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.

Advert - National consultant to develop a case-study on the Kudhinnaa Gaathun initiative

For every child, the right to a safe and resilient environment!

“Kudhinnaa Gaathun”, literally translated as “close to the child”, is UNICEF Maldives’ bold initiative to safeguard the rights of children and youth in a country where 66.5% of children live in the atolls and 80% of islands have populations under 2,000. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between national policies and local implementation by fostering stronger connections between systems, services, and communities at the island level.

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Maldives—demographically, socially, and environmentally—Kudhinnaa Gaathun promotes a collective and adaptive approach to delivering child-focused services. It seeks to address fragmented service delivery, promote convergence across sectors, and incrementally realize “Aharumen Beynunvaa Rah” (“the island we want”): a child-friendly, climate-resilient island where children have access to quality education, health, nutrition, and protection services.

The initiative is currently being implemented through eight flagship interventions across selected islands, with a focus on learning by doing. This adaptive model allows UNICEF and its partners to test, refine, and scale effective approaches to programme convergence.

To support this process, UNICEF Maldives is seeking a consultant to document good practices and lessons learned in the design and implementation of Kudhinnaa Gaathun. The documentation will serve as a key resource for informing future programming, public engagement, and national scale-up.

How can you make a difference? 

To produce a comprehensive and reader-friendly case-study on Kudhinnaa Gaathun, including the documentation of good practices and lessons learned during the design and implementation.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  VA - ToR_Documentation of KG.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education 

•   A degree in journalism, development communication, social sciences, development studies, public policy, economics, child development, education, and/or related fields.  A master’s degree in a relevant field will be considered an added advantage.

Work Experience

• Proven experience in storytelling, documentation, journalism, or development communication.
• Excellent writing and interviewing skills.
• Expertise in communications and facilitation skills, engaging in evidence-based policy dialogue with Government and other key stakeholders. Excellent knowledge and experience on the social sector situation in Maldives.  
• Familiarity with UNICEF mandate and policy, including the human rights-based approach and of gender dimensions.  
•  Work sample of their previous work on similar assignments will be an added advantage. 

Language Proficiency

• Excellent writing skills in English
• Excellent communication skills in Dhivehi

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 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

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.

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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.