UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, result

The private sector in Nepal has emerged as a vital partner in addressing critical development challenges, including empowering adolescent girls, promoting family-friendly workplaces, and advancing climate action. Recognizing this, UNICEF Nepal, in December 2023, convened a successful roundtable with senior representatives from around 21 businesses across diverse industries, such as hospitality, technology, retail, banking, and sports. This event highlighted a strong appetite for collaboration and laid the foundation for deeper engagement to benefit Nepal’s children and families. Building on this momentum, UNICEF Nepal plans to initiate targeted dialogues and co-create solutions with businesses in 2025. These efforts will focus on empowering adolescent girls, fostering family-friendly business practices, and engaging businesses and young people in climate action. The ultimate goal is to formalize and implement partnerships between 2026 and 2027. The experiences gained from these partnerships will inform the organization's private sector engagement strategy in the upcoming 2028-2032 country programme.

In this context, UNICEF seeks to engage an individual consultant to conduct a comprehensive mapping exercise of the private sector's current adoption of family-friendly workplace policies. The findings from this mapping will provide critical insights into existing practices, identify gaps and challenges, and highlight best practices. This evidence will guide future advocacy and engagement with the private sector, helping UNICEF Nepal and its partners foster sustainable solutions that support the wellbeing and development of children and families. 

Purpose of the Assignment:

The objective of the consultancy is to assess the extent and nature of family-friendly policies adopted by private sector companies, identify best practices, and highlight gaps that need to be addressed. Specific objectives include:

• Mapping existing family-friendly policies, including parental leave, childcare support, breastfeeding spaces, flexible working arrangements, and health benefits.
• Identifying companies leading in family-friendly practices.
• Analyzing barriers and challenges faced by companies in adopting such policies.
• Providing actionable recommendations for scaling family-friendly policies.

Scope of Work

• Conduct a literature review of existing studies, reports, and policy frameworks on family-friendly workplace practices.
• Develop and administer surveys and/or conduct interviews with HR representatives and senior management from selected companies.
• Identify and document the status of family-friendly policies in companies across various sectors.
• Highlight exemplary companies with innovative practices.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations to encourage the adoption of family-friendly policies.
• Draft and present a comprehensive report of findings and recommendations. 

Duration of the Contract: The total duration of the assignment is for 30 days starting from 01 April 2025.

Deliverables for the Assignment:

• Submission of inception report detailing methodology, work plan, and survey tools – By 9 April 2025 ( 5 days)
• Submission of draft mapping report with key findings, best practices and preliminary recommendations – By 01 May 2025 (15 days)
• Submission of final comprehensive report incorporating feedback – By 15 May 2025 (10 days)

For details on the assignment including tasks and deliverables, please refer to the link: Terms of Reference.

Note:

Please submit financial proposal based on the above deliverables.

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

Education:

Master’s degree in human resources, sociology, business or related fields

Work experience: 

• At least 5 years of experience in research, mapping, assessments, report writing
• Must have a prior experience working with private sector
• Strong understanding of private sector in the country and family-friendly workplace policies.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to engage and interview senior-level stakeholders.

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. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:  

Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

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.