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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 peace 

PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT:

UNICEF is globally mandated to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2026-2029 recognizes the critical role of localization and local governance, through local governments and actors, as accelerators for the realization of children’s rights.

Engaging with local governments and other local stakeholders supports and finances critical transformations in system-building and enhances local capacities. This contributes to improved outcomes for children and their families, ensuring their needs are prioritized and protected, especially those of the most marginalized. As a result, UNICEF has been engaging with local governments and actors for many years, across different entry points, including through UNICEF National Committees in high-income countries. Twenty-one National Committees reported working on different elements of local governance programming, aiming to further enhance results for children at the subnational and local level. The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is one of the engagement platforms through which National Committees partner with local governments in many countries.

Since 2021, a new CFCI guidance document, developed and issued by PG Social Policy and Social Protection at HQ has been implemented in UNICEF National Committees. In parallel, reflection on the implementation by National Committees of a local governance approach beyond the CFCI methodology has been launched to ensure a strategic and tailored approach towards local governments, aligned with their national advocacy strategy. With the transition of the PG Social Policy and Social Protection Team at HQ to the newly established Center of Excellence, additional support will be required for the CFCI. This support is essential to ensure continuity of supervision and quality assurance of strategic activities implemented by the National Committees. It also enhances the coherence of activities implemented by Country Offices.

The objectives of this consultancy are to support the implementation of UNICEF Local Governance Framework within National Committees advocacy work using the Child Friendly Cities approach, integrated within UNICEF Subnational and Local Governance Framework, and to enable National Committees to advocate for child friendly local governance and child rights implementation through their local governance systems within their countries. The consultancy will aim to support National Committees’ efforts toward enhanced child-friendly local governance policies, strategies, and plans, as well as improved financing for child related programmes at local level, ensuring equitable implementation of children’s rights.  It will also aim to sustain the global network of National Committees, cities, and municipalities committed to realizing child rights at local level through enhanced implementation of the local governance programming approach through the Child Friendly Cities approach.

The consultancy will enable the community of National Committees and Country Offices engaged on local governance programming to strengthen their child rights advocacy focus and further revitalize the community of child friendly local governments in National Committees countries, as well as in countries classified as high-income, implementing the CFCI with UNICEF Offices classified as Private Sector Fundraising (PSFR) Offices.  It will also assist in organizing meetings, events, and technical webinars; and in developing and promoting additional tools (such as toolkits, strategic frameworks, and guidance) to enhance the understanding and implementation of a child-friendly local governance approach that leads to strong and measurable results for children.

How can you make a difference? 

SCOPE OF WORK:

The main scope of this consultancy is to provide support and ensure alignment with UNICEF programme and policy strategies and approaches in the implementation of the local governance programming approach by the National Committees (also enhancing the coherence of activities implemented by Country Offices), including through the Child Friendly Cities platform.  This includes coordinating the development of strategic documents and completing the set of tools for all offices; coordinating and facilitating learning, knowledge exchange, and mutual support among National Committees and Country Offices; and organizing internal and external events and meetings targeted to child-friendly cities and municipalities in National Committees’ countries and in Country Offices.

WORK ASSIGNMENTS OVERVIEW:

1. Reinforce PME tools and capacities / knowledge management for National Committees involved in Local Governance.

2. Organize and support thematic and methodological exchanges and best practices amongst cities in programme countries and high-income countries, capacity building for National Committees and for Country Offices.

3. Ensure the adequate and strategic application of the local governance / CFCI approaches and methodology by National Committees and Country Offices.

4. Implement the resource mobilization strategy for Local Governance programming in National Committees looking at both private and public funds mobilization

Support the resource mobilization for Local Finance Programming in UNICEF Country Offices and technical support of the UNICEF Center of Excellence.

5. Support the implementation of the communication strategy of National Committees for the CFC and the development of communication tools in support of CFCI countries.

DELIVERABLES/OUTPUTS:

Deliverable 1:  Update reports to be submitted quarterly.

• Regular CFCI PME working group calls are organized.
• M&E templates, checklists, and/or guidelines for action plans with indicators, assessments, and final evaluation are produced.
• Further capacity-building materials on the local governance approach are developed and disseminated.
• Collection of best practices is updated.

Deliverable 2: Update reports to be submitted quarterly.

• Two webinars for Child Friendly Cities and Child-Friendly local governments are organized with the participation of local governments from Northern and Southern countries.
• A Child Friendly Cities and Child Friendly Local Governance Inspire Award organized.
• National Committees supported in organizing exchanges among NatCom teams and among NatCom countries.
• Knowledge and good practices in local governance programming are exchanged between NatCom and programme countries. Ten monthly calls for the CFC network are organized.
• Thematic webinars (e.g., climate, urban planning, gender integration, migration, etc.) are organized or supported as needed.

Deliverable 3: Update reports to be submitted quarterly.

• Support for NatCom for the implementation of sustainability and scalability strategic approaches (via webinars, bilateral exchanges, and missions to countries).
• A set of additional tools for Local Governance/CFC implementation is developed (templates, readiness checklist, step-by-step guide); an exit strategy.
• An annual report is developed with recommendations on implementation and alignment of National Committees’ local governance implementation with CFC guidance and UNICEF Guidance on Programming in High-Income Countries.

Deliverable 4: Update reports to be submitted quarterly.

• Conceptualize, and, if feasible, operationalize at least one new initiative in this regard, such as a triangular cooperation facility, city twinning, provision of experts secondments, or organization of study tours.
• An updated version of fundraising tools (proposal, presentations, mappings, etc.) is developed.
• A webinar related to Local Governance/CFC fundraising for the National Committees is organized.
• Support is provided to National Committees on their local governance programming and fundraising strategies.
• Participate in meetings and develop communication materials and at least 3 proposals with potential donors for the Local Financing Programme of UNICEF Center of Excellence.

Deliverable 5: Update reports to be submitted quarterly.

• A communication strategy for LG/CFCs within the network is developed.
• Communication assets for National Committees are developed and shared.
• Regular updates and maintenance of the CFC website are provided.

Travel:

• One travel is expected to support the National Committees, as prioritized and this will be covered separately by UNICEF.

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

Education:

• Master’s degree in one of the following fields is required: public administration, public policy, development studies, social sciences, or closely related field.
• Alternatively, a first level university degree in a relevant field in combination with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 5 (five) years of professional experience in project management of development programme or project in/with international organization, is required.
• Experience and understanding of child rights, human rights approach to programming and local governance is required.
• Experience with child rights programme implementation is strongly desired.
• Knowledge and experience with UNICEF programming and experience in working with UNICEF National Committees is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience in programmatic and/or advocacy work in high-income countries is required.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities initiative is an asset.
• Experience and understanding of knowledge management approaches, fundraising and advocacy approaches is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

Remarks:  

Please indicate your all-inclusive (lump sum) fees against the deliverables listed above, including all associated administrative and travel costs (if applicable), in the cover letter. The office selects the individual based on best value for money.

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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. 

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.