Safeguarding Consultant, Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring, Programme Effectiveness Team (PET)/RMPS, NYHQ, remote. Req#585697

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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: Safeguarding Consultant

Duty Station: Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring, Programme Effectiveness Team (PET)/RMPS

Duration: 30 November 2025 – 30 November 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The Risk Management in Programming and Safeguarding (RMPS) Unit, within the Programme Effectiveness Team (PET) in UNICEF’s Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM), was established at the end of 2024 to drive an integrated approach to risk management and Safeguarding across UNICEF’s programming and operations.

 

The RMPS is structured around four pillars: i) Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and Safeguarding, ii) Complaints and Feedback Management (CFM), iii) Partnership Risk Management, including Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (PRM/HACT), and iv) Data Protection. The RMPS works to enhance decision-making, programme effectiveness and organizational learning, to realize the rights and improve the lives of children.

 

PSEA is a core component of Safeguarding and a shared responsibility with the Programme Group (PG), particularly the Child Protection (CP)/PSEA team. In light of the ongoing restructuring within UNICEF—and while discussions continue on identifying a sustainable solution to ensure PSEA/safeguarding capacities at both centralized and decentralized levels—it is critical that the progress achieved by DAPM and the PG-CP team over the past years is preserved.

This consultancy is designed to enhance UNICEF’s PSEA agenda, as well as to support streamlining, advocacy and fundraising efforts.

Scope of Work:

In collaboration with DAPM, PG and other concerned divisions/units, the consultant will perform the following:

1. Strategic Recommendations on Safeguarding, including PSEA Programming, Continuity

With the input from relevant stakeholders, including DAPM, PG, PFP and Regional Offices, the consultant will:

• Collate and compile handover documents to ensure the continuity of Safeguarding, including PSEA programming, including:
  • In coordination with DPC, ROs and COs, coordinating a global process to map Safeguarding capacity from 2026 and beyond;
  • Mapping of activities and other organizational commitments – both internally and externally – including our legal, policy and inter-agency commitments, and those to donors and partners.
• Facilitate discussions on priorities for Safeguarding, including PSEA programming, for the new SP period.
• Share recommendations at the end of the assignment, based on management decisions regarding Safeguarding functions and capacity at HQ, COE, RO and CO levels.

2. Implementation Support

• Based on the handover guidance, mapping and recommendations from the PSEA technical teams, implement tasks outlined in the CP-PG handover note/workplan as feasible.
• Engage with all relevant actors to ensure continuity of Safeguarding, including PSEA programming, in the organisation during the transition process.
• Support in advocacy and fundraising for Safeguarding, including PSEA programming, continuity.

3. Process Streamlining

• Develop a briefing note with clear recommendations to streamline existing assessment processes for Implementing Partners (IPs), focusing on the HACT micro-assessment and the PSEA assessment, with key considerations of inter-agency aspects.
• Building upon analysis conducted in 2025, analyze the differences and unique aspects of both tools and identify opportunities for integration.
• Collaborate with the HACT focal point(s) of RMPS to provide recommendations for integrating or utilizing the established micro assessment for the PSEA assessment. In parallel, identify opportunities to build upon th