Description

UNICEF Thailand and the OEC are seeking a national institution to develop a Situation Analysis of Early Childhood Development in Thailand. Background UNICEF Thailand is supporting the Office of Education Council (OEC), serving as the secretariat for the National Early Childhood Development Policy Committee, in enhancing national and sub-national governance, coordination, and implementation monitoring to advance Early Childhood Development (ECD). Effective allocation of effort and investment in ECD requires policy-makers to be aware of gaps and challenges at both national and regional levels and to target their measures accordingly. A comprehensive ECD situation analysis will aid the government in making informed policy decisions, directing investments for maximum impact, and ensuring no child is left behind. Therefore, Thailand plans to conduct a comprehensive ECD situation analysis in 2025, with the expectation to be updated every 2-3 years as appropriate. The Situation Analysis aims to contribute to the national implementation and monitoring of ECD services, enrich policy dialogues, and guide future policy, programming, and investments in early childhood development. The findings will be used to advocate for more effective and sustainable investments in ECD, ensuring that every child in Thailand can develop to their full potential, regardless of socioeconomic background, geographic location, or other barriers. The analysis will assess the current state of ECD in Thailand, identifying and examining key indicators and processes related to early childhood education, nutrition, healthcare, child protection, and responsive care and parenting. It will provide essential recommendations to inform policies, strategies, and coordination aimed at improving early childhood outcomes and addressing existing disparities. In light of the above, UNICEF Thailand and the OEC are seeking a national institution to develop a Situation Analysis of Early Childhood Development in Thailand. This analysis will provide valuable insights to guide Thailand’s efforts in promoting an inclusive, equitable, and high-quality ECD system for all children. The selected institution will work closely with UNICEF Thailand, the Office of Education Council, and other key ministries involved in early childhood development. Objectives, Purpose & Expected results The overall objective of this assignment is to: • Assess the current status of ECD policies, services, and coordination mechanisms. • Identify key gaps, challenges, and opportunities in the provision and coordination of ECD services. • Propose a comprehensive inter-sectoral ECD monitoring framework. • Provide actionable recommendations for policy and service improvement. The comprehensive ECD situation analysis in Thailand will improve the understanding of decision-makers, ECD service providers, and stakeholders regarding the current status of early childhood development in Thailand and the causes of gaps and inequities, contribute to national planning and monitoring process, and inform evidence-based decision-making and policy formulation for ECD in Thailand. Additionally, a monitoring framework containing key ECD indicators should be presented to allow the National ECD Policy Committee to monitor progress annually. Description of the assignment The comprehensive situation analysis is expected to be a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) study. The study must be conducted through a strong gender and equity lens and ensure families and children from disadvantaged contexts and marginalized communities (such as poor households, underserved provinces, migrant families, and children with disabilities) are represented in the study. The study should present evidence on ECD service delivery, challenges, and opportunities to support the development of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy and enabling environment for the equitable expansion of quality ECD services in Thailand. It should also examine access, coverage, quality, and equity of ECD services across sectors and national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, focusing on the whole child’s development according to the Nurturing Care Framework. The contractor will work under direct supervision of UNICEF ECD Specialist, and in close cooperation with the Bureau of ECD, OEC. Regular meeting with UNICEF and OEC should be planned. In addition, as national ownership is necessary to build consensus on the analytical results, involvement of the government ministries, civil society and other national stakeholders throughout the SitAn process is essential. Stakeholder involvement should be strategically planned and managed throughout the process. Deliverables and Timeline The activities and deliverables for this assignment are as follow: Activities Deliverables Estimated timeline of deliverables Inception phase • Project kick off meeting • Initial desk review to assess availability of data/information. • Development of the inception report, including conceptual framework for the SitAn, research plan, data collection tools, and report structure • Presentation of the conceptual framework, research plan, tools, and report structure to UNICEF, OEC and key stakeholders. Deliverable 1 - Inception report in Thai and English, including conceptual framework for the SitAn, specific tools for data collection, and report outline. End of May 2025 Data collection and analysis • Interviews and/or focus groups with key informants. • Secondary analysis of available data/information. In-depth desk-review of existing evidence regarding the situation of young children. This will include data/information on most disadvantaged and deprived groups of children. • Data analysis • Development of draft report (maximum 80 pages) to be reviewed by UNICEF, OEC, and other key partners Deliverable 2 - Draft SitAN report in Thai End of September 2025 Finalization • Validation of the draft SitAn through workshop and report review • Development of final comprehensive report for public dissemination Deliverable 3 - Presentation of Summary of comments and response from the validation process Deliverable 4 - Final report in Thai and English Deliverable 5 - Summary report in Thai and English Deliverable 6 - PowerPoint Presentation in Thai and English. Mid-October 2025 End of November 2025 Reporting requirements • Inception report in Thai and English, including conceptual framework for the SitAn, specific tools for data collection, and report outline.   • Draft situation analysis report in Thai • Final situation analysis report in Thai and English • Summary report in Thai and English • PowerPoint Presentation in Thai and English. Location and Duration • The assignment is expected to be completed with 8 months after the signing of the contract. (tentatively from April to November 2025). A detailed workplan will be agreed with the awarded contractor during the inception phase. • The contractor will work primarily in Thailand and in close collaboration with UNICEF and other government entities which are based in Bangkok, Thailand. Regular virtual or in-person meetings are expected. The contractor will be responsible for acquiring resources and facilities required for its completion, including any travel arrangements. For full details, please refer to the attached Terms of Reference.

Documents Contacts UNSPSC codes