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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, Health and Nutrition 

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, advocacy, and operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Tajikistan is grappling with the triple burden of malnutrition – co-existing realities of undernutrition, overweight and micronutrient deficiencies. According to a national survey (DHS 2023), 14 per cent of children 0-5 years are stunted, six per cent are wasted, 35 per cent anaemic, while five per cent are overweight. More than one in two children were identified with iron deficiency, and over one in three of them were vitamin A deficient. Every one in three adolescent girls and women aged 15-49 years are anaemic. While undernutrition in children under five years remains and one in ten adolescent girls 15-19 years are thin, overweight is rapidly increasing, with half of women aged 20-49 years being overweight or obese.

Poor diets, infections and inadequate care practices are major determinants of malnutrition. Only 41 per cent of mothers in Tajikistan breastfeed their children exclusively for the first six months. Approximately 30 per cent of households do not have access to an improved source of drinking water, especially in rural areas. The Demographic and Health Survey 2017 reported that 23 per cent of children between 6-11 months (when children are typically introduced to complementary food) experienced diarrhoeal diseases in the past two weeks compared to an overall 13 per cent of children under five years. Almost half of mothers start giving their children complementary food too early, at between four and six months of age. Only nine per cent of children aged 6-23 months receive the minimum acceptable diets consisting of diverse foods given at appropriate frequency. Young children’s diets are characterised by reliance on starchy food, low consumption of eggs/flesh food (41.9 per cent), half of them consuming zero vegetables or fruits (55.8 per cent) and considerable consumption of sugary snacks, processed foods, and sweetened tea—now common even in rural areas—which suggests early-life exposure to unhealthy diets. A lack of knowledge and awareness about age-appropriate, adequate, diverse and nutritious diets results in poor infant and young child feeding practices and dietary patterns of mothers, and sub-optimal management of childhood illnesses.

Similarly, the diets of pregnant and lactating women and their access to health and nutrition services affect not only their own health but also birth outcomes and the nutritional status of their babies. About eight per cent of all live births result in babies with low birthweight, a risk factor for malnutrition and neonatal deaths as well as an indicator of poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Less than half of pregnant women took iron supplements, which can reduce the risk of low birthweight and preterm birth, while 40 per cent of them reported experiencing problems accessing healthcare. Lack of quality, equitable nutrition services and counselling, inadequate access to safe and clean water are exacerbating factors. Among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age, while the majority of them (86.9 per cent) meet the minimum dietary diversity, the consumption of unhealthy food and sweet beverages is also significant. Evidence suggests that in Tajikistan lifestyles, food environments and dietary habits are changing along with economic growth and nutrition transition, including greater access to ultra-processed and energy dense foods and increased sedentary behaviours in urban settings.
Malnutrition seriously hampers the chances of Tajikistan’s children for a better and productive future. Malnutrition not only poses a higher risk of morbidity and mortality and undermines healthy physical growth and cognitive development in children, but also affects academic performance, productivity and earning capacity in later life. Collectively, a malnourished population places a huge burden on national health expenditure and slows down national development.

Tajikistan adopted in 2021 the national Multisectoral Action Plan on Nutrition 2021-2025 to provide an overarching guidance on multisectoral implementation and coordination of maternal and child nutrition programmes in the country.

However, many activities remained unimplemented due to lack of robust M&E system a dedicated public budget. Based on lessons learned from the current Action Plan, MoHSPP deems it necessary to develop the new national program on nutrition in the format of the State Programme on Nutrition for the period of 2026-2030 and conduct its full costing and identification of funding sources for its implementation.

How can you make a difference? 

Duration: 50 working days between October 2025 - December 2025
Supervisor: Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Tajikistan

The purpose of the consultancy is to conduct costing of the multisectoral State Programme on Nutrition for the period of 2026-2030 for Tajikistan, to enable realistic resource planning, prioritization, and advocacy with partners.

TOR with detailed deliverables and concrete timeframes is at the following  TOR_national consultant for costing of State Programme Nutrition.docx

Key objectives

This assignment aims to achieve the following key objectives:
• Participate in the process of development of the multisectoral State Programme on Nutrition from the beginning
• Develop a costing framework and methodology aligned with government budget structures and international best practices.
• Engage with stakeholders from various sectors that contribute to nutrition outcomes to collect all necessary information for carrying out the costing of proposed activities and interventions
• Estimate the total and annual financial requirements for implementation of the State Program for the period of 2026-2030.
• Identify funding gaps and provide scenarios/options for phased or priority-based implementation and potential funding sources.

The consultant will work and consult closely with UNICEF’s nutrition team, national and international consultants, who are developing the State Programme, and engage with key government stakeholders and development partners. Briefly, the national consultant’s assignment will consist of the following:

1. Desk Review: Examine the State Programme on Nutrition, sectoral plans, budgets, and expenditure data.
2. Stakeholder Engagement: Conduct consultations with government ministries, development partners, and relevant stakeholders to validate activities, unit costs, and assumptions.
3. Costing Framework: Develop a structured costing framework including activity-based costing, assumptions, and scenarios.
4. Cost Estimates: Calculate the total cost of implementing the programme, broken down by year, sector, intervention areas and activities.
5. Funding Analysis: Map existing and projected financing from government and partners to identify funding gaps and potential funding sources.
6. Reporting: Produce an inception report, draft costing report, and final report with recommendations for sustainability and financing options.

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

• Education: Advanced university degree in Public Health, Health Economics, Finance, Economics, Public Policy, Nutrition, or a related field.
• Work Experience: At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in costing, budgeting, or financial analysis of public health, nutrition, or multisectoral programmes.
• Skills: Demonstrated experience in developing and applying costing tools or models for government programmes.
• Proven knowledge of health and/or nutrition financing and resource mobilization strategies.
• Experience working with government institutions and development partners in low- or middle-income countries.
• Language Requirements: Excellent verbal and writing skills in Russian and Tajik.• Knowledge of English is considered an advantage. 

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• CV and cover letter.
• Technical proposal describing approach/methodology to achieve the tasks of the TOR, workplan with concrete timeframes.
• Financial proposal in TJS-all inclusive, indicting fee per day (Annex 3 to be completed). Annex 3 at the  Annex 3.docx
• Two samples of previously delivered similar assignment.
• Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.

Applications must be received in the system by 16 October 2025 on UNICEF website.

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.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. 

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.