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. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, 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.
Division/Duty Station: Guatemala City.
Home / Office Based: Home based with one travel to participate in key workshop at Guatemala City which should be included in the financial proposal.
Scope of Work:
1. Currency: USD. Fee: Product Based.
2. Objective: In May 2024, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) reviewed Guatemala’s seventh periodic report (2018–2023), highlighting progress and persistent challenges in children’s rights. The CRC identified five urgent areas for action: addressing structural discrimination against indigenous and Afro-descendant populations by strengthening anti-exclusion laws; combating violence, including sexual and gang-related crimes, with prevention and reintegration programs; enhancing adolescent health through inclusive policies and services to prevent early pregnancies; integrating children’s needs into climate change policies and education; and improving juvenile justice with comprehensive models that protect rights, particularly for migrant children. These recommendations underscore the need for systemic reforms to protect Guatemala’s children.
Children in Guatemala, especially indigenous and afro-descendant, remain disproportionately affected by poverty. Official data reveal that 64.8% of children live in poverty, and 20.7% in extreme poverty. Among indigenous children, these rates escalate to 81.1% and 34.7%, respectively. This entrenched disparity perpetuates cycles of deprivation, affecting access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and nutrition. The new administration’s political commitment and its collaboration with UNICEF provides an opportunity to address these disparities through targeted policies and investments, including enhanced cash transfer programs and community-based development initiatives.
In this scenario, UNICEF Country Office in Guatemala is currently implementing a Country Programme (CPD) for the period 2022-2025 and recently extended until December 2026 at the request of the Guatemala Government and the approval of UNICEF Executive Board. Guatemala Government and the approval of UNICEF Executive Board. This cooperation is implemented through partnerships with national and local government entities, civil society organizations, academic institutions, private sector and other United Nations agencies.
The current CPD is organized around five components, in line with UNICEF Strategic Plan 2020-2024: health and nutrition, education, child protection, WASH and climate resilience, and social protection. As this CPD is coming to its end, it is necessary to formulate a new country programme that could set the strategic and operative lines of cooperation between UNICEF and the Guatemala Government for the next four years (2027-2030).
The Preparation of the new Programme Document, based on current UNICEF's CPD preparation guidelines, includes four phases: 1. Synthesis of evidence; 2. Prioritization; 3. Theory of Change; and 4. Results and Resources Plan. These terms of reference outline the conditions and requirements for a consultancy to support the formulation of the new CPD of the UNICEF office in Guatemala, for the period 2027-2030.
An individual consultant will be contracted to support the Guatemala CO team in the development of CPD, and the writing and validation of final CPD.
The consultancy aims at a) reviewing and analyzing the evidence generated by the Common Country Analysis (CCA) & Situation Analysis, the Country Programme Evaluation (CPE) and other relevant documents; b) support internal and external moments of consultation, reflections to gather information and the proposed scope of the new UNICEF CPD, including during the Strategic Moment of Reflection (SMR); c) drafting, validating and finalizing the Programme Rationale in coordination with de Deputy Representative and M&E Officer and the Regional Office; d) drafting, validating and finalizing the CPD 2027 -2030 in line with the UNSDCF 2026 – 2030 and the National Development Priorities (PND). The activities for each deliverable are defined below under tasks and responsibilities.
3. Work Assignment:
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Deliverables/Outputs
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Work Assignments Overview
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Delivery deadline
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Product 1 – Complete Evidence Analysis
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· List of all child deprivations based on a rights perspective, mapping of overall evidence landscape and draft template on social, political and macro-economic country context.
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30 October 2025
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Product 2 – Support Visioning Workshop
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· Prioritizes deprivations and identifies underlying bottlenecks for prioritized deprivations.
· Prioritization of Child Rights deprivations and bottleneck analysis (including visual representation of the deprivation) based on the evidence and consultations.
· Strategic Intent Memo
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2 January 2026
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Product 3 - Draft, validation and finalization of Programme Rationale
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· Programme Rationale Development (programme component/outcome) · Proposed Theory of Change (ToC narrative and visual representation) · Proposed Results Framework (including visual representation) · A short narrative (with a max. of 2,000 words) that explains the strategic choices of the CO and describes how circumstances, assumptions and risks have influenced these choices.
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30 January 2026
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Product 4 - Draft, validation and finalization of Guatemala Country Programme Document
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· Consultative process with partners, including government, children and adolescents · Development of the consultation methodology. · CPD Draft review with the Regional Office.
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27 February 2026
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For more information about the work assignments, deliverables, timeline and payment percentage for each deliverable of this consultancy, please click the following link to access the TOR of the consultancy 
ToRs Technical support CPD 2027 2030 TMS.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...
- Education:
- Experience:
- Proven experience with strong analytical skills.
- Excellent English and Spanish language writing skills.
Skills:
· Requirements:
- Familiarity with child policy, child rights framework and strategic context globally and in Latin American countries.
- The individual contracted for this assignment requires relevant experience in RBM methodology and development of CPDs for UNICEF COs.
· Desirables:
- At least 10 years of working experience in the analysis of social issues, preferably on children and in an international environment (previous experience with similar countries will be an advantage).
- Working experience in UNICEF or another relevant UN-agency be an advantage.
For more information about the work assignments, please click the following link: ToRs Technical support CPD 2027 2030 TMS.docx
How to submit your application?
If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents: including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel.
- CV, with three (3) references (including your actual working experience -please include contact details-).
- Copy of your Diploma to evidence the education requirement.
- Financial Proposal an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating local travel.
You can use this format as an example (please adapt it to the number of deliverables and we recommend including your name as part of the file name): PROPUESTA FINANCIERA 1.xlsm
In order for the application to be considered valid, you must attach your financial proposal.
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 is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
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.
Remarks:
Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants should stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.
Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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.
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.
Consultants are responsible for complying with local tax requirements and are personally responsible for any and all tax liabilities that may arise and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
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.
