International Consultancy: Strategy Development Specialist, 70 days, Islamabad, Pakistan

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Protection!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilizers, communities, and families, and of course, the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives — being in good health, immunized, protected from polio, and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

How can you make a difference?

Tasks

• Desk review of available literature, documents, and sectoral plans for identifying matching priorities and critical gaps in relation to the aims of ADAP
• Develop a methodology and work to facilitate analysis of cross-sectoral priorities and develop a sound institutional strategy on Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), especially for marginalized adolescents, including girls and those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Based on the ADAP goal and priorities at the global and regional level, UNICEF Pakistan (see some of the reference documents for desk review) undertakes situation analysis and identifies constraints and opportunities for ADAP for UNICEF Pakistan, including provincial specificities.
• Identify sectoral priorities and gaps in the policy and programmatic ecosystem (external and internal) through stakeholder consultation.
• Research institutional and programmatic support available for adolescents’ development, especially in thematic areas, including education, skilling leading to employment, water sanitation and hygiene, protection, social protection, mental and reproductive health, nutrition, health, climate change, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.
• Identify opportunities for linkages and synergies with existing cross-sectoral initiatives and approaches for adolescents (including Generation Unlimited) as foundations to build on.
• Suggest priorities for ADAP with geographical and programmatic convergence and develop strategies and plans with indicative deliverables, indicators, and tools. For geographical convergence, consider the SUCCESS districts across the province for a convergent and integrated approach to ADAP
• Suggest medium- to long-term partnerships (across sectors—government, development partners, CSOs/NGOs, and the private sector) to work on diverse issues related to adolescents in a cross-sectoral approach.
• Develop a four-year strategy and plan with clear deliverables, indicators, outcomes, and tools that address the constraints and create the needed support systems and incentives (2024 to 2027) in close collaboration with a national-level expert

Tasks/Milestone:  

• Draft a detailed methodology and plan of implementation.
• Conduct a desk review of the existing literature, official documents, publications, and strategies, and mapping of relevant stakeholders for interviews and the question guide (S).
• Conduct interviews and meetings with relevant external and internal cross-sectoral partners as per the agreed methodology and work plan.
• Submit a final report with gap analysis and required outputs as outlined in the terms of reference as well as in the work plan prepared in consultation with UNICEF.
• Review and incorporate revisions and submit the final strategy.

Deliverables

• Inception report
• Analysis of desk review, workplan, and list of stakeholders to be consulted for strategy.
• Transcription and analysis as a document
• Adolescent Strategy
• Report with data visualization and clearly articulated key findings.
• PowerPoint: A visually compelling presentation for dissemination with internal and external stakeholders
• Summary of the strategy for quick glance at priorities and strategies on ADAP
• Final strategy

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or above) in one of the following fields is required: Social science, Education, International Affairs, Economics, Public Policy, or asimilar field

•*A first University Degree (Bachelor)in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

•  Extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, strategy development, and report writing, with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner is required

•  Previous experience of working on development of institutional strategy is required

•  A minimum of 6  years of professional experience working on issues related to young people’s (10-24 years) developmental, empowerment, and participation needs

•  Ability to work independently and to a clear work plan, being directly accountable

• Experience in interacting with and collecting relevant data from different levels of stakeholders

•   Knowledge of children with disabilities and relevant guidelines and standards, disability-inclusive education, human rights and child rights, gender equality, and child protection

•  Availability and willingness to provide high-quality deliverables and going through various revisions for incorporating feedback and comments

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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: 

• Estimated Duration: 70 days spread over 4 months
• The consultancy is equivalent to the P3 level. The international consultant will be based in Pakistan and must travel within the country as necessary.
• Applicants must submit a financial quotation indicating fee based on deliverable as part of the application against each deliverable.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• 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.