International Consultant for Country Programme Development

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Support UNICEF in developing the Country Programme 2026-2030.

You have:

• Advanced degree in social sciences or related fields relevant for the assignment.
• At least 10 years of experience in programme design, development and planning, and programme cycle management.
• Prior documented experience with drafting a UNICEF or UN Agency Country Programme Document or UNSDCF.
• Strong analytical capacity and facilitation skills and ability to manage coordination with government and non-governmental partners.
• Strong knowledge of Human Rights-based Programming and Results-based Management principles.
• Substantive knowledge in UNICEF practice / programmatic areas.
• Substantive knowledge on SDG and European Union accession Agenda.
• Previous experience with the UN in the region will be considered an asset.
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and gender parity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

UNICEF Serbia is seeking an international consultant to support its Senior Management and the team in the development of the new Country Programme 2026-2030, including its related deliverables, and bring together both UNICEF and UNSDCF planning to date, ensuring coherence across all planning platforms and documentation.

The consultant will support and facilitate different stages of the CP development that include:

1. Evidence Synthesis, including a validation workshop of the Situation Analysis of Children in Serbia, planned to take place on 3-4 June 2024,
2. Prioritization process (June-September), including the organization and facilitation of the Strategic Moments of Reflection (SMR) – 9 July 2024 (#1) and September (#2),
3. Developing Theories of Change (ToC) – July to September 2024,
4. Developing Results and Resources Plan – September to November 2024,
5. Drafting the Country Programme Document (6,000 words maximum) – Q1 2025.

While most of the tasks can be implemented remotely, in close collaboration with the Country Office programme team, the consultancy will require physical presence in Belgrade at specific moments: SitAn workshop participation in June, SMR facilitation in July, support to programme sections in ToCs development in July and August, and potentially facilitation of the final SMR in September.

Work Assignment Overview:

The approach in Country Programme development process shall be in line with the most up to date corporate guidance for Country Programme planning and CPD narrative development, as well as UNSDCF planning documents, taking into account cross-sectoral concepts such as: Human Rights Based Programming, Risk Informed Programming, Gender Programming, Business for Results, Public Finance for Children, Technology for Development, and other UNICEF key programming principles and approaches.

Duration of the assignment: June 2024 – April 2025 (part-time, remote, with several visits to Belgrade)

Task description:

1. Evidence-Gathering and Vision setting (Prioritization)

• Attend the Situation analysis validation meeting (scheduled for the first week of June)

• Plan, organize and co-facilitate /conduct two “strategic moment of reflection (SMR)

  − SMR #1: Prioritization workshop (initial meeting to identify key priorities for the new CP – to kick off prioritization and ToCs (9 July)

  − SMR #2: Final meeting to adopt the final ToCs and provisional Programme Structure, including strategic Intent (23-27 September)

Deliverables:

• 2 workshops (SMR/Prioritization - Initial and Final workshops) conducted, RRBM tailored training with focus on ToC co-facilitated, strategic intent memo developed (the conclusions of the SMR are summarized into a several pages strategic intent memo that articulates the prioritized child rights deprivations and bottlenecks) and the first draft of up to 6 ToCs developed.
• Prepare a full joint strategic reflection workshop package comprising—at minimum—an agenda with outline of sessions, visual material (for example, PPT slides deck, Prezi visualizations, or other) for all sessions requiring them, clear and comprehensive instructions for any practical work envisioned, as well as for other session formats that contain interactions.

Timeline: Tasks distributed from June to September.

Working days: Up to 20 days (please note that physical presence is needed during June SitAn validation meeting) and in July for SMR #1 and September for SMR #2.

2. Developing the CP package (including Theories of Change)

• Support UNICEF CO staff on the development of the draft ToCs to inform the Country Programme Document (2026-2030);
• Support UNICEF CO staff to draft and finalize-clear ToCs with incorporated feedback received from at least two rounds of reviews at country and Regional Office levels (RO);
• Support the provision of inputs and review to ensure the alignment of the final draft of Results and Resources plan RRP (results framework – outcomes, outputs, indicators). Incorporate feedback provided for each round of the document consultations;
• Prepare draft of the Explanatory notes;
• Support review and quality assurance of the CP package and assist the CO in addressing comments from RO and revision of CP package.

Deliverables:

Up to 6 ToCs and RRPs 2026-2030 supported and quality –ensured before their finalization and submission to RO (with all relevant comments and feedback incorporated). Draft Explanatory notes prepared.

Timeline: Tasks distributed from July 2024 to March 2025.

Working days: Up to 18 days (Please note that minimum 10 days will be used for ToCs and RRP finalization in the period October - November 2024).

3. Draft the Country Programme Document narrative

• Draft the Country Programme Document narrative;
• Integrate CO/RO inputs and recommendations prior to finalization.

Deliverable:

Final Country Programme Document narrative prepared (2026-2030).

Timeline: Tasks distributed from February to April 2025.

Working days: Up to 10 days.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Advanced degree in social sciences or related fields relevant for the assignment;
• At least 10 years of experience in programme design, development and planning, and programme cycle management;
• Prior documented experience with drafting a UNICEF or UN Agency Country Programme Document or UNSDCF;
• Strong analytical capacity and facilitation skills and ability to manage coordination/convening/ leveraging with government and non-governmental partners;
• Strong knowledge of Human Rights-based Programming and Results-based Management principles;
• Substantive knowledge in UNICEF practice / programmatic areas;
• Substantive knowledge on SDG and European Union accession Agenda;
• Previous experience with the UN in the region will be considered an asset;
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English.

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in USD as a separate document, providing separate fees for the following:

1. Phase 1: Evidence-Gathering and Vision setting (Prioritization)
2. Phase 2: Developing the CP package (including Theories of Change)
3. Phase 3: Draft the Country Programme Document narrative
4. Travel cost per visit to Belgrade, Serbia (an all-inclusive transportation cost per visit)
5. Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) for time spent in Belgrade

Important notes:

• Please do not forget to specify your name in the financial proposal file while saving (to be uploaded online under the “Financial Proposal” tab).
• Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark "n/a” or “00" under the fee-related questions in the online application form.
• Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org