Background:
The objective of this consultancy is to provide high-quality technical expertise, and policy advisory support to UNICEF and government counterparts to advance child sensitive social protection, evidence informed planning, and public financial accountability for children. The advisor will contribute to capacity development, policy analysis, coordination, and implementation support across four interlinked technical areas.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
UNICEF Iraq is scaling up support to the Government of Iraq to reduce child poverty, strengthen public investment in children, reform the national social protection system, and enhance evidence generation through the technical support provided through the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 2025). These efforts are part of broader system-strengthening interventions to institutionalize child-sensitive policies and improve accountability for child rights and wellbeing.
In this context, UNICEF is hiring a Senior National Technical Advisor to provide strategic technical advice and engage with UNICEF teams and government counterparts. The advisor will facilitate the implementation of UNICEF’s child-sensitive Social Inclusion and Policy (SIP) portfolio, including the development and institutionalization of a national child poverty measurement methodology, the establishment of a child poverty monitoring system, mechanisms to track and analyze public spending on children, technical support to the SIP Programme on Social Protection, and policy engagement in the MICS 2025 process. Beyond the provision of technical support, the advisor will play a pivotal role in influencing national authorities, leveraging established networks within government institutions, and navigating Iraq’s complex political economy to foster ownership, alignment, and sustainability of ongoing reforms. While this consultancy complemented other technical consultancies supporting the broader SIP programme, it brings distinct strategic value through its emphasis on high-level policy engagement and national influence. This assignment demands deep political and institutional expertise, a robust professional network, and the capacity for regular in-person engagement in settings that are often sensitive and of strategic importance. The consultant will:
• Represent UNICEF in high-level and strategic discussions with government stakeholders.
• Attend key meetings in person, often at short notice and without institutional support for transport or DSA.
• Operate independently within a politically sensitive and rapidly evolving environment.
• Ensure sustained liaison and coordination across multiple ministries and governmental counterparts.
This role is therefore central to the effective delivery and institutionalization of the SIP portfolio, particularly where political access, trust-building, and real-time negotiation are critical to UNICEF’s success.
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Chief of SIP and Social Policy Specialist at UNICEF, and collaborate closely with key government stakeholders including the Ministry of Planning (MoP) at Federal and Kurdistan level, Ministry of Finance (MoF) at Federal level, Authority of Statistics and Geographic Information (ASGIS), Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO), and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA)-Social Protection Commission (SPC).
Scope of Work:
Activities and Tasks:
A Fiscal Space Analysis for Social Protection (to identify opportunities for sustainable financing)
• A Social Protection Public Expenditure Review (to promote efficient and equitable investments.
2.3 Support policy dialogue and generating high level engagement through evidence-
based presentations, briefings, and advocacy products targeting senior government officials and parliamentarians.
Output 3: Social Protection Performance
3.1 Provide technical advice to support UNICEF’s engagement in the reform programme on Social Protection ensuring programmatic coherence with partner agencies.
3.2 Support the development of performance monitoring frameworks and indicators to assess social protection effectiveness over time.
3.3 Provide technical guidance to engage with MoLSA and other relevant ministries to strengthen integrated service delivery systems, including social worker case management tools for vulnerable populations.
3.4 Support UNICEF advocacy for the expansion of universal child benefits within the social safety net programme, including recommendations on capacity building for MoLSA social workers to better support vulnerable families and link them to services.
3.5 Support policy advocacy processes to promote the scale up of integrated child benefits as part of the social safety net scheme.
3.6 Provide technical support in developing and implementing advocacy strategies that promote equitable and inclusive child focused social protection systems.
Output 4: MICS 2025
4.1 Provide technical support to UNICEF for the design and implementation of MICS 2025, promoting government engagement and ensuring alignment with national data needs.
4.2 Support UNICEF in using MICS data to inform child poverty analysis, social policy briefs, and sectoral planning.
4.3 Provide technical support to UNICEF and government counterparts in developing dissemination strategies for MICS data, including partnerships with academia and think tanks for research and publications.
4.4 Promote the intersectoral use of MICS data and findings across ministries and planning entities to inform child sensitive social policies.
4.5 Collaborate with international experts to design and deliver capacity building activities for ASGIS and KRSO staff on use of MICS data in research to support policy decisions that impact child well-being.
Summary of Tasks/Milestone, Deliverables and estimated duration:
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Tasks/Milestone:
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Outputs/Deliverables:
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Output 1: Child Poverty and Social Protection Policy Reform
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Deliverable 1: Technical note on the operationalization and implementation of Social Protection Strategy, including a child lens.
Deliverable 2: Technical note aligning child poverty analysis with legal and policy frameworks.
Deliverable 3: Technical inputs provided to the draft of the national child poverty measurement methodology developed with government and international experts.
Deliverable 4: Policy brief on institutionalizing child poverty measurement in planning and budgeting.
Deliverable 5: Inputs provided to training package on child poverty metrics for ASGIS/KRSO.
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Output 2: Public Financial Management (PFM)
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Deliverable 1: Technical notes provided on tracking child-focused spending.
Deliverable 2: Review materials and notes provided in track changes if any for the three studies to enable presenting and adopting the studies by the government.
Deliverable 3: Draft presentations developed; policy briefs developed for senior government officials.
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Output 3: Social Protection Performance
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Deliverable 1: Support technical meetings and inputs provided to documents/reports whenever necessary on Programme implementation.
Deliverable 2: Inputs/comments provided to the draft and final versions of Social Protection performance frameworks.
Deliverable 3: Technical inputs provided for strengthening integrated service delivery and case management.
Deliverable 4: Technical note to advocate for the expansion of the universal child benefits.
Deliverable 5: Provide notes and inputs into the advocacy strategy documents and resource mobilization briefs.
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Output 4: MICS 2025
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Deliverable 1: Technical inputs provided to MICS team on timely manner.
Deliverable 2: MICS data used in at least two policy briefs or analytical product.
Deliverable 3: Technical inputs to MICS dissemination plan with academic/government partners developed.
Deliverable 4: Support sectoral policy engagement events to promote MICS data utilization.
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To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in Economics, Public Policy, Social Policy, Development Studies, or related fields.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in poverty analysis, public finance, or social protection.
- Demonstrated experience in supporting government counterparts in policy reform processes.
- Prior experience in Iraq or the MENA region is highly desirable.
- Familiarity with UNICEF programming, MICS, and international donor-funded projects is an asset.
Skills and Competencies:
- Influencing Government through Networks: Use established relationships and advocacy to shape policies that support children’s rights and SBC integration.
- Political Insight: Understand political dynamics and identify entry points to influence child-focused agendas.
- Relationship-Building: Build trusted partnerships with government, civil society, and communities aligned with UNICEF’s principles.
- Leveraging Networks: Activate connections with key actors to advance child-centered policies.
- Collaborative Advocacy: Lead joint, evidence-based advocacy to address child-related development challenges.
- Policy Influence: Promote child rights in national policies through strategic communication and data use.
- Fluency in English and Arabic is required
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:
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.
