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For every child, the right to social protection  

How can you make a difference? 

The level of global economic and political volatility has increased considerably in recent years, creating development challenges that threaten both the ability of governments to fund essential services and that of households to provide for their children. Aid is rapidly falling, rising tariffs are making trading relationships increasingly uncertain, climate change is impacting the poorest and adaptation costs are rapidly growing, and debt has become an acute crisis, draining already scarce resources. Accordingly, UNICEF is increasingly concerned about the rising volatility and the burden of national debt and debt service obligations, particularly in lower- and lower-middle-income countries, where shrinking fiscal space threatens social spending and, ultimately, children's rights. In response to these challenges, UNICEF is undertaking a research program aimed at contributing to policy discussions and the development of actionable responses to better protect children’s rights across low and lower middle-income countries. This research seeks to (i) assess and articulate the impacts of the current debt situation, economic volatility, and ODA reductions on children and young people (ii) explore policy approaches to debt management and restructuring that prioritize child outcomes and the long-term benefits of investing in human capital. A core element of this research is in-depth analysis of countries experience of the debt crisis and the implications for children and young people.

Against this background, Ghana has been selected as one of the country case studies. The immediate triggers of the debt crisis, including in Ghana, includes a combination of large-scale shocks such as the outbreak of COVID-19, the spike in energy and food commodity prices due to the war in Ukraine alongside a longer-term trend of increasing debt levels to fund various large-scale development projects (Abotebuno Akolgo, 2023). However, the underpinning causes lie in the persistent structural economic constraints facing Ghana as well as many other countries on the continent (Abotebuno Akolgo, 2023). In 2022, domestic debt was 44.7 percent of total debt while 55 percent was external debt (Ministry of Finance, 2024). In 2022, 60.3% of the total external debt was due to commercial holders and 27.8% to multilateral creditors (Ministry of Finance, 2023). Ghana undertook a restructuring of its debt over recent years. Domestic debt was included in the restructuring process and culminated in the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP), introduced in 2022. The DDEP aimed to majorly restructure domestic debt, this is the first case of such a domestic debt restructuring on the continent (Grigorian and Lili Vessereau, 2024). Ghana is considered to have had a better and more efficient debt restructuring process as well as achieving more debt relief compared to other countries, such as Zambia (Grigorian and Lili Vessereau, 2024). Although the inclusion of a major domestic debt restructuring is often highlighted as a strength of the Ghanaian process, it caused various political tensions as domestic individual holders of government debt in the form of pension funds and insurance were brought into the restructuring process (Abotebuno Akolgo, 2023).

UNICEF finds that the total budget allocated to the social sector in 2024 is Ghc48.3 billion which is 20% more than the allocation in 2023. The 2024 allocation is 4.6% of GDP lower than the 5% in 2023. The trend from 2019 onwards has been a falling or only steady rate of social sector allocation to GDP (UNICEF Budget Brief, 2024). The World Bank project that poverty increased in recent years with 26.4% of the population living under the international poverty line in 2022 and this is projected to increase in the coming years (World Bank, 2025). Simulations suggest that in 2022 nearly 850,000 Ghanaians were pushed into poverty due to rising prices and the loss in purchasing power (World Bank, 2023). Inflation has had devastating effects on food security in Ghana. Food prices increased by 34 percent on average in 2022. By the last quarter of 2022, one quarter of the population was deemed food insecure (World Bank, 2023). Furthermore, Asante et. al, (2024) argue that the introduction of various new tax measures including an E-Levy, in the midst of an economic crisis exacerbated the already fraught citizen-state relations. The current IMF programme is due to end in May 2026.

Debt interest payments consume a significant share of the government budget, accounting for 26.1% of total revenues in 2025. At GH¢59.9 billion, expenditure on interest payments exceeds the combined budget allocations to the Ministries of Education, Health, and Gender, Children and Social Protection by 14.1%. Hence the country research seeks to (i) outline the debt and economic context in Ghana, (ii) identify the impacts of the debt, ODA and economic crisis on children in as real a way as possible, (iii) unpack the political economy drivers of these impacts, and (iv) develop national recommendations for action.

Scope of Work
The overarching question is how has the crisis in debt, the reductions in ODA and economic pressures been affecting children in Ghana? How might this evolve in the future and what might be key policy actions to address the situation?

Objectives
The study seeks to, among other things:
• Outline the debt and economic context in Ghana (including changes in economic growth, ODA, trade and employment levels)
• Identify the impacts of the debt crisis, ODA reductions, and economic challenges on children in as real a way as possible
• Explaining the political economy drivers of these impacts in Ghana
• Develop national recommendations for action

Methodology
The consultant is expected to deliver an 8000-10,000-word report focused on assessing the impact of the debt crises on children in Ghana. The research process will include a literature review, compiling quantitative data on debt, social spending, service provision, and child outcomes and analyse trends overtime, as well as the collection of qualitative data through interviews and focus group discussions. The Consultant is expected to use this data to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current debt situation, assess the impact of the debt crisis on children, examine the political economy factors driving these outcomes, and offer practical recommendations to inform government policy interventions as well as programming by UNICEF and Partners.

As such, the Consultant is expected to produce a report covering, but not limited to the following:
i. Context: A brief outline of the current debt situation in Ghana, such as the level and composition of debt since 2010, including a brief description of the how debt financing was used. An overview of how total debt (domestic and external) has evolved and whether the level has increased overtime. Outline a timeline of the crisis period in order to understand when debt sustainability started to become an issue and how it interacts with other shocks such as the COVID-19, economic shocks related to conflict or tariffs, and reductions in ODA.

ii. The Impacts of the debt crisis and other economic challenges on children: Focus on three factors to understand the impact of the debt crisis and economic challenges on children; how the crisis has placed pressure on social spending and investment, the impact of the crisis on the budgets and functioning of specific social policy sectors, and whether the impact of the debt crisis can be observed in data on child outcomes.

iii. Political economy drivers of these impacts: Beyond reducing spending on social sectors what are the mechanisms the Government have used to manage the debt situation e.g. increasing taxes, drawing down international reserves or sovereign wealth funds, depleting fiscal buffers, or sustaining higher fiscal deficits, halting disbursements on new loans etc. What has been the impact of these measures on children. In addition, unpack the political economy mechanisms driving the impacts of the debt crisis on children.

iv. Recommendations: put forward recommendations which could reduce the burden of the debt crisis on children. These recommendations intend to both i) speak to national process and actions to address debt challenges that are affecting children; and ii) provide experience and ideas to support recommendation for the global publications that could be considered across impacted countries.

The following are the expected key deliverables and timelines. Kindly click on the attached and provide your  Proposed Budget from Consultant - Impact of debt on Children.docx for the assignment

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced degree in economics, public finance, public policy, fiscal studies or related field.

Work Experience:

• At least 7 years’ experience in macroeconomic modelling, research and analysis.
• Experience in debt management, debt sustainability analysis and.
• Demonstrable experience in public debt management, analysis including public debt dynamics and their implications for social spending and or debt strategy formulation/ implementation,
• Demonstrated expertise in linking economic and fiscal policies to child rights and social outcomes, including education, health, nutrition, and social protection.
• Strong understanding of debt sustainability analysis (DSA) and publication on debt is an added advantage.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and presentation skills, with a proven record of producing high-quality policy reports or research papers.
• Ability to translate complex economic findings into clear, policy-relevant messages for non-technical audiences.
• Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English (both spoken and written) is required.

Desirables:

• Experience with public debt analysis, including DSA and publications on debt.
• Appreciation of debt situation in low-middle income countries

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.

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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 candidates from marginalized communities, female candidates and people with disabilities, 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. 

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