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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Safety...

UNICEF is supporting districts in Malawi to strengthen disability‑inclusive systems, with a particular focus on improving early identification, referral, and access to inclusive education for children with disabilities. While national frameworks exist, districts vary in their capacity to provide coordinated and responsive services. Many districts lack systematic processes to assess their own performance, identify gaps, and take action to improve services for children with disabilities.

To address this, UNICEF will support Salima, Machinga, and Balaka to adopt a more structured and evidence‑driven approach to strengthening disability‑inclusive services. A key intervention is the development of one standardized district self‑assessment tool that will enable district teams to:

• Review the availability and quality of services for children with disabilities
• Examine how early screening, assessment, and early intervention are being implemented
• Analyze existing referral pathways across sectors
• Assess how children are supported to access and participate in inclusive education
• Identify system gaps and prioritize improvements

In addition, UNICEF will support targeted institutional assessments for: Koche Model School (Mangochi) and LEA Hostel for the Blind (Nkhotakota). These two institutions require specialized assessment to inform investments that can improve accessibility, learning environments, and inclusion.

This consultancy will therefore contribute to strengthening disability‑inclusive services at district level, aligned to the programme indicator: District-level disability registry employed, with active coordination across education, health, and social welfare sectors.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Inception and Workplan Design

The consultant will have initial consultations with UNICEF and other relevant stakeholders to discuss how to fulfill the Terms of Reference requirements within the contract period. The consultant will then develop a simple workplan to outline key milestones and deadlines.

• 2. Development of a District Self‑Assessment Tool

The consultant will have initial consultations with UNICEF and Salima, Machinga, and Balaka district teams to develop a practical and multisectoral District Disability Services Self‑Assessment Tool. This will include consultations with district officials, mapping existing practices for early screening, assessment, referral, and inclusive education, and drafting and refining the tool based on feedback from UNICEF and district representatives.

3. Development of a School Self‑Assessment Tool

The consultant will design a School Inclusion Self‑Assessment Tool specifically for Koche Model School (Mangochi) and the LEA Hostel for the Blind (Nkhotakota). This will involve brief consultations with school leadership and specialists, drafting the tool, and revising it following initial input from UNICEF and the schools.

4. Presentation, Stakeholder Feedback, and Final Refinement

The consultant will present the two draft tools to UNICEF and the Embassy of Iceland for technical review, gather structured feedback from district and school stakeholders, and refine both tools to ensure they are user‑friendly, relevant, and aligned with programme objectives. This phase includes consolidating inputs, adjusting content, and finalizing both tools for deployment.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Academic qualification:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education, Inclusive Education, Special Needs Education, Disability Studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a closely related field is required.

Work experience:

Required:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in inclusive education, disability inclusion, or child development programming.
• Demonstrated experience working on education or disability‑related programmes in Malawi or similar contexts, including assessment tools, guidelines, or frameworks for government, NGOs, or education systems.

Asset:

• Experience developing tools for schools or specialized institutions (e.g., special schools, resource canters, hostels for learners with disabilities).
• Experience working with district‑level service structures (e.g., Education, Health, Gender/Social Welfare offices) in system or capacity‑strengthening initiatives.

Technical skills, knowledge and strength areas:

1. Strong knowledge of inclusive education principles, disability rights frameworks, and practical approaches to supporting learners with disabilities.
2. Technical expertise in early identification, screening, referral pathways, and early intervention systems.
3. Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, user‑friendly tools and guidance materials.

 Languages:  Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference  Terms of Reference_Consultancy to Design a District Assessment of Inclusive Education Services.pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships; (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness; (3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change; (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity; (6) Thinks and acts strategically; (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

HOW TO APPLY...

Interested consultants should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment
3. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees, travel, living cost, visa (where applicable), and other costs)  ANNEX I - Financial Proposal.xlsx Complete the attached form.
4. Reference details from at least 3 most recent supervisors, including a current supervisor.

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.

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.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.