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For every child, HOPE!

Consultancy Title: : Systematic Literature review Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM, Data & Analytics, Health and HIV Unit) New York HQ

Duration: July 2025 to December 2025

Home/ Office Based: 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. 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: 

The school-age children and adolescent Nutrition working group (SACA WG) under the UNICEF-WHO Technical Expert Advisory Group on Nutrition Monitoring (TEAM) aims to address challenges in measuring anthropometry among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years. This consultancy will primarily support the SACA-WG to undertake a systematic review of the literature on the relationship of adolescent body weight and morbidity and mortality.

Scope of Work:

1.         Undertake literature review focusing on the following questions:

•           What is the association between [low][high] CA BMI or WAZ and concurrent and subsequent morbidity and mortality?

•           How does that association change with age, onset of puberty/adolescent growth spurt, sex, ethnicity?

•           What is the association between changes in CA BMI or WAZ and concurrent and subsequent morbidity and mortality?

•           How does that association change with age, onset of puberty/adolescent growth spurt, sex, ethnicity?

•           Are the associated health problems a cause or consequence of the [low][high] CA BMI or WAZ?

2.         Prepare and submit manuscript summarizing the results of the review.

Terms of Reference / Specific Deliverables

Develop detailed protocol for systematic review of the literature; register the protocol     

• Review protocol submitted to PROSPERO

Conduct the systematic review of the literature following the registered protocol; write up results as a manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal          

• Manuscript ready for submission to peer-reviewed journal

Qualifications

(1) Education

Advance University Degree (Masters) in nutrition or public health

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

-     At least 2 years’ experience with nutrition research, data or programming

-     Demonstrated experience conducting systematic literature reviews

-     Experience with adolescent anthropometry is an asset

-     Experience with global nutrition monitoring is preferred

-     Detail oriented

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.