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, EDUCATION

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the first global fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises. It was established in 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit by international humanitarian and development aid organizations, along with public and private donors, to help reposition education as a priority on the humanitarian agenda, usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground and foster additional funding to ensure that every crisis-affected child and young person is in school and learning.

Based on the recognition that continuous access to quality learning is a priority for children and families affected by conflicts, natural disasters, and displacement and that no programme nor organization can do it alone, ECW comes as a ground-breaking initiative bringing together public and private partners eager to work together differently and mobilize the funding required to deploy immediate and sustainable solutions.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this assignment is to support the ECW Secretariat to identify, recognize and continue to encourage its ongoing best practices as well as highlight and support any opportunities for improvement including specific challenges that inhibit the full potential of the team. The key stakeholders of the initiative will be the ECW Director, the Senior Management Team together with targeted individuals across the Secretariat. The Consultant will work in close strategic coordination with the ECW Director and provide specific 1-1 and team support to the Senior Management Team.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

Deliverables	Description	Estimated number of days	Deadline/timeline
Deliverable 1: Support ECW’s SMT with up to two more meetings in 2024 as co-planner and facilitator. Help plan up to two SMT meetings.	a) Participate and facilitate agreed at least two SMT meetings including pre- design, planning and reporting. b) Prepare report following each of the SMT meetings and an action plan reflecting the discussions, recommendations and agreed points and follow up on the action plan. c) organize and coordinate ongoing, adhoc monthly communication to the ECW SMT stakeholders in the form of email templates or Zoom calls to monitor achievement d) Produce team-based output documents on quarterly basis that reflects work completed and any shifting requirements in the environment as needed	14	Feb 28, 2025
Deliverable 2: Strategic Leadership Coaching support and advice to ECW Director and leadership team Up to 60 individual and team coaching hours	a) Develop a presentation and conduct briefing to the SMT on the tool, its application and ultimate use as an individual and team assessment. b) Conduct multiple, individual 1-1debriefs after the assessment is completed with all SMT members. c) Develop an analytical overview on common trends and strengths reflecting the creative and leadership competencies among SMT leaders d) Compile similar areas of concern around reactive tendencies and behaviors). e) Provide bi-weekly strategic advice and support against key leadership competencies: Decision Making, Emotional Intelligence, Strategic thinking, improved team dynamics. Progress will be report to ECW’s Director and leadership team in the form of reports or short Zoom calls. Leadership competencies may be refined in dialogue with ECW Director. f) Execute individual coaching and development sessions with ECW SMT member on insights, learning and growth targets via 360s.	Up to 60 Coaching Hours	Feb 28, 2025
TOTAL ESTIMATED WORKING DAYS		14 days plus up to 60 coaching hours

• An advanced university (Master’s) degree in Human Resources Management, Education, Public or Business Administration, International Relations, Social Sciences or a relevant field.
  *A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) combined with additional two years of relevant professional experience above the min. required may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Professional coaching certification from internationally recognized credentialing bodies.
• Certification as a Practitioner of a leadership assessment tool, including but not limited to 360 assessment, leadership skills, cognitive ability, behavioural style, etc.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in:
  • Coaching and facilitating events in international organizations or large corporations and at least 5 years within the humanitarian sector.
  • Corresponding certifications for both individual and team coaching as well as facilitation certifications.
  • Minimum of 5 years supporting senior leadership in the humanitarian sector.
  • Must have demonstrated professional and intrapersonal skills.
  • Must have proven skills in; strategic visioning, analytical capabilities, executive and corporate branding, team building, team event design/execution
  • Proven high-level facilitation, networking, coordination, negotiation, consensus-building and organizational skills.
  • Advanced communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to convey concepts and recommendations to the staff, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style.
• Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of an additional UN official language, particularly French, is desirable.

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 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 will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Interested candidates are required to fully complete their application profile, upload a cover letter and their financial proposal (daily fee rate in USD).

Applications with incomplete profile and without a financial proposal will not be considered.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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.