Child Poverty Guidance Update Consultant, UNICEF Global Programme Division (GPD) – Economic and Social Policy Global Practice, Panama City, Panama, 7.5 months (remote) #596298

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 Safety.

How can you make a difference?  

This assignment aims to strengthen UNICEF’s child poverty reduction efforts by developing updated practical guidance and tools that help UNICEF staff and government partners identify the drivers of child poverty, design effective policy and programme responses, influence public policy and financing decisions, and monitor progress toward reducing monetary and multidimensional child poverty. The consultant will draft and coordinate the development of a suite of evidence-based guidance products, incorporating lessons learned, best practices, and stakeholder consultations.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0007120 ToR.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
  • Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Policy, Development Studies, International Development, Political Science, Public Administration, or related social science field
• Work Experience:
  • Minimum 8 years professional experience in child poverty and poverty reduction policy.
  • Demonstrated experience conducting policy analysis and developing analytical or operational guidance, frameworks, tools or methodologies for governments, international organizations, research institutes or development partners.
  • Proven experience working on child poverty, multidimensional poverty, inequality, social exclusion and vulnerability, in low- and middle-income country contexts.
  • Demonstrated experience facilitating consultations, workshops and consensus-building processes involving diverse stakeholders.
  • Strong track record of drafting high-quality policy papers, guidance notes, technical tools, strategic documents and knowledge products for policy and programme audiences.
• Language requirement:
  • Excellent written and spoken English.
  • Demonstrated ability to write concise, high-quality technical and policy documents for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Skills:
  • Strong expertise in child poverty, multidimensional poverty and inequality, poverty reduction policy and economic and social policy.
  • Excellent understanding of policy analysis, causal analysis, political economy analysis and pathways for poverty reduction.
  • Strong knowledge of the existing practitioner literature and tools on child poverty, poverty and inequality policy, poverty policy analysis and diagnostics, and social policy advocacy.
  • Excellent analytical, writing, editing and synthesis skills.
  • Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Ability to translate complex evidence and policy concepts into practical operational guidance and tools

Desirables:

• Experience working with UNICEF, the UN system, international financial institutions and/or other international development organizations is highly desirable
• Familiarity with sub-topics related to the specific guidance products an advantage.

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

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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal  TMC0007120 Financial Proposal Template.docx

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.