UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, answers

UNICEF Innocenti is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children to inform the strategic directions, policies and programmes of UNICEF and its partners. The office explores emerging issues, identifies research gaps, and brings together existing researchers to support or undertake new research, data collection and analysis to address critical questions. The Gender, Rights and Protection (GRP) and Social and Economic Policy (SEP) teams collaborate on the implementation of two major projects.

The GRASSP research programme (October 2018 – March 2024) seeks to strengthen the gender-responsiveness of social protection systems (including policies, programmes and institutions) by building robust evidence base focused on ‘what works’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ to contribute to enhanced gender equality outcomes through strengthened and gender-responsive social protection systems and programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). GRASSP is part of FCDO’s Gender-Responsive Social Protection (GSP) programme with UNICEF HQ, the World Bank and Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) as partners, which aims to enhance outcomes for the most marginalised women and girls from social protection and gender equality programmes and policies globally.

The ‘Evidence on Educational Strategies to Address Child Labour in South Asia’ research project, hereafter Child Labour (CL), contributes to a larger FCDO-funded Asia Regional Child Labour Programme, which supports initiatives in six countries in South Asia to scale up FCDO’s efforts to tackle child labour in the region. Programme partners include the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Institute for Development Studies at Sussex (IDS) and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA). UNICEF Innocenti contributes to this programme by building evidence on the most effective educational programme and policy approaches to reduce child labour in the region, focusing on India and Bangladesh.

Objectives of the consultancy
The two FCDO grants expire on 31 March 2024. The objectives of this consultancy are to ensure that project activities are wrapped up effectively until June 2024, including the effective management and coordination with researchers, Chiefs of GRP and SEP on monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring final reporting accountabilities are met. The Coordinator will provide day-to-day coordination of the research team and project partners to ensure all tasks are completed and deliverables are completed.

How can you make a difference?

Major areas of work and responsibility

1. Coordinating with the research team, communications and publications focal points on managing and ensuring timelines for all deliverables are met.
2. Managing and monitoring implementation of activities through, among others, coordinating bi-weekly team meetings (minimum 2 per week) and other ad hoc planning and management team meetings, following up on action items, and identifying risks to completion of activities.
3. Coordinating and maintaining any necessary communication with FCDO in the broader programmes in consultation with the Partnerships Specialist at Innocenti.
4. Coordinating and maintaining any necessary communication with other FCDO research partners in the broader programme
5. Coordinating with the Chiefs, relevant team members and Social Policy counterparts in New York, on finalizing the GRASSP research uptake proposal (FY24-25).
6. Following up and ensuring relevant data is collected to monitor dissemination and research uptake activities, analysing and inputting into reporting.
7. For the Child Labour project, specifically, working with the project team and Matter of Focus to update and use OutNav for project reporting.
8. Coordinating team inputs, editing, and finalizing the end-of-project reports for the GRASSP and the Child Labour projects as per FCDO requirements and ensuring report submission in a timely manner.
9. Providing other project management support as needed.

10. The consultant will work under the direct supervision of Ramya Subrahmanian, Chief, Gender, Rights and Protection
11. The consultant will operate offsite. Standard working hours will be in Central European Time (CET).

Conditions of Consultancy

UNICEF Innocenti does not issue computer equipment to consultants. The consultant will be responsible for providing the necessary computer equipment for the consultancy themselves and should include the cost implications of this responsibility in their bid for the consultancy. The cost of software and subscriptions that may be necessary to complete the consultancy (e.g., Microsoft Word) also needs to be factored into the bid for the consultancy.

This consultancy requires the consultant to travel in order to complete the required deliverables effectively and efficiently. The full cost of travel should be included into the bid for the contract. While UNICEF Innocenti does not make travel arrangements for consultants, there are value for money rules that apply to consultant travel. The consultant will arrange their own travel, clear the anticipated cost with UNICEF and invoice UNICEF for the travel cost as soon as the travel has been completed.

UNICEF Innocenti will assist consultants with arrangements for visas, work permits, vaccinations, etc.

UNICEF does not regard Individuals engaged under a consultancy contract as “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures. Consultants are therefore not entitled to benefits such as leave, pension and medical insurance coverage. Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Prospective consultants are encouraged to ensure that they fully understand (a) the requirements of each deliverable and (b) the workload associated with reaching a deliverable.

UNICEF Innocenti recognises that, due to the locations of some of its research, events may occur that either delay deliverables or prevent them from being completed. These events need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the impact on the payment schedule of the contract. It is UNICEF Innocenti’s objective to be fair to consultants in situations where deliverables are delayed or no longer attainable through no wrongdoing of the consultant.

Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in the Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Business or related field, or relevant fields in areas of UNICEF work is required.

Essential skills:

• Seven years of progressively responsible relevant work experience at the national and international levels in project/programme coordination and management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Evidence of high-quality writing and good visual presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team.
• Self-sufficient, comfortable organizing and managing time and information to achieve defined goals and optimum results and able to work to strict deadlines.
• Strong communicator with emphasis on being able to present complex policy ideas in succinct, engaging ways through campaign narratives and creative tactics.
• Flexible, and able to work effectively on multiple assignments simultaneously and to adapt to changing demands and circumstances.
• Professional, respectful, and fully committed to maintaining ethical behaviours.

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirable qualifications:

• Thematic expertise in multi-disciplinary research with a child rights perspective.
• Experience in donor reporting and writing end of project reports.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates, who meet the minimum requirements, will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.