About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Consultancy: Consultancy for Annual donor reporting and end of project dissemination activities for Vitamin A in a New Age (VINA)

Duty Station: Global Programme Division, Gender Equality

Duration: 16 February 2026 - 31 March 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) remains a vital child-survival intervention that significantly reduces mortality in vitamin A–deficient populations. Global VAS coverage initially peaked at 78% in 2009, dropped to 41% in 2020 due to pandemic disruptions, but recovered to the same high level in the years that followed.

The Vitamin A Supplementation in a New Age (VINA) initiative, launched in 2023 with Global Affairs Canada funding, operates across 15 sub-Saharan African countries. By 2024, over 50 million children (6–59 months) received two VAS doses. However, coverage remains unevenly distributed within and between countries, with several countries consistent posting very low coverage, highlighting persistent system and equity challenges.

VINA has a strong mandate to identify and address gender-related barriers to quality VAS services. Headquarters, regional, and country teams have integrated gender analysis and action planning into their programming with set targets to report on. Four VINA countries are implementing special studies on gender and VAS.

This consultancy will:

1. Consolidate and synthesize analyses, special studies, country support documents etc. for write-up into a coherent Year 3 report and a final project report for the donor (due 31 March).
2. Consolidate and synthesize regional, and country office report for writeup into a coherent Year 3 report and a final project report for the donor (due 31 March).
3. Support dissemination activities on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and VAS—finalizing reports, policy briefs, and facilitating webinars and design outputs.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks, in close coordination with UNICEF Headquarters (HQ) Early Childhood Nutrition (ECN) and Gender teams, as well as regional and country offices:

VINA reporting

1. HQ report drafting (for Outcomes 1100 & 1200)
   1. Draft the HQ section of the year 3 progress report and final project reports relating to Outcome 1200 (Women’s empowerment), emphasizing gender-related activities, results, and linkages to VAS outcomes.
   2. Contribute to technical content related to VAS under Outcome 1100 (VAS coverage).
   3. Editing CO reports & results validation 
      1. 1. Ensure submission of final narrative reports and performance monitoring frameworks (PMFs) from 2 regional and 15 country offices.
         2. Follow up with country offices to address information gaps and obtain clarifications on activities, outputs, and results.
         3. Review and edit all reports for completeness, consistency, and alignment between narrative sections and PMFs.
         4. Harmonize results between narratives and PMFs coherent final report package.
      2. Consolidation and write-up of Outcome 1200 (women’s empowerment)
         1. Consolidate narratives and results from 15 vina countries into a unified analysis of progress under Outcome 1200, ensuring clear linkages and highlighting how gender equality and women’s empowerment contribute to improved VAS delivery.
         2. Prepare a results table summarizing gender equality and empowerment results across all relevant outputs.
      3. Documentation of success stories on gender & VAS
         1. Identify and support documentation of successful empowerment approaches for VAS from select VINA countries.
         2. Develop 2–3 case study summaries for inclusion in the main report, with additional examples provided as annexes.

      Other gender-related activities under VINA

   4. Support to VINA gender-related research and knowledge dissemination
      1. Assist HQ Nutrition and Gender teams in finalizing ongoing VAS and gender analyses/studies under VINA.
      2. Review and provide feedback on research and policy-related deliverables.
      3. Support global and regional dissemination efforts, including webinars, policy briefs, and knowledge-sharing materials.
   5. Transition support to VINA 2.0
   6. 1. Contribute to the planning and design of VINA 2.0, including support to countries in developing concept notes and workplans.
      2. Provide interim technical assistance to ensure continuity of key activities in case of funding gaps.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1.  Draft HQ Year 3 and end of project reports for Outcomes 1100 & 1200

-  HQ Year 3 and end of project report

20 Feb 2026

2.  CO report quality assurance & alignment of narratives and PMFs

-  Clean and complete versions of 15 CO narratives and PMFs including follow up calls with countries

1 March 2026

3. Consolidation and write-up of Outcome 1200 (women’s empowerment)

-  Collation of reviewed/revised report inputs from 15 VINA countries and regional offices for Outcome 1200 (women’s empowerment)

10 March 2026

4.  Documentation of success stories on women’s empowerment and VAS

-  Write up of 2-3 ‘success stories’ from VINA countries on women’s empowerment and VAS

16 March 2026

5. Support to VINA gender-related research and knowledge dissemination

- Organize at least 1 webinar on key learnings related to gender and VAS under VINA 1.0

31 March 2026

- Review and provide feedback on at least 1 VINA research or policy-related deliverable

31 March 2026

6. Transition support to VINA 2.0

-  VINA 2.0 concept notes/ workplans for gender integration for all 15 COs

31 March 2026

Qualifications

Education: 

An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Health or Public Health Nutrition with background in gender and health or gender and nutrition

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in international gender and health/nutrition.
• At least 1 year experience working in vitamin A or child survival programming
• Experience with UNICEF in children’s rights, women and girls’ empowerment, gender rights is an advantage.
• Excellent writing skills with specific experience writing on gender and nutrition related issues and knowledge products.
• Experience in leading donor reporting processes.
• Experience in developing country contexts and an understanding of development challenges from the field perspective is required.
• Experience in work environment of an international agency, UN, or international institutions is required; prior experience in UNICEF is an asset.
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team in an international, multicultural, and interdisciplinary environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
• Excellent computer skills (MS Windows, MS Office applications, Sharepoint and Teamsite management).
• Ability to work within tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. 

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.