Country Program Development Facilitation Support - International Consultant, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3 months

UNICEF Malaysia looking for a suitable candidate for Rights and Results Programming (RRP) technical support to facilitate the 2026-2030 Country Programme Development (CPD) Planning retreats and their preparatory work

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, hope

Together with the Malaysian government and others who are truly passionate about child rights, UNICEF works in Malaysia to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow healthy and happy; live safely; and achieve their full potential.

With the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the 12th Malaysia plan as our guides, we endeavor to change minds, change policies, and in turn change the lives of all children in Malaysia.

https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/

How can you make a difference? 
In 2024, UNICEF Malaysia is preparing to design the 2026-2030 Country Programme, engaging in a purposeful, effective and strategic planning process at the country level, which will entail reflecting on existing analysis to shape programme choices, prioritize interventions, define the pathway towards change, and articulate desired results vis à vis resources, through a consultative and time-bound process. The new Country Programme will be UNICEF’s primary means of achieving its mandate to advance the realization of child rights for all children in Malaysia, including the most marginalized, in support of national and global development priorities as well as humanitarian imperatives.

• Support to UNICEF Malaysia’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) and Programme teams to apply RRP concepts into the development of the new Country Programme Document (2026-2030), especially in the identification of priorities, refining existing causality and bottleneck analyses and supporting the development of sector-specific theories of change, in line with the most updated UNICEF RRP global guidance. Such support will be provided via physical facilitation of the CPD retreat series: 1. CPD Retreat 1 on Prioritization (16-18 October); CPD Retreat 2 on Theory of Change (26-28 November); as well as technical guidance for UNICEF to sharpen the focus and value proposition in the new country programme cycle.
• For the facilitation of the two CPD retreats, the location for both retreats will be in Kuala Lumpur.

The scope entails:
1. CPD Retreat 1 on Prioritization (16-18 Oct)

• Refine the agenda of CPD Retreat 1 in collaboration with the PME Team
• Provide strategic guidance to PME Team and the management team on the prep work before the retreat, including the approach and methodology used to distill the prioritized issues per dimension, in line with the updated global guidelines and lessons learned from piloted countries in the region
• Lead and facilitate the CPD retreat 1, include team building activities to be planned as part of  the retreats’ agenda and in close collaboration with Staff Association, with the objective of creating a space of trust and collaboration among teams
• Clinic sessions to support programme teams in refining the causality analysis and TOC.

2. CPD Retreat 2 on Theory of Change (26 – 28 Nov)

• Based on outcomes of the Retreat 1, refine the agenda for Retreat 2 in collaboration with the PME Team
• Provide strategic guidance to PME Team and the management team in the context of TOC, including the approach and methodology used to distill the prioritized issues per dimension, in line with the updated global guidelines and lessons learned from piloted countries in the region
• Lead and facilitate the CPD retreat 2, include team building activities to be planned as part of the retreats’ agenda and in close collaboration with Staff Association, with the objective of creating a space of trust and collaboration among teams
• Clinic sessions to support programme teams in refining the TOC and RRP.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Business administration, social sciences, statistics, development planning, or other social science field is required.
• At least eight years in the relevant field of planning, monitoring and evaluation. (mandatory)
• Strong and up-to-date knowledge of results-based management principles and practice (mandatory)
• Sound and up to date knowledge and expertise in human rights-based approach to programming gender-responsive and equity-based programming, and risk informed programming.
• Sound and up to date knowledge of UN and UNICEF policies and practices in programme design, implementation and monitoring and reporting is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience in development programming in the East Asia and Pacific region in an asset.
• Experience working with UNICEF and/or the United Nations system is an asset.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English (mandatory)
• Proven ability to exercise analytical and conceptual thinking (mandatory)
• Proven skills in facilitation and communication, particularly in multi-cultural settings.
• Strong track record in supporting the elaboration (drafting) of strategic frameworks, workplans and
  programmes;
• Strong track record of facilitating multi-stakeholder groups at the higher level (including with government, UN Agencies, development partners and civil society);
• Strong track record in results-based management practice including programme design (prioritization, theory of change, results framework, results-based budgeting, programme monitoring, results reporting, etc.);
• Proven track record in facilitating consultation with children and young people is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

Please find the detailed terms of reference for this consultancy:  TOR-CPD Facilitation and Support - Individual Consultant VA.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

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/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:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.