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For every child, the right to HOPE! 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Early Interventions for Children with Disabilities Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:  Health-MNCAH Section – Programme Group

Duration: September 15, 2025, to August 31, 2026

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

Since 2018, UNICEF has been collaborating with academic and country partners to design and implement a service delivery model for early identification, intervention, and inclusion of children with developmental delays and disabilities. The first phase focused on the development and pilot of screening tools, community-based interventions, and social and behavior change strategies. Building on this foundation, the second phase (2023–2026) expanded to include the development of specialized intervention pathways with expert groups and implementation in Bulgaria, Uganda, and Peru. This multi-country initiative aims to generate evidence on the model’s effectiveness and provide scalable solutions to strengthen early childhood intervention systems globally.

Under the supervision of the Health Specialist – Child Development and Disabilities, NCDs and Injuries, the consultant will provide technical and documentation support for the second phase of the Early Identification and Early Intervention Project across three pilot countries (Bulgaria, Uganda, and Peru). The consultancy will focus on finalizing project documentation, supporting the impact evaluation, developing peer-reviewed publications, and preparing knowledge translation products to inform policy and scale-up efforts. The consultant will ensure strategic technical oversight throughout the evaluation process and contribute to global knowledge dissemination.

Scope of Work:The consultant will support and contribute to the ongoing evaluation of the the Early Identification and Early Intervention service delivery models in Bulgaria, Peru and Uganda, particularly focusing on:

•        Support cross-country analysis and reporting of the impact evaluation, synthesizing data across countries.

•        Preparing high-quality peer-reviewed publications based on evaluation findings.

•        Developing knowledge translation products, including technical briefs, updated implementation guidance, and policy summaries for national governments.

•      Providing ongoing technical advice and strategic oversight to UNICEF country teams and academic partners to ensure rigorous evaluation, learning, and dissemination. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

1. Support the cross-country analysis and reporting of the impact evaluation, synthesizing data across the three countries involved in the project (Bulgaria, Peru, and Uganda)     

Cross-country Technical Evaluation Report

31 July 2026

2. Prepare drafts of at least two scientific articles for submission to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, each focused on different aspects of the evaluation findings (e.g., effectiveness of interventions, implementation strategies, or cross- country comparisons).  

- drafts of at least two scientific articles based on the cross-country evaluation

31 August 2026

3.  Develop knowledge translation products and summaries

- A technical/policy brief summarizing the key findings of the evaluation which can be used by national

governments in developing or refining a national strategic framework for early childhood identification

and intervention services          

- Updated implementation guidance reflecting the key findings of the evaluation 

31 July 2026

4.  Providing ongoing technical advice and strategic oversight to UNICEF country teams and academic partners to ensure rigorous evaluation, learning, and dissemination

- Progress report #1 on the evaluation   

31 December 2025

- Progress report #2 on the evaluation

31 April 2026           

Qualifications

(1) Education

Enter Disciplines: University Advance degree (Masters) Medicine, Child Development, Early.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

1.         Medical Doctor, Advanced Degree in Medical Sciences or related fields

2.         Developmental Pediatrics, Child Development, Early Interventions or related fields

3.         Demonstrated Capacity to write scientific papers, guidance documents or similar knowledge products in English.

4.         > 8 years of relevant work experience

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.

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

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UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, are encourage to apply are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

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