Current vacancies

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and gender parity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

The purpose of this consultancy is to design and carry out a participatory, gender-responsive evaluation of the “Youth in ICT World” programme that UNICEF Serbia implements with OPENS and local youth centres. The evaluation will generate evidence-based findings and actionable recommendations to guide scale-up, contextual adaptation and institutional integration of the model into Serbia’s emerging network of youth-space structures. Grounded in the EU Digital Competence Framework (DigComp), the programme offers a flexible package of non-formal learning activities, ranging from creative electronics to digital marketing and game development workshops, supported by online communities for youth aged 14-19 (with outreach to NEET, Roma and other marginalized groups). As the programme prepares to expand beyond the initial youth-centre sites, and to more communities, UNICEF requires a systematic assessment of its relevance, effectiveness, equity and sustainability.

Work Assignment Overview:

The consultant will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the programme, focusing on its effectiveness, inclusivity, and contribution to gender equality and assess to what extent the program objectives were met. More specifically, the consultant will:

• Develop and validate an inclusive methodology
• Map program outcomes and gender-equality contributions
• Analyse enabling and hindering factors
• Produce concrete recommendations for program adaptation

The consultant will work closely with all relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure that the evaluation process is participatory, inclusive and culturally appropriate.

Duration of the assignment: June – August 2025 (part-time, remote)

Task description:

Task 1: Inception & methodology design

Deliverables: Inception report detailing evaluation framework, sampling & ethics, draft data-collection plan & work schedule.

Timeframe: June 9th

Task 2: Tool development & piloting

Deliverables:

• Focus-group guides that includes groups with participants, experts and assistants that are leading trainings, participants parents/caregivers. Interview guides for parents, social/youth workers, trainers & assistants.
• Updated participant questionnaires (building on existing instruments).

Timeframe: June 24th

Task 3: Primary data collection

Deliverables:

• Facilitation of 5 focus groups with 35 youth workshop participants.
• Facilitation of 3 focus groups with experts and assistants that are leading trainings, social and youth workers and with parents/caregivers.
• Evaluation survey rollout (≥500 responses).
• Cleaned transcripts. As implementing partner, OPENS will provide online response datasets.

Timeframe: July 28th

Task 4: Draft evaluation report

Deliverables: Full draft with findings, conclusions, gender & equity lenses, and preliminary recommendations.

Timeframe: August 15th

Task 5: Validation & utilisation workshop

Deliverables:

• One-day participatory workshop in Belgrade with UNICEF, OPENS, youth-centre staff, parents & youth.
• Presentation of preliminary results and discussion, recommendation development in coordination with participants.

Timeframe: August 19th

Task 6: Final report & knowledge products

Deliverables:

• Revised final report incorporating UNICEF Serbia feedback.
• 3-page executive summary (SRB & ENG).
• Ten slide presentation (ENG & SRB)

Timeframe: August 28th

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• PhD degree in social sciences, education, ICT, evaluation or a related field.
• Min 8 years of professional experience in youth-skills development, digital-learning, gender equality or related technical areas.
• At least 5 years of experience in leading mixed-methods monitoring, evaluation, research and data analysis, including gender-responsive approaches.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Serbia’s education, labour-market and social-welfare data systems and the EU DigComp framework.
• Proven record of evaluating or designing social-sector and behaviour-change programmes that involve children, adolescents and families; experience with implementation research is an asset.
• Strong ability to analyse intersectional barriers faced by NEET, Roma and other marginalised youth.
• Familiarity with UNICEF evaluation standards, child-safeguarding and research ethics; prior work with UNICEF / UN agencies is an asset.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and report-writing skills, with proficiency in quantitative and qualitative tools.
• Fluency in Serbian and advanced level of English (written and spoken).

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing an all-inclusive fee for the whole assignment.

Important notes:

• Please do not forget to specify your name in the financial proposal file while saving (to be uploaded online under the “Financial Proposal” tab).  
• Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark "n/a” or “00" under the fee-related questions in the online application form.
• Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.