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UNICEF is a co-lead of The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (the Alliance), a global, interagency network dedicated to promoting and strengthening child protection in humanitarian action (CPHA).
The Alliance's previous Strategy ´A Clarion Call: The Centrality of Children and their Protection within Humanitarian Action (2021–2025)´ set out a five-year vision and strategic direction focused on strengthening the quality, scale, and impact of child protection in humanitarian action. Recognising significant changes in the humanitarian landscape, including increasing humanitarian needs, protracted and complex crises, growing pressures on humanitarian financing, localisation commitments, and evolving humanitarian architectures, the Alliance ended this strategy prematurely and adopted the ´Strategic Brief: Prioritising Protection of Children in a Changing Humanitarian Landscape´ in May 2025 to guide priorities through to the end of 2026.
The humanitarian landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Child protection actors are operating in an environment characterised by escalating conflicts and crises, shrinking protection space, and funding reductions. These realities require the Alliance to ensure that its strategic direction is one that can support its members, as well as the broader sector, to safely navigate this phase, while also playing an influential role in shaping the future of humanitarian action.
Therefore, as the Alliance approaches the end of its current strategic period, it seeks a consultant to design and facilitate a highly participatory strategy development process and support the development of a new strategy/strategic plan for the period beginning in 2027. The consultant will undertake a forward-looking consultative process to help define the future strategic direction of the Alliance. This process should assess the evolving needs, opportunities, and challenges facing the Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA) sector and then identify the role, value proposition, and support the Alliance should provide the sector in this changing environment.
The purpose of this consultancy is to facilitate a strategic planning process that:
- Examines the current and emerging needs of child protection in humanitarian action sector;
- Identifies trends, opportunities, risks, and challenges likely to shape the sector over the coming years;
- Assesses the Alliance's achievements, strengths, limitations, and comparative advantage, of which data/findings also contribute to donor reporting;
- Defines the Alliance's future role and strategic positioning within the broader humanitarian ecosystem;
Builds consensus among Allia nce stakeholders regarding future priorities and strategic directions;
- Engage with the Alliance technical group leadership to think through the linkage between the new strategy and the implementation plan; and
- Produces a validated strategic framework, to guide the Alliance's work from 2027 for a period of 3 to 5 years.
Minimum requirements
- Familiarity with child protection and protection issues in humanitarian settings
- Familiarity with the current humanitarian landscape
- Excellent qualitative research and analytical skills
- Strong facilitation and workshop design skills
- Highly Proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and ethical use of AI tools
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.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.