National Individual Consultancy to support organization of Conference on home visiting and family support

For every child, the right to the best start to life.

Early childhood is a critical period shaping lifelong development, and early support can greatly improve the well-being of children and families. Home visiting, delivered by trained professionals, is a key part of early childhood systems, providing tailored guidance, health and learning support, and early detection of risks. By reaching families at home, it builds trust, reduces inequities, and ensures even the most vulnerable children receive timely help, making investment in quality home visiting essential for giving every child the best start in life. Montenegro has taken important strides in placing young children and families at the heart of national development. In October 2023, the Government of Montenegro adopted the National Strategy for Early Childhood Development (2023–2027), led by the Ministry of Health. The Strategy provides a clear framework for advancing services that support the health, development, and well-being of all children, with a strong focus on intersectoral cooperation.Central to this agenda is strengthening home visiting services and parenting support programmes as key platforms for reaching families early, equitably, and effectively. In order to further advance the ECD agenda in the country, the UNICEF Country Office in Montenegro is organizing with the Ministry of Health of Montenegro a conference on home visiting and family support.This two-day conference will bring together national and international experts, practitioners, and policymakers to share evidence, discuss promising models, and collectively identify ways to enhance support for parents and caregivers across Montenegro.The event will feature the presentation of findings from the Maturity Model Assessment conducted with UNICEF support, alongside discussions on reform options grounded in identified strengths and gaps. It will also provide a platform to explore inclusive approaches for supporting families of children who develop differently, including insights from the new Family Centered Early Intervention (PORI) model and strategies for its scale-up and integration into the broader system. Furthermore, the conference will showcase evidence-based parenting programmes, such as the Caring Families programme—adapted for marginalized families and caregivers of children with disabilities—and the Bebbo parenting app as an innovative digital tool designed to reach a wider population.Through expert presentations, stakeholder dialogue, and shared learning, the conference aims to foster a stronger, more coordinated response to the needs of young children and families in Montenegro, fully aligned with the vision and objectives of the national Early Childhood Development Strategy. It is expected that the Conference will take place in late October or early November depending on availability of key speakers. The Conference will be held in Podgorica at a venue to be defined.

How can you make a difference?

A national individual consultancy will provide technical and logistical support for the preparation, implementation and follow-up of the conference on home visiting and family support. Under the direct supervision of UNICEF ECD Officer, the consultant will be responsible for:

                                                                      Work Assignment Overview                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tasks/Milestone:                                               Deliverables/Outputs:                    Timeline                              

Dissemination of invitations

List of registered conference participants

Tentatively 3 weeks before the conference

Preparation of conference materials

Agenda, presentations, participants list, other relevant materials prepared

Tentatively 1 week before the conference

Support the preparation of communication materials

Communication materials for the conference prepared

Tentatively 1 week in total, before, during and after the conference

Preparation of written, audio visual and image documentation, including conference report, images, etc.

Conference report approved and accepted by UNICEF

Tentatively 2 weeks after the conference

Final consultancy Report (approved and accepted by UNICEF)

Final Report (approved and accepted by UNICEF)

30 November 2025

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Education:

Work Experience:

Language:

Fluency in Montenegrin and English is required.

Other:

The payments will be made upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of invoices as follows: 60% upon submission of conference materials and communication materials and 40% upon submission of final consultancy report. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.  

Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to complete the following online courses. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract.

Before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF, the Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete course on General Information Security Awareness Course. In addition to above, any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract:

Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office. All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below. The proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria

 A) Technical criteria: technical evaluation process/Max points:70 Interview-70% of total evaluation

Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation.

B) Financial criteria: evaluation of financial proposal/Max points:30

The applicants are requested to submit their financial proposal consisting of a professional fee for the services to be provided. Estimated travel costs should be included. Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) will, where applicable, be paid up to a maximum of the official UN rate. (Reimbursement of travel costs / accommodation expenses will be based on actual expenses). Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidatex30].

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.