Home-based consultant: Planning, Monitoring and Information Management Consultant (95 working days) – Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

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.

For every child, the right to preparedness and protection

In ongoing and protracted humanitarian situations, robust planning, monitoring and information management systems are core accountabilities for UNICEF and essential to ensure timely, evidence-based and effective emergency response in line with the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs). These systems underpin informed decision-making, enable adaptive management, and ensure accountability to affected populations and partners.

In the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region, UNICEF continues to respond to multiple and evolving crises — including the Ukraine refugee response, migration movements across southern Europe, and preparedness for emerging risks — while also strengthening national systems for risk-informed and shock-responsive programming. The Regional Office provides critical technical support to Country Offices to ensure that humanitarian data, planning and reporting meet global standards and donor requirements.

As part of the Future Focus Initiative (FFI) and the ECA–MENA regional consolidation, significant functional and staffing transitions are taking place in 2026. The Humanitarian Planning and Monitoring (HPM) function, which has provided the analytical backbone for humanitarian reporting and performance monitoring across the region, will experience a major reduction in capacity: from January to June 2026, one staff member will remain to manage HPM, and beyond June 2026, no dedicated HPM capacity will exist within ECARO until the new regional structure becomes operational.

To ensure continuity of humanitarian monitoring, planning, and information management support during this transition period — and to ensure the readiness of data systems, processes, and tools for the new region consolidation — the Regional Office seeks the support of a Planning, Monitoring and Information Management Consultant for 95 working days over 12 months (January–December 2026).

How can you make a difference? 

The consultancy aims to maintain, strengthen, and transition UNICEF’s humanitarian planning, monitoring, and information management functions across the ECA region during a year of significant organisational and staffing change. It will ensure uninterrupted support to COs, Poland and Italy throughout 2026, sustain the integrity of humanitarian datasets and reporting systems, and prepare core tools and processes for eventual integration into the future ECA–MENA regional structure.

Under the supervision of the Regional Emergency Advisor, the consultant will contribute to the following three deliverables and tasks: 

1. Humanitarian Planning, Performance Monitoring and Technical Assistance to Response Offices

Provide continuity and technical leadership in humanitarian planning and performance monitoring across the ECA humanitarian portfolio, strengthening data quality, alignment with corporate HPM standards, and production of concise analytical outputs to inform oversight and decision-making. This includes direct support to COs, Poland and Italy, refinement of indicators, harmonisation of reporting systems, and documentation of processes and lessons learned to ensure continuity throughout the regional transition.

2. Data Preparedness, Information Management and Systems Strengthening

Enhance UNICEF’s humanitarian information management and data preparedness by strengthening data workflows, standardisation, documentation, and information architecture, including targeted IM support to COs, Poland and Italy, improvements to dashboards and reporting tools, and support to DPPI Member States on preparedness and needs-assessment readiness.

3. Simplification and Update of Humanitarian Monitoring and IM Toolboxes

Simplify, update, and consolidate humanitarian monitoring and information management tools through the development of two complementary toolboxes. This includes:

1. Updating and streamlining the existing HPM Toolbox originally designed for HIC/UMIC operations (e.g., Ukraine refugee response), ensuring it remains a practical one-stop shop for establishing humanitarian planning, monitoring, IM, reporting, and KM mechanisms in contexts where UNICEF has limited or no presence;
2. Developing a separate IM-focused Regional Toolbox tailored for regions with limited IM oversight (e.g., MENARO), providing clear guidance, templates, workflows, and minimum standards for setting up IM systems, dashboards, documentation and data governance at CO and RO levels; and
3. Enhancing usability, structuring, metadata, and navigation, including development of light SOPs or orientation notes where relevant

Estimated Duration of the Contract

95 working days between 15 January 2026 and 31 December 2026

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be home-based with no travels foreseen.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 95 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Bachelors degree in Political Science, International Relations, International Affairs, Statistics, International Development and related areas to humanitarian performance management.
• Extensive knowledge of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) principles, frameworks, and best practices in humanitarian and development settings.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian response frameworks, performance indicators, information management practices, and needs-assessment processes.
• Minimum of 5 years’ professional experience in planning, monitoring, information management, and data management.
• Prior experience with UNICEF, other UN agencies, or similar international organizations, with first-hand exposure to humanitarian response operations.
• Experience working in emergency contexts, particularly involving refugees, population displacement, and multi-sector response.
• Strong ability to interpret complex data, identify patterns, and generate actionable insights for decision-making.
• Proven experience in data analysis and visualization using tools such as Excel, Power BI/Tableau, ActivityInfo, KoBo, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement data collection systems, tools, and methodologies.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Fluency in English.

Desirables:

• • Master’s degree is an asset.
  • Proven experience in developing vector graphics and visual products; proficiency in Adobe Illustrator or InDesign.
  • Knowledge of mapping, cartography, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools.
  • Experience contributing to or leading IM or M&E functions in complex emergency environments.
  • Familiarity with regional or multi-country monitoring systems and inter-agency coordination mechanisms.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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 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:

Please submit a full CV, a Cover Letter, and at least two (2) recent work samples (URL or as attachments) in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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 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.