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Terms of Reference
How can social protection better respond to child poverty in Bangladesh?
Background
Social protection has gained increased momentum in the development policy debate as a means to reduce child vulnerability and poverty caused by household stress, shock and chronic poverty. Different social protection measures, depending on their design, have been shown to be greatly beneficial to children with positive impacts on nutrition, health, education and reduction in child labour. Consequently, social protection measures have the potential of breaking inter generational transfers of poverty, particularly when they are combined with efforts that attempt to foster a more protective atmosphere for children. Bangladesh has a number of social protection programmes, estimated around 90 in total, and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is committed to social protection, with spending estimated to increase to 3 per cent of GDP. However, there are significant challenges around coverage and effectiveness of these programmes, especially in alleviating child poverty and ensuring that children are able to meet their basic needs, such as nutrition, education, health and child protection (see e.g Sjoblom, 2011) Recent analysis of social protection programmes in Bangladesh found that they tend to be small scale, fragmented, with low coverage and ineffective targeting mechanisms which means that they do not effectively reach those who are most vulnerable to the effects of poverty and malnutrition. Given the challenges in social protection, the GoB, supported by various donors, in particular UNDP, is developing a National Social Protection Strategy, which aims at making social protection more efficient and pro-poor. Several studies are being carried out to inform the strategy and a national consultation will be held in October (facilitated by UNDP). In addition, other donors are supporting social protection in Bangladesh; DFID are planning to build capacity of government to reform existing social protection and to provide evidence on social protection; also UNICEF are carrying out research on child-sensitive social protection. Save the Children is increasingly engaging with social protection in Bangladesh as a means to improve development outcomes for children. In 2011 Save the Children initiated a project in Mymensingh and Netrokona districts on Child Sensitive Social Protection. The focus of the project is to reduce child labour and increase school retention by improving access to existing social protection programmes along with enhancing child sensitivity with parents and other adults. Another initiative includes the Signature Programme aimed at tackling chronic malnutrition which will explore how social protection can be aligned to more effective nutritional outcomes along the lifecycle. Similarly the SHIREE Household Economic Security Programme links up extreme poor to existing social protection. Apart from these few field-based programmes, there is also engagement at national level in the development of the National Social Protection Strategy, Save the Children are planning to further develop social protection programming and advocacy, aimed at increasing coverage and effectiveness, through supporting the development of the National Social Protection system and strategy. The development of a National strategy and other initiative provides an opportune time to influence social protection to better respond to childhood vulnerability and poverty in Bangladesh. In order to give practical recommendations to the GoB on what type of social protection programmes should be considered in Bangladesh given the situation of child poverty and vulnerability, there is a need to analyse the situation in more detail. The key overal purpose of this study is to identify programme reforms to improve
effectiveness and impact of social protection on children, especially child poverty and nutrition. It will do so by analysing the impact of social protection on child poverty, identifying key chal enges and constraints as well as to providing programme recommendations on how to enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection, especially in alleviating child poverty. The study will use evidence from secondary data, including reviews of programme documents and evaluations. It will be used to inform Save the Children policy and advocacy with GoB and partners as well as in developing programming to further support the national • Broadly delineate the child poverty situation (with a focus on IMR, CMR, nutrition, education retention, child labour, specific groups of excluded children) and associated trends in Bangladesh through review of secondary data (e.g building on the 2009 UNICEF report, recent UNICEF equity report and other secondary • Analyse the impact of child focused and other social protection programmes in Bangladesh on children through review of secondary data. What programmes exist already?Are the programmes delivering? What are the successes and what are the failures. What are the main problems? What is working well and not so well? • Outline and justify a variety of different social protection programme options to better respond to child poverty and vulnerability (according the key dimensions of poverty, including nutrition) by drawing on experiences within Bangladesh as wel as globally. Also draw on experiences of Save the Children (Chance to Grow) while doing this. This should include what programmes should be introduced/reformed and how; recommendations on design (targeting, delivery, complementary interventions and links to other programmes and services). • Synthesis of all the above and what this means for programming and policy engagement for social protection related to different dimensions of child poverty, notably nutrition, education/child labour, health, and for specific groups of vulnerable children ( orphans, disabled children, street children etc) and the link to • Secondary data review (particularly grey literature) • Key informant interviews: meetings with selected donors, UNICEF, UNDP, GoB staff (Min of Social welfare, Min of Finance, Planning Commission, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Donors), key local academic institutions and think tanks working on social protection, Save the Children staff (to discuss options outlined) • Internal coordination workshop in Dhaka with SCI staff to proposed options • Small workshop with external stakeholders (explore how this wil tie in to the planned regional consultations funded by UNDP for the social protection reform Deliverables
1) Analysis of secondary literature on child poverty 2) Analysis of social protection for children, including focus on nutrition 3) Recommendations: Social protection reform options 4) File with soft copies of all documents and secondary literature resources 5) Interview notes with key stakeholders and FGD summaries and workshop Timings:
End of October – December, 2013 (4-7weeks)

Experience required:
• Substantial experience of Social protection programming including child focused • Knowledge of social protection in Asia, specifically Bangladesh desirable Estimated work plan: 4-7 weeks [To be discussed with the consultant, particularly the
length of time required in Dhaka]
Resources: The list wil be finalized with support from the consultant and SC team. Some
• Save the Children Social protection and child malnutrition briefing: • Disa Sjoblom (2011) “Child poverty in Bangladesh and the Social Protection Response: a brief overview and ways forward” • UNICEF 2009: Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities. National Report
Apply Instruction:
If you are interested please send your proposal (Technical & Financial including Tax & VAT as per GOB rule) with your 1) resume/ organizational profile, 2) Proven experience of similar work including names of organizations and period (minimum two),3) team details and 4) Consultancy fee history (minimum last two)in hard copy through courier to The Director of HR, Save the Children, Bangladesh Country Office, House # CWN (A) 35, Road- 43, Gulshan-2, Dhaka – 1212 and soft copy through below mentioned two email addresses by 20 October, For further clarification and communication please contact Atik Anwar Chowdhury @
N.B- Organization has no need to apply but feel free to share with those individuals who
are interested and potential.

Source: http://www.resumelink.info/ToR/SCI_Social_Protection_and_Child_Poverty_ToR.pdf