UNICEF works in some of the worldโs toughest places, to reach the worldโs most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.ย
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.ย
And we never give up.ย
For every child,ย hope
Background:
Evaluation is a fundamental pillar of UNICEFโs commitment to accountability, learning, and evidence-based decision-making. As outlined in the Revised Evaluation Policy of UNICEF, evaluations help ensure that programmes and policies effectively contribute to advancing childrenโs rights and well-being.
UNICEF upholds the principles of independence, credibility, and utility in evaluation, ensuring that findings are impartial, high-quality, and used to inform strategic decisions. The organization emphasizes country-led evaluation and capacity development while fostering a culture of evidence use at all levels.
Specifically, the evaluation function at UNICEF serves several critical purposes:
Accountability: Demonstrating how programmes align with UNICEFโs mandate and contribute to measurable results for children. Learning and Improvement: Identifying lessons learned and best practices to refine strategies and interventions. Evidence-Based Decision-Making: Providing reliable data to inform policies, programmes design, and resource allocation. Transparency and Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthening partnerships with governments, donors, and civil society through accessible evaluation findings.Over the past few years, UNICEF West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional and Country Offices conducted various types of evaluations, including strategic evaluations of major initiatives, policies, country programmes, programme components, projects or thematic areas, tailored to specific contexts, with support for evaluation national systems.
In the coming years, more than ever, the WCA Regional Office is committed to enhancing evaluation function, by conducting high-quality evaluations, strengthening the use of evaluation findings as well as the capacity of national evaluation systems across the region, and ensuring that countries can generate and apply evidence to improve outcomes for children.
How can you make a difference?ย
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
UNICEF WCA Regional Office is seeking to establish a roster of national and international consultants to support its evaluation capacity building interventions in the region. This call is for qualified professional evaluators, including team leader evaluators, senior evaluators, and mid-level evaluators. In recognition of the importance of contextual relevance, candidates with demonstrated experience in West and Central Africa will be particularly considered during the evaluation process. This call is open to external consultants (non-UNICEF staff) who are available to conduct evaluations at regional and country levels.
Selected candidates will be included in the roster, initially valid for a period of 24 months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension, and may be invited to undertake specific assignments based on their suitability and availability. However, placement on the roster does not guarantee any future contractual engagements with UNICEF, as contracts will be issued based on specific Terms of Reference for each evaluation.
Scope of Work:
UNICEFโs work in West and Central Africa (WCA) is dedicated to improving the lives of children and women across the region, addressing key challenges in health, education, child protection, and emergency response. Covering 24 countries, UNICEF collaborates with governments, local communities, and partners to drive lasting change.
One of UNICEFโs top priorities is ensuring children survive and thrive. Through immunization campaigns, maternal and child healthcare programs, and malnutrition treatment initiatives, UNICEF works to reduce child mortality and improve nutrition.
Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is another critical focus. UNICEF leads efforts to build sustainable water systems, promote hygiene practices, and improve sanitation facilities in schools, health centers, and communities.
Education is at the heart of UNICEFโs mission in West and Central Africa. Millions of children, especially girls, still lack access to quality schooling. UNICEF works to improve learning opportunities by supporting early childhood education, training teachers, and advocating for policies that ensure children, regardless of gender, disability, or displacement, can go to school and succeed.
Protecting children from violence, exploitation, and abuse is another key area of intervention. UNICEF supports birth registration efforts to ensure every child has a legal identity, works to prevent child marriage and harmful practices, and provides care for children affected by armed conflict. Special programmes focus on reintegrating former child soldiers and supporting children in crisis situations.
UNICEF also plays a crucial role in humanitarian response across the region. Whether responding to disease outbreaks, providing lifesaving assistance during natural disasters, or supporting displaced families in conflict zones such as the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, UNICEF ensures children receive the care and protection they need during emergencies.
Recognizing that long-term change requires economic and social stability, UNICEF engages in social policy and protection efforts, including cash transfer programmes for vulnerable families and advocacy for child-focused policies.
The organization works to eliminate gender-based violence, promote girlsโ education, and address the barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing essential services.
In addition, UNICEF is increasingly focusing on the impact of climate change on children and communities across West and Central Africa, one of the regionโs most vulnerable to climate shocks..
Types of evaluations to be covered:
Evaluation is at the heart of UNICEFโs mission to improve the lives of children worldwide. As a knowledge-driven organization, UNICEF relies on evaluations to ensure that its programmes and policies deliver tangible, lasting results. Evaluations at UNICEF take various forms, each serving a unique purpose.
Applicants for this roster should have demonstrated familiarity with at least the specific evaluation type described below.
Under the supervision of the evaluation manager, the assigned consultant to an evaluation will be responsible for producing high-quality deliverables while ensuring timely completion of tasks and providing regular progress updates during the whole evaluation process. He/She will be encouraged to utilize innovative approaches and methodologies including child-Focused and utilisation-fused approach, Outcome Harvesting, the most significant changes, Artificial Intelligence and incorporation of big data sources. The consultant could be involved in the dissemination of evaluation results. Each evaluation may include additional tasks which will be outlined in detail in the ToR. Deliverables for each evaluation will be detailed in the respective ToR. However, the typical evaluation process follows three key phases:
Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/OutputsInception Phase
โข Participate in a kick-off meeting with UNICEF and key stakeholders to align expectations and clarify objectives.
โข Conduct an in-depth review of relevant programme documents, policies, literature, and guidelines.
โข Develop a robust evaluation methodology, including an evaluation matrix and data collection tools.
โข Contribute to the formulation of theories of change or program logic, where needed.
โข Design a data collection strategy, stakeholder mapping, and evaluation tools, integrating innovative approaches such as child-centered tools, youth engagement, technology, or GIS.
โข Develop the Inception Report, incorporating a clear approach, methodology, and data collection tools.
โข Submit documentation for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approva
Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting Phase
โข Conduct an in-depth secondary data analysis.
โข Collect primary data using relevant methods including surveys, focus groups, field visits, and interviews, as applicable.
โข Analyze quantitative and qualitative data, ensuring the use of appropriate software and methodologies.
โข Elaborate the evaluation report, ensuring alignment with UNICEFโs GEROS template and UNEG reporting guidelines.
โข Prepare for the validation workshop preliminary findings, summarizing key insights, lessons learned, and recommendations.
Validation and finalization phase
โข Organize in collaboration with UNICEF, the validation workshop with stakeholders to discuss and refine findings.
โข Present the evaluation findings to the Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) including UNICEF, and relevant stakeholders.
โข Incorporate feedback from UNICEF and ERG into the evaluation report, ensuring clarity and coherence.
โข Assist in preparing tailored dissemination materials, including summary reports and presentations.
โข Assist in crafting a dissemination strategy to ensure findings are accessible to diverse audiences.
Evaluation Governance:
Evaluation governance within UNICEF ensures the credibility, independence, and quality of evaluation processes through clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and oversight mechanisms. Once consultants are selected and rostered, their engagement in a specific evaluation will be governed by Terms of Reference managed by designated Evaluation Managers - either the Regional Evaluation Adviser / the Multi-Country Evaluation Specialist for regional-level evaluations or Evaluation Specialists / Planning Monitoring & Evaluation - Monitoring & Evaluation Specialists for evaluations commissioned by Country Offices. The managers must ensure compliance with UNICEF/UNEG standards and norms as well as compliance with quality standards .
Contract duration and arrangements:
The roster will be established for an initially valid period of 24 months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension upon satisfactory performance.. All contracts will need to be raised within this period and will be valid until their specified expiry date. The precise planning of these activities (starting date and delivery dates) will be agreed between the consultant, WCARO evaluation section and the evaluation commissioning CO. Contracts will be issued based on needs and funding availability.
This is a fully remote consultancy role, with the possibility of travel for fieldwork if required. Travel will only be undertaken when essential for data collection or stakeholder engagement and will either be outlined in the ToR or agreed upon during the inception phase of the evaluation. While consultants are expected to manage their own operational needs, such as workspace, internet connectivity, communication tools, and necessary technology, UNICEF will cover all authorized travel expenses associated with the assignment.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆย
Minimum requirements:
Education:ย An advanced university degree in evaluation, research, social sciences, economics, statistics, demography, public policy, law, management, or a related discipline relevant to evaluation.
Work experience:ย
A minimum of seven years of professional experience in programme or project evaluation and/or applied research at the national or international level is required. Experience in the West and Central Africa (WCA) region will be considered a distinct advantage. In-depth knowledge of the WCA region, including its socio-political and development context. Proven expertise in conducting desk reviews and synthesizing secondary data. Expertise in employing innovative evaluation approaches and methods, including artificial intelligence and child-focused methods, within evaluation methodologies. Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative and qualitative evaluation and research methodologies, with the ability to apply equity, human rights, and gender-sensitive approaches. Conducted at least 3 high-quality evaluations (UNEG/UNICEF GEROS), preferably with UN. Experience conducting evaluations in low and middle-income countries and humanitarian situations. Familiarity with evaluation ethics and safeguarding principles, especially in contexts involving vulnerable populations.Skills:
Strong capacity to analyze and synthesize complex data into clear, actionable findings and recommendations. Demonstrated ability to conduct evaluations in a francophone, anglophone, or lusophone context Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and institutional settings.Exceptional analytical, writing, communication, and interpersonal skills in English and/or French. Proven ability to work independently while contributing to collaborative team efforts. Willingness and availability to travel, including to remote or hard-to-reach areas, as required for fieldwork. Solid understanding of and commitment to UNEG norms and standards, as well as UNICEFโs evaluation principles and ethical guidelines .
Language requirements:
Fluency in English and French are required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.ยFor every Child, you demonstrateโฆย
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).ย
To view our competency framework, please visit ย here.ย
UNICEF is committed toย diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Clickย hereย to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provideย reasonable accommodationย for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpageย Accessibility | UNICEF.
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.
Remarks:ย ย
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.ย
Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered โstaff membersโ under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEFโs 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. Consultants 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 consultant 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 consultant 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. The vaccine mandate, 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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.