Background

UNICEF is the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing 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, governments, and from partnerships with international organizations.

Responsibilities

The consultancy will focus on the following key areas:

• Strengthening Child-Sensitive Social Protection Systems
  • Support the expansion and institutionalisation of child-sensitive social protection programmes.
  • Strengthen adaptive social protection systems to better protect children affected by droughts, floods, displacement, and economic shocks.
  • Promote greater integration of child poverty and vulnerability considerations within social protection programmes.
• Strengthening Child Protection Systems
  • Support the State Department for Children Services in implementing the Children Act 2022, including the development and roll-out of regulations, guidelines, standards and operational procedures.
• Integration of Social Protection and Child Protection
  • Support linkages and referral pathways between cash transfer programmes and child protection services.
  • Promote integrated approaches to addressing child poverty, violence, neglect, family separation and harmful practices.

Qualifications

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum Qualifications required: Masters in Social Policy, Public Finance, Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Public Administration, Child Protection, Development Economics or related field.

Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Work Experience:

• Minimum of ten (10) years progressive work experience in child-sensitive social protection, child protection, social policy, public policy, public finance, development economics, poverty and vulnerability analysis, public administration, or related fields, including experience providing strategic technical advice to government institutions.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Government-led policy, systems-strengthening and reform initiatives.
• Experience supporting the design, implementation, coordination or evaluation of social protection and/or child protection programmes.
• Experience working with national and subnational governments, development partners, UN agencies and other international organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and strategic advisory support.
• Experience in public finance, sustainable financing, resource mobilisation, budgeting, or investment advocacy for social sectors is an asset.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English required. Knowledge of Kiswahili desirable.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Strong knowledge of child-sensitive social protection and child protection systems.
• Strong knowledge of Kenya’s child protection legal, policy and institutional framework, including the Children Act 2022, or of care reform and violence prevention approaches.
• Understanding of child poverty, vulnerability and social inclusion issues.
• Knowledge of social protection policy, programme design and delivery systems.
• Familiarity with policy development, legislative processes and institutional reform.
• Strong analytical, writing and communication skills.
• Ability to engage effectively with senior government officials, development partners and other stakeholders.
• Evidence generation, policy analysis and translation of evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Strong facilitation, coordination and capacity development skills.

Desirables:

• Experience working with Government of Kenya ministries, departments and agencies.
• Experience supporting social protection programmes, especially if anchored on vulnerable children and adolescents.
• Experience supporting child protection systems strengthening and inter-sectoral coordination.
• Familiarity with UNICEF programming approaches and child rights-based programming.
• Experience in public finance for children, financing analysis and investment advocacy.
• Experience supporting adolescent-focused programmes, including cash-plus and related social protection initiatives.

• Support the expansion and institutionalisation of child-sensitive social protection programmes.
• Strengthen adaptive social protection systems to better protect children affected by droughts, floods, displacement, and economic shocks.
• Promote greater integration of child poverty and vulnerability considerations within social protection programmes.
• Support the State Department for Children Services in implementing the Children Act 2022, including the development and roll-out of regulations, guidelines, standards and operational procedures.
• Support linkages and referral pathways between cash transfer programmes and child protection services.
• Promote integrated approaches to addressing child poverty, violence, neglect, family separation and harmful practices.

• Strong knowledge of child-sensitive social protection and child protection systems.
• Strong knowledge of Kenya’s child protection legal, policy and institutional framework, including the Children Act 2022, or of care reform and violence prevention approaches.
• Understanding of child poverty, vulnerability and social inclusion issues.
• Knowledge of social protection policy, programme design and delivery systems.
• Familiarity with policy development, legislative processes and institutional reform.
• Strong analytical, writing and communication skills.
• Ability to engage effectively with senior government officials, development partners and other stakeholders.
• Evidence generation, policy analysis and translation of evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Strong facilitation, coordination and capacity development skills.

• Masters in Social Policy, Public Finance, Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, Public Administration, Child Protection, Development Economics or related field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years progressive work experience in child-sensitive social protection, child protection, social policy, public policy, public finance, development economics, poverty and vulnerability analysis, public administration, or related fields, including experience providing strategic technical advice to government institutions.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Governmentled policy, systems-strengthening and reform initiatives.
• Experience supporting the design, implementation, coordination or evaluation of social protection and/or child protection programmes.
• Experience working with national and subnational governments, development partners, UN agencies and other international organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and strategic advisory support.
• Experience in public finance, sustainable financing, resource mobilisation, budgeting, or investment advocacy for social sectors is an asset.
• Fluency in English required.
• Knowledge of Kiswahili desirable.