Contract Duration - 4 Months

Working arrangement - Home-based in Kosovo, with field travel to selected municipalities/service sites as required

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.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The consultancy will provide dedicated national technical and operational support to the ECG Deep Dive Analysis so that the assessment is firmly grounded in Kosovo's legal, policy, institutional, service-delivery and subnational context. The local consultant will support the identification, collection and review of national and municipal evidence; facilitate access to institutions and data holders; contribute to stakeholder and service mapping; support qualitative fieldwork and contextual interpretation; and help verify findings, commendations, indicators and institutional responsibilities. The assignment will strengthen the completeness, accuracy and practical relevance of the Deep Dive while avoiding duplication of the international consultant's technical-lead role.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0006111 External ToR.pdf

Minimum Qualification required:

Education

Masters degree in Economics; Social Policy; Public Policy/Public Administration; Sociology; Development Studies; Statistics/Demography; Public Finance; Law; or another relevant social-science discipline. A Bachelor's degree with substantial additional relevant experience may be considered where permitted by UNICEF procedures.

Work experience

Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in social policy, social protection, child rights, poverty/social exclusion, public policy research, service delivery analysis or a closely related field in Kosovo. Demonstrated experience conducting desk research, policy analysis, data compilation and/or mixed-method research involving government institutions, municipalities, service providers or civil society.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills

Demonstrated experience conducting desk research, policy analysis, data compilation and/or mixed-method research involving government institutions, municipalities, service providers or civil society. Strong knowledge of Kosovo's institutional and policy context relevant to children, including at least several of the following: social protection, social and family services/child protection, education/ECEC, health/nutrition, disability inclusion and housing/local government.
Practical experience with stakeholder mapping, key informant interviews, focus groups, field visits, structured note taking and synthesis of qualitative evidence. Experience working with quantitative or administrative datasets and ability to organize data, document metadata/limitations and prepare clear evidence tables. Advanced statistical modelling is not required. Experience reviewing public budgets, municipal financing, programme expenditure or public-finance documents is an asset.
Strong knowledge of Kosovo central-local governance and service-delivery arrangements, including experience working with municipalities. Experience with UNICEF, UN agencies, EU-funded programmes, government institutions, international organizations or comparable development partners is an asset.
Experience applying ethical research, confidentiality and child-safeguarding requirements is required where children or vulnerable groups are consulted.

Language Requirements

Fluency in written and spoken English and at least one official language of Kosovo (Albanian or Serbian) is required.

Working knowledge of the other official language of Kosovo is a strong asset. Knowledge of other community languages is an asset.

Desirables

Previous work on child poverty, social inclusion, European integration/social policy, the European Child Guarantee or related national/municipal diagnostics. Experience with Kosovo administrative data, household survey/census sources, service mapping or indicator frameworks.

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 TMC0006111 Financial proposal.xlsx

Remarks:

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Local Consultant – European Child Guarantee Deep Dive Analysis for Kosovo, Social Policy section, Home-based with travel, 4 months