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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 fucute

How can you make a difference?

Communication blackouts are increasingly associated with conflict, political instability, disasters, infrastructure damage, electricity or fuel constraints, technical failures and deliberate restrictions. These events can affect mobile services and internet access used by children, caregivers, service providers and humanitarian organizations.

Available literature describes wider civilian, economic, human-rights and humanitarian consequences. UNICEF is specifically interested in the implications for outcomes for children, the continuity and quality of child-critical services, and UNICEF and wider humanitarian operations.

UNICEF is therefore seeking a consultant to undertake a global landscape and evidence review and develop a child-centred evaluation framework and practical package for subsequent application with Country Offices. The assignment is intentionally evidence-first: it should not presume that every communication blackout causes a measurable child-level effect, but should determine what is known, whether and how effects can be credibly assessed, and where further country-level research is justified.

The assignment is intended to generate three connected results: a defensible global picture of communication blackouts and restrictions; an evidence-based narrative that UNICEF can use in donor engagement, conferences and policy discussions; and a practical, fundable model for country-level research and action. 

The consultancy will support UNICEF to answer:

• What is known about the scale, nature, causes and geographic distribution of communication blackouts and restrictions globally?
• What does available evidence show about their direct, indirect and cascading effects on children, child-critical services and humanitarian operations?
• How strong is the evidence, what can UNICEF confidently communicate, and where do important gaps remain?
• What indicators, data sources and analytical methods can Country Offices use to assess effects in different contexts?
• What practical preparedness, mitigation, operational and policy options could UNICEF and its partners pursue?
• How should UNICEF structure and resource subsequent country-level work, including the selection and design of two pilots?

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToRTMC0008188.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree in evaluation, social research, public policy, international development, humanitarian studies, child rights, communications, information and communication technology, data science, economics, public health, social sciences or another closely related field.

A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work Experience: At least eight years of professional experience in research, evaluation, evidence synthesis or programme design in humanitarian or development contexts.

• Demonstrated experience conducting evidence reviews, assessing evidence quality and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative findings.
• Experience developing theories of change or harm, evaluation frameworks, indicators, mixed-methods methodologies and data-collection tools.
• Experience designing country-level research, pilots or programmes, including results frameworks, implementation options and indicative resource requirements.

• Experience conducting consultations with diverse institutional, technical and operational stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex evidence into strategic recommendations, donor-facing materials, investment propositions and senior-level presentations

Skills: Strong qualitative and quantitative research, analytical and evidence-assessment skills.

• Ability to assess causality, evidence strength, uncertainty and alternative explanations in complex environments.
• Knowledge of child-centred research, ethics, safeguarding and responsible stakeholder engagement.
• Strong programme-design capabilities, including results frameworks, implementation options and indicative budgets.
• Excellent writing, synthesis, consultation, facilitation, presentation and data-visualization skills.
• Ability to communicate complex findings accurately and compellingly to Country Offices, donors, senior leaders and external audiences.

Language Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

• Knowledge of another United Nations language is an asset.

Desirables: Experience with UNICEF, another UN agency or a humanitarian organization.

• Knowledge of communication blackouts, internet restrictions, telecommunications disruptions, digital rights or infrastructure resilience.
• Familiarity with organizations and datasets that monitor communication disruptions.
• Experience developing multi-country research, donor
• propositions or public-facing products on sensitive issues

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

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, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0008188.docx

• Technical Proposal: Applicants must submit a technical proposal demonstrating their understanding of the assignment and setting out the proposed methodology for the global evidence review, evidence-quality assessment, stakeholder consultations, child-centered theory of harm and evaluation framework, indicators and analytical methods, and country-pilot and programme design. The proposal should also explain how the findings will be translated into donor-facing, conference and external-engagement products; address ethical, safeguarding, confidentiality and data-protection considerations; and include a detailed workplan and quality-assurance approach. Applicants should provide at least two examples of relevant research, evidence-review or evaluation products, and one example of a donor-facing brief, investment case, conference presentation or comparable evidence-translation product.