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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Technical Report Writing (UN SWAP and Executive Board Reports), Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme Group, Gender Equality, UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: December 16, 2024, to September 30, 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

About UNICEF 

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment: 

UNICEF is currently implementing its Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2022-2025, which is an ambitious effort at catalysing field level programming and results that advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF’s work. The GAP programmatic framework defines a twin-track approach: 1) integration of gender equality outcomes across the life course, and 2) targeted priorities for adolescent girls’ leadership and wellbeing. In addition, the GAP identifies a set of institutional strengthening results focusing on gender integration within UNICEF towards becoming a more gender-responsive organization. Together, these approaches strengthen UNICEF’s gender results which are prominent in all five Goals of the Strategic Plan.

The Gender Equality Section is seeking a Consultant to support the compilation and drafting of key written products fulfilling institutional and interagency reporting obligations. The first is the UN SWAP report which tracks UN entities performance on gender for the Chief Executives Board for Coordination. The second is the Annual Report on progress on the Gender Action Plan submitted to the UNICEF Executive Board alongside the Executive Director’s Annual Report. The reports are targeted towards Member States and UN System principals and require extensive compilation of content from various sources into high-quality products with strictly defined formats and timelines.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be responsible to produce the following reports, in English, which will include several stages of internal clearance, following which revisions will need to be made to the reports as per comments received. The UNICEF Annual UN SWAP Report – draft and final report. UNICEF GAP Executive Board Report: Following every stage of internal clearance of the report, revisions will need to be made to the report as per comments received. Draft Board report based on inputs received from UNICEF COs, Regional Gender Advisors and UNICEF programme sectors and divisions. Revise and finalise the draft report based on the review and clearance process. Identify key messages, sensitive issues, and content for the PowerPoint presentation to the Executive Board.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Compile, synthesize inputs towards the inter-agency report: UNSWAP report.

Deadline: 20 December 2024

Compile, synthesize inputs towards the executive board report: GAP Board report .

Deadline: 31 March 2025

Key messages, sensitive issues, and presentation content: GAP Board report additional materials.

Deadline: 30 September 2025. 

Qualifications

Education: 

Advanced university degree (Masters) in the area of Business, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Communications, Intercultural/multicultural studies or Diversity & Inclusion, or related degree.

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional work experience.
• Past experience with UNICEF in children’s rights in business, women and girls’ empowerment, gender rights is an advantage.
• Must demonstrate excellent writing skills with specific experience writing on gender related issues and knowledge products.
• Able to translate theoretic concepts into easy to digest/brief notes and concepts.
• Be able to work independently as well as with a team in an international, multicultural and interdisciplinary environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
• Experience in work environment of an international agency, UN, or international institutions is desirable; prior experience in UNICEF is an asset.
• Experience in developing country contexts and an understanding of development challenges from the field perspective is desirable.
• Required computer skills (MS Windows, MS Office applications, Infographics).
• Fluency and excellent analytical writing skills in English.
• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish for report reading highly desirable.
• Ability to communicate sensitively to different audiences.
• Familiar with Do No Harm principle and ethics.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

– Upload copy of academic credentials

– Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

– Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

– At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

– Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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: 

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. 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.

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.