National individual consultants (3) to support revising the system for pricing and financing of social protection services

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This consultancy will support the development, consultation and preparation of an adoption-ready proposal for revising the system for pricing and financing of social protection services aimed at expanding equitable access to quality of services for children, particularly the most vulnerable.

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Scope of work:
Based on the 2019 Social Protection Law, the Ministry of Social Policy Demographics and Youth (MSPDY) concludes annual contracts with licensed private or civil society actors for the provision of social services covered by the law. The annual amount allocated to service providers based on a signed contract is calculated according to the number of beneficiaries and the price for the specific service determined in the Decision on Determining the Prices of Social Services, which is prepared annually by the MSPDY based on a Methodology for Determining the Prices of Services.

The methodology defines the price of social services as the sum of three main cost components: human resources, goods and services, and space usage, all calculated in line with the established standards and norms for the delivery of the service. It applies a cost-based approach using average monthly costs per user, where prices depend on effective working hours, required resources, and statistical benchmarks, and are expressed per unit of service (hour, day, or month). Contracts are signed and renewed every year after publishing a public call. The assignment will consider the existing categorization of social services under the national social protection framework, including counselling services, services in the home, community-based services, respite care, day care services, non-family care services, professional assistance from centers for supporting foster families and foster care, and innovative services.

Additionally, MSPDY publishes calls to finance municipalities for the development and delivery of social services, prioritizing applications that involve partnerships with licensed service providers or intermunicipal cooperation.

The calls to non-state providers and municipalities are prepared and implemented by a MSPDY commission for funding of social services. In addition, the municipalities can also fund the provision of social services by non-state actors through a local call.

The Analysis and recommendations for implementing the European Child Guarantee in the country, points to systemic challenges in the provision of social protection services, including limited and uneven availability of services, which reflects constrained capacity among both public and licensed providers. Service delivery is often dependent on project-based and donor-supported initiatives rather than sustained public financing. At the same time, financing remains insufficient to fully cover the needs of vulnerable families, and to enable service expansion.

About 15% of the licensed service providers focus on services for children, even though children make up 20% of the population and often have greater needs and vulnerabilities than other groups. Licensed providers are mainly located in larger cities, leading to an uneven distribution across regions. Half of all child-focused providers are based in Skopje, while the remaining six regions each have between one and three providers, and one region has none at all. Most providers offer only one or two services, so children in many areas lack access to some services.

The current method of pricing and financing poses numerous challenges, including:

a) Annual financing through public calls creates uncertainty among service providers regarding the sustainability and continuity of service provision, limiting larger investments in infrastructure and human resources.
b) The Decision on Determining the Prices of Social Services, which is prepared annually based on the Methodology for Determining the Prices of Services, is limited only to part of the social protection services. The existing situation with undetermined prices for other social services is partly due to the lack of by-laws regulating the resource requirements and other requirements for provision of those services.
c) The elements used to determine the prices of social services (human resources, goods and services, facilities) in the Methodology for determining the prices of services based on the norms and standards for the provision of social services are not always comprehensive or essential for ensuring service quality and availability.
d) Representatives of service providers have voiced complaints that the prices of some social services are not appropriate due to the inadequately established norms and standards for human resources, as one of the key elements in determining the price of services. As a result, providers deem that the price of some of the services are set too low, leading to lack of interest in providing such services, or poor quality of the service and lack of continuous provision. Some licensed social service providers with longer-standing experience in delivering social services co-financed by other donors also highlighted the need to develop package-based financing arrangements and/or differentiated levels of financing for social services, aligned with the scope and complexity of the services being delivered.
e) The private/civil society service providers often prioritize service provision in major population centers which offer a higher concentration of potential beneficiaries and of service professionals, as well as services which are less complex to provide, leading to lack of some services – including services for children and for persons with disabilities – as well as lack of coverage outside of the major population centers.

UNICEF is recruiting three national consultants for the assignment:

The consultants will work as a coordinated team, jointly responsible for deliverables, with regular coordination and joint review of outputs. The team lead will ensure integration, coherence and quality assurance across all outputs.

1. Economic/Finance Expert and Team Lead, tasked with overall coordination between the experts and UNICEF, leading work on research of the existing model and international best practices, revision of the National Methodology for Financing Social Protection Services, pricing simulations and fiscal impact assessments, as well as development of implementation manual and price calculator;
2. Legal Expert, tasked with legal and regulatory analysis, ensuring alignment of the new model with the national legal framework, and drafting proposed legal amendments; and
3. Social Service Professional, who will contribute to revising the service pricing and financing system, conduct stakeholder mapping, coordinate and document stakeholder engagement, support reporting and consultation documentation, and contribute to development of the implementation manual and the implementation workshop for the institutions.

The team of three consultants under the direct supervision of the UNICEF North Macedonia Social Policy Specialist, will be expected to carry out a range of tasks and activities:

1. Conduct a comprehensive desk review analysis of the system for financing social protection services.

2. Conduct a comparative analysis on pricing, financing and contracting for provision of social protection services by non-state actors in countries relevant for North Macedonia – preferably from the EU and the Western Balkan – as well as any international guidance, to identify best practices and lessons learned, including in the domain of regular updating or adjusting of the prices of services.

3. Engage relevant stakeholders to document practical experiences, challenges and recommendations related to the current pricing and financing system for social protection services. Consultations will include decision-makers, non-state service providers, Centres for Social Work, municipal social protection councils, service beneficiaries, as well as relevant development partners and ongoing initiatives in the field of social services.

4. Draft a proposal for reform of the system for pricing and financing of social protection services, based on the conducted analyses and stakeholder consultations. Based on the findings of the desk review and the stakeholder consultations, the consultants will develop recommendations for improving the financing model, including possible revision of existing price lists for social services and other relevant financing mechanisms.

5. Present the draft reform proposal to stakeholders and incorporate feedback to the extent possible. The consultants will support one national consultation event where the draft proposal for reform of the pricing and financing system for social protection services will be presented to relevant stakeholders. The event will also serve to formally launch and give visibility to the reform process itself, while providing a structured platform to collect feedback on the proposed recommendations, including possible changes to the legal framework, pricing methodology, service prices, financing arrangements, annual calls, contracting terms and implementation mechanisms.

6. Strengthen the capacities to implement the reform:

• Prepare a practical Guide for implementing the reform of the social services financing system. Based on the proposed reform model, the consultants will develop a practical implementation guide outlining the concrete steps, institutional responsibilities, procedures and timelines required for the implementation of the revised financing system. The guide should provide clear operational guidance for the Ministry of Social Policy, Demographics and Youth, the Institute for Social Activities, municipalities and relevant service providers, including guidance on the application of the revised financing model, annual updating of prices, use of data, reporting requirements and quality-related considerations. As part of the guide, the consultants will also develop and attach a user-friendly price calculator to support the consistent application of the revised methodology and facilitate transparent calculation and annual adjustment of social service prices.

• Develop and deliver a capacity-development programme for implementation of the reform. Based on the implementation guide and the proposed revised financing model, the consultants will prepare a structured education/training programme for relevant professionals at central and local level. The programme should be designed to strengthen the capacities of key institutions and stakeholders to understand, apply and monitor the revised system for financing social services. It should include clear learning objectives, training modules, practical exercises, guidance on the use of the price calculator, and materials tailored to the roles of the Ministry of Social Policy, Demographics and Youth, the Institute for Social Activities, municipalities, Centres for Social Work and relevant service providers. The consultants will deliver the education programme through one or more workshops with key stakeholders, ensuring practical knowledge transfer, discussion of implementation challenges, and clarification of institutional responsibilities for applying the revised financing model. UNICEF will directly cover the logistical costs of the event.

All analytical reports, recommendations and work outputs developed under this assignment should include, where relevant, a brief assessment of implications for children and equity considerations, including potential effects on availability, accessibility, affordability and quality of services for vulnerable children and families.

Please familiarize yourself with the detailed ToR, work assignments, deliverables and the deadline. All details can be found in this document: Detailed ToR.pdf

Minimum requirements for Economist/Finance Expert and team lead:

Education:
Masters degree in economics, finance, or other relevant social science. An advanced degree in relevant fields will be considered an asset.
Professional experience: At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in public finance, budgeting, costing, pricing, financing models or financial analysis, of which at least 7 years should be related to social protection, social services, public sector financing or comparable social sector assignments. Experience in developing costing models, fiscal assessments, pricing tools and analytical reports will be considered an asset.
Other core competencies:
▪ Excellent analytical thinking skills
▪ Previous experience with the UN will be considered an asset
▪ Fluency in written and spoken Macedonian language is required
▪ English language verbal and writing skills are desirable
Interpersonal and Ethical Skills: Proven effective communication and interpersonal skills, and sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts and situations

Minimum requirements for Legal Expert:

Education:
Bachelors in law or other relevant social science fields. An advanced degree in relevant fields will be considered an asset.

Professional experience: At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in normative-legal matters, legislative drafting, regulatory analysis or legal research, of which at least 7 years should be related to social protection, social services, public administration, public financing or comparable social sector legislation. Experience in drafting legal amendments, bylaws, methodologies, contracts or regulatory recommendations will be considered an asset.
Other core competencies:
▪ Excellent analytical thinking skills
▪ Previous experience with the UN will be considered an asset
▪ Fluency in written and spoken Macedonian language is required
▪ English language verbal and writing skills are desirable
Interpersonal and Ethical Skills: Proven effective communication and interpersonal skills, and sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts and situations

Minimum requirements for Social Protection Professional:

Education: Bachelor's in public policy, political science, communications or other relevant social science. An advanced degree in relevant fields will be considered an asset.

Professional experience: At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in social service provision or social service research and analysis, stakeholder consultations, policy research and analysis or policy advocacy. Relevant professional experience related to the social protection system will be considered an asset. Experience in writing research and analytical reports.
Other core competencies:
▪ Excellent analytical thinking skills
▪ Previous experience with the UN will be considered an asset
▪ Fluency in written and spoken Macedonian language is required
▪ English language verbal and writing skills are desirable
Interpersonal and Ethical Skills: Proven effective communication and interpersonal skills, and sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts and situations

*Listed requirements will be used for technical evaluation in the competitive process.

How to apply: The interested and qualified candidates should submit:

1. Letter of interest – clearly indicating the position they are applying for
2. Most recent CV
3. Financial proposal:
- Economics/Finance Expert use this form: Team Lead financial proposal.docx
- Legal expert use this form: Legal Expert financial proposal.docx
- Social Service professional use this form: Social Policy Professional financial proposal.docx

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