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                                                                      TERMS OF REFERENCE

Background and Justification

UNICEF’s mandate to prioritize adolescent and youth development and participation is critical in ensuring that children and youth are prepared for the challenges of the future. This consultancy, focusing on Adolescent and Youth Foresight for UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) Region, is a significant step in aligning UNICEF's ROMP vision with emerging trends and concerns raised by adolescents and youth themselves. The development of a Girls, Adolescents and Youth Foresight Vision Paper is pivotal to future-proofing strategic planning within the ESARO region. By facilitating consultations and utilizing foresight methodologies, this project aims to capture and synthesize insights from young people across diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts.

The overall goal of this consultancy is to conduct a forward-looking visioning exercise with adolescent girls and boys, utilizing various data sources and reports from the 21 country offices. The Adolescent, youth and Girls Vision Paper will inform the upcoming ROMP for the ESARO Region, highlighting UNICEF's added value and focus areas through the lens of young people.

In ESAR we have not used the Youth Foresight methodology before hence the need to use a consultant who was part of the team that developed the methodology at Innocenti and has operationalized it in other regions. The consultant will train colleagues from ESAR and country offices on this methodology for future consultation.

The approach will include a comprehensive desk review of Country Programme Evaluations (CPEs), Situation Analyses (SitAns), U-Report data, and previous youth consultations across 21 countries. The consultant will identify emerging trends in areas such as education, climate change, gender equality, and digital inclusion, offering strategic insight for future engagement.

Scope of Work

1. Goal and objective:

Under the supervision of the Adolescent Development Specialist, Gender and Adolescent Section, the consultant will:

Lead the design and delivery of a participatory foresight consultation process with adolescents and youth across the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. The purpose of this assignment is to develop a forward-looking Girls and Youth Vision Paper that reflects the perspectives, priorities, and aspirations of young people (ages 10–24) to inform the next Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP).

The consultant will:

• Conduct a regional desk review of youth data, consultations, and strategic documents from the past 12 months;
• Design and facilitate three virtual foresight workshops using participatory tools (e.g., scenario planning, backcasting, Three Horizons);
• Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and concerns raised by youth across key areas such as climate change, education, gender equality, and digital inclusion;
• Produce actionable recommendations and a vision document that highlights entry points for UNICEF’s engagement with youth over the next five years;
• Document the methodology and lessons learned through a case study to support internal learning and future replication.

2. Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered:

This consultancy is aligned with UNICEF ESARO’s Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP) development process and contributes directly to the 2025–2026 Annual Work Plan (AWP) under the Gender and Adolescent Section. The assignment contributes to Intermediate Results (IRs) focused on adolescent participation, empowerment, and future-ready programming.

Specifically, it supports:

• AWP GRP Output 1: Strengthened adolescent engagement in policy and programming through innovative methodologies;
• Key Intervention 1: Evidence-building: Evidence generation and strategic foresight for adolescent-responsive planning.
• Key Intervention 2: Strengthening agency of Young People and Adolescent girls at community, national, regional, and continental level
• Key intervention 3: Regional cross-sectoral coordination and programming: Cross-sectoral integration of gender equality, youth participation, and digital inclusion in regional strategy development.

3. Activities and Tasks:

The approach will include a comprehensive desk review of Country Programme Evaluations (CPEs), Situation Analyses (SitAns), U-Report data, and previous youth consultations across 21 countries. The consultant will identify emerging trends in areas such as education, climate change, gender equality, and digital inclusion, offering strategic insight for future engagement.

4. Work relationships:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Adolescent Development Specialist within the Gender and Adolescent Section at ESARO. They will collaborate closely with the Regional Planning and Monitoring team, as well as focal points from regional office sections and selected Country Offices across the Eastern and Southern Africa Region.

The consultant will also coordinate with:

• UNICEF Country Office adolescent and youth focal points in up to 10 countries for input, logistics, and youth engagement.
• Local partners and facilitators who will support culturally appropriate facilitation of foresight workshops.
• Adolescents and youth participants (aged 10–24), who will be involved in virtual consultations and visioning exercises.
• The Innocenti team or experts previously involved in developing the Youth Foresight methodology, for methodological coherence and potential technical guidance.

Regular check-ins will be held with the supervisor and relevant UNICEF colleagues to align on methodology, workshop implementation, and draft outputs. Final deliverables will be validated through a review process involving both regional and selected country office staff.

5. Outputs/Deliverables:

For all contracts, please ensure that the due date of the last deliverable leaves a buffer for the supervisor of the assignment to review the final output before paying. This ensures that internal quality assurance is performed so that the work is up to standard before the final payment. In addition, the final payment cannot be less than 10% of the total payment as per policy.

Desired Competencies, technical background and experience

• Master’s in Environmental Science/Policy, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Communications, Evidence Synthesis, Research Methods or another technical field relevant to the work of UNICEF (a combination of an undergraduate degree and 2 additional years of professional experience may be considered in lieu of master’s degree);
• At least 12 years of professional experience in youth engagement, social impact, or policy design;
• Knowledge and experience of convening in virtual settings, with strong familiarity with digital workspaces, communication tools and conferencing platforms;
• Access to and experience of engaging in child and/or youth networks;
• Demonstrated ability to set high standards for quality of work and consistently achieve project goals.
• Solid writing, analytical, problem-solving, writing and presentation skills, particularly in the context of international work settings.
• Fluency in English.

Desirable qualifications:   

• Good attention to detail and demonstrated ability to organize own work, and work of others according to deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment with staff with differing experience and skills and with staff in different geographic locations.
• Knowledge and experience of conducting research on emerging issues, futures, or child rights themes is an advantage.
• A strong ability to manage, negotiate and collaborate with external and internal experts.
• Knowledge of other UN official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese) is an advantage.
• Prior experience of working with the United Nations and good knowledge of UNICEF’s internal organization is an advantage but not essential.
• A flexible mindset and ‘can-do’ attitude in an evolving programme context.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues to a lay audience.
• Experience and proven track record in social media or multimedia contents development is an advantage.

Core Values

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. 

Competencies

- Builds and maintains partnerships

- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

- Drive to achieve results for impact

- Innovates and embraces change

- Manages ambiguity and complexity

- Thinks and acts strategically

- Works collaboratively with others

Administrative Issues

• The consultant is expected to be remote (or Nairobi) based with potential travel to up to (indicate names of the countries) depending on COVID-19 travel restrictions for which the UNICEF office would cover subsistence allowances and travel costs. If the consultant is required to quarantine while traveling, UNICEF will pay for the quarantine if not organized by the host country.
• Schedule for progress meetings throughout the contract duration (if required).

Conditions

1. UNICEF ESARO 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.
2. This consultancy does not require the consultant to travel in order to complete the required deliverables effectively and efficiently.
3. UNICEF ESARO will assist consultants with arrangements for visas, work permits, vaccinations, etc.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. UNICEF ESARO 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 ESARO’s objective to be fair to consultants in situations where deliverables are delayed or no longer attainable through no wrongdoing of the consultant.
7. 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.

Risks

All reasonable and risks associated with the consultancy assignment should be identified, and a relevant risk response and possible mitigation action defined.

How to apply

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and their technical proposals to the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System) or email provided.

Interested candidates to indicate their ability, availability, and rate (daily) expressed in US$ to undertake the terms of reference. The fees should be inclusive of other costs incurred such as travel/return ticket, VISA and subsistence allowances for international consultants who will be based in Nairobi.

Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates 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.