Consultancy for Early Childhood Services Assessment in Tyre caza.

1. BACKGROUND

ASMAE-Association Soeur Emmanuelle (ASMAE) ASMAE is a French international NGO and registered charity, specialised in the education and protection of vulnerable children. Independent, secular and apolitical, it is open to all. Founded in 1980 by Sister Emmanuelle, based on her experience with rag pickers in the slums of Cairo, ASMAE continues its actions in line with the values and methods inherited from its founder: listening and proximity, pragmatism, taking account of differences, professionalism and reciprocity. ASMAEs actions aims to support vulnerable children and their families through personalised and continuing support for local actors working in the fields of education and child protection.

 

Imam Sadr Foundation (ISF) strives towards a modern society that embraces social justice and addresses illiteracy, poverty, illness & violence. Based on the mission and values of ISF and its pioneer history in the service of man, adequate governance, adoption of systematic strategic planning, and sustainable compatible with the culture and needs of the community, and taking into consideration the latest scientific and technological development. ISF is committed to being a leading educational institution for children upbringing and education in a safe and stimulating environment that ensures social and academic services and care of comprehensive and integrated real learning for all. ISF is dedicated to be a  typical institution in the field of empowering women culturally, medically, socially, and economically, which ensures effective leadership & responsible successful participation in social and economic life.

 

     Since its establishment in 1963, ISF is renowned as an education but also social protection institution. It began its work with a holistic care program (Beit Al Fatat) primarily targeting orphaned girls and vulnerable girls. Given the growing needs of these groups, the foundation responded by creating a set of complementary services, namely a nursery, a kindergarten, and a primary and middle school, in addition to various cultural, social, and recreational programs. ISF broadened the scope of welfare services to include the remaining household members through the at-home care program for girls.

 

 

1. Project Description

 

Project Location: Tyr Region

Country: Lebanon

Project Calendar:

Project duration: 36 months

Start Date: August 1^st, 2022

End Date: July 31^st, 2025

 

The overall objective is to improve access to inclusive, quality early childhood services for girls and boys aged 0-6 years in order to improve their overall development, in South Lebanon.

 

Specific Objectives:

1/ To promote the overall development of 1200 girls and boys (0-6 years) through quality early childhood services and improved parenting skills,

2/ To promote inclusive early childhood development and education services, including support for most-at-risk children,

3/ Strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration and Imam Sadr Foundation's organizational capacity for greater sustainability.

 

The project adopts a series of diverse yet coherent activities that include:

 

R1:

1.1: Identification of nurseries, KGs and CSOs working in ECD in South governorate focusing on Tyre and surrounding areas

1.2: Train  nurseries and KGs staff to provide quality ECD services and PSS services

1.3: Provision of material needed to improve the ECD services at Nurseries and KGs

1.4: Provision of quality ECD/ECE and PSS services for 1200 children in the nurseries and KGs

1.5 Monitoring the provision of ECD/ECE and PSS services

 

R2:

2.1 Create an oriented parenting skills training manual including the training modalities and plan

2.2 Provide a Training of Trainess (Tot)for social workers who are providing parenting skills for caregivers.

2.3 Provision of oriented parenting skills sessions for 1000 caregivers

2.4 Provision of PSS sessions for 1000 caregivers

2.5 Provision of Early Childhood kits for parents containing diapers and formula milk needed for their children

 

R3:

3.1 Train nurseries and KGs staff on inclusion (disability, gender and social inclusion)

3.2 Review of curricula (nurseries / KGs) to ensure they are inclusive

3.3 Provide necessary equipment for KGs when needed to welcome the children with special needs.

3.4 Implement of three awareness raising campaigns on inclusion targeting Nurseries, KGs, caregivers, stakeholders and community members.

 

 

R4

4.1 Initiate a referral mechanism between CSOs, Nurseries, KGs and ISF to refer children at risk for therapeutic intervention.

4.2 Trainstaff at ISF, nurseries and KGs on CP and referral

4.3 Provision of specialized therapeutic services for 120 children at risk by ISF

 

R5

5.1 Create and facilitate a Network forming from at least 20 members from nurseries, KGs and CSOs involved in the program as well as other key stakeholders

5.2 Form a steering committee from at least 5 members to manage the network

(Draft a ToR specifying the roles of the steering committee and network member, frequency of meetings, mechanism of work and collaboration)

5.3 Facilitation of regular meetings

5.4 Documentation of best practices, publication

 

R6:

6.1 Conduct of a full organizational capacity assessment for ISF

6.2: Participatory development of Imam El Sader Foundation’s organizational capacity-building plan

6.3: Implementation of the capacity-building plan

6.4: Evaluation of the progresses and results

 

 

 

1. OVERVIEW of the main objectives

The primary objective of this study is to have a clear assessment about the early childhood services provided in Tyre region, by identifying the services provider of such services (Nurseries, KGs and CSOs), assessing their conditions, qualities and needs. The assessment should lead to the identification  of 10 nurseries and pre-primary schools and 3 CSOs willing to get involved in the project. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Methodology

The following highlights the expectations from the study:

1. Mapping of the existing entities providing ECD services and Tyre caza (Nurseries, KGs, and CSOs).
2. General assessment of each identified entity, regarding space&equipement, staff skills, economic model, inclusiveness and quality of services delivered. The toll for assessment will be previously discussed with ISF&Asmae.
3. Provide additional detailed analysis in the study taking into consideration the inclusion aspect (are this entity well prepared to receive children with Disability…), required capacity development (technically and in-kind grants….), and of course the interest of entities to be involved in SPECIAL program.
4. Propose selection criteria to identify 10 nurseries, KGs and 3 CSOs.
5. Perception, challenges and opportunities in the geographic area in the ECD field.
6. Highlight how the challenges differ among different children, CwD, gender…
7. Assess the sustainability of the project.[ND1] 

Finally, the assignment will provide comprehensive recommendations, including recommendations to deal with different entities, providing the gaps in this ECD sector, highlighting the challenges and the barriers, at the same time providing solutions and recommendations for the proposed intervention.

 

 

1. Tasks and expected deliverables

 

Deliverable

Timeline

Kick-off meeting with ASMAE, ISF to establish understanding of the scope of the assignment

Aug 8

Inception report including detailed planned study

Aug 15 – Aug 18

Design of assessment methodology and tools for data collection

Aug 19 – Aug 21

Data collection including meetings with stakeholders through FGDs and KIIs and providing updates to ASMAE and ISF FPs

Aug 22 - Sept 10

Data analysis and draft preliminary report with recommendation

Sep 11 – Sep 18

Meeting / workshop to present recommendations and validation of inputs

Sep 19

Draft final report including with decent design including graphs, photographs and notes where needed

Sep 20 – Sep 24

Second version of final report after HQ revision

Sep 24 – Sep 26

Prepare summary report to be established among relevant stakeholders

Sep 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Qualifications

This is a freelance post for individuals or companies with the below minimum requirements:

• Hold a degree in education, business, Social sciences, ECD or any other related field;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience  in inclusion and local community development work;
• Minimum of 5 year experience in design research;
• Proven track record of successful work in similar field;
• Experience working with ECD programming;
• Professionalism in dealing with a wide range of possible stakeholders
• Understanding of cultural sensitivities in the area also in the refugee’s camps taking into consideration gender sensitivity;
• Fluency in Arabic and English language skills: Written skills - reporting writing;
• Adherence to deadlines.