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 support

In Lao PDR, UNICEF works in partnership with the Government of Lao PDR and partners to promote and protect the rights of children and women in Lao PDR. With over 50 years of service, we are one of the longest-serving international organisations in the country.

Visit unicef.org/Laos to learn more about what we do at UNICEF in Lao PDR.

How can you make a difference? 

UNICEF Laos is seeking a Long - Term Agreement (LTA), Individual Consultancy as Professional Engagement of Disability Inclusion (social policy). The duration of this assignment will be 6 months, starting as soon as possible.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical expertise and strategic support on disability inclusion to the UNICEF Lao Country Office and the UNICEF global disability team. 

​The consultant will support capacity development, programme design, knowledge generation and stakeholder engagement to strengthen disability-inclusive systems and services, particularly in relation to screening, identification, referral pathways, disability support services and assistive technology, the consultant shall:

• Provide technical guidance on disability‑inclusive policies, programmes, and systems.
• Deliver trainings and develop materials to strengthen disability‑inclusion capacities.
• Facilitate stakeholder coordination, consultations, and participation of persons with disabilities.
• Produce technical inputs, reports, and evidence to inform UNICEF’s programming and policy work.

​Capacity Development  

​ The consultant will support the strengthening of knowledge, skills and institutional capacities required to advance disability-inclusive policies, programmes and services.  

​Key activities may include:  

• ​Design and deliver training sessions and professional development activities for UNICEF staff, government counterparts, implementing partners and civil society organizations on disability inclusion and rights-based approaches.  
• ​Develop and adapt training curricula, learning materials, technical guidance and practical tools to support disability-inclusive programming across sectors.  

​ 

• ​Support capacity strengthening of institutional actors responsible for disability policy, disability identification systems and disability-inclusive service delivery, including government ministries and national coordination bodies.  
• ​Provide guidance and training on the use and integration of assistive technologies, accessibility measures and inclusive practices within service systems.  
• ​Support initiatives aimed at community and parental engagement, including awareness-raising activities to reduce stigma and discrimination and promote the inclusion and participation of children with disabilities.  
• ​Contribute to knowledge sharing and learning initiatives at national, regional and global levels, including the documentation of good practices and lessons learned.  

​Technical Advice 

​ The consultant will provide technical advice to strengthen disability-inclusive policies, programmes and systems, with particular focus on integrated and cross-sectoral approaches.  

​Key activities may include:  

• ​Provide technical advice on the design and implementation of projects and programme activities that promote the inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities.  
• ​Support main streaming of disability inclusion across sectors, including health, rehabilitation and assistive technology, nutrition, education, social protection, child protection, and early childhood development,  
• ​Contribute to the integration of disability inclusion within UNICEF country programming, including inputs to the Country Programme Documents (CPD), programme strategies, and sectoral workplans.  
• ​Support the development of integrated service delivery approaches to provide coordinated support to children with disabilities and their families, including adolescent girls with disabilities and caregivers.  
• ​Provide technical support to the development and rollout of disability identification systems and referral pathways, including contributions to the design and implementation of the Disability Management Information System (DMIS).  
• ​Review and provide technical inputs to programme documents, policy papers, concept notes, funding proposals and strategic plans related to disability inclusion.  
• ​Analyze and synthesize evidence and lessons learned from national and regional initiatives to support evidence-based policy development and programme design.  

​Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation  

​ The consultant will support collaboration and coordination among stakeholders to strengthen disability-inclusive policies and systems.  

​Key activities may include:  

• ​Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify key actors involved in disability policy, service delivery and advocacy.  
• ​Support the organization and facilitation of consultations, dialogue platforms and participatory processes involving government agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), civil society organizations, development partners and UN agencies.  
• ​Facilitate the development of collaboration frameworks and coordination mechanisms, including technical working groups or coordination committees related to disability inclusion.  
• ​Support processes that strengthen alignment and complementarity between policies, programmes and interventions across sectors to promote coherent disability-inclusive systems.  
• ​Promote the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in policy development, programme design and monitoring processes.  
• ​Provide facilitation and technical support for joint planning workshops and multi-stakeholder dialogues related to disability inclusion initiatives.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: LTA ToR Disability Lao, Global- Adv.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in disability studies, rehabilitation sciences, public or global health, social policy, social protection, education, international development.  

Work Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in disability inclusion with a strong focus on children with disabilities and their families, including experience in low- and middle-income country contexts.  
• ​Demonstrated experience supporting the design, strengthening, or scale-up of services for children with disabilities, including integrated and cross-sectoral approaches across sectors such as health, rehabilitation, education, social protection, and child protection.  
• ​Proven experience in systems strengthening and policy support related to disability-inclusive services, including work with government ministries and national systems responsible for delivering services to children with disabilities.  
• ​Experience supporting the development of institutional and workforce capacity to deliver disability-inclusive services, including training and technical assistance to government counterparts, service providers, and implementing partners.  

Skills:

• Strong technical expertise in one or more of the following areas related to services for children with disabilities:  
• ​Assistive technology (AT) systems and service provision  
• ​Rehabilitation and habilitation services, including community-based approaches  
• ​Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and caregivers  
• ​Community case management and referral systems linking children with disabilities to services  
• ​Disability-inclusive social protection and caregiver support  
• ​Inclusive education and support services for learners with disabilities  
• ​Good understanding of disability identification, screening tools, referral pathways and service coordination mechanisms supporting integrated service delivery for children with disabilities.  
• ​Strong analytical, facilitation and communication skills, including experience conducting multi-stakeholder consultations, technical workshops and policy dialogue.  
• ​Excellent drafting skills in English with the ability to produce technical guidance, analytical reports, training materials and policy briefs.  

​Desirable  

• ​Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, or government institutions on disability-inclusive programming.  
• ​Experience supporting cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms linking services for children with disabilities across health, education, and social protection sectors.  
• ​Experience supporting the development or implementation of case management systems, or Disability Management Information Systems (DMIS).​ 

Submission of applications:

The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain XX separate attachments:

Cover letter and CV

Examples:  

1. A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be uploaded online)
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online)
3. Three Work Samples – This includes three previously written human-interest stories / reports / advertising materials / content created / proposal. It is critical to submit work samples as you will observe from the advertisement that marks have been assigned to these criteria for arriving at the most suitable candidate

iv. A financial proposal indicating professional fee as per the above template. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents).  Financial Proposal Template.doc

v. Certificates of mandatory courses (Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF (2020 version); Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (2021 version) & Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) (2021 version) consolidated in one single pdf. Note: If the LTA includes the optional fees for travel assignments, then BSAFE will be a mandatory course requirement to be added to the list of certificates to be uploaded at the time of application.

Without all the above 4 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

• Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
• Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
• Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
• Female candidates meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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 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.