD coordination gap in the country. One universal feedback from stakeholders was the general lack of ECD multisectoral dialogue, contrary to the historical vibrancy of ECD dialogue structures and processes that Tanzania championed regionally. ECD stakeholders across government, development partners and CSOs also noted that the lack of ECD multisectoral dialogue had coincided with the decline of the Tanzania ECD Network (TECDEN).

Recognizing the gap, a strong appetite across all stakeholders to bring the stakeholders’ field together again and catalyze once more coordinated ECD advocacy at the national level was revealed. Meanwhile stakeholders noted the vibrant dialogues in specific ECD sub sectors such as nutrition, protection, and education that could be used to inform the formulation of an ECD multisectoral dialogue process. Furthermore, there were strong case studies of multisectoral coordination across specific ECD domains, including for example, nutrition (NMNAP, National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan), violence against children (NPA-VAWC, National Plan of Action to end Violence against Women and Children) that could be utilized in recommending structures for ECD multisectoral dialogue process.

Furthermore, this initiative is timely with the introduction of the Nurturing Care Framework (WHO 2018) which emphasizes on multisectoral intervention to support the holistic development of the child. Launched globally during the World Health Assembly in May 2018, the Nurturing Care Framework was presented at the African regional ECD meeting in Nairobi in October 2018, with African nations tasked to roll-out the Nurturing Care Framework at country-level.

In this context, ECD stakeholders, with the leadership of MOHCDGEC-Principal Department of Community Development, conducted a National Multisectoral ECD Stakeholders Forum in December 2018 to discuss and plan for a future, well-coordinated programme. During the forum, a leading recommendation was to have and inclusive and a well-articulated gender responsive National Multisectoral ECD Programme. In order to achieve this, the National Multisectoral ECD Task Force was formed under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Health with co-chair support from TECDEN to facilitate the process of development of the National Multisectoral ECD Program.

1. Purpose of assignment

The overall purpose of this assignment is to lead the participatory process of developing the National Multisectoral ECD Programme. Institutional Consultancy (Lead Facilitation Team) will work closely with the National Multisectoral ECD Task Force.

1. Objectives

The assignment will include the following objectives:

1.      Conduct a Situation Analysis of ECD interventions in the country.

2.      Facilitate the process of developing National Multisectoral ECD Programme Guideline

3.      Develop the National Multisectoral ECD M&EL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) Plan.

4.      Facilitate the development of the institutional arrangement and coordination framework and the dissemination plan for National Multisectoral ECD Programme Implementation Plan.

5.      Facilitate the process of developing programme costing and financing modalities for National Multisectoral ECD Programme.

1. Approach

The Lead Facilitation Team will liaise with UNICEF ECD task force with close collaboration with  Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC), National Multisectoral ECD Task Force and Secretariat throughout the process of developing the National Multisectoral ECD Programme. The Lead Facilitation Team should utilize gender responsive approaches; ensure all aspects of inclusiveness; and consider children infected and affected by HIV. Additionally, the Lead Facilitation Team will develop strong liaison with the lead officials designated across respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies for organizing and facilitating the technical workshops in developing National Multisectoral ECD Programme. The Lead Facilitator will report to the Chief of Health-UNICEF who will work with Director of Child Development Department within the Ministry to sign off the deriverables. For all the derivables under this assignment both MOHCDGEC and UNICEF will need to sign off.

1. Key function, accountability and related duties/tasks

5.1                Situation Analysis

This task will involve undertaking desk review for existing policies, plans, strategies, guidelines, interventions, tools and mapping of ECD stakeholders. Other tasks include to design a study based on the gaps identified during desk review, tools for data collection, and conduct field work for data collection, using approaches that are friendly to both men and women.  This will be followed up by data analysis, presentation of draft report to the National ECD Task Force, presentation of SITAN report to key stakeholders, and submission of the report to the MoHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.2                Programme Design

Facilitate the Task Force in developing of draft National Multisectoral ECD Programme design template and identify interventions by domain.  Facilitate stakeholders’ lab as per thematic area based on nurturing care framework (health, nutrition, responsive care, early learning, child protection and social protection and WASH) to input into the draft programme design document. Present programme design to key stakeholders for inputs and submission of the report to the MoHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.3          M&EL Plan

Engage M&EL Specialist to develop M&EL framework, present M&EL plan to Task Force and key stakeholders for inputs and submission of the report to the MOHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.4          Institutional Arrangements/Coordination

Identify Institutional roles and responsibilities for each intervention, coordination guidelines, linkages around interventions and present Institutional Arrangement and Coordination plan to key stakeholders for inputs and submission of the framework to the MoHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.5          Dissemination Plan

Facilitate development of dissemination/communication plan including launch and post-launch activities, present dissemination plan to Task Force for inputs and submission of the plan to the MoHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.6          Costing and Financing Modality

Engage Finance Specialist to develop framework, develop annualized operational/work plan and detailed cost of the entire plan, phasing of activities and resource mobilization plan. Present detailed cost of the entire plan to Task Force for inputs and submission to the MOHCDGEC and UNICEF for approval.

5.7          Programme document consolidation

Consolidate Programme document (programme design, M&EL, institutional and coordination arrangement, dissemination and costing plans).

5.8          Validate draft report and finalize

Present draft Programme document to Task Force and incorporate inputs, present updated Programme document to Secretariat, present refined programme document to key stakeholders across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and Non-State Actors. Submission of National Multisectoral ECD Programme Document to the Management of the MOHCDGEC and UNICEF for endorsement and approval.

Note: Further information is available in the solicitation document.