Date: 28-02-2017

ISSA seeks Consultants to map the setting of young children in refugee camps in Greece/ DEADLINE EXTENDED

ISSA seeks to hire consultants to assist the Secretariat by informing the process of developing Early Childhood Development programs in refugee camps in Greece; deadline March 15th, 2017.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. Background

The International Step by Step Association - ISSA is a membership association, which serves as learning community and a champion for quality and equity for all children and their families. The ISSA network embodies over 60 members from across Europe and Central Asia and is a dynamic mix of NGOs, schools and kindergartens, higher education and academic institutions. ISSA unites professionals and partners to deliver high-quality early years services equitably and all ISSA members work to ensure the best quality care and education for young children, especially the most vulnerable.

II. ISSA’s focus on refugee children and Greece

In the past twenty years ISSA has proven its cutting edge knowledge on quality early education and care programming and practice, as well as grass-roots relationships with community-based centers, health institutions, kindergartens and schools, to transform early childhood education and care systems, and reach especially the most disadvantaged. Key areas of expertise include also: working in contexts of diversity and second language learning. ISSA proposes to make available all its strengths and skills towards addressing the needs of young refugee children.

In the joint initiative “Bridging the gap: Supporting well-being, learning and development of young children in refugee camps in Greece” with the Open Society Foundations’ Early Childhood Program, London, ISSA is planning to build partnership with local and international stakeholders, so that it can leverage their respective comparative advantages.

While there are agencies specializing in emergency responses in a humanitarian crisis, interventions focusing on Early Childhood Development (EDC) are scarce. It is in this area that ISSA can contribute the most.

In order to ensure a tailored, meaningful, effective and respectful plan for ECD emergency response, a sound knowledge of the Greek context is needed as well as an overview of the situation in the centers/ refugee camps, regarding young children and their families, and the level of intervention so far.

Hiring local expert/s from Greece to learn about the Greek context will provide ISSA with easier access to already existing sources of information related to statistics or regulations in Greek language regarding the refugee camps, and smoother and faster communication with local organizations/partners.

III. Scope of Work

  1. Analyze national legislation related to the work with refugee and migrant children in Greece in refugee camps, as well as national plans for young refugee and migrant children.

  1. Mapping the most relevant legislations related to the work of international organizations in the refugee camps in Greece
  2. Mapping the most relevant policies and plans of the respective ministries in Greece for the work with young refugee children – special focus on children birth-6 years old. Stating the gaps and possible actions to bridge the gaps.
  3. Providing ISSA with the list of the potential collaborators and experts from the ministries, state agencies and Universities.

Conditions: the three tasks above will be carried out during March 2017; 3 days of work envisaged for tasks a, b and c under section 1.

Deliverables:

  • Desk review
  • Preparation of a written report in English with elaboration of the most relevant legislation related to the work of international organizations in the refugee camps in Greece and the list of the potential reference points and experts from the ministries, state agencies and Universities.


  1. Identify key local and international organizations and agencies with a focus on providing support to young children (birth to 6) and their families in refugee camps in Greece

  1. Prepare an overview of the work of local and international organizations and agencies and other relevant actors with expertise in developing and delivering ECD programs, with a good relationship with respective Ministries and experience in working with local governments. Map organizations involved in providing support to young children and their families in refugee centers in Greece. Particular attention should be paid to local and international organizations which could be good potential partners for ISSA, or those with whom there could be potential overlap, which needs to be avoided.
  2. Develop a list of contacts of the most relevant potential international and local partners in Greece. The list should include recommendations on potential partners, and overlaps that should be avoided.

Conditions: the two tasks above will be carried out during March 2017; 3 days of work envisaged for tasks a and b under section 2.

Deliverables

  • Desk review
  • Preparation of a written report in English, with recommendations on potential partners in Greece

  1. Map the existing ECD programs and activities targeting young children (birth to 6 years) and their families in refugee camps in Greece

  1. Provide ISSA with a brief overview of the existing ECD programs and activities targeting young children (birth-6 years) and their families, and the service providers in refugee camps in Greece.
  2. Provide ISSA with the overview of the most successful ECD programs in these camps.

Conditions: the two tasks above will be carried out during March 2017; 4 days of work envisaged for tasks a, b and c under section 3.

Deliverables

  • Desk review
  • Interviews
  • Preparation of a report in English, with the list of the most successful programs, implementers and refugee centers where they are implemented.
  1. Identify at least five refugee camps where ECD programs for young children (birth to 6 years) and their families are needed, but not provided.

  1. Provide ISSA with a brief overview of the refugee camps in Greece hosting a high number of children under the age of 6;
  2. Provide ISSA with a list of refugee camps in Greece that are lacking ECD programs and that host a high number of children under the age of 6
  3. Identify five refugee camps where ISSA could develop and implement a program for early childhood development

Conditions: the task above will be carried out during March 2017; 3 days of work envisaged for tasks a, b and c under section 4.

Deliverables

  1. Desk review
  2. Interviews
  3. Preparation of a report in English, with recommendations for 5 refugee camps.

  1. How to apply

Candidates should send their CV. Interested candidates should also send a brief proposal indicating for which of the tasks they are applying (candidates can apply for more than one task), outlining their motivation, qualifications, reflections on the task involved, and their approach, as well as expected daily fee to Zorica Trikic at ztrikic@issa.nl by March 15th, 2017.

Only finalists will be contacted for an interview. Detailed terms will be negotiated with the selected candidates, with regards to the expected deliverables, methodology, remuneration, schedule for activities etc.

Download this Terms of Reference here.