Consultant

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 for developing 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.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF’s NYHQ Gender Equality team is developing a new Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2026-2029 to guide the organization’s approach to the work of gender equality in both (i) programmatic sectors and (ii) institutional systems and processes. UNICEF’s Gender Policy 2021-2030 outlines the organisation’s overarching commitments to gender equality and GAP 2026-2029 is a time-bound, action plan to operationalize these commitments aligned to the forthcoming Strategic Plan (2026-2029). GAP 2026-2029 will outline UNICEF’s priorities in gender equality work and provide a strategic direction and framework for accelerating programming results based on evidence, lessons learned and good practices, and be consistent with UNICEF’s mandate and values. It will also provide operational parameters to address and strengthen institutional leadership, accountability and capacity to enable a more deliberate action across key sectors.  

The 2019 evaluation of the Gender Action Plans (GAPs 2014-2017 and 2018-2021)

(Realizing potential: evaluation of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plans) commended UNICEF on significant progress made to achieve results as articulated by the GAPs, but recommended a more ambitious future gender strategy/policy, in keeping with the organization’s programmatic reach, impact and global mandate for women and children’s rights.  A second evaluation of the Gender Policy 2021-2030 and all the GAPs to date (including the current GAP 2022-2025) is currently being carried out and the final report will be ready by end Sept 2024.

The second evaluation’s objectives are to assess: a) the relevance and coherence of these guiding strategic documents in supporting gender equality and adolescent girls’ empowerment; b) the coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability in implementing the gender-related organizational changes and performance enablers of the GAPs across UNICEF; and c) to determine the extent to which UNICEF meets the programmatic results set for all children, adolescents and women on gender equality across the five Goal Areas of the Strategic Plan and in both development and humanitarian settings.  The learnings from these two evaluations will be referenced and drawn upon in the development of GAP 2026-2029 which will be developed concurrently with Strategic Plan 2026-2029, with finalization by September 2025^[1].

The new Gender Action Plan will be linked to UNICEF’s next Strategic Plan and will fall under an overarching Gender Policy covering a timeframe up to and including 2030.  UNICEF’s 2010 Gender policy requires updating to capture the 2030 Agenda and shall be finalized by September 2021.

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide support to UNICEF in developing a time-bound, detailed Gender Action Plan.

Scope of Work:

The Consultant will work closely with various key stakeholders^[2] established specifically to support the action plan development process, and to provide strategic direction, expertise and advice. UNICEF will also provide communications support to the Consultant.

1. Prepare an inception report (including the approach, the timeline and scope of work) – 1-2 pages
2. Synthesize findings from prepared background papers and outline implications for the next Gender Action Plan – 6-8 pages
3. Coordinate and convene bi-weekly meetings of the Internal Working Group (IWG)^[3] including agenda and minutes preparation
4. Review available sources of evidence and feedback (e.g. background papers; online survey results; two aforementioned evaluations and the management response to the first one; feedback from internal and external consultations)
5. Prepare Draft Zero of GAP 2026-2029 for the IWG to review, in the form of an annotated outline, noting the parallel process of UNICEF’s overall Strategic Plan development
6. Prepare an accompanying slide deck which shall contain:  findings from the background papers and the online survey, key recommendations from consultations and an overview of the outline for GAP 2026-2029
7. Prepare Draft 1 of GAP 2026-2029 for the IWG to review, incorporating feedback received
8. Update the accompanying slide deck to reflect Draft 1 of GAP 2026-2029
9. Prepare Draft 2 of GAP 2026-2029 for the IWG to review, incorporating feedback received
10. Update the accompanying slide deck to reflect Draft 2 of GAP 2026-2029
11. Prepare Final Draft and summary slide deck

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• 1–2-page Inception Report outlining the approach, timeline and scope of work. – By 15 Oct 2024
• 6–8-page Synthesis of background papers outlining implications for GAP 2026-2029. – By 1 Nov 2024.
• Coordinate and convene 10-12 meetings of the Internal Working Group, including agenda and minutes preparation. – By 30 June 2025.
• Draft Zero of GAP 2026-2029 with annotated outline, key elements and accompanying slide deck. – By 20 Nov 2024.
• Draft 1 of GAP 2026-2029 and updated slide deck, incorporating feedback received. – By 20 Dec 2024. – By Draft 2 of GAP 2026-2029 and updated slide deck,  incorporating feedback received. – By 15 Feb 2025.
• Final draft of the GAP 2026-2029 and updated slide deck, incorporating feedback received. – By 15 July 2025

Qualifications

Education:

At least a master’s degree.

Disciplines: Advanced degree in gender studies, social sciences, international development, public policy or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in developing gender strategies, policies and plans and gender-related research and evidence synthesis.
• International work experience, experience with public and private sector, expertise in international development and humanitarian response, and/or the gender equality ecosystem are strong assets.
• Experience with UNICEF in children’s rights, women and girls’ empowerment, gender rights is an advantage.
• Experience in work environment of an international agency, UN, or international institutions is desirable; prior experience in UNICEF is an asset.
• Experience in developing country contexts and an understanding of development challenges from the field perspective is desirable.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Must demonstrate excellent writing skills with specific experience writing on gender related issues and knowledge products.
• Be able to work independently as well as with a team in an international, multicultural, and interdisciplinary environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
• Knowledge of UNICEF/UN systems; familiarity with UNICEF’s work and gender transformative programming is an asset.
• Ability to communicate sensitively to different audiences.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required.

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.