The "Atlas of Violence 2025" (IPEA/Brazilian Public Security Forum), analyzing data from the Ministry of Health, revealed a significant surge in the number of child and adolescent victims of violence, rising from 35,000 in 2013 to over 115,000 in 2023. According to the Atlas, most of these situations occur within the home—70% when victims are under 4 years old, 66% for those between 5 and 14, and approximately 50% for those between 15 and 19. Notably, incidents within schools account for 6% of total cases for victims aged 5 to 14. This reality, compounded by social inequality, structural racism and sexism, and the lingering effects of the pandemic, has produced a severe negative impact on the mental health of this population during a critical developmental period.

During the pandemic, UNICEF Brazil identified that mental health themes in adolescents' narratives extended beyond suicide and self-harm. Consequently, in 2021, UNICEF joined forces with partners to create "Pode Falar" (Speak Up), an online channel providing welcoming, anonymous, and empathic listening services, as well as content on Mental Health with adequate language for individuals aged 13 to 24.

Stemming from this help channel, the "Rede Pode Falar" (Pode Falar Network) was formed in 2023. Currently comprising 20 institutions—18 universities and 2 civil society organizations—the network works to guarantee the quality of the listening process in connection with the formative process of future professionals in different areas of human care and to transform gathered insights into scientific production to fuel debate and inform public policy. The network is structured into five action fronts:

Help Channel (Coordinated by UFRPE)

Advocacy in Public Policy (Coordinated by UNICEF)

Studies, Research, and Knowledge Generation (Coordinated by Fiocruz/Minas Gerais)

Adolescent Network (Coordinated by UEMS)

Continuous learning (Coordinated by UFRN)

Since February 2021, "Pode Falar" has established itself as a critical digital platform for adolescent mental health in Brazil. It operates through a chatbot ("Ariel") integrated with WhatsApp and a dedicated web platform, offering automated content, peer testimonials, and human-mediated support.

During the II National Meeting of the Network in October 2025, the group decided to pivot towards long-term financial sustainability and deeper integration with public policy. This includes alignment with the National School Care Policy (Law 14.819/2024), the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), and the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS). This strategic shift requires the network to diversify its funding sources and formalize new partnerships to reduce dependence on a single donor, ensuring service continuity while keeping the user experience central to the process.

This collective decision intensifies the need for a full-time Digital Solutions Specialist to evaluate the technical implications of onboarding new institutional partners and funders as well as making them timely possible and effective. As the network seeks to incorporate diverse stakeholders with distinct reporting needs and operational interests, there is a risk of fragmenting the platform's architecture. The specialist will assess the current digital infrastructure and propose a roadmap that accommodates new requirements—such as for example interoperability with government databases or customized partner modules—while rigorously protecting the privacy, safety, and seamless experience of young users.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The consultant will provide specialized technical support for the maintenance, governance, and optimization of the digital solutions used by "Pode Falar." As the ecosystem grows in complexity with new stakeholders and funding partners, this role is essential to ensure high availability, scalability, data security, and technical quality.

Working alongside the UNICEF programmatic team and the "Pode Falar Network," the consultant will bridge the gap between strategic goals and technical execution. The consultant will translate the project’s aims into clear technical specifications for development teams and oversee the delivery of evolutions agreed upon with technology partners, ensuring a continuous cycle of improvement throughout the contract duration.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to deliver the following

Work Assignment overview 1

1.  Deliverables/Outputs

Maintenance and Monitoring: Oversee the continuous maintenance and monitoring of applications, ensuring prompt bug fixes, system improvements, and proactive incident prevention - Technical demands presented by Pode Falar assistants resolved with contractor responsible for technical issues of Pode Falar platform.

Low-Code Development: Manage the evolution of flows, automations, and new modules using low-code platforms (e.g., specific apps, workflows, and auxiliary services) - Document with implementation of updated conversational flows for the "Ariel" chatbot, including A/B testing results and a report on user experience improvements (CX)

1.2.  Deadline The last business day of the first month from the contract signature date

1.3.  Estimate Budget 30%

2. Work Assignment overview 2

2.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Maintenance and Monitoring: Oversee the continuous maintenance and monitoring of applications, ensuring prompt bug fixes, system improvements, and proactive incident prevention - Technical demands presented by Pode Falar assistants resolved with contractor responsible for technical issues of Pode Falar platform.

Low-Code Development: Manage the evolution of flows, automations, and new modules using low-code platforms (e.g., specific apps, workflows, and auxiliary services) - Document with implementation of updated conversational flows for the "Ariel" chatbot, including A/B testing results and a report on user experience improvements (CX)

2.2.  Deadline The last business day of the second month from the contract signature date

2.3.  Estimate Budget 30%

3. Work Assignment overview 3

3.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Maintenance and Monitoring: Oversee the continuous maintenance and monitoring of applications, ensuring prompt bug fixes, system improvements, and proactive incident prevention - Technical demands presented by Pode Falar assistants resolved with contractor responsible for technical issues of Pode Falar platform.

Low-Code Development: Manage the evolution of flows, automations, and new modules using low-code platforms (e.g., specific apps, workflows, and auxiliary services) - Document with implementation of updated conversational flows for the "Ariel" chatbot, including A/B testing results and a report on user experience improvements (CX)

3.2.  Deadline The last business day of the third month from the contract signature date

3.3.  Estimate Budget 40%

DURATION OF CONTRACT:

3 months from the date of contract signatures

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related fields.
• Minimum of 2 years of proven experience with low-code platforms.
• Professional background in chatbots, automation, flow orchestration, and system integrations.
• Experience in technical leadership, discovery phases, and working in agile environments.
• Experience with social impact projects and digital transformation within the public sector or third sector (non-profits/civil society).
• Solid knowledge of conversational architecture, CX (Customer Experience), and user journeys.
• Experience with Generative AI solutions applied to automation and chatbots.
• Ability to produce clear and standardized technical documentation.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

• Native Portuguese

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) 

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 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.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultant will work from home using own equipment and stationery. UNICEF will provide office space for consultative meetings when needed.
• Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant and mandatory courses are completed.
• Consultants will not have any representative, certifying, or approving authority, or supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.
• The consultant will work remotely on a delivery basis.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.
• The payment will be based on submission of agreed 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.
• Financial proposals from local consultants shall be submitted in the local currency in effect at the time of submission. UNICEF will evaluate and contract based on this amount, which shall remain fixed and not subject to adjustment due to subsequent exchange rate fluctuations.

INSURANCE AND HEALTH COVERAGE

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

 RESTRICTIONS

• Consultants may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF.  Notwithstanding, consultants must complete the applicable mandatory trainings before the signature of the contract. 
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.