UNICEF Skopje Terms of Reference Situation Analysis of Children in North Macedonia 2019 - PageUp
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UNICEF Skopje
Terms of Reference
Situation Analysis of Children in North Macedonia 2019
International and National consultancy
(Note – this consultancy will be a combined national and international consultancy to maximise
the use of international expertise in UNICEF SITAN development while facilitating the wider
capture of young people’s opinions and voices wit the support of a local expert)
1. Rationale
In the process of developing a new country programme of cooperation, 2021-2025, UNICEF wants to
reconsider the current and changing context for children’s rights and well-being in the country, as a
precursor for effective planning. This analysis is intended to examine the progress, challenges and
opportunities in the achievements of children’s rights and well-being, and barriers that prevent their
fulfilment, developing a picture of where children in the country have been, where they are going, and
how UNICEF and partners can make that story better.
2. Background and context
Well beyond its recent change of name, North Macedonia is in a moment of transformation and
opportunity. On the cusp of EU accession talks, and with significant recent momentum and action for
child development, there is an unprecedented opportunity to seek commitment for further action and
change in the 2021-2025 Programme of Co-operation. Nevertheless, significant gaps in the equitable
achievement of child rights remain, which unaddressed could jeopardise further sustainable
development.
In 2018, after three years of political deadlock, North Macedonia finally overcame its most severe
political crisis of recent years. A new, reform-oriented government began steps to lead fundamental
changes towards a more inclusive and open political atmosphere. Throughout 2018, the government
has shown commitment to increase trust among communities. Resolution of the name issue – which
has been inflicting political and economic damage since 1991 – is now allowing consolidation of the
country’s European Union (EU) and NATO accession process and enable it to become more deeply
integrated with regional and global markets.
Despite a limited decline in poverty rates during the last ten years and improvements in living
conditions of the less well-off, poverty and inequality are still high. According to official statistics, the
latest reported relative child poverty rate is 29.9 percent (Survey on Income and Living Conditions,
SILC 2017). The State Statistical Office (SSO) reports a Gini coefficient of 32.5 percent, implying high
inequality in wealth distribution. Ethnic minorities account for 67 percent of all households in the
bottom income quintile. Only 50 percent of working-age Macedonians are employed. Youth
unemployment is a serious constraint to growth with over half of the population aged 15 to 24 jobless.
Although there has been progress towards a more equitable coverage of services, inequities persist.
Roma children and their families continue to suffer from significant stigma and discrimination. Young
Roma women aged 15-19 are five times more likely to be married or in union. Access to basic health
services remains difficult and gaps persist in pre-school and school enrolment and completion rates
between Roma and non-Roma children.
Intensive national dialogue has produced a positive shift in societal attitudes towards inclusion of
children with disabilities. Nevertheless, children with disabilities remain some of the most vulnerable
members of society, with limited access to quality social services such as education, health and
1protection. The process of de-institutionalisation of persons with disabilities has been reinvigorated
and the government established a National Coordination Body for the Implementation of the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The National De-Institutionalisation Strategy
2018-2027 was adopted, and the government pledged to end institutional placement of all children
by 2020.
Violence continues to be widely-used and accepted as a discipline method. A 2017 UNICEF survey
showed that a large majority (79 percent) of parents reported using at least one violent method (i.e.
psychological aggression; minor or severe physical punishment). Violence in schools is not sufficiently
monitored and is underreported. Although data is scarce, it is believed that as many as 40 percent of
boys and 15 percent of girls were involved in violent confrontations with their peers. Children on the
street and children cared for in an institution are at even greater risk of violence.
Over the last decade, the country experienced a fluctuating neonatal mortality rate, which reached its
peak in 2016 with 11.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. There are higher neonatal mortality rates among
the Roma population (17.4 compared to the national average of 10.2 per 2013 data), often associated
with unemployment, low income, precarious living conditions and weak health seeking behaviour and
access to health services. The percentage of immunization against infectious childhood diseases is
high, however, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage shows downwards trend,
from 97.8 percent in 2008 to 82.6 percent coverage in 2017, with most of the unvaccinated children
(41.2 percent) coming from Skopje.
The pre-primary education gross enrolment rate (29 percent) is still below the regional average.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, 35 percent of children 3 to 6 years are enrolled
in pre-primary education, though there is strong commitment to see this increase. The State Statistics
Office reported that out of all children enrolled in 2016, only 2.6 percent were Roma and 0.5 percent
were children with disabilities.
Against this backdrop, UNICEF wants to develop a more robust review of the situation of children,
looking not only at trends of current child development but at future possibilities, and at the barriers
which may stand in the way of their achievement.
3. Purpose of assignment
The purpose of the consultancy is to provide an objective and verifiable analysis of the situation of
the rights of children in North Macedonia which will be used by UNICEF and partners to address both
barriers and opportunities for children to fully enjoy their rights. This will support evidence-based
programming decisions in the planning of the 2021 – 2025 Programme of Cooperation.
The last comprehensive disaggregated data on the overall situation and well-being of children in the
country was gathered in 2011 through a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. While some national
level data on child rights is available, new disaggregated data will not be available until the third
quarter of 2019, when data from a new MICS, currently underway, will be completed. Though this is
too late to be of use in this time bound process of analysis, there are nevertheless key qualitative
and quantitative inputs which can form the basis for strong analysis of the situation of children,
barriers to fulfilment of children’s rights and opportunities for accelerated action, policy dialogue
and advocacy to advance the realisation of children’s rights.
Building upon this, the 2019 Situation Analysis (SITAN) will have a focus on leveraging information in
areas of current knowledge gap, through data and qualitative analysis and stakeholder consultation,
with the aim of shaping new strategies for the accelerated achievement of children’s rights in the
2021-2025 period and beyond. Key aspects of the study should include:
2• A multi-sectoral analysis of the status and trends in the realisation of children’s rights,
pulling together key sources of child related information across the education, health and
social protection sectors, and emerging areas such as adolescent development. This will
include changes in knowledge about the situation of children, and recommendations from
recent research.
• A review of Government and partner priorities and of projected changes in the national
development and partnerships environment, and a light mapping of where gaps in the
achievement of necessary results may lie.
• A thorough analysis of the immediate, underlying and structural causes of shortfalls and
disparities in child rights achievement and the barriers that prevent children, especially the
most disadvantaged, from enjoying their rights and reaching their full potential.
• Discussion with stakeholders on key areas of analysis including (i) the status, equity gaps and
trends in the realization of children’s rights, (ii) causes of shortfalls and disparities across
various groups of children, (iii) country capacities and gaps, as well as (iv) policy and
programmatic recommendations to accelerate progress towards development goals and the
fulfilment of child rights.
• Assessment of potential risks (using elements of the UNICEF GRIP methodology) and their
impact on the vulnerability of children and their families, especially the most disadvantaged,
including on the capacities and coping mechanisms of families, communities, local and
national institutions to mitigate these risks and deal with such shocks.
• Determination of accelerators for the achievement of critical child-related SDG targets, with
policy and programmatic recommendations to address the shortfalls and disparities and
accelerate progress towards achievement of SDGs and of human rights commitments
• A participatory process to gather and analysis the opinions of young people themselves,
ensuring that their voice is heard in the development of the SITAN story.
• Analysis of new potential partnerships, including private sector and other actors emerging as
potential players for child rights in the Macedonian context.
3Key questions to be considered during the analysis:
Country overview
• How does the broader country context contribute to child rights and well-being? What specific factors
have contributed to this?
• What factors prevent their realization and/or exacerbate inequities?
Child rights and well-being: Causes, challenges and risks
• What are the main child rights violations in the country?
• What are the top risks that prevent the realization of child rights and impede their well-being?
• What are the key factors that drive inequities in the realization of child rights and well-being?
• Are there demand-side factors (culture, norm, etc.) that prevent children and their families from the
full realisation of their rights?
• Has progress been unequal? How large or deep are the deprivations faced by marginalized groups,
such as girls and women, those living in poverty, children with disabilities, and refugee children among
others? Who is being left behind? Why?
Who is taking action to address these issues
• Who are the key actors from the public sector and/or private sector addressing the issues of
protection and realization of children’s rights? Who might be new allies for the promotion of
children’s rights in the country?
• Who are the key actors from the civil society addressing the issues of protection and realization of
children’s rights?
• What do children and young people themselves think about the situation of their rights, and the
possibilities for their future?
Innovations to make a difference
• What else is needed to achieve significant and lasting results for children?
4. Approach and Scope
Figure 1: From UNICEF Core Guidance:
New Generation Situation Analysis 2018
As far as possible, the SITAN should be developed as a rolling document, adaptable to new data and
developments in the coming months (for example, the MICS data which will be available only in
September/October of 2019). The methodology for data collection and analysis and the process of
documentation should enable the periodic update of the situation analysis, including the setting up
of a process for sourcing and updating a basic set of relevant and appropriate indicators.
4While the SITAN will necessarily be constrained by time and data availability, optimally, the
consultants should attempt to consider the following areas:
a. National ownership through stakeholder consultation: The involvement of national
stakeholders including government counterparts, non-governmental organisations, UN sister
agencies, private sector and children and adolescents themselves in the SITAN process will be
critical to its success. Stakeholder consultations should be part of the data gathering and
validation processes.
b. Participation of Adolescents and youth A particular focus of UNICEF’s mandate and work is to
encourage involvement and participation of adolescents and youth in its programming and
planning. The development of a situation analysis is an ideal opportunity to do this, gathering
opinions and perspectives of young people on the current situation of children in the country,
and on the possibilities for their better well-being in the future.
c. Political economy and governance: the context in which power and resources are distributed
in the country, including the governance structure and the degree and type of
decentralization, and how these impact child rights and well-being.
d. Drivers of inequities: assessing the main drivers of inequities that affect children’s rights and
well-being in the country, identifying where the largest inequities lie, and what causes these
disparities. These should include assessment of economic and social factors, laws, norms,
geography, climate change, unplanned urbanization, gender, ethnicity and disabilities.
e. Focus on opportunities: for accelerated action building on the existing situation, trends and
commitments, and a frank assessment of areas where past interventions have not been
successful, and new approaches should be considered.
5. Methodology and Process
The CO intends to hire two consultants for the SITAN assignment - an international lead consultant
with robust experience with UNICEF SITANs in other country offices, and a local consultant who
understands the context, and can coordinate and facilitate capture of local stakeholder opinions and
inputs, with a particular focus on the opinions and voices of adolescents and youth. While the two
consultants will be identified and contracted separately, they will be expected to collaborate in the
process and final products of the SITAN, ensuring consistency and complementarity across SITAN
deliverables.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative, the selected consultants will:
• Review secondary data and close the identified gaps regarding information on children’s
situation in North Macedonia in relation to their rights to protection, education, health,
nutrition, inclusion and participation;
• Meet with/interview stakeholders in country to understand the context as well as the on-
going gaps and progress towards child rights from multiple perspectives, including a light
assessment of possible actors who can be partners for child rights and development in the
future.
• Develop a preliminary analysis outlining the key highlights of the situation of children’s rights
in the country, offering recommendations for policy and action.
• Develop a complementary analysis of the opinions of children and adolescents themselves
on their own situation and possibilities for improved rights of children in the future.
• Present a version of this analysis in a workshop for discussion among key stakeholders.
The suggested consultancies will be completed from May through August 2019. The distribution of
days by tasks is suggested below.
5International consultant National consultant Joint Deliverables
Tasks Approx. Days Tasks Approx. Days (Upon submission and acceptance by UNICEF)
Preparatory work: Initial desk-review of existing data, 5 days Preparatory work: Initial desk-review of 5 days A draft inception report with
documents and strategic analysis documents related to (home- existing data, documents and strategic (home- detailed research design and
the assignment and development of draft inception based) analysis documents related to the based) protocols, and complementary
report, online discussions with UNICEF team assignment and development of draft workplans for both consultants
inception report, online discussions with
UNICEF team
First in-country visit: 10 days (in- Coordination of inception report and 10 days Final inception report and draft
- to finalize the inception report and reach a final country) responsibilities with international framework for research.
agreement on the scope and structure of the SITAN consultant and development of joint
- to hold in-depth interviews with key informants of workplan
UNICEF and partners and stakeholders Organization of preliminary stakeholder
consultations
Development of a brief ‘new stakeholder’
analysis, identifying key emerging
partners for UNICEF in our work with
children.
Consolidation: Development of report and 15 days Coordination of youth consultations, 15 working First draft SITAN report(s) with
recommendations –Consolidated analysis of the (home- soliciting the opinion and voice of days supporting evidence and background
relevant data in a short (20 page) synthesis report, based) adolescents and young people on issues and supporting files
outlining key areas of challenge for child development of current and future concern
in the country, and possible areas of priority action for Preparation of a stand alone report to
UNICEF in the coming years. accompany SITAN document on the
voices of youth in North Macedonia on
the situation and well-being of children
Feedback and validation: second in-country visit 5 days (in- Support to consolidation of findings and 5 days Draft PowerPoint presentation and
focused on presentation and final validation of findings country) workshop leadership of an in-country
in meetings/a workshop with UNICEF and partners validation workshop on findings.
Finalizing and editing of the final report 3 days Final formatted report, with all the
(home- background files and datasets, as
based) applicable
6Total 38 days Total 35 days
76. Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:
International consultant National consultant
• Recognized researcher with proven • University degree in the social sciences or
experience in public policy, public related field;
administration, policy analysis, public • Background in research, with a particular
finance, child rights, development agenda focus on qualitative data gathering through
with upstream policy focus stakeholder groups/analysis;
• Advanced university degree in the social • Effective communication, interpersonal
sciences or related field; skills and sensitivity to diverse cultural
• At least 8 years of relevant professional contexts and situations;
experience on child rights related issues, • Planning, organizational and monitoring
particularly writing reports and conducting skills;
program evaluations; • Experience in conducting focus
• Proven experience with conducting rights- groups/discussion groups with young
based and equity-focused analyses of the people and/or experience working with
situation of children and women and young people in a participatory way.
experience in writing analytical papers on • Ability to understand discussion and read
children and women's issues; and analyse documentation in the local
• Strong analytical skills with experience in language of the duty station
quantitative and qualitative data analysis • Excellent verbal and writing skills in English
• Effective communication, interpersonal and Macedonian language.
skills and sensitivity to diverse cultural
contexts and situations;
• Planning, organizational and monitoring
skills;
• Previous experience with the UN in the
country or region will be considered an
asset.
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in
English.
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