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For every child, the right to 

 

Scope of Work:

Guinea-Bissau is a West African country located along the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of approximately 2 million people (51% women and 47% children) and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated at $2 billion in 2023. The country faces deeply rooted socio-economic and political challenges that significantly hinder development and affect the well-being of its population, especially children. The latest Human Development Report (2025) published by the UNDP ranks Guinea-Bissau 174th out of 193 countries, highlighting its low Human Development Index (HDI).

Economic growth, estimated at 4.5% in 2023, has not translated into improved living conditions for the majority of the population. Poverty remains widespread, with 67% of the population (48% are children) living below the poverty line (on less than US$2 per day), and more than one-third in extreme poverty (on less than US$1 per day). Additionally, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6 2018-2019) reveals that 64% of the population experience multidimensional poverty, with rural areas being the most affected. Gender inequalities are pervasive, significantly impacting inclusive growth and development. Women face higher poverty rates and challenges in accessing productive assets, land, credit, and financial education, which have severe implications for poverty reduction and economic outcomes.

Furthermore, high inflation, limited budgetary resources, and systemic inefficiencies persist, as the public financial management (PFM) system shows significant shortcomings in implementing the programmatic budget directives of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). These directives, aimed at aligning resources with desired outcomes, contribute to Guinea-Bissau’s alarming public debt burden. According to the latest World Bank economic update (April 2024), the country’s public debt remained relatively high at 77.8% of GDP in 2023, although it had decreased from 80.4% in 2022. Nonetheless, the economic outlook shows promising signs, with a strong 2024 cashew campaign expected to support real economic growth of 4.7%.

Climate change poses an increasing threat, and Guinea-Bissau is among the ten most vulnerable countries in the world. Rising sea levels - 8.79 mm per year over the past 15 years, well above the global average - coastal erosion, and irregular rainfall disrupt livelihoods, particularly in rural areas where over two-thirds of the population depends on subsistence agriculture. The country’s fragile infrastructure, coupled with limited access to basic services such as water, sanitation, and healthcare, further exposes communities, especially women and children, to climate shocks.

Health outcomes reflect structural weaknesses. Maternal mortality stands at 725 per 100,000 births, one of the highest rates in the region, and neonatal mortality is 35 per 1,000 live births, accounting for half of under-five child deaths. Malnutrition affects 30% of children with stunted growth, inadequate feeding practices, and anemia among women and adolescent mothers contributing to poor health outcomes. Vaccination coverage has improved, rebounding from setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 19% of children remain unvaccinated, requiring sustained efforts to achieve universal coverage.

Guinea-Bissau’s education system faced significant disruption due to institutional instability and political interference. Frequent leadership changes in the Ministry of Education and politicized appointments of school and regional directors hindered progress, delaying key reforms and programmes. Teachers’ unions staged strikes, and unresolved grievances threatened further unrest, exacerbating the challenges. According to a GPE report in 2023, the country recorded the lowest primary school completion rate in the world (27%), with over a quarter of primary-aged children out of school, and its education data system remained nearly non-functional. Despite systemic instability, the Government, with the support of UNICEF and other partners, is working to provide Guinea-Bissau's children with access to quality education.

Despite high levels of violence, abuse, sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation (30% among girls 0-14) and child marriage (26% among girls 20-24), the government and partners are making efforts to establish a national referral and case management system, including the decentralization of an incident report mechanism, being implemented nationwide. However, the judicial sectors, the scarce protection services at rural and the traditional justice, continue facing enormous difficulties to address CP cases, increasing the lack of trust and disappointment by children and families in contact with these services. In 2024, the government worked in collaboration with CSO to reinforce CP prevention interventions, especially at community level and among adolescents’ girls and boys, especially in the regions of high levels of FGM, CM and violence. Birth registration almost double as per 2023, result of great efforts to enhance interoperability with the health sector and decentralize services. However, challenges persist in registering newborns, which remain 36% as per MICS 2028/19.

Social protection is another critical concern. Only 2.5% of the population benefits from these systems, far below the regional average of 17% in West Africa. This is largely due to the predominance of informal employment, which accounts for 92.2% of the non-agricultural workforce, with women comprising 96.4%. The social protection system is fragmented, with insufficient resources, weak institutional frameworks, and heavy reliance on external aid, with only 0.85% of GDP allocated to public spending in social sectors in 2023. Women face significant barriers to accessing financial resources and economic opportunities, exacerbating gender inequality and poverty.

The consultant will support UNICEF Guinea-Bissau with delivering the final draft Country Programme Document, with adherence to corporate guidance contained in the UNICEF CPP Guidance Note 2022, as well as the CPD development guidelines and template. Working under the supervision of the UNICEF Guinea-Bissau’s Deputy Representative Programme in collaboration with the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Section, the consultant is expected to collaborate with all Country Office sections and the Regional Office PM&E team (WCARO) to ensure robust internal and external engagement process and collective reflections by country office, through video calls or simple phone calls, with the selected parties during in completing key preparatory phases/documents as part of the country programme planning will be articulated in the Country Programme Document (2027-2031). These include:

1. Evidence Synthesis (ES).
2. Prioritization Matrix.
3. Theory of Change (ToC) and Programme Strategy Notes (PSN).
4. Results and Resources Plan (RRP).

The engagement includes working closely with resource persons from the UNICEF Regional Office (WCARO) and UNICEF Guinea-Bissau PME Section and guided by the Deputy Representative Programmes. The consultancy is remote, with a requirement for virtual connections. The consultancy may be revised in case in-country mission is required.

 

To ensure the new CPD is strategic and builds on the comparative advantage of UNICEF Guinea-Bissau,

it is essential that the CPD integrates insights the lessons learned from the Country Programme Evaluation (CPE) and aligns with UNICEF’s contributions to the Guinea-Bissau's United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). This consultancy will provide support in the prioritization process, development of the theory of change, explanatory notes, and articulation of the Rights and Results Plan. Key deliverables are:

1. DELIVERABLE 1: Quality assurance of Evidence Synthesis (ES)
2. DELIVERABLE 2: Review and finalize the Explanatory Notes (ENs)

Development of the Explanatory Notes (one per CPD Outcome), which aims to document the country programme planning process. The EN explains the rationale for the programmatic choices made and the vision for change, backed by an analysis of risks, opportunities and assumptions and supported by selected change strategies. Drafting of the explanatory notes will be done in collaboration with by the dimension Leads and will present the strategic priorities, the ToC and Results and Resources Plan (RRP) developed for each Component.  

           

3. DELIVERABLE 3: Development of the Country Programme Document (CPD) narrative, and the Results and Resources Framework (RRF)

The CPD takes into considerations comments and feedback from internal UNICEF (UNICEF Guinea-Bissau, the consultant will interact with WCARO (West and Central Africa Regional Office), and Headquarters, as well as from the Government of Guinea-Bissau. It is a short and concise 6,000-word document that summarizes UNICEF’s contribution to the realization of the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged or vulnerable, and covers the duration of the country programme cycle (generally five years). The RRF constitutes a key annex to the CPD, and it is based on the Results and Resource Plan (RRP). Both the CPD narrative and RRF are submitted to UNICEF Executive Board for approval.   

 

Therefore: Deliverable 3 contains 2 parts:

• Interim Draft of the full CPD, ready for government review

Upon reviewing the evidentiary basis (Evidence Synthesis), Prioritization identification and the TOC formulation closely with the MCO, the consultant is expected to develop and submit the draft of the full CPD, including the annexes, in adherence of the corporate guidance. The interim draft will be reviewed by the MCO PME Section and the Deputy Representative for comments to ensure quality criteria (refer to Annex 4 of the CPP Guidance Note) were met. The refined version will be sent to the government for review and feedback. Note: The government review is critical to facilitate the Formal Request Letter from the Government to accompany CPD submission to the Executive Board.

• Final Draft of the Full CPD, ready for submission to UNICEF Regional Office (RO) and headquarters (DAPM)

Following the government review period, the consultant will revise the CPD to incorporate comments from the government stakeholders. The revised final draft will be resent to the government for validation. Meanwhile, the revised Final draft will be submitted to UNICEF RO for quality review, upon addressed, the final CPD will be submitted to UNICEF’s Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board (OSEB) via RO. The final draft submission is to be accompanied by a power point deck summary of the CPD.

 

How can you make a difference? 

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

Minimum requirements:

Advanced degrees in Business administration, economics, social sciences, statistics, development planning, or other social science fields are required.

Strong verbal and written communication skills in English (mandatory)

• More than 15 years of expertise and experience in results-based management and the human-rights based approach to programming, preferably with UNICEF.
• Experience in developing UNICEF Country Programmes Document (CPD).
• Strong track record in results-based management practice specifically in programme design (prioritization, theory of change, results framework, results-based budgeting, programme monitoring, results reporting, etc.)
• Strong facilitation and strategic writing skills
• Familiarity with the UN system and experience supporting UN Agency in the programme development in line with the UNSDCF is an asset.
• Familiarity with the context of West Africa and experience in Guinea-Bissau an added advantage.

 

• Language Requirements: [Strong verbal and written communication skills in English (mandatory)]

 

Desirables:

[Include the position desirables, including complementary education, additional experience, additional language, specific skills, etc]

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. (This criteria is essential as a desirable and should be included in all job postings.)

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.