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 Health 

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Government of Eswatini, in collaboration with UNICEF, is undertaking a comprehensive analysis to strengthen nutrition financing mechanisms in response to persistent challenges undermining infant, young children, adolescent and maternal nutrition. The assignment specifically aims to address child food poverty by tackling the dual burden of malnutrition—characterized by widespread undernutrition, high prevalence of maternal anaemia, and increasing rates of childhood overweight and obesity (Global Nutrition Report | Country Nutrition Profiles - Global Nutrition Report ).

Despite progress through targeted initiatives to prevent and treat malnutrition, including salt iodization and Vitamin A supplementation, coverage of services and impact gaps remain significant and mainly donor supported. The consequences of poor nutrition, ranging from impaired cognitive development to low birth weight, elevated infant mortality and increase of non-communicable disease, underscore the urgent need for more effective and inclusive interventions.

Recognizing the close link between food security and nutrition outcomes, this assignment also acknowledges the importance of integrated, multi-sectoral approaches that bring together agriculture, market systems, education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and public health to improve dietary diversity and access to nutritious food.

To address these complex and interconnected issues, the Government of Eswatini is enhancing its nutrition financing and implementation strategies, supported by robust advocacy and cross-sectoral collaboration. This includes a deliberate focus on both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions that align with national development priorities and global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The primary objectives of this assignment are to:

• Assess the current nutrition financing landscape in Eswatini, evaluating its adequacy, equity, efficiency, and impact on maternal and child health, ECD, and food security outcomes.
• Identify key gaps, systemic inefficiencies, and operational bottlenecks in the planning, allocation, and execution of nutrition-related resources.
• Generate clear, actionable recommendations to enhance both the mobilization and effective use of both domestic and other financial resources for nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programming.
• Develop a concise, evidence-based advocacy brief to support government and development partners in mobilizing increased and sustained investments in nutrition, with alignment to national priorities and global commitments.

Through this analysis, Eswatini aims to strengthen the evidence base for nutrition investment, inform strategic policy decisions, and build a more resilient and responsive nutrition system that supports long-term human capital development.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, in close coordination with the Maternal Child Adolescent Health (MCAH) section and working closely with Ministry of health (MOH) Nutrition Council, the consultant will conduct a comprehensive analysis of nutrition programme financing in Eswatini. The work will involve collecting and analyzing budget and expenditure data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improved resource mobilization and allocation. The assignment will support evidence-based planning, policymaking, and advocacy to strengthen investments in both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.

The consultant will be responsible for undertaking the following key activities:

1. Situational and Financial Landscape Analysis
• Review relevant national and global frameworks, including nutrition policies, sectoral strategies, the National Development Plan, and fiscal policy documents.
• Collect and analyze data on public expenditures, donor contributions, and private sector investments related to nutrition.
• Map existing nutrition-related interventions across key sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and social protection to understand coverage, funding sources, and alignment with policy goals.

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Consultations
• Conduct structured consultations with key stakeholders, including:
- Government agencies (e.g., Ministry of Health / Nutrition Council, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Training)
- Development partners (e.g., UNICEF, WFP, WHO, FAO, WB)
- Civil society organizations and community-level actors
• Leverage stakeholder inputs to validate preliminary findings, understand implementation challenges, and identify opportunities for improved coordination and cross-sectoral collaboration.

3. Gap and Efficiency Analysis
• Assess the adequacy, equity, and efficiency of current nutrition financing flows across sectors.
• Identify key funding gaps, resource duplication, and coordination inefficiencies at national and subnational levels.
• Evaluate the extent to which existing financing mechanisms align with nutrition outcomes and national priorities.

4. Development of Recommendations and Advocacy Brief
• Propose practical, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen domestic and external resource mobilization for nutrition.
• Identify key policy entry points and financing innovations, such as budget tagging, performance-based budgeting, and blended finance.
• Develop a concise and persuasive advocacy brief to support high-level engagement with government decision-makers, development partners, and other stakeholders, highlighting the value and return on investment in nutrition.
• Facilitate the dissemination of key findings and recommendations through targeted presentations, policy dialogues, and stakeholder engagement events to ensure effective uptake and action.

Work Assignment Overview	Deliverables/Outputs:	Delivery deadline	Estimated budget
Inception and desk review: Conduct initial consultations with UNICEF and review key documents, including national nutrition policies, sector strategies, budget books, and donor reports. Finalize work plan and methodology.	Inception Report detailing methodology, timeline, and initial scoping	5 days	-
Stakeholder Consultations and Data Collection: Conduct semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with key government ministries, development partners, civil society, and community actors to gather insights.	Summary notes from stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions	10 days	20%
Financial Analysis and Gap Assessment: Analyze public expenditure data, donor contributions, and private sector investments. Assess adequacy, efficiency, and equity of current nutrition financing and identify gaps or inefficiencies.	Draft analytical report	20 days	30%
Drafting of Findings and Development of Advocacy Brief: Synthesize findings into a draft nutrition financing brief and advocacy strategy document. Include evidence-based recommendations and draft key messages tailored for different audiences.	Finalize analytic report and draft advocacy brief	10 days	-
Stakeholder Validation Workshop: Present key findings and recommendations in a stakeholder workshop to validate insights, refine messages, and build consensus around proposed strategies.	Presentation of findings and recommendations for validation with stakeholders	3 days	30%
Submission of Final Deliverables: Revise all deliverables based on stakeholder input and submit the final report and advocacy brief. Ensure alignment with UNICEF quality	Final report and advocacy brief incorporating feedback	5 days	-
Prepare and present key findings of the budget analysis report at a national stakeholder dissemination workshop	Slide presentation on key report findings	2 days	20%

 

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

Minimum requirements:

Advanced university degree in nutrition, public health, health economics, development or public finance, policy, health management, Development or in another relevant discipline for health / nutrition financing.

*Minimum requirements to consider candidates for competitive process

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required*:

• Solid knowledge of public finance management instruments and at least 8 years of work experience with analyses of social sector government budgets.
• Example and samples of previous budget analysis work will be an added advantage.
• Experience of planning and budgeting in Africa will be an asset.
• Excellent analytical writing and communication skills.
• Demonstrable experience and proven track record of conducting analysis of public finance data and public finance management processes.
• Experience in nutrition financing analysis will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required.

*Listed requirements will be used for technical evaluation in the competitive process

Evaluation Criteria (This will be used for the Selection Report (for clarification see Guidance)
A) Technical Evaluation
The passing mark of the technical evaluation 60 points (maximum 75 Points)
Formula to use: (maximum points * weight%) Example: (75*75%)= 60 Points

B) Financial Proposal
The total amount of points allocated for the financial component is 25. The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened and compared among those candidates which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price. Formula to use: =(maximum points allocated to fee proposal*lowest fee from all candidates)/Candidate fee

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview.

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.