Consultancy – Child participatory research – Global Office of Research and Foresight – LTA 2 years – Remote/Home based

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 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, answers.

UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight (GORaF) is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children to inform the strategic directions, policies and programs of UNICEF and its partners. The Office explores emerging issues, identifies research gaps, brings together existing researchers, and supports or undertakes research and data collection to address critical questions to inform global debates.

Global Office of Research and Foresight regularly requires specialist work from researchers who have expertise in child participatory research methods, to design, pilot and (in some cases) undertake studies using these methods.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose/Objectives of the Long-Term Agreement (LTA)
To provide expert services related to design, piloting, training and conduct of child participatory research studies including training and support to others.

Key Tasks
Under the overall guidance of a research manager, the consultant will perform the following tasks:
• Design child participatory research studies to answer specified research questions, either as stand-alone projects or as components or phases of larger project. This design work is likely to include working with children.
• Pilot child participatory research studies and make necessary adjustments based on learning from the pilot, preparing final research materials including documentation for submissions to ethical review boards and toolkits for training.
• Provide training and support to other researchers and/or UNICEF staff in conducting child participatory research studies. This may be done online or in person. Training and support may be needed not only to prepare for fieldwork but also in the analysis and interpretation of data and preparation of results.
• Conduct child participatory research studies, including field work, analysis, and interpretation, writing of research outputs and dissemination of results.

Key Deliverables
• Number of days of owed research services
• Research tools, guidance and toolkits
• Training and support delivered to UNICEF staff and internal/external researchers
• Write-ups of analysis and interpretation of data
• Reports and other research outputs
• Presentations and other forms of dissemination

Supervision
The consultant will work under the direct supervision of a Research Manager.

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

Educational qualifications

Educated to at least Master’s degree level. The Masters should have included a substantial component of either qualitative research and/or children’s studies.

Essential experience and skills

• At least 5 years demonstrable experience of undertaking qualitative research with children
• Substantial demonstrable experience of undertaking participatory work with children
• Experience of undertaking research field work with children in a range of contexts including in the Global South.
• Experience of training and supporting research fieldwork staff.
• A high level of understanding of qualitative research methodologies including participatory methods
• Strong interpersonal skills including developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with internal and external partners.
• Strong organizational skills – the ability to organize own work with limited supervision according to deadlines and to organize and monitor the work of others.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills in English
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Availability and ability to do international travel assignments of 1 to 2 weeks

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. 

 Submitting an application: document requirements (please also see attachment below)
Applications to be submitted through the online portal should contain four separate attachments – all of which should be uploaded online through the online portal:
1. A statement (maximum 800 words) explaining the qualifications and skillset of the candidate. This should include the following sections:
a. How the candidate’s educational background specifically meets the academic criteria for this LTA.
b. How the candidate’s work background specifically meets the first four essential criteria. That is:
– Experience of qualitative research with children (at least 5 years)
– Substantial experience of participatory work with children
– Experience of undertaking research field work in a range of contexts
– Experience of training and supporting field work
(Please see above for full wording of criteria)
2. A sample document (research report or other) that the candidate feels best illustrates their competencies for this role.
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
4. A document containing the indicated professional fee (daily rate) for this LTA.
The candidate should ensure to name each document clearly – e.g., Statement, Sample, CV, Financial – and include their last name as part of the filename.
Important Note: Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark “n/a or 00”, under the fee related questions in the online application form.
Without all the above 4 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

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. 

Remarks:  

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. 

 GORaF_ToR_LTA_ChildParticipatoryResearch.pdf

Advertised: 31 Oct 2023 W. Europe Standard Time
Deadline: 17 Nov 2023 W. Europe Standard Time

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