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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 fordeveloping 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

Consultancy: Evaluation Team Leader  

Duty Station: Evaluation Office (EO), Institutional Effectiveness Section

Duration: 1 December 2025 – 31 May 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The Guidance Note of the UN Secretary General (S-G) on Child Rights Mainstreaming (CRM) 2023 aims to integrate child rights across all United Nations (UN) activities. The evaluability assessment is being planned to understand UNICEF and the UN system’s capacities and readiness to implement the Guidance Note. This evaluability assessment will provide credible evidence in relation to existing mechanisms, actions, capacities, barriers and enablers for the mainstreaming of children’s rights across the UN system with the aim of providing actionable insights to strengthen implementation.

The evaluation will be managed by the UNICEF Evaluation Office using a blended management approach with a team comprising two internal staff members and two external consultants. The two external consultants will bring complementary expertise, with one serving as the Evaluation Team Leader/ and the other as the Child Rights Consultant. Close collaboration with the UNICEF Human Rights Team in the Programme Group, the Office of the Executive Director, and other stakeholders is expected.

This ToR relates specifically to the Evaluation Team Leader role. The consultant will provide strategic and methodological support for the evaluation, ensuring high-quality, timely, and credible deliverables through effective coordination, stakeholder engagement, and rigorous design, data collection, analysis and reporting.

Full details of the evaluation are provided in the Terms of Reference for the Evaluability assessment and formative evaluation on the Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Child Rights Mainstreaming

(See here Evaluability Assessment and Formative Evaluation of Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Child Right Mainstreaming).

Scope of Work:

• Coordinate and oversee the work of the evaluation team, including collaboration with the UNICEF Evaluation Office staff.
• Manage the evaluation workplan and ensure timely submission of deliverables.
• Lead the overall methodological design and implementation of the evaluation.
• Oversee and conduct document review, literature review and monitoring data mapping.
• Oversee and conduct data collection activities (i.e., KIIs, FGDs, surveys, self-assessment tool and rubric), ensuring methodological rigor and ethical compliance.
• Lead the analysis, triangulation and interpretation of data, ensuring quality and coherence of findings.
• Lead the drafting and finalization of findings, recommendations and deliverables, including the inception note, evaluation report, presentation materials and other deliverables as per the Terms of Reference.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, including Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) consultations, findings validation workshops and recommendations co-creation workshops.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1.  Phase 1 – Inception: Lead methodological design; conduct literature and document review; refine evaluation scope and questions; and oversee development of the theory of change, evaluation framework, and prioritization criteria, and data collection tools

-  Draft and final inception notes

31 Jan 2026

2. Phase 2 – Data collection set-up and collection:

Oversee finalization and piloting of data collection tools; conduct data collection (interviews, focus groups, surveys); continue literature and document review; and ensure quality and ethical compliance across all activities.

Phase 3 – Analysis and Reporting: Lead quantitative and qualitative data analysis and triangulation; synthesize findings; draft the evaluation report and benchmarking toolkit; and facilitate findings validation workshops

- Completion of all planned data collection activities. Draft evaluation report, workshop presentation materials and summaries, final indicator reference sheet, final self-assessment tool and rubric, and draft UN-wide child rights benchmarking toolkit.

31 April 2026

3.  Phase 4 – Finalization and Communication: Facilitate co-creation of recommendations workshops; finalize the evaluation report and toolkit; prepare the evaluation brief and presentation deck; and ensure integration of stakeholder feedback and quality assurance

-  Final evaluation report, comment matrix, evaluation brief, presentation deck, final documentation package

30 May 2026

Qualifications

Education:   

Advanced University Degree (Masters) in research, evaluation, social sciences or related field.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Minimum 10 years of experience leading complex mixed-methods evaluations.
• Expertise in conducting evaluations for multilateral or international organizations (e.g., UN agencies, IFIs, NGOs), for various stakeholders, and across the development-humanitarian nexus as relevant.
• Expertise in evaluability assessments, formative evaluations, policy evaluations, and baseline assessments.
• Strong skills in managing and coordinating a range of stakeholders, including high-level UN personnel.
• Expertise in designing and facilitating surveys, interviews and group discussions.
• Proficiency in qualitative data analysis and document review using Artificial Intelligence.
• Experience conducting ethical and inclusive evaluations, including integrating human rights, gender-equality, equity and inclusion considerations.
• Strong facilitation skills for participatory evaluation (sensemaking and co-creation of recommendations).
• Familiarity with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) norms and standards for evaluation.
• Familiarity with UNICEF or other multilateral organizations.
• Excellent writing, synthesis, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and knowledge of another UN language.
• A collaborative working style and ability to contribute to a blended evaluation team

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

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. 

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.