National Individual Consultant for the Final Evaluation of implementation of the National Child Protection Programme for 2022–2026

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.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to protection

Moldova continues to advance reforms in child protection, focusing on strengthening family-based care and reducing risks of neglect, abuse and separation as well as reliance on institutionalization. The implementation of the National Child Protection Programme for 2022–2026 (hereafter “the Programme”) is guided by Moldova’s commitments under national legislation and international human rights frameworks. The Country-led evaluation of the Programme is part of the Costed Evaluation Plan and it will be conducted in 2026 to assess the overall performance and results, as the Programme approaches the end of its implementation cycle and it is essential to determine the extent to which national reforms have strengthened services, reduced institutionalization and violence, and improved outcomes for the most vulnerable children. The final evaluation will assess the progress and effectiveness of the Programme and provide the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) and national partners: Ministry of Education and Research (MER), Ministry of Health (MH), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI), Ministry of Justice (MJ), State Chancellery (SC) with evidence to guide future policy decisions, inform the next phase of child protection reforms, and ensure continuity in strengthening the national child protection system.

​The timing of the Final Evaluation is particularly important as Moldova advances the implementation of the European Child Guarantee (ECG), a process aimed at improving access to essential services for children in vulnerable circumstances. The evaluation will therefore provide critical evidence on how well national child protection reforms have addressed these barriers, helping to ensure that future policy commitments under the ECG are grounded in verified results, system gaps, and service‑level realities.

How can you make a difference?

Terms of reference: 2026 TOR_Nat Indiv Consultancy_Evaluation of National CP Programme_VA.docx

The Final Evaluation will assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, sustainability, and equity of the Programme and its Action Plan implemented during 2022–2026. It will examine how well programme interventions contributed to:

• Strengthening the national child protection system;
• Preventing and responding to violence against children, abuse, neglect, and exploitation;
• Expanding quality family-based alternative care and reducing institutionalization.
• Supporting children in contact with the law
• Supporting national and local authorities to integrate vulnerable children – including refugees - into systems that ensure comprehensive, needs-based assistance to help them overcome challenging situations.
• Enhancing cross sector collaboration across health, education, social protection, and justice sectors.
• The sustainability of interventions implemented under the Programme.

Given the evolving national and regional/local context, including humanitarian pressures, increasing poverty, and system constraints, the evaluation is also intended to generate actionable lessons and strategic recommendations to inform:

• Government policy and budget planning and allocations;
• Ongoing care-reform and deinstitutionalization efforts;
• Strengthening resilience and preparedness of child protection services;
• The next UNICEF Country Programme (2028-2032).

The evaluation will cover the entire duration of programme implementation, from January 2022 to June 2026, and will review all major intervention areas, geographic coverage, partnerships, and funding modalities. It will assess contributions at:

• National level (policy, legislation, system reform; inter-ministerial coordination);
• Subnational/local level (social service delivery, case management, capacity building);
• Community-based interventions (prevention and referral to services);
• Individual child and caregiver levels (outcomes and well-being).

The evaluation should specifically consider the programme equity dimensions of children in vulnerable situations, including:

• children at risk,
• children in alternative care,
• refugees and displaced children.

The evaluation aims to generate credible findings that will inform both ongoing social and care reforms and Moldova’s future child protection policy document aligned with the EU acquis and the European Child Guarantee. By doing so, it will help national authorities prioritize reforms, strengthen intersectoral coordination, and align investments with EU integration commitments and child protection priorities.

An Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) will be established by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) to support the evaluation process. The ERG will provide strategic guidance throughout the evaluation, including the finalization of the evaluation scope and questions, facilitating access to key stakeholders and documentation, reviewing deliverables, and validating findings. The ERG will play an advisory role and will not interfere with the evaluation team's independence or the integrity of the evaluation process.

Deliverables

Work Assignments Overview

Deliverables/Outputs

Delivery deadline* (in weeks/months) and input days to complete the deliverable

Inception phase 2-3 weeks

​Facilitate Introductory meetings with MLSP (evaluation manager), the ERG, and key national partners to confirm expectations and clarify roles.

Compile and prepare for review of background documents, reports, monitoring data, laws and regulations, and relevant studies.

Contribute to stakeholders mapping and refining of the evaluation matrix

Contribute to Inception Report

Facilitate submission evaluation methodology and data collection tools to the national Ethical Review Committee (in liaison with UNICEF)

Inception Report and presentation to Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) (in Romanian and English).​

​​10 July 2026

​(8 days)

​​Data Collection 4-5 weeks

​Scheduling and organizing interviews and consultations with national authorities (MLSP, line ministries).

Facilitate organization of field visits and consultations with LPAs, social workers, service providers, and community level actors.

Facilitate organization of Focus group discussions with caregivers, youth, and vulnerable groups (as feasible).

Scheduling and organizing meetings with NGOs, UN partners, and development partners involved in care reform and service delivery.

Facilitate check-ins with the ERG

​​Initial summary of emerging findings (brief note) (in English).​

​​10 September 2026

(10 days)

Analysis and validation 2-3 weeks

​Consolidation and analysis of all qualitative and quantitative data.

​Preparation of the Draft Evaluation Report.

​Validation workshop with MLSP, ERG, and key stakeholders to verify findings, discuss interpretations, and refine recommendations.

​Integration of stakeholder feedback into the draft report.​

​​Draft Evaluation Report (in English), Validation workshop

​​5 October 2026

​(8 days)

​​Finalization and dissemination 2-3 weeks

​Contribution to finalisation of the evaluation report, including summary brief and recommendations matrix.

Inputs to presentation of preliminary findings, main conclusions and recommendations to MLSP, ERG members, and key partners.

​​Final Evaluation Report (fully proofread and professionally formatted for dissemination), accompanied by an Executive Summary and a Presentation (in English and Romanian)

​​30 October 2026

(4 days)

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Minimum requirements:

• Advanced university degree in social assistance, public policy, public administration, law, sociology, psychology, or another relevant field related to child protection.
• At least 7 years of experience in the field of child protection or child rights, including direct involvement in the development of policy documents and normative frameworks, as well as in the implementation or monitoring of child protection programmes and policies.
• Proven prior experience working with UNICEF and Government institutions, accompanied by comprehensive knowledge of child protection programming.
• Strong analytical skills and experience in qualitative data collection contribute to and produce content for evaluations, analytical reports etc.
• Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge of English.

Desirables:

• Sensitivity towards ethics with regards to human and child rights issues, different cultures, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, personal interaction and gender roles, disability, age and ethnicity

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

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) including records on past experience in similar projects/assignments and concrete outputs obtained
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) - Financial proposal_Nat Consultant Eval CP Programme.docx
• Technical proposal, including: 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. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from targeted underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. 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.
  • Cover Letter, explaining why the consultant is the most suitable for the work, including previous relevant experience
  • Proposed approach and evaluation methodology, including:
    • Timeline and milestones
    • Evaluation matrix / data collection methods and tools)
    • Ethical considerations and how the consultant will address them
    • Any potential risks and mitigation measures