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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.

                                                         TERMS OF REFERENCE

The purpose of this Evidence Synthesis consultancy is to generate a rigorous, evidence-based analysis of UNICEF-supported humanitarian action across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. Guided by the OECD/DAC humanitarian evaluation criteria for humanitarian action1, the synthesis will consolidate findings from evaluations, reviews, and other evaluative products, to identify strengths, limitations, and priority areas for improvement in emergency preparedness and response.

Under the supervision of the Evaluation Team, and in collaboration with regional stakeholders, the synthesis is intended to strengthen the analytical grounding, coherence, and practical relevance of humanitarian action in upper-middle-income and high-income country contexts (UMICs/HICs), where humanitarian needs often emerge within complex institutional environments characterised by strong state capacity, established service delivery systems, and diverse implementation modalities. Based on UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs), the analysis will examine how different operational and programmatic modalities (e.g., advocacy, coordination, technical assistance, service delivery through government, partners or direct implementation), have been adapted across ECA contexts to preserve UNICEF’s comparative advantage and mandate for children in emergencies.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the UNICEF ECARO Evaluation Team, the consultant will lead a structured process of synthesizing evaluative evidence and translating it into practical, operational guidance to inform UNICEF’s engagement in emergency preparedness and response across ECA countries with relatively strong government capacity. The primary audience is UNICEF staff and external partners. The assignment will focus on generating actionable insights from existing evaluative materials, rather than producing new primary research. Drawing on a curated body of humanitarian evaluations, after-action reviews, and related assessments, the consultant will identify patterns, lessons learned, and critical trade-offs that characterize UNICEF’s role and added value in these contexts. A central dimension of the work will be to clarify UNICEF’s positioning in high-capacity settings, including how its role has been defined and evolved across different emergency typologies, and how it interacts with national systems, partners, and other actors. Particular attention will be given to the balance between immediate response and longer-term systems strengthening, in line with the UNICEF Core Commitments for Children, and to the conditions under which UNICEF should adapt, scale back, or transition its engagement.

The consultant will structure the analysis to highlight:

• What has worked well and under what conditions

• Common challenges and unintended effects

• Key operational and strategic trade-offs

• Context-specific versus generalizable lessons Emerging findings will be tested and refined through targeted consultations with regional and country-level stakeholders, ensuring both technical robustness and operational relevance. 

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0002382 ToR.pdf

Education

• Masters degree in social sciences, statistics, international development, international relations, public policy, or another relevant field is required.

Work experience

• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in evaluation, research, or analytical work related to humanitarian action, emergency preparedness and response (EPR), humanitarian and development programming, or related areas is required.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills

• Demonstrated experience in conducting or contributing to evaluations, evidence synthesis, or analytical reviews (e.g., systematic reviews, rapid evidence assessments) is required.
• Strong skills in qualitative and/or mixed-methods data analysis, synthesis of findings, and report writing are required.
• Experience in preparing high-quality analytical products, including reports, briefing notes, and presentations for technical and senior audiences is required.
• Experience in translating complex context into practical insights.

Language Requirements

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required.

Desirables

• Familiarity with UNICEF or other UN agency is an asset, particularly experience in HICs and/or uMICs contexts.

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  TMC0002382 Financial proposal.docx

Remarks:  

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.