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: Organizational Performance Management Consultant   

Duty Station: DAPM/PET/OPU

Duration: 22 Dec 2025 – 30 Jun 2026  

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) was established in 2019 to drive decision making and organizational learning, improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child.

Within DAPM, the Programme Effectiveness Team (PET) leads, regulates and coordinates the development and issuance of organization-wide procedures, policies, standards, guidance, and tools to strengthen programme effectiveness across all contexts, including programme planning, implementation, monitoring, organizational performance management, knowledge management and organizational learning, at all levels.

To strengthen organizational effectiveness and accountability, UNICEF seeks to design and implement a comprehensive Performance Management Framework (PMF) that aligns individual, team, and organizational goals as formulated in Global Strategic Plan documents and locally withing in the Country Programme Documents.

The aim of this framework is to ensure that performance management is continuous, fair, transparent, and development oriented.

 

Scope of Work:

The objective of this consultancy is to design a Performance Management Framework that:

• Aligns individual, team and programme priorities with organizational priorities.
• Integrates performance planning, continuous feedback, development, and recognition.
• Provides clear performance indicators and evaluation criteria.
• Embeds accountability and organizational learning.

 

The main activities for this consultancy assignment are:

Phase 1: Diagnostic and Benchmarking

• Conduct initial assessment by interviewing with key stakeholders (Management, HR, Country Teams and other HQ/RO representatives).
• Map all existing performance management processes, tools, procedures and policies at all levels.
• Conduct a mapping exercise of accountability framework against the existing processes, tools and practices
• Identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the current system.
• Benchmark best practices among comparable multilateral and UN system organizations.

Phase 2: Framework Design

• Develop a conceptual Performance Management Framework including:
• Principles and objectives
• Performance cycle (planning, monitoring, review, feedback, and development)
• Tools and templates
• Roles and responsibilities of staff, supervisors, and HR
• Linkages with learning and development, talent management, and rewards.
• Propose a change management and implementation strategy.
• Recommend technology/system enablers (if applicable).

Phase 3: Validation and Finalization

• Facilitate consultations with key stakeholders (Management, HR, Country Teams and other HQ/RO representatives).
• Incorporate feedback into a final framework and operational guidance note.
• Develop a short implementation roadmap and capacity-building plan.

The consultant will be provided:

• Links to all key Resources – Policies, process documents, report on accountability system, Global strategic documents etc.

 

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1.  Stakeholder Interview, Performance Management System Review, Diagnostic Assessments, Benchmarking Report

- Performance Management System review report including

• including details of key insights, emerging themes and concerns)
• analysis of current processes, tools and policies.
• Comparative matrix with accountability elements and current practices

Summary of lessons learned and best practices

28 Feb 2026

2.  Conceptual PM Framework (including change management and implementation strategy)

- Framework including

• Defined principles and objectives
• Standardized tools and templates

Assessment of digital tools and platforms

30 Apr 2026

3.  Final PM Framework

- Final deliverables should include

• Final framework document
• Roadmap for implementation

Change management strategy

30 Jun 2026

 

Qualifications

Education:   

Advanced University degree in organizational leadership, organization Performance and/or performance management

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• At least 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in organizational performance and accountability.
• Designing or implementing performance management framework and/or strategies.
• Demonstrated experience in designing multi-tiered performance frameworks or enterprise performance systems within international organizations that cascade from organizational strategies to individual work plans.
• Proven experience in linking performance with accountability mechanisms

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.