Current vacancies

Contract Duration: 9 months

Working arrangement: Home-based

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For every child, education

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Purpose of Assignment:

The purpose of this consultancy is to support Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) in the development of Redesigned Single Window guidelines. The consultant will review the existing guidelines, the data collection strategy and the concept note for the redesigned Single Window, and jointly with MCDSS, develop guidelines for the implementation of the single window at national and sub-national levels. This assignment will require close collaboration with MCDSS, ILO and other stakeholders, who are key in the delivery of social protection services.

Scope of Work:

The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), has prioritized social protection as a key strategy for addressing high poverty levels, vulnerability, malnutrition, and other deprivations. Social protection programmes are delivered through decentralized structures, with district and subdistrict actors playing a central role in day today implementation. However, fragmented services, weak referral systems, and limited coordination continue to hinder effective service delivery.

To address these challenges, the Single Window (SW) model was introduced in 2018 as an integrated access point and coordination mechanism that enables households to access multiple social protection and social services through a unified pathway. In Zambia, the SW operates primarily at district level, with community-level touchpoints, bringing together Social Welfare, Health, Education, Agriculture, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), and Local Government to screen and assess household needs once, refer households to appropriate services/programmes, track referrals and follow-up actions (often linked to GRM and case management), and feedback results into district and national systems to improve planning and accountability. At national level, MCDSS provides policy direction, standards, and systems; districts coordinate operational delivery; and community structures act as frontline access points.

Since its inception, regular learning exercises were undertaken and key lessons were documented resulting in the Single Window Lessons Learning Implementation Guidelines launched in 2022. Although these guidelines provided a useful reference, uptake varied across districts. As the SW expanded, different interpretations of the model emerged, resulting in several parallel versions of the SW and a lack of standardization across the country. The absence of an integrated Management Information System (MIS) further limited consistency and data sharing. A standalone MIS was later developed under the United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection Phase II (UNJPSP-II), but it has not yet been operationalized for SW functions.

Recognizing these gaps, a preliminary assessment was conducted to review the status of SW implementation. The findings highlighted important strengths but also significant gaps in design, operations, interoperability, and the capacity of the SW to support integrated and coordinated service delivery. Building on this, a more comprehensive review was conducted in 2025 across selected districts. This was followed by a multi-level stakeholder workshop involving national, provincial, and district representatives to collectively interpret findings and re-envision the SW.

Stakeholders reached strong consensus on the need to redesign the SW, identifying priority areas for improvement and emphasizing alignment with maturing systems such as Case Management (CM), the Social Cash Transfer Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and the National Social Registry under development. These systems were originally envisioned as part of the SW ecosystem but have evolved independently.

The case for redesigning the SW is further strengthened by recent shifts in Zambia’s social protection landscape. The 2025 National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) adopts a lifecycle approach, expanding the scope of service delivery and requiring more inclusive, adaptive, and well coordinated mechanisms across sectors. In its current fragmented form, the SW is not fully equipped to support this expanded mandate.

To guide the transition, a concept note outlining the redesigned SW model has been developed. It proposes a strategic shift towards an integrated, inclusive, and accountable service delivery mechanism. With strong stakeholder alignment and renewed government commitment, the redesigned SW presents a critical opportunity to improve coordination and enhance outcomes for Zambia’s most vulnerable populations.

How can you make a difference? 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the Terms of Reference here:  ToR Consultant to support the Development of the Redesigned Single Window Guidelines TMS.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s university degree in Social or Public Policy, Social Sciences, Economics, or related field.
• Additional certification in social protection systems would be an advantage.
• Work Experience: 

- Senior expert with a minimum of 12 years of professional experience in social protection, poverty analysis, or development programming.

- Experience must be inclusive of at least 10 years of demonstrable operational experience in social protection systems.

- Experience must be inclusive of drafting guidelines or policy documents.

- Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Zambia or similar contexts, required. Familiarity with low resource decentralized government systems an asset.

- Extensive knowledge of social protection systems, coordination mechanisms, and poverty measurement required. Expertise and experience in Single Window design, implementation and/or monitoring preferred.

- Experience working closely with government stakeholders, particularly consultative and co-development work required.

• Language requirements: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

For every Child, you demonstrate Care

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

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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter 
• A separate financial proposal  Financial proposal Consultancy - Consultant to support the Development of the Redesigned Single TMS.docx

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.