Current vacancies

Explore our current job opportunities

Contract type

Locations

West and Central Africa Region

Functional Area

Programme

Position level

National Consultant - Child Protection (M&E), Accra Ghana 12 Months (On-site)

Apply now Job no: 585179
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Accra
Level: Consultancy
Location: Ghana
Categories: Child Protection

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 protection.

Children in Ghana frequently suffer from various forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, child labour, trafficking, online child sexual exploitation and abuse, neglect, among others. At the same time, about three in four children (73.4%) are multidimensionally poor, experiencing at least three deprivations across areas such as nutrition, health, child protection, learning and development, water, sanitation, housing and access to information.
 
At the sub-national level, social services, such as child protection, social protection, education, health and livelihood development support, often operate in isolation. This fragmentation limits children, youth and their families’ ability to access and benefit from the full range of available services. Additionally, only four out of ten positions in the district Department of Social Welfare and Community Development are filled. The lack of adequate staffing affects the quality of service delivery.
 
Against this background, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) with various mandates – Finance, Gender, Children, Social Protection, Local Government, Health, Health Insurance and Planning - have joined hands to implement the Integrated Social Services (ISS) approach since 2020. Aligned with the Local Governance Act, Children’s Act, Child and Family Welfare Policy, National Decentralization Policy and the National Social Protection Policy, ISS aims to make social services more responsive, accessible and integrated for vulnerable people. Through ISS, child protection, GBV, social protection, health, education and justice services collaborate to provide coordinated social support. Key activities supported under ISS include:
 
• Strengthening district planning, budgeting and performance management
• Equipping the social service workforce with skills, knowledge and job aid tools
• Conducting case management and multisectoral referrals through the Social Welfare Information Management System (SWIMS)
• Promoting social behaviour change through structured community engagement sessions.
 
As of October 2025, ISS is implemented in 210 Metropolitans, Municipals and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and has reached nearly 210,000 children with case management and referral services. Also, over 8 million people have been reached by the Ghanaians Against Child Abuse (GACA) social drive and the Child Protection Community Facilitation Toolkits through ISS. Additionally, 261 districts have child protection, social protection, health, GBV, education and WASH indicators in the annual action plan and their performance is measured against these indicators.
 

The National Child Protection Consultant will support ISS and SWIMS data collection, analysis, management, reporting, and visualization for improved evidence-based policies and programmes for child protection. In doing so, the consultant will work closely with the Government of Ghana ISS technical working group (mainly the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; Office of the Head of Local Government Service; and the National Development Planning Commission) as well as the UNICEF Primero team. The consultant will also support the assessment of the existing strategy to strengthen the social service workforce in Ghana and the development of a new evidence-based five-year strategy and investment cases for child protection workforce and services.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist (Child Protection Services and Workforce) and in collaboration with other relevant staff members from the CP, Social Policy and Inclusion (SPI) team and the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) team.
(1) Compile ISS biannual district reports digitally and conduct bi-annual ISS district data analysis
(2) Produce thematic analysis of the SWIMS data on key child protection concerns (i.e. sexual and gender-based violence, child labour and trafficking) and produce biannual reports
(3) Provide technical support to the Department of Social Welfare in implementing the care reform M&E database, analysing data and producing reports
(4) Review data sharing protocols between SWIMS and the Single Window Citizen Engagement Service (including Helpline of Hope) and the Ministry of Health’s e-tracker system to enhance system alignment
(5) Provide technical support to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in developing a child protection M&E framework and data dashboard and for capacity building on child protection reporting and M&E, including EVAC reporting following the Bogota EVAC conference pledge from Ghana.
(6) Support assessing the implementation of the National Action Plan against the Elimination of Human Trafficking 2023-2026 and the Ghana Accelerated Action Plan Against Child Labour 2024-2027
(7) Provide technical support to MoGCSP and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service in assessing the national strategy to strengthen the social service workforce and developing a new strategy and investment cases
(8) Support improving pre- and in-service ISS training programme and supervision guideline for the social service workforce and joint training with the health sector to improve linkages and referrals between health and child protection.
(9) Support UNICEF child protection presentation, reporting and proposals

 

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

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: Advanced university degree in social work, social development, social sciences, data management, computer science or relevant fields
  • Work Experience: Minimum five years of work experience in child protection; Experiences should include social service workforce strengthening and child protection information management system/data analysis work; Professional work experience in the management of programmes/projects, planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation; Proven experience in drafting analytical programme documents, reports and policy advocacy materials.
  • SkillsProject management with tight deadlines, interpersonal, planning, and writing skills; Demonstrated ability to establish harmonious and effective working relationships internally and externally, including with Government partners at national and sub-national levels, and UN; High-level communication skills, particularly in the writing and editing of reports for publication; Knowledge of Ghana's political and socioeconomic context at all levels
  • Language Requirements: Fluent in written and spoken English.

As part of the technical document submission, please provide an example of your previous writing of a data analytic report.

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.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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. For this position, eligible and suitable Ghanaian nationals are encouraged to apply.

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.

Advertised: Greenwich Standard Time
Deadline: Greenwich Standard Time

Back to search results Apply now