Consultant (6 months, home-based): Youth Advisory Group on UNICEF’s Engagement with Business, PASS, Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP)

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, hope

The purpose of this consultancy is to initiate the effort around setting up a Youth Advisory Group on UNICEF’s Engagement with Business, designed to provide an independent perspective on how UNICEF engages with Business and help inform the organization’s high-level approach on private sector engagement, advocacy with business, and resource mobilization.

This includes defining and setting up the above-mentioned Advisory Group, in consultation with key PFP and other UNICEF teams, its composition, governance, meeting cycle and frequency and providing secretariat support for the Group’s set-up and initial efforts including its interactions with various UNICEF teams in giving independent advisory support on UNICEF’s private sector engagement strategy.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work :

Coordinate and implement the establishment of the Youth Advisory Group on UNICEF’s engagement with Business by :

Finalizing the format and approach for the proposed Youth Advisory Group based on existing draft ToRs and previous discussions with key PFP and other divisional stakeholders (PG, DGCA, etc.)

Devise and implement an application and screening process to identify and securing child and youth participants for the proposed advisory group through an appropriately representative and inclusive process, cognizant of applicable safeguarding rules and principles.

Devise necessary governance and other tools (ToRs, plan of work, etc.) in support of the operational establishment of the Advisory Group.

Develop materials, briefings, presentations and training to on-board identified and proposed members of the advisory group, liaising with other teams hosting or leading youth consultation mechanisms (, Youth Advisory Council etc.)

Support the Youth Advisory Group in establishing a high-level workplan, set of priorities, review mechanism and internal consultation schedule, and serve as Secretariat for the interactions between the Group and UNICEF PFP leaders and teams.

Organize two-rounds of consultation on advocacy, engagement and policy priorities for children and youth on how UNICEF deploys its private sector engagement, to inform overall strategy and upcoming strategic planning efforts at PFP level (OMP) and organizational level (Partnerships Cone contribution into the upcoming Strategic Plan).

Work Assignment Overview & Deliverables

1. Finalize the format and approach for the Youth Advisory Group on UNICEF’s Engagement with Business

• Finalized terms of reference, governance structure and proposed ways of working.
• Finalized safeguarding policy and protocols related to the work and interactions of the Youth Advisory.
• Group with UNICEF teams in PFP and beyond.

Timeline : 15 September 2024

2. Identify, recruit and on-board members of the Youth Advisory Group

• Develop an application process for identifying and recruiting potential Group Members + Scope options and develop proposal for a stipend / incentive mechanism for prospective Youth Group members ( Timeline : 15 October 2024)
• Ensure application process and stipend mechanism is validated across relevant teams, including Safeguarding, PG ADAP and DGCA, in order to identify potential profiles to head-hunt from existing mechanisms and / or open application process.

Timeline : 30 October 2024 )

• Trigger application, review and recruitment of group members, finalize and validate outcome ( Timeline : 30 November 2024 )
• Prepare and organize a Group on-boarding session together with key UNICEF team members sponsoring the initiative (Child Rights Advocacy, Corporate Partnerships, PASS) ( Timeline : 15 December 2024 )

3. Provide Secretariat support to the Youth Advisory Group

• Secretariat support to the Youth Advisory Group is provided ( Timeline : 31 December 2024)
• Once the Youth Advisory Group is established, provide continuing support to the Group to develop its agenda of priorities, meeting cycle, and possible launch report / priorities statement or mission statement, schedule for internal consultations and animate internal consultations of the group as moderator if / as needed and appropriate.

Timeline : 31 January 2025 )

4. Organize a first kick-off meeting between Youth Advisory Group and UNICEF PFP Senior Leadership.

• A First kick-off meeting between Youth Advisory Group and UNICEF PFP Senior Leadership is organized :
• Support the group in organizing, and facilitating, an initial kick-off workshop for youth / children (attending virtually) to interact with PFP Senior Leadership on private sector engagement strategy setting and present their suggestions for priorities, positions and strategies in working with the private sector.

Timeline : 28 February 2024

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Education :

• An Advanced University degree in one of the following fields is required : International relations, International Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Law, Social Sciences (Psychology, Social Work, etc), Public Policy, Economic Affairs, Human Rights.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree in combination with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience :

• A minimum of (5) years of relevant professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme planning, management, monitoring and evaluation in youth advocacy, youth engagement and action, with emphasis on working for and with young people, technical support, and partnerships is required.
• Experience in working with UNICEF, at global, regional or country level, is an asset.
• Knowledge of UNICEF’s work in private sector partnerships is an asset.
• Familiar with the UNICEF mandate and youth engagement is an asset.
• Experience in developing and implementing adolescent and youth engagement and participation programs in international development contexts is required.
• Demonstrated experience with global policy advocacy and supporting young people’s advocacy is an asset.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills is an asset.
• Experience in developing funding proposals, briefs and reports is an asset.

Language :

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) would be an asset.

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.

Remarks :

Please indicate your all-inclusive (lump sum) fees in USD against the deliverables listed above, including all associated administrative and travel costs (if applicable), in the cover letter.

The office selects the individual based on best value for money.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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.

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.