International Consultant to develop a PEFA methodology for assessing Child-Responsive Public Financial Management (remote for 5 months)

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.

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For every child, the right to safety and care.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop and undertake initial testing of a draft Child-Responsive Public Financial Management (ChPFM) assessment methodology suitable for subsequent country piloting and future consideration as a PEFA-aligned supplementary diagnostic.

Public financial management (PFM) systems determine whether policy commitments to children are translated into credible budgets, predictable financing, effective service delivery, transparent reporting and accountable results. UNICEF works on strengthening Public Finance for Children in 144 countries, and has generated analysis and evidence to strengthen budgets for children, using tools such as child-focused expenditure measurement, budget tagging, equity-sensitive allocation, subnational financing, service-delivery bottlenecks and the use of budget and performance information. However, there is currently no globally established methodology for systematically assessing how the full PFM system supports children’s rights and equitable outcomes.

The Department of Budget Management of the Philippines, together with UNICEF and the Asian Development Bank developed and applied a pioneering ChPFM assessment alongside its 2024 PEFA assessment. The assessment adapted nine areas from the PEFA Gender framework to assess the extent to which the country’s PFM systems respond to the needs and rights of children using qualitative and descriptive analysis. This included assessing the degree to which the national budgeting and the PFM system in Philippines is child sensitive, and the extent to which the Philippines PFM systems respond to the specific needs of children in fiscal and budgetary decision making. The experience demonstrated the feasibility of applying a child lens within an established PFM diagnostic process and identified the need for a more systematic and scalable methodology, with incorporating assessment of equity, subnational actors, integrated service delivery and budget implementation.

This consultancy constitutes the first phase of a process to develop a methodology suitable for future piloting and global application. While this process will not produce a final or formally endorsed PEFA framework, the methodology should align with PEFA concepts and evidence standards while adding a distinct child-rights, equity and service-delivery lens. The consultancy will focus on comparative evidence review, development of a robust draft core methodology, initial testing and validation via retrospective application to a country case, or consultation with an active PEFA process, together with key expert consultation. Final deliverables include the draft methodology and a protocol for future multi-country piloting, which would be undertaken under a subsequent phase.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Child-Responsive Public Financial Management Consultant.pdf

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

Minimum requirements: |(Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills)

• Education: Masters in Economics, public finance, public policy, public administration or a related field.
• Work Experience:
  • At least 10 years of relevant experience in public finance, public expenditure analysis, public financial management or fiscal policy; child-focused expenditure analysis.
  • Demonstrated expertise in the PEFA framework, including application or development of PEFA or supplementary assessments. Experience in applying the PEFA Supplementary Assessment for Gender Responsive PFM, and the PEFA Subnational Framework Assessment is an asset
  • Experience developing indicator frameworks, assessment methodologies, technical guidance or operational tools.
  • Experience working with ministries of finance and other PFM institutions in more than one country context.
  • Experience in public finance for children, equity-oriented PFM, social-sector financing or child expenditure analysis is a strong asset.
• Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
  • French fluency is a significant asset, given relevant examples from francophone contexts.
  • Another UN language an asset.
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • Strong comparative research, facilitation, analytical writing and stakeholder-consultation skills.
  • Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
  • Experience developing methodologies, technical guidance or operational tools for governments or development partners.
  • Advanced Excel.

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 (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal for Child-Responsive Public Financial Management Consultant.docx
• A detailed technical proposal: Maximum 5 pages in English, other material annexed, with a CV and at least two samples of relevant methodological or analytical work.