SUMMARY
Title:
Promotion of a safe environment for children in schools.
Purpose:
Development of relevant tools and materials to support the
implementation
of
safe
school
interventions
on
corporal
punishment, bullying and sexual abuse.
Nature of Contract
National Consultancy
Expected fee:
To be determined
Location:
Accra, Ghana with travels to the regions and districts as required
Duration:
120 days over 9 months
Start Date
January 2016
Background
The Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) and Education for All (EFA) interventions
represent the commitment of the government of Ghana to deliver quality and unhindered education
to all children (boys and girls) of school age. However the gains made in achieving universal
access, retention and completion especially at the basic school level would be insignificant if the
school environment is not deemed safe from child protection violations. For the purpose of this ToR,
a safe school is used as a collective term for “a school where there is zero tolerance for violence
related to bullying, sexual abuse and corporal punishment among others”.
The effect of punishment on children is not only damaging but it is also not an effective disciplinary
tool with both short and long term consequences leading to aggression, a lack of caring for others,
apathy towards learning; and causing greater problems for teachers, children, caregivers etc.
Situation of violence in Ghanaian schools
The 2014 UNICEF Child Protection Baseline Research also revealed that “corporal punishment”
especially caning is widespread in schools and is carried out to sometimes excessive levels,
inflicting serious physical and psychological damage on children. Almost three quarters (74%) of
children in the survey cited physical harm by a teacher or someone else, physical work, humiliation,
shouting, suspension or exclusion from class as the repercussion for doing something wrong in
school.
Why violence persists in schools
Inadequate knowledge and skills on the part of teachers on positive discipline have been cited as a
major factor for the continued practice of violence in schools. Often violence by teachers are in
response to behaviours learnt through cultural practices and such expectations which associates
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punishment as a tool for disciplining children. The good part however, is that such unwholesome
behaviour can also be “un-learned” by raising awareness on the physical and psychological effect of
punishment and also building teachers capacity on positive disciplining techniques.
While this consultancy will focus on the school as a safe environment, parents in particular will be
actively engaged throughout the process of developing the tools and subsequently in the
implementation of the safe school environment.
Strategies towards safe school environments – the way forward
The change process for creating a safe school environment will be delivered by UNICEF and GES
through a three-pronged strategy:
Strategy 1 will involve developing a comprehensive toolkit on safe schools for teachers and
children. The toolkit will be used to support training of teacher’s to improve their skills and
competence in the methodology for teaching and engaging with children in the classroom and
classroom management.
Strategy 2 will focus on greater Community Involvement and Participation against violence in the
schools, homes and communities. This strategy is outside the scope of the current ToR and will be
developed along a staggered time-line through a separate consultancy.
Strategy 3 will involve integrating safe school programme at the pre-service teacher training. This
strategy will be developed and operationalized after completion of strategy 1. Through collaboration
with the University of Cape Coast, Colleges of Education and other stakeholders, the objective is to
support GES to integrate the programme into the curriculum of Colleges of Education.
The scope and objectives of this TOR will only address Strategy 1.
Methodology
The process of developing the toolkit will involve hiring two consultants (an International Consultant
and a National Consultant). The International Consultant as the Team Leader will provide leadership
and quality assurance on the entire process. The National Consultant will work in close coordination
and collaboration with an International Consultant to contextualize the tools and resources to the
Ghana context.
Once the two consultants are on board, GES/UNICEF will facilitate a meeting between them to work
out the details of their individual roles/responsibilities. The outcome of this meeting will be
elaborated in the inception report.
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The two consultants will collaborate with GES who is the major partner and implementer of the
outcome of this consultancy and UNICEF to undertake this consultancy. Other associated sectors
(health, social welfare, community development and INGOs/NGOs) would be engaged in the
process as well, building on the collective and broad-based process used for the development of the
Communication for Social Change Strategy for safe schools
Specific Tasks
1. Draft aspects of the inception report on his/her role in relation to the international consultant
that will ensure the realisation of the overall strategy, steps, and timeline to achieving the
objectives of the consultancy. The draft will be discussed and agreed with the international
consultant;
2. Support GES to plan and organise a stakeholder’s meeting. The stakeholder’s meeting will
review “what exists and what works” with regard to strategies/activities being used by the
different stakeholders on safe schools environment in the context of Ghana.
The national consultant will be the key facilitator in the meeting. He/she will produce and
submit to UNICEF and GES a report on the meeting.
3.
Provide the International Consultant with technical input to help with the conceptualisation of
the outline for the process that will lead to the development of the tools/resources.
4. Provide technical input from the Ghanaian perspective in the review and development of the
following required tools and resources:

Head teachers handbook and Teacher’s code of conduct
harmonised and and
consistent with the requirements of the safe school initiative;

Guidance and counselling handbook with an enhanced focus on positive discipline;

Training manual for teachers with focus on positive discipline and effective classroom
management;

Child to child (peer educators) manual on the role and responsibilities of learners in a
safe school environment;

Behaviour and social change materials/resources to support the safe school initiative;
5. Field test the toolkit and resources and include comments/inputs from the pre-testing phase
into the materials.
6. Identify a simple monitoring framework based on identification of common indicators (the key
line indicators could be selected from the EMIS) of change that can be measured and
tracked on
safe schools. The monitoring framework will be used to generate data on the
effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of the safe school environment.
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7. Develop the Trainer of Trainers (ToT) guide that will be used to train teachers from 20
districts to operationalise the safe school initiative.
8. Finalize and submit all final products and resources including a final report outlining key
observations and recommendations.
Expected Deliverables
Activities/Tasks
Deliverables
Timeframe
1. Input to the inception report to be finalised
Input to inception report discussed with
3 days
by the International Consultant. The report
the international consultant for
will outline the overall strategy, steps, and
incorporation into the final inception
timeline to achieve the objectives of the
report.
consultancy. Special attention would be
paid to highlighting the complementary
and supportive roles of the international
and national consultancies with a clear list
of individual deliverables and timelines and
how these contribute to the overall
objectives of the consultancy.
2. Support planning and organization of a
- Consultation process with stakeholders
consultation and planning process that
and facilitated by consultant completed.
would reveal and discuss ‘what exists and
- Consultant submits a report to include
what works’ with regards to strategies for
key strategies, approaches and
making the schools safe and free from
recommendations on safe school
violence, including alternatives to corporal
environment for Ghana.
10 days
punishment.
3. Support the international consultant to
- Technical input provided to the
conceptualise and draft the outline of the
International Consultant for the
process that will guide the development of
development of the concept note.
6 days
the tools/resources. The concept note will
be shared with UNICEF.
Technical input provided to enable the
4. Contribute to development and finalisation
40 days
International Consultant develop, review,
of appropriate tools, training resources and
revise the following materials:
tool kit on safe schools.
- Head teachers handbook (2010) and
Teacher’s code of conduct (2008);
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- Handbook on guidance and counselling
with an enhanced focus on positive
discipline;
- A training manual for teachers including
positive discipline and effective
classroom management;
- A child to child (peer educators) manual
on the roles and responsibilities of
learners on safe school;
- Behaviour and social change materials
to support the safe school initiative.
5. Identify common monitoring indicators of
change that can be measured and tracked
- monitoring indicators provided to the
in support of safe schools for discussion
international consultant.
7 days
and approval by the international
consultant and GES (the key line
indicators could be selected from the
EMIS).
6. Field test the toolkit and incorporate
- toolkit piloted and report submitted.
comments/inputs from the pre-testing.
30 days
- Provide lead facilitation in the National 10 days
7. Support to facilitate a TOT involving
participants from 20 districts using the
developed documents.
8. Finalize
including
and
a
workshop will also be used to validate
the toolkits.
submit
final
Trainer of Trainers (ToT) workshop. The
all
report
documents - Develop and submit to the international
with
14 days
key consultant the final draft on all
observations and recommendations for documents he/she was lead.
future.
DURATION
120 days
All deliverables will be submitted to the Supervisor of the consultancy i.e. The Child Protection
Specialist (L3). Each deliverable will be presented in MS Microsoft Word Format in a soft copy and
one-bound hard copy. For the ToT materials, the final version will be in camera ready format.
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Timeframe
120 Working Days starting January 2016 and finishing on September 2016.
Justification for the consultancy
Issues related to safe school environment is an emerging phenomenon at the national and global
level. There is a dearth of experts with the required competencies to navigate the complexities and
mechanisms for resolving/addressing the issues of safe school environment. It is against this
background that external support i.e. recruiting a consultant with the technical know-how and
experience to support GES and UNICEF undertake this activity has become imperative. Currently,
neither
the existing UNICEF staff of the Child Protection or the Education Programmes have the
required technical expertise to undertake this assignment.
UNICEF Ghana now in collaboration with GES requires the services of an International Consultant
to undertake the assignment of developing series of toolkits to operationalise the safe school
initiative in Ghana.
Reporting
The consultant will be formally supervised by Child Protection Specialist (L3). A time-table (Road
map) will be developed by the lead consultant (with input of the national consultant) to regularise the
periodic meetings for the consultants to report as well as update GES/UNICEF on the consultancy.
Payment Schedule:
-
20% upon completion of deliverables 1, 2; &3;
-
30% upon completion of the toolkit, including a revised teacher’s code of conduct; a
reviewed handbook; a training manual for teachers; a child to child (peer educators) manual;
behaviour and social change materials/resources, deliverable 4;
-
30% upon completion of the field testing of the toolkit and the facilitation of a TOT,
deliverables 5 and 6;
-
20% upon completion of the final documents and final report, deliverable 7 and 8.
Expected background and Experience
1. Advanced Degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, education,
international law or other social science field is required
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2. A minimum of 8 years of experience in child protection issues in education with focus on positive
discipline approaches, techniques and other strategies to promote a safe, violence free school
environment in developing countries;
3. Solid understanding of education in developing context, teacher and educational capacitystrengthening processes and curriculum reform is desirable;
4. Excellent process, planning, facilitation and change management skills and ability to work in
partnership with Government and other stakeholders;
5. Individual must be highly self-motivated and results oriented;
6. Previous work experience with UNICEF, a UN agency or NGO in similar assignment is an asset.
General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics
1. The consultant/s should provide his/her own stationery and office materials/ consumables –
computer, data storage devices, paper etc.
2. The consultant/s will not be entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within
the contract agreement.
3. Applicable DSA will be paid when required to travel outside of Accra for the purpose of the
assignment. UNICEF will be responsible for transportation cost for trips outside Accra.
4. The consultant team is expected to have a work space within the GES offices. Some parts of
the assignment can also be undertaken from the consultants’ place of residence.
Policy both parties should be aware of
1. Under the consultancy agreements, a month is defined as 21 working days. Consultants are not
paid for weekends or public holidays.
2. No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or
Contractor.
3. For international consultants outside the duty station, signed contracts must be sent by fax or
email. Signed contract copy or written agreement must be received by the office before travel
commences (in the case of individual consultants, TA must be issued).
4. Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget
5. No consultant may travel without a signed travel authorization prior to the commencement of the
journey to the duty station (for international consultants under individual contract)
6. Unless authorized, UNICEF will buy the tickets of the consultant (for international consultants
under individual contract). In exceptional cases, the consultant may be authorized to buy their
travel tickets and shall be reimbursed at the “most economical and direct route” but this must be
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agreed to beforehand. In case of institutional contract, the organization will be responsible for
making its own travel arrangements.
7. Consultant will be required to sign the Health statement for consultants/Individual contractor
prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance,
including Medical Evacuation.
8. The Form 'Designation, change or revocation of beneficiary' must be completed by the
consultant upon arrival, at the HR Section.
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