Individual consultancy to Support Devolution to deliver results for Children-based at Council of Governors (CoG), Nairobi, Kenya, Social Policy, Office based, 12 Months (Open to National Consultants only)

Contract duration: 12 months

Working arrangement: Office based

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

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

To provide technical and coordination support at Council of Governors (CoG) for all UNICEF work plan with CoG-ensuring that CoG’s devolution implementation more strongly reflects children’s priorities; financing for children’s services increases; evidence and knowledge management on children is generated, digitized and utilized; upscale of good practices from counties on children issues is undertaken; intergovernmental and county policies better include children’s issues; and ultimately key indicators on children’s welfare improve in aspects like health, nutrition, education, social protection, child protection, water and sanitation; and whole UNICEF’s work plan with CoG is well managed, tracked and communicated while providing opportunities for leveraging and networking with other partners. See the attached UNICEF-CoG work plan 2026.

Scope of Work:

The scope of this consultancy is to support the coordination of all UNICEF-supported work plan with CoG 2026-2027, where intergovernmental mechanisms and select counties enhance children’s issues and interventions, resources increase and better utilised for equitable quality services. Ultimately this will ensure upstream influencing, leveraging of GoK’s own resources and systems, and ensures scale in impact of devolved services for children.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0001668 External ToR 2.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: At least Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Policy, Economics, Statistics, Accounting, Planning, Management, Strategic Management, Devolution, Decentralization, Public Administration, Business Administration or related studies

• Work Experience: At least 10 years’ working experience in issues related to public policy, public finance, devolution/decentralization, planning, management, statistics, and coordination.
• Skills: Demonstrate experience in coordinating and managing development partner/UN and government programmes. Demonstrate good IT skills. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

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 jobs-near-me.org 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  TMC0001668 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL.docx

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.