Open Call – Researcher/Analyst/Reviewer/Writer Consultants Roster, Remote or Stockholm, Sweden, Office of Innovation

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives.

The Office of Innovation (OOI) is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions.

UNICEF's OOI creates opportunities for the world's children by focusing on where new markets can meet their vital needs. We do this by:

• Connecting youth communities (or more broadly -- anyone disconnected or under-served) to decision-makers, and to each other, to deliver informed, relevant and sustained programmes that build better, stronger futures for children.
• Provoking change for children through an entrepreneurial approach -- in a traditionally risk-averse field -- to harness rapidly moving innovations and apply them to serve the needs of all children.
• Creating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across the public, private and academic sectors in order to deliver fast, and lasting results for children.

How can you make a difference?

OOI is looking to establish a roster of researcher/analyst/reviewer/writer consultants to support short and medium-term monitoring, evaluation, evidence, research, and learning efforts across the Office. Selected candidates will be placed on a roster from which appropriately qualified consultants will be drawn for work planned in 2022-2025.

Roster will be established based on the following areas of expertise

• Research: Research is the systematic process of the collection and analysis of data and information, in order to generate new knowledge, to answer a specific question or to test a hypothesis. Its methodology must be sufficiently documented to permit assessment and replication. Strong analytical background including planning for and conducting analytical exercises is critical including testing hypothesis, setting up experiments. Demonstrated experience with cost-benefit analysis, longitudinal surveys, operational research, and systematic reviews are essential.
• Studies: Studies are initiatives to establish current knowledge around a specific topic through the descriptive summarization, interpretation or assessment of information and data. Demonstrated understanding of descriptive work, survey design, survey management, quantitative and qualitative analysis is key. Demonstrated experience with baseline surveys, assessments, bottleneck analysis, KAP surveys, desk reviews, household surveys, situation analyses are essential.
• Reviews/Evaluations: An evaluation is a systematic and objective effort to determine the relevance, appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of development efforts, based on agreed criteria and benchmarks among key partners and stakeholders. It provides assessments of what works and why, highlights intended and unintended results, and provides strategic lessons to guide decision-makers and inform stakeholders. Demonstrated experience with results-based management, logic model, theories of change, review/evaluation processes and requirements are critical.
• Capacity Building Toolkits: Capacity Building Toolkits are knowledge pieces (of different formats) that aim to build the capacity of a target group on a specific topic or process. One type of capacity building toolkit will focus on supporting country offices to scale a portfolio project. Designing this type of toolkit will involve extrapolating lessons learnt from a specific project’s success and turn the process into a user journey for other country offices to use to replicate and scale the solution.
• Performance management: Performance management measures the office/team’s success versus a set of targets and objectives. Demonstrated experience in developing key performance indicators (KPIs) at different levels, ensuring alignment with key corporate plans, enabling aggregation, and facilitating regular reflection for strategic and operational improvement is critical.
• Business analysis: Business analysis identifies business problems, recommends solutions and increases the return on investment for projects. Demonstrated experience in various business analysis techniques including SWOT analysis, business model analysis, process design, and particularly on return on investments (ROI) analysis is key.
• Writers: Concise, structured and analytical writing based on qualitative and quantitative data collected and analyzed with various style suited for target audiences.
• Editors: In-depth editing of complex and sophisticated research papers, including working closely with the author or authors to ensure a report that is both accurate and compelling.
• Copy editors: proof-reading and copy-editing often complex and sophisticated research papers and reports, as well as a variety of communications products intended for diverse audiences.

Demonstrated understanding of producing and disseminating research, studies, and/or evaluations is essential.

Demonstrated understanding of international development and humanitarian themes (youth, health, mental health, gender, humanitarian, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate change, and learning) and their intersection with innovation is appreciated.

Description of assignment

Project arrangements may range from approximately two weeks to 11.5 months, depending on demand, project specifications and funding availability. Researcher/analyst/reviewer/writer consultants who are selected from the roster will work under the supervision of the Office’s evidence/performance management lead or another staff in OOI or UNICEF as agreed. The consultants may be requested to work onsite in Stockholm, or remotely as determined by the specification of the project. The work may include incidental travel to participate in field work, workshops or conferences; any related travel will be governed by UNICEF travel policies for consultants. Tasks and deliverables will vary by specific project and will be agreed per project.

Duration of roster-based consultancies: Consultants who are selected from the roster will work on specific deliverables and with timeframes as determined by the office based on project needs. Selected candidates will be issued a contract for each specific assignment which is subject to UNICEF General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants / Individual Contractors. The length of the contract will depend on project needs and funding availability. The Roster will remain valid for 36 months.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in international development, international relations, education, public health, communications, journalism or another related field *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of two years of relevant working experience in the discipline selected and innovation
• Strong analytical background including planning for and conducting analytical exercises
• Experience in conducting reviews, lessons learned, case studies
• Experience conducting qualitative research (including key informant interviews) analysing large quantities of data/documents and synthesizing them
• Experience in leading user research interviews and focus groups (virtual and in-person)
• Experience in developing user manuals and toolkits
• Experience working with the UN system, NGOs, governments in the development/humanitarian context
• Knowledge of United Nations - particularly UNICEF - programming, processes and work streams an asset.
• Excellent analytical and research skills
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written outputs and ability to present in English
• Proficiency in Windows MS Office (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Expertise in using communications tools and applications relevant to the discipline selected
• Ability to develop and maintain networks with a variety of stakeholders
• Good facilitation skills and analytical, problem solving, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to convey an informed and professional demeanour toward internal and external partners and stakeholders
• Ability to participate in open dialogue and value diverse opinions, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment
• Willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work
• Ability to work independently in a timely and organized manner
• Ability to work in a team and multi-task as needed
• Fluency in English is required, strong written and verbal competency is necessary
• Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) an asset

Application procedure

Interested candidates are requested to apply via the UNICEF recruitment system.

Applicants are requested to include:

1. A recent CV (max 2 pages)
2. A cover letter with the following information (see below) on top, explaining how your knowledge and experience match the requirements.

First and last name:

Areas of expertise among those listed (Research, studies, reviews/evaluations; please indicate ALL relevant expertise areas)

Number of years with relevant experiences

In-country/field experiences (list of countries):

Languages:

Current location:

Preferred start date:

Preference of contract duration (in weeks/months) and preferred number of working days per month (up to 11.5 months):

Payment details and further considerations

• Payments will be based on agreed daily rate, specific tasks and progress reports, approved upon review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.