UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
Agenda Cidade UNICEF operates across eight Brazilian urban centres (Manaus, Belém, São Luís, Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), supporting municipal governments to improve children's and adolescents' access to education, health, social assistance and protection services through coordinated territorial action, with a focus on violence prevention and response. The initiative relies on evidence-based planning, monitoring and governance mechanisms to ensure implementation quality, accountability and
continuous learning across participating municipalities.
As Agenda Cidade UNICEF expands its monitoring framework, there is a need to strengthen the quality, consistency and measurability of municipal workplans, indicators, targets and monitoring mechanisms. This consultancy will support UNICEF and municipal partners in conducting a comprehensive diagnosis of existing workplans, assessing the quality and feasibility of indicators and targets, identifying gaps in monitoring systems, and proposing a standardized monitoring framework and tool aligned with results and indicators as per Agenda Cidade UNICEF's 2025-2028 methodological guide.
The consultancy will contribute to improving the quality, consistency and usability of monitoring information, while ensuring that the proposed monitoring tool reflects both municipal needs and Agenda Cidade UNICEF reporting requirements.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will support UNICEF in strengthening monitoring and reporting processes for Agenda Cidade
UNICEF by:
• Conducting a diagnostic review of the status and quantitative and qualitative quality of workplans in the eight participating municipalities, reviewing municipal workplans and mapping proposed stage of implementation of their activities until 2028, based on available documents and consultations with UNICEF and municipal teams.
• Assessing the quality and completeness of workplans, including objectives, indicators, targets, activities, responsibilities and monitoring arrangements as per Agenda Cidade UNCIEF’s methodology, and if local indicators and activities both from the municipal government and/or the community level were also included.
• Engaging with UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Chief Field Offices and municipal coordination committees to identify monitoring, reporting and information management needs.
• Mapping existing monitoring practices, reporting flows and information gaps.
• Recommending a practical monitoring approach with a common set of information across the eight cities and sufficient flexibility to reflect differences in municipal action plans.
• Designing and proposing the structure and functional requirements of a monitoring tool that facilitates reporting by municipalities and aggregation of results by UNICEF.
DELIVERABLES
1. Deliverable 1: Diagnostic Assessment of Municipal Workplans and Monitoring Requirements
1.1. Deliverables/Outputs
• Diagnostic Report covering the eight municipalities, including:
o status and level of implementation of municipal workplans;
o assessment of the quality and completeness of workplans;
o key strengths, challenges and gaps affecting monitoring and reporting.
• Comparative Analysis Matrix summarizing:
o objectives, indicators, targets and activities by municipality;
o monitoring approaches currently in use by each municipality;
o implementation status of planned actions by each municipality;
o engagement, participation and co-construction with the community level and adolescent participation.
• Monitoring Needs Assessment summarizing findings from consultations with UNICEF and municipal stakeholders, including:
o reporting requirements;
o information needs for decision-making;
o challenges related to data collection, reporting and follow-up;
o territorial perspective, local level and adolescent participation and communitymunicipal government engagement.
• Recommendations Report identifying key considerations for the development of a monitoring tool and proposing the minimum information requirements that should be considered in the next phase.
1.2. Deadline: Within 45 calendar days of the contract start date.
1.3. Estimate Budget 50%
2. Deliverable 2: Proposal for Monitoring Tool Structure, Governance and Reporting Process Monitoring Tool Concept Proposal
2.1. Deliverables/Outputs
Through a consultation process with relevant UNICEF and municipal teams and, whether possible, with relevant stakeholders at the territorial level using a common discussion guide (UNICEF will facilite access to the appropriate counterparts in each city):
• Monitoring Tool Concept and Framework Proposal, including the purpose and scope of the tool; core functionalities; functional requirements and recommended structure; as well as identifying the common information to be recorded across all municipalities; optional information fields to accommodate municipal specificities; proposed monitoring categories and reporting dimensions.
• Governance and Responsibilities Framework, including roles and responsibilities of municipal users; roles and responsibilities of UNICEF users; proposed review, validation and oversight processes; governance arrangements for maintaining and updating the tool; consulting, cocreation and active participative monitoring & evaluation with the territorial level.
• Monitoring and Reporting Process Proposal, describing procedures for data entry, review and consolidation; reporting timelines and information flows; quality assurance and validation mechanisms.
• Illustrative Reporting Package, including examples of dashboards, reports and monitoring views required to monitor activities, implementation progress and results; at least one illustrative example demonstrating how an action from a municipal action plan would be recorded, updated and reported through the proposed monitoring process.
• Validation and Final Recommendations Report, including summary of feedback received during UNICEF validation discussions; revisions incorporated into the proposal; outstanding decisions requiring further discussion; recommended next steps for development, testing and
implementation of the monitoring tool.
2.2. Deadline: Within 90 calendar days of the contract start date.
2.3. Estimate Budget : 50%
DURATION OF CONTRACT:
3 months
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT
• University degree in Public Policy, Social Sciences, Statistics, Economics, Development Studies, Public Administration, or related fields.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, results-based management, programme planning or performance measurement.
• Demonstrated experience developing logical frameworks, results frameworks, indicators and monitoring systems.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Experience facilitating workshops and stakeholder consultations.
• Knowledge of child rights programmes and UNICEF programming is considered an asset.
• Experience working with international organizations or municipal governments or multi-sectoral social programmes is considered an asset
• Include previous work examples (in English or Portuguese).
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
• Portuguese: Fluent
• English: Intermediate to Advanced
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
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.
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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.
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.