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 care.

How can you make a difference?

The overall objective of this consultancy is to update, validate and finalize Zambia’s Shock Responsive Social Protection SOPs, incorporating recommendations from the two completed evaluation studies of the previous DECT response, ensuring that they provide clear and practical guidance for preparedness, activation and delivery of shock-responsive cash assistance.

Specifically, the assignment shall ensure that the revised SRSP SOPs are:

• Practical, implementable and informed by operational experience;
• Fully aligned with current policies, legislation and institutional mandates;
• Applicable across the disaster risk management continuum, including preparedness, early action and emergency response phases;
• Anchored in government systems, particularly the SCT delivery architecture;
• Directly responsive to lessons and recommendations emerging from the two completed DECT evaluations and other agreed implementation lessons;
• Suitable for use by national and sub-national stakeholders involved in shock-responsive cash assistance.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToR TMC0006119.pdf

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

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

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Policy, Public Policy, Development Studies, Disaster Risk Management, Social Development, Economics, Public Administration or related field. Additional certification in social protection systems would be an advantage.

Work Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in social protection, development of SOPs, operational manuals, guidelines or institutional frameworks.
• Experience working on disaster risk management, humanitarian cash assistance, or adaptive social protection programmes is required.
• Experience working with government institutions and stakeholders, particularly consultative and co-development work.
• Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Zambia or similar contexts.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Strong knowledge of social protection systems and shock-responsive social protection is required.
• Familiarity with Zambia's policy and institutional environment, particularly social protection and disaster management systems.
• Proven experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and validation processes.
• Demonstrated experience in producing excellent written, analytical, communication reports-writing skills evidenced by sample of previous work in English.

Language Requirements:

• English.

Desirables:

• Familiarity with low resource decentralized government systems an asset.

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 template TMC0006119.xlsx
• A detailed technical proposal: Candidates must submit a technical proposal demonstrating their understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, qualifications, and relevant experience. The technical proposal should not exceed 10 pages (excluding the cover letter, CV(s), and annexes). Candidates should also submit no more than three (3) relevant work samples completed within the last five years.