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Background and Rationale
Evidence-based Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) programming is central to UNICEF’s mandate to improve outcomes for children and communities. Achieving lasting behaviour change requires systematic understanding of the psychological, social, cultural, and structural factors that shape how people make decisions and act. Behavioural science offers a rigorous toolkit to diagnose drivers of behaviour, design interventions that move them, and measure change in ways that hold up to scrutiny. As UNICEF SBC programming continues to scale across health, nutrition, education, child protection, WASH, Social Policy and climate resilience, the need for specialised behavioural-science expertise has become increasingly critical.
The UNICEF SBC Functional Capabilities Mapping 2025 identified behavioural science as an area of insufficient internal capacity across the organisation. Teams consistently report challenges in conducting rigorous behavioural diagnosis, designing and testing evidence-based interventions, applying advanced analytical methods to programme data, and translating behavioural findings into actionable programme decisions.
The behavioural-science field is also undergoing a methodological broadening. Traditional knowledge–attitude–practice approaches have given way to a richer toolkit grounded in behavioural economics, social psychology, decision science, and implementation science, increasingly augmented by computational methods including machine learning, large language models, agent-based simulation, network and geospatial analysis, and adaptive experimentation. UNICEF needs reliable access to consultants who are fluent across both traditions and can pick the right tool for the question at hand.
The objective is to establish Long-Term Agreements for Services with qualified individual consultants to provide on-demand behavioural science support to UNICEF Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Centres of Excellence across the full programme cycle through Research, Design, and Evaluation in both Core and Computational modes, as well as Advisory services covering translation, capacity-building, and decision-maker support required for most assignments.
Purpose
The purpose of these Terms of Reference is to establish Long-Term Agreements for Services with individual consultants who can provide UNICEF with reliable, on-demand technical support in behavioural science for SBC programming. Selected consultants will be eligible for a Long-Term Agreement to provide on-demand technical support to UNICEF Centres of Excellence (CoEs), Country Offices, Regional Offices, and other offices as required. The services of consultants selected under the Long-Term Agreements may also be made available to other UN agencies. Long-Term Agreements are non-binding arrangements that do not constitute a commitment to acquire a consultant’s services.
Objective
UNICEF’s behavioural-science work is empirical, methodologically plural, and context-sensitive. It favours designs that yield credible causal evidence, combines quantitative, qualitative, and computational methods to suit the question at hand, and grounds interpretation in the realities of the contexts that children, caregivers, frontline workers, and decision-makers are navigating. Consultants engaged under this Long-Term Agreements will work alongside UNICEF teams globally to generate behavioural evidence, design interventions, and advise decision-makers in ways that inform operational, programmatic, and policy decisions, strengthening the quality, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of programming across sectors.
How can you make a difference?
Scope of Work
The Scope of Work is organised across four primary categories — Research, Design, Evaluation, and Advisory — each comprising one or two methodological sub-categories: Core (established behavioural-science methods) and, where applicable, Computational (computational, AI-augmented, and algorithmic methods). Advisory is principally human-centred and is presented as Core only.
The remainder of this section lists the tasks UNICEF expects consultants to be able to deliver across these seven cells. A given commission will draw on a subset of cells; no single consultant is expected to cover all of them.
Deliverables
Travel
Consultants may need to travel to UNICEF offices for on-site or in-country support. Consultants will need to make their travel arrangements and will be reimbursed for travel costs and subsistence allowance in line with and limited to those payable by UNICEF. The payment of travel costs shall be limited to economy class air travel, regardless of the length of travel. Airfare and terminal expenses will be paid upon completion of each duty travel against the invoices.
Estimated duration of LTA
The Long-Term Agreement will be for a duration of three years. The services of the consultants selected under the LTA would also be made available to UNICEF Regional and Country offices.
Payment Schedule
The LTA to be signed will have a fixed fee rate reflecting deliverables and including daily fee. However, UNICEF does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the LTA as this will depend on forthcoming requests.
The consultant is expected to provide a quotation for the services he/she will provide as part of the application.
Financial Proposal Template
LTA Financial Proposal Template
Contracts Created Against The LTA
Whenever consultancy services are required, details of the services will be presented according to the availability of the LTA holder.
Upon receipt of confirmation of availability and interest in the assignment, a contract will be issued with the prices/fees agreed in the LTA. The consultant must sign the contract prior to commencement of work.
Payment will be made after the completion of deliverables and submission of invoices for the actual work completed, subject to satisfactory performance.
Application Process/How to Apply:
The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain four separate attachments:
- A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be uploaded online).
- Curriculum Vitae with named projects, roles, and links to portfolio or work examples where possible. (CV) (to be uploaded online).
- A financial proposal indicating professional fee as per the above template. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents).
- Copies of educational qualifications (to be uploaded online).
Without all the above 4 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.
- Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
- Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
- Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
- Active in more than 190 countries and territories through country programmes and National Committees. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
- Persons from all gender, ethnicity, and religious background meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
- UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply.
- General Terms and Conditions for the Consultancy Contract are attached, for your reference.
- 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.
Note: Courses will be required for the successful LTA holders: Certificates of mandatory courses (Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF; Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority & Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) consolidated in one single pdf. For LTAs which include travel assignments, BSAFE will be a mandatory course requirement to be added to the list of certificates to be uploaded.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in behavioural science, psychology, public health, economics, social or political science, statistics, data science, or a closely related field. An exceptional combination of relevant academic qualifications at bachelor level and 4 years of demonstrated practical experience may be considered in lieu of a higher degree.
- Work Experience:
- At least 8 years of demonstrated expertise in behavioural science applied to development, public health, or comparable contexts, beyond academic qualifications with substantive experience in at least one cell of the Scope of Work matrix in Section 3 at the Lead level (independently leading work end-to-end on real projects).
- Required Knowledge/Skills/Expertise:
- Strong proficiency in quantitative research methods, including at least two of: regression analysis, structural equation modelling, factor analysis, experimental design, causal inference, time-series analysis, network analysis, geospatial analysis, multilevel modelling, or causal machine learning.
- Practical experience designing and conducting randomised controlled trials or rigorous quasi-experimental evaluations of behaviour-change interventions, or contributing substantively to such evaluations under another lead.
- Proficiency in at least one analytical platform such as R, Stata, Python, or comparable, with the ability to document and communicate methodological choices clearly.
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex behavioural data and research findings into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences including programme staff, government partners, and donors.
- Experience producing high-quality written outputs such as research protocols, analytical reports, technical guidance, theories of change, or evaluation reports.
- Familiarity with ethical standards for research involving human subjects, including data protection and informed consent.
- Strong ability to manage multiple workstreams, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and deliver high-quality outputs on time in complex environments.
- Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Desirable: Note: Candidates are free to apply to any category based on their qualifications and experience. They can also apply for multiple categories or all of them. A candidate may be awarded LTA for one or more than one category. For every Child, you demonstrate... 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 The UNICEF competencies required for this post are… (1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels. UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status. UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance. UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially. UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled. Remarks: As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information. Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities. 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.- Recognised expertise (peer-reviewed publications, framework development, methodological contributions, or extensive mentoring) in one or more cells of the Scope of Work matrix.
- Demonstrated experience with computational behavioural-science methods, including machine learning, NLP/LLM-assisted analysis, agent-based or generative-agent simulation, adaptive experimentation, or causal ML.
- Experience working with UNICEF, other UN agencies, governments, or international NGOs on SBC, behaviour-change communication (BCC), or related programming.
- Experience designing and delivering behavioural-science capacity-building or advisory programmes for governments, multilateral organisations, or applied centres.
- Fluency in another United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) or Portuguese, or another language being used in UNICEF operational contexts are highly desirable.
