About UNICEF

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: Child Rights Mainstreaming Consultant   

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 Team Leader/Senior Evaluation Specialist and the other as the Child Rights Specialist. 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 Child Rights Mainstreaming Consultant role. The consultant will ensure that  expertise in the mainstreaming of children’s rights, including due regards to child rights frameworks, standards and principles, is fully embedded across the evaluation design, implementation, analysis, and deliverables, with a particular focus on anchoring the theory of change, evaluation framework, data collection tools, interpretation of findings, and recommendations in a child rights-based approach.

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:

• Provide technical leadership on child rights mainstreaming, ensuring alignment of all activities and deliverables with the Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Child Rights Mainstreaming.
• Contribute to the overall methodological design of the theory of change, evaluation framework and data collection tools (interview questionnaires, online survey, and self-assessment tool and rubric), ensuring quality and coherence with regard to child rights.
• Conduct literature review, document review and data collection activities (KIIs, FGDs, surveys, self-assessment tool and rubric) along with evaluation team members.
• Contribute to the analysis, triangulation and interpretation of data.
• Contribute to 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.
• Engage with the Evaluation Reference Group and other stakeholders to validate findings and co-create recommendations.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1.  Phase 1 – Inception: Contribute to Inception Note, including  methodological design, refine evaluation scope and questions, and develop theory of change, evaluation framework, prioritization criteria, and data collection tools; conduct literature and document review

-  Inputs into draft and final inception note (overarching  theory of change, evaluation framework, and prioritization criteria and decision tool) related to child rights mainstreaming, ensuring alignment with the Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Child Rights Mainstreaming. Draft literature and document review.

31 Jan 2026

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

Work with the evaluation team to finalize and pilot the 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: Work with the evaluation team to conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis and triangulation; synthesize findings; draft the evaluation report and benchmarking toolkit; and facilitate findings validation workshops.

- Completion of interviews and other data collection activities.

Provide inputs related to child rights mainstreaming into 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. Final literature and document review

31 Apr 2026

3.  Phase 4 – Finalization and Communication: Work with the evaluation team to 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.

-  Inputs in relations to child rights mainstreaming into the final evaluation report, comment matrix, evaluation brief, presentation deck, final documentation package

30 May 2026

Qualifications

Education:   

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Advanced knowledge of children’s rights legal frameworks at the international level is required.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in providing expert technical advice on children’s rights and child rights-based approaches, including to inform policy, programmes and evaluations in international and development contexts, including for multilateral or international organizations (e.g., UN agencies, IFIs, NGOs), for various stakeholders, and across the development-humanitarian nexus as relevant.
• Expertise in child rights mainstreaming and providing child rights mainstreaming advice for multilateral or international organizations (e.g., UN agencies, IFIs, NGOs).
• Expertise in the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including child rights outcomes, indicators, and theory of change aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and/or Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Child Rights Mainstreaming.
• Experience in designing surveys, interview questionnaires and self-assessment tools.
• Strong skills in interviewing, workshop facilitation and stakeholder consultation, including with high-level UN personnel.
• Proficiency in document review, literature review and qualitative data analysis.
• Experience conducting ethical and inclusive evaluations, including integrating human rights, gender-equality, equity and inclusion considerations.
• Familiarity with UNICEF or other multilateral organizations.
• Excellent writing, synthesis, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and knowledge of another UN language are required.
• 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.