Current vacancies

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: Consultancy on Immunization and Maternal Age

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

Duration: 15 January 2025 to 31 March 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.

Immunization services are a core part of primary health care and are one of the most cost-effective public health interventions for reducing child death and disability from vaccine-preventable diseases. However, decades of progress in increasing immunization coverage are now in peril. Since 2019, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of zero-dose children globally due to COVID-19 disruptions, increased economic crises and conflict, and declines in vaccine confidence. Huge inequities exist between regions, with the highest prevalence of zero-dose children in the African regions, but inequities also exist within regions.

Zero-dose children face specific vulnerabilities and challenges related to poverty, conflict, insecurity, lack of basic health infrastructure, and entrenched gender inequality.   Addressing gender-related barriers to immunization is a global priority, as these barriers are a contributor to the prevalence of zero-dose and under-immunized populations. Gender barriers, including sociocultural norms, economic constraints, and limited decision-making power, often prevent women and girls from accessing essential vaccination services.

The purpose of this assignment is to shed light on other factors that interact with gender inequality, specifically the age of mothers, and how this may influence un- or undervaccination rates. This analysis will yield insights on maternal age-based targeting in immunization programmes, including the value of adolescent mother-focused immunization efforts.

Scope of Work:

The Gender Equality Section, in collaboration with the Programme Group’s Immunization Section and the Data and Analytics Section of the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring is seeking a Consultant to conduct an analysis into analyzing patterns in immunization levels by maternal age at childbirth, with a particular interest in adolescent mothers.

• Generate new evidence on the relationship between maternal age (both younger and older mothers) and the occurrence of zero-dose children in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Analyse how maternal age influences immunization outcomes more broadly (beyond zero dose), considering variables like birth order, socio-economic factors, and healthcare access.
• Deliver actionable recommendations where possible that enhance immunization targeting strategies.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Conduct a rapid review of existing literature and data related to maternal age and zero-dose children in sub-Saharan Africa and identify gaps in knowledge.

• Literature review (31 January 2025)

Develop an analysis protocol, including identifying secondary data sources (from priority countries for UNICEF’s gender and immunization portfolio including Burkina Faso, DRC and Kenya), methodology, and tabulation plan     

• Analysis protocol (15 February 2025)

Prepare the first draft of analyses as per tabulation plan       

• Draft analyses and visualizations (28 February 2025)

Revise analyses as per feedback from reference group         

• Final analyses and visualizations (15 March 2025)

Produce an accessible interpretation of statistical analyses with implications for targeting of programming by maternal age

• 5-7 page write-up of results and implications of programming (31 March 2025)

Qualifications

Education: 

An advanced university degree (PhD) in statistics, demography, public health, or a related field.

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in international development
• Demonstrated quantitative analysis skills and familiarity with secondary data set series
• Demonstrated experience writing on gender and public health related issues and knowledge
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team
• Experience in work environment of an international agency, UN, or international institutions is desirable
• Experience in developing country contexts and an understanding of development challenges from the field perspective is desirable
• Fluency and excellent analytical writing skills in English.
• 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.