For every child, the right to Future
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UNICEF’s Child Protection and Migration Practice- Prevention of Harmful Practices unit is seeking an individual consultant to conduct an evidence synthesis and produce an evidence-informed advocacy framework on child marriage among Roma communities in the ECA region, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey.
This assignment has three sequential and mutually reinforcing outputs. First, the consultant will conduct a systematic scoping review establishing the evidence base on the prevalence, drivers, consequences, and dynamics of child marriage among Roma communities across the four countries; document the interventions that have been implemented and the evidence of what works; and identify key evidence and data gaps — in particular the widespread absence of ethnicity-disaggregated data. Second, drawing directly on the scoping review findings, the consultant will develop a zero-draft Regional Framework on Child Marriage among Roma Communities in ECA, providing a shared analytical foundation and theory of change to be validated through national stakeholder consultations and a Regional Workshop bringing together UNICEF Country Offices, national governments, and Roma civil society and women's organisations. Third, the consultant will draft a Policy Paper translating the validated Regional Framework into a focused, evidence-based advocacy document directed at the EU Child Guarantee and its National Action Plans, the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030 mid-term review, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), and related financing and accountability instruments — accompanied by a concise advocacy summary for direct engagement with EU institutions and other partners.
Together, these three outputs will position UNICEF as a credible, evidence-based technical partner on child marriage among Roma communities, and will provide the analytical and advocacy tools needed to ensure that Roma girls are explicitly and measurably included in the EU's major child protection and social inclusion frameworks before the 2030 deadline.
1. Systematic Scoping Review — Inception and Protocol
2. Literature Search and Screening
3. Data Extraction and Evidence Mapping
4. Synthesis and Draft Scoping Review Report
5. Zero-Draft Regional Framework on Child Marriage among Roma Communities in ECA
6. Draft Policy Paper and Advocacy Summary
Minimum requirements: (Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills )
- Demonstrated experience producing high-quality research reports, evidence syntheses, and policy-oriented or advocacy documents suitable for institutional and government audiences.
- Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, or research institutions.
- Familiarity with evidence on child marriage, gender equality, social exclusion, and human rights is required.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills
- Experience in systematic and scoping review methodologies, including PRISMA-ScR.
- Experience with literature searching, screening, quality appraisal, and data extraction.
- Familiarity with reference management software (EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley) and evidence synthesis tools.
- Excellent analytical and writing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate evidence into policy- and advocacy-oriented products.
- Strong understanding of child marriage, gender inequality, intersectionality, social exclusion, and Roma rights.
- Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence and identify research gaps.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including experience working remotely with multidisciplinary teams.
NB: Applicants should submit a technical proposal based on the proposed TOR
For every Child, you demonstrate...
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.
- An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter
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.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.