The document outlines terms of reference for a national consultant to support an international expert in developing transformation plans for two residential care institutions in Armenia. The consultant will facilitate meetings and exchange between stakeholders, support situation analysis and drafting of plans, and monitor implementation. The plans aim to enhance deinstitutionalization by relocating resources from institutions to alternative family-based services. The 12-month part-time role requires expertise in child protection, social services, and deinstitutionalization reform in the post-Soviet region.

1. TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR OUTSOURCED ASSIGNMENT
UNICEF-ARMENIA
The de-institutionalisation reform is enhanced through the implementation of
transformation plans for selected residential care institutions.
WBS: 0260/A0/04/002/004/001
1. Background:
According to the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, “The family being the
fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth, well-being and
protection of children, efforts should primarily be directed to enabling the child to remain in or
return to the care of his/her parents, or when appropriate, other close family members. The State
should ensure that families have access to forms of support in the care-giving role”.
The legacy of an institutionalised care system in Armenia still largely determines the service
delivery for people with disability including children. In addition, lack of sufficient number of
community-based social services, such as family and child support services and alternative family
based substitute care services on a national scale contribute to the still prevailing over-reliance on
residential care for children with special needs.
As a result of the Regional conference on “Child Care System Reform - Commitment, Partnership
and Action”, involving Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine (November 2009), the
Government of Armenia, inter alia, committed to accelerate reforms of child care and social
protection systems to prevent family separation and to develop alternatives to residential care to
ensure that children are allowed to grow up in a safe, supported family environment and take steps
towards developing and implementing national reform plans, aiming at limiting the use of
residential institutions by their transformation, down-scaling and closing down in parallel with
developing new types of social services in order to re-direct resources into a more diversified mix
of community based social services.
The 41 state-run residential institutions operating in the country are managed either by the
Ministry of Education and Science (MoES - 14 in total), the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues
(MoLSI - 14 in total) or local and regional authorities (13 in total). Around 4,000 children continue
to grow up in 26 special boarding schools, 8 Night Care Centres and 7 state orphanages, thus
continuing to be trapped in the cycle of social exclusion. In spite of certain steps towards de-
institutionalization, there is no concrete plan on how, and within which timetable the Government
of Armenia intends to downscale, transform and finally close down the existing residential care
institutions.
The project to be implemented by UNICEF
According to the Government’s decree de-institutionalization was among the highest priorities for
the Government for 2011. Relevant ministries are obligated to take the necessary steps to limit
new admission to the minimum, through strong gatekeeping mechanism and the establishment of
a sustainable system of alternative child care and family support. The desirable aim is to gradually
phase out the institutional care and to move to more family oriented services.
UNICEF already undertook a series of activities aimed at facilitating and enhancing the reform
process.
• In 2009 a survey on costing of residential care institutions and community based services
was conducted, aiming at providing evidence on the possibility to re-direct the currently
available resources from residential care institutions to progressively introduced
community-based alternative services.
• In 2010 a Rapid assessment of the residential care institutions was conducted by the
“Armenian Association of Social Workers”. It provides a thorough baseline of the situation of
children in residential care institutions, including demographic data and family situation.
• In 2011 UNICEF CO promoted the nationwide campaign “Every Child Needs a Family”,
focusing the right of a child to grow up in a loving and caring environment; the campaign
aimed at giving additional impetus to the implementation of the de-institutionalisation
strategy adopted by the Government of Armenia.
• Upon request of the MoLSI UNICEF supported a comprehensive survey on the situation of
children with disabilities, with the objective of identifying the level of access to services,
satisfaction with different aspects of services, such as quality, distance and cost, and to

2. determine the main barriers to inclusion. The report, published in October 2012, shed light
on disparities related to gender, type of disability, and place of residence (urban, rural).
Special attention has been given to children with disabilities who live in institutions.
In consideration of the need to further enhance the concrete transformation of residential care, and
devise alternative care solutions for children, UNICEF decided to build on the international
experience of the generation of good practices examples through demonstration projects, which
will translate in concrete evidence the policy principles so far promoted and endorsed by the
Government.
For this reason, upon request of the competent authorities, UNICEF Armenia committed to provide
support for the development of a detailed transformation plan for two special educational
institutions functioning under the responsibility of the regional Governor in Syunik (southern region
of Armenia). One of the institutions situated in Goris town, hosts children without parental care
and children with visual impairments. Currently there are 120 children placed there, out of which
three with visual impairment. The second residential institution is for children with learning
disabilities, and is situated in Sisian town. Currently there are 35 children, out of which 20 with
disabilities.
For this reason, an international consultant with experience in de-institutionalisation, planning of
social services and facilitation of participatory planning process has been selected to guide
Armenian stakeholders in the successful implementation of the task. The overall responsibility of
the successful completion of the tasks stays with the international adviser.
The transformation plans to be presented will start from a thorough analysis of the situation of
institutions from the managerial and from the service provision points of view, and will define the
required steps to enhance the de-institutionalisation of children and the transformation of the
service, with a plan on the re-location of the financial resources, requalification and placement of
staff, management of the infrastructure, options for alternative care services to be established, and
the involvement of all the required stakeholders for the definition of accurate reunification plans for
each child. The document will be the result of a fully participatory exercise, which will involve local
and national authorities, service providers, local communities, families and children.
The Monitoring of the process of transformation of institutions according to the approved plans will
take place after the completion of the assignment, with UNICEF’s direct involvement.
Objectives of the consultancy:
UNICEF Armenia is looking for a national consultant to support the work of the international expert
in the development of two transformational plans for the identified special educational institutions,
offering the necessary national knowledge and professional expertise for the successful
implementation of the project.
The national consultant is required to provide inputs for the development of situation analysis of
the two institutions involved in the definition of transformation plans, and for the finalisation of the
plans; s/he will be asked to, facilitate the exchange with all the stakeholders involved during all the
stages of the project, according to a work plan agreed between UNICEF and international expert –
including interpretation - during meetings and translation of relevant documents - from Armenian
into English and vice versa. The national consultant is involved in the monitoring of the
implementation of the transformation plans.
2. Geographic Area: Yerevan and Syunik region, Armenia
3. Duration: The duration of the assignment is 12 months, part time. This consultancy is
expected to start in January 2013, and end by December 2013. The assignment requires flexibility
in the distribution of working time; during the in-country missions of the IC the consultant will be
engaged full time, while during the time spent in Yerevan the time distribution will be flexible, not
related to daily timetable.
4. Supervisor: Eduard Israyelyan, Child Protection officer – in coordination with the international
consultant
5. Type of Supervision required: Provision of background information, facilitation of the

3. cooperation between the national consultant and international one, overall coordination of the
planning process, revision of the reports and guidance for finalisation.
6.Description of assignment:
Tasks End Product/deliverables Proposed
Timeframe
1. Retrieve and make available the • The necessary data collected and January, 2013
existing documents, including submitted to the international expert
relevant legislation (laws, • Necessary documents and
Government’s decrees) for desk legislation are translated and submitted
review, as instructed by the to the international expert
international consultant (IC);
2. Arrange bilateral meetings with the
representatives of the Government, • The relevant stakeholders are
Marz authorities, representatives identified, meetings with the IC are
from institutions and civil society organised and documented (minutes of
counterparts during the incountry the meetings prepared)
missions of the IC, as per defined
agenda;
3. Facilitate the production of a • Situation analysis finalised with
situation analysis on Syunik Marz as detailed analysis of financial and
the first component of the professional resources available and
transformation plan, with data on the possibilities of reunification of
services available within the Marz children
and based on profiles of two
institutions;
4. Provide support to the international The requested inputs for the February-
expert for the drafting of the development of the transformation May, 2013
transformation plan for the plans are provided to the international
residential care institutions, with expert
proposals for alternative care
services to be set up through the
relocation of resources – as
required;
5. Organise discussions with relevant
stakeholders on the transformation
plans as per defined agenda; Discussions organised; information
compiled related to the meetings
6. Support the international expert to
set up of a work plan with specific Transformation plans finalised and
actions identified; approved by local authorities,
including
1. Introduction and profile of the
institution
2. The result of transformation –
proposition for services
established in institutions
3. Steps / activities which lead to
transformation
a. detailed plan for reducing
the number of beneficiaries
b. changes in the employee
structure
c. plans for the building and
land
d. legal framework and
financing – reallocation of
finance resources from
residential type of
institution to alternative
service

4. • Indicators for monitoring the
implementation of the operational
plan
7. Organise workshops with territorial Report on the workshops with case June, 2013
offices of social services to define managers on reunification of children
the timeframe for the assessment of with recommendations on the follow up
the situation of children and the
definition of reunification plans with
their families when feasible, or the
identification of alternative solutions
if needed;
8. Provide support to the international Training organised and documented July, 2013
expert to organise a training for
government and NGO counterparts
on the methodology;
• Monitoring conducted and July –
9. Monitor the implementation of the documented December,
transformation plan in cooperation • Recommendations for the 2013
with the officials and UNICEF; improvement are suggested (if
needed)
10. During the whole duration of the Accurate monthly reports are timely January,
consultancy, provide to UNICEF a presented to UNICEF 2013-
monthly report on the activities December,
conducted, upon approval of which 2013
monthly payments will be
authorised.
7. Terms of the application
Interested candidates are requested to submit their CV and letter of interest to UNICEF Armenia
CO within 2 weeks from the date of the publication of this announcement, including:
- A brief analysis of the situation of residential care institutions in Armenia
- A description of the expertise and competencies possessed
- The professional fee requested to complete the assignment.
- All the documents need to be presented in English.
The office reserves the right to interview pre-qualified candidates, based on a technical and
competency based interview scheme. The final selection of the consultant will be conducted by the
Country office based on the qualifications of the candidates, their relevant experience, and the
quality of the proposal presented, as well as the results of the interviews if conducted.
8. Qualification and specialised knowledge/experience required for the assignment:
- Advanced Degree in Social Sciences;
- Five years of working experience in the child protection and social protection sectors,
preferably as manager of public care services for children;
- Thorough knowledge of the Armenian child protection and care system in place, and of the
terms of the recently approved reform of social protection services;
- Experience in facilitating national consultations and conducting workshops with government
representatives, NGOs and other stakeholders;
- Fluency in English (written and spoken);
- Successful experience of work in the area of De-institutionalisation in CEE/CIS region is an
asset.
9. Other conditions:
UNICEF does not provide or arrange health insurance coverage for consultants, who need to
demonstrate to have one. UNICEF will cover the travel costs and DSA for the travels in country.
Whenever the consultant will be required to travel within Armenia a travel authorization (TA) will
be issued to the consultant and travel expenses provided on the basis of UN standards.

5. 10. Nature of Penalty Clause to be stipulated in the contract:
UNICEF Armenia reserves the right not to pay the Contractor or withhold part of the payable
amount if one or more requirements established for this assignment is not met or deadline set for
the accomplishment of the tasks is missed.