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 thrive

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF works with governments and partners to achieve results for children that are sustainable, equitable and at scale. Achieving such results increasingly depends not only on UNICEF’s own resources, but on the Organization’s ability to leverage financing (public and private, internal and external), capacities, systems and partnerships for children.

Leveraging goes beyond traditional fundraising. It involves using UNICEF’s technical expertise, evidence, convening power, and catalytic funding to unlock, align or influence much larger volumes of public and private resources and reforms that benefit children. Integrating leveraging as a core programming and partnership strategy can help ensure that UNICEF’s support contributes to systemic and long-term change—especially in contexts where fiscal space is constrained and sustainable domestic financing and reform are critical.

A recent review of successful leveraging in UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region has demonstrated that successful leveraging has typically depended on:

• Highly qualified national technical staff who understand the political economy, reform history and key actors, and who serve as trusted partners to government.
• Long-term engagement, regular exchanges, strong partnerships, and commitment to support reforms, often over several years.
• Strategic use of reform windows such as EU accession processes, crises (e.g. COVID-19), or political transitions.
• Politically astute UNICEF country management with strong convening power and access for high-level dialogue.
• Flexible, multi-year funding that allows rapid response to government requests and shifting opportunities.
• Whole-of-office approaches combining analysis, technical assistance, communication and advocacy.

Despite these lessons, UNICEF in ECA does not yet have a common framework, shared language, or way to measure leveraging. To address this gap, this consultancy will develop a strategic reflection document and practical framework for action to embed leveraging more deliberately across UNICEF’s programmes, planning, and partnerships with governments and development partners in Europe and Central Asia.

Specific objectives are to:

1. Define “leveraging” in UNICEF ECA’s operational and programmatic context, distinguishing between leveraging of financing (public and private, internal and external) and leveraging of results.
2. Develop a conceptual and operational framework for integrating leveraging as a core strategy within Country Programme planning, including in the CPD, CPMP, and RAM processes.
3. Identify practical tools and approaches to help staff and government partners in ECA think through pathways to sustainable results and financing.
4. Recommend metrics and indicators for tracking leveraged financing and leveraged results, with an eye to measurability and contribution/attribution of UNICEF.
5. Identify organizational capacities, systems and incentives needed to strengthen leveraging practice across offices in ECA.
6. Map bottlenecks and propose solutions for institutional and contextual constraints to leveraging.
7. Link leveraging approaches to political economy analysis and engagement, identifying how UNICEF can seize reform opportunities and build sustainable coalitions for change.
8. Outline a concrete plan of action to institutionalize leveraging across UNICEF ECA’s programming and partnership work.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work

The consultant will:

1. Conduct a desk review of UNICEF and external documents, including programme evaluations, country case studies and existing examples of leveraging, CPDs, and global guidance on systems strengthening and financing for children.
2. Carry out key informant interviews (approximately 10) with staff from Country Offices, Regional Offices, and HQ Divisions (Programme Group, PPD, PFP).
3. Facilitate virtual focus group discussions to explore current practices, success factors and challenges in leveraging.
4. Develop a conceptual framework describing types, pathways and enabling factors of leveraging in UNICEF in ECA.
5. Propose metrics and indicators for monitoring leveraging within UNICEF’s Results Assessment Module (RAM) and reporting frameworks.
6. Identify capacity and skill gaps and recommend actions to strengthen UNICEF’s ability to leverage at scale.
7. Prepare a concise strategic reflection document (15–20 pages) and a draft framework for action for UNICEF ECA, with specific short-, medium- and long-term steps.

Key questions to consider in completing this assignment include:

• How should UNICEF define and communicate the concept of leveraging?
• How can leveraging be embedded in the Country Programme Management Process (CPMP) and in UNICEF’s cooperation frameworks with governments?
• What are typical pathways for leveraging sustainable results and financing?
• How can leveraging be linked to political economy analysis and reform opportunities?
• What indicators and metrics can be used to track leveraged results and resources?
• What organizational, cultural, or procedural bottlenecks limit leveraging, and how can these be addressed?
• What skills, capacities and incentives are required among staff to strengthen leveraging practice?
• How does leveraging differ, if at all, for public and private resources?

Work Assignment Overview

Estimated Duration of the Contract

25 working days between December 2025 and February 2026

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be home-based with no travels foreseen.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 25 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

Minimum requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Minimum 10–15 years of progressively responsible experience in international development, public finance, or systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic frameworks, policy analyses, or think pieces for multilateral organizations or governments.
• Strong understanding of public sector financing, governance, and political economy analysis.
• Proven experience facilitating virtual consultations and synthesizing complex inputs.
• Prior experience with UNICEF or familiarity with UNICEF programme approaches and systems.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills in English.

Desirables:

• The following field of studies are desirable: Public Policy, Economics, Social Sciences, International Development or related field.
• A Master’s degree is desirable.
• Previous work experience in Europe and Central Asia is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Please submit a full CV, a Cover Letter, and at least two (2) recent writing samples (URL or as attachments) in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.