Fresh Jobs at UNICEF

Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

• Nigeria is among the countries with a high proportion of people living in hunger and suffering from food insecurity. As a result, the prevalence of malnutrition remains high. Today, out of an estimated 49 million children under 5 years, about 20 million children in Nigeria are stunted, 10 million are wasted and 15 million are anaemic. These numbers underscore the need for effective nutrition programming and advocacy
• The UNICEF Nigeria Nutrition Programme has an ambitious fundraising and advocacy strategy to support the achievement of results in the 2023-2027 Country Programme. UNICEF provides technical and financial support to the Government and partners. UNICEF communicates to advocate for the most disadvantaged children and to build a more coordinated, consistent, and cutting-edge global communication and public advocacy operation.
• To facilitate communication and advocacy on child rights for nutrition, there is a need to create clear communication and publications that are aligned with UNICEF’s communication guidelines and brand. This requires editorial guidance and support, and therefore the services of writers, editors, copy editors, and proof-readers regularly. The nutrition programme relies mostly on external donor financing. This requires the use of data and evidence that are communicated in a clear and digestible format. As part of accountability, there is a need for high-quality donors and other periodic reports.
• By investing in quality communication and publications, UNICEF Nigeria Nutrition Programme aims to:

Enhance Advocacy Efforts

• Effectively communicate the importance of nutrition programming and advocate for policy changes and resource mobilization.
• Improve donor reporting: Develop high-quality reports that demonstrate programme impact and accountability, ensuring continued donor support.
• Strengthen programme visibility: Showcase the programme's achievements and lessons learned, contributing to a more coordinated and effective global response to malnutrition.

On a need basis, UNICEF is seeking to hire a consultant to provide quality, timely, and professional writing, copy-editing and proofreading services for the nutrition section

How can you make a difference?

Scope of work:

Category 1. Writing

• Develop and finalize clear, concise, and well-structured documents (e.g., proposals, donor reports, human interest stories, advocacy material). This includes writing, reviewing, and editing to ensure clarity and a logical flow of core themes and narratives.
• Review and consolidate material for knowledge products, in alignment with UNICEF nutrition programme.
• Produce digital media content as required, including project factsheets, webpages, stories of change, forewords, prefaces, and website blurbs, all in strict adherence to UNICEF guidelines and the UNICEF Style Book.
• Support the nutrition section by drafting clear and simple advocacy messages for meetings and public engagements, with initial drafts subject to technical review and fact-checking.

Category 2. Editing/Copy-editing

• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency of message, keeping in mind the target audiences and appropriate writing style.
• Conduct comprehensive copy editing that includes checking for correct grammar, syntax, punctuation, and adherence to official UNICEF terminology and style conventions (e.g., spelling, capitalization, country and city names, acronyms, and abbreviations).
• Verify the correct and consistent use of footnotes, endnotes, references, bibliographic entries, and URLs; ensure that titles, headings, and subheadings are clear, concise, and logically ordered with complete front and back matters.

Category 3. Proof-reading

• Proofread layout files to ensure spelling accuracy, style consistency, and compliance with official UNICEF terminology and conventions.
• Check for proper formatting elements such as callouts, layout issues, cross-references, footnotes, pagination, and taglines, ensuring that all references are correct and consistent.
• Compare amended proofs against previous versions and incorporate any additional editorial alterations required, including ensuring that the table of contents accurately reflects the listed items within the text.

General Requirements

• Be available for prompt feedback and input as needed by the office.
• Deliver all assignments on tight, short timelines as required by project or office needs.

Deliverables/Outputs

Category 1: Writing/Editing/Copy-editing/Proofreading

• Develop and finalize concise written and digital content across proposals, donor reports, human interest stories, advocacy materials, and knowledge products,
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency; conduct copy editing for grammar, syntax, and
• Proofread layout files, ensuring spelling, style, and formatting consistency.
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency.

Category 2: Writing/Editing/Copy-editing/Proofreading

• Develop and finalize concise written and digital content across proposals, donor reports, human interest stories, advocacy materials, and knowledge products,
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency; conduct copy editing for grammar, syntax, and
• Proofread layout files, ensuring spelling, style, and formatting consistency.
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency;
• Support with internal end year reports (RAM, COAR etc)

Category 3: Writing/Editing/Copy-editing/Proofreading

• Develop and finalize concise written and digital content across proposals, donor reports, human interest stories, advocacy materials, and knowledge products,
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency; conduct copy editing for grammar, syntax, and
• Proofread layout files, ensuring spelling, style, and formatting consistency.
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency.

Category 4: Writing/Editing/Copy-editing/Proofreading

• Develop and finalize concise written and digital content across proposals, donor reports, human interest stories, advocacy materials, and knowledge products,
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency; conduct copy editing for grammar, syntax, and
• Proofread layout files, ensuring spelling, style, and formatting consistency.
• Review and edit reports, publications, and digital products for clarity, readability, and consistency

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

• A university degree in journalism, ommunication, politics, social sciences or a related technical field..
• English as a mother tongue (or equivalent level) is considered an asset
• Considerable (at least five years) writing/editing/copy-editing/proofreading experience on English language publications, preferably one or more United Nations or other multilateral or bilateral reports.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered 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.

go to method of application »

Purpose Of the Assignment:

• Although basic education is free and compulsory, 10.2 million children at primary school age and 8.1 million children at junior secondary school age are out of school. This means approximately one in four children of basic education age in Nigeria are excluded from education. The challenge in education access is not equally distributed across the country. For example, 66 per cent of out-of-school children are in the North-East and North-West, 86 per cent are in rural areas, and 65 per cent are from households in the poorest socioeconomic quintile, indicating a need for addressing educational inequality with targeted approaches. Due to the limited access to schooling and the poor quality of education provided, about 75 per cent of children aged 7–14 do not acquire foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills that are critical for further learning and skills development.
• One of the interventions implemented by the state governments with support of UNICEF and other partners is the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP). ABEP is an alternative learning programme aimed at providing educational opportunities for Out of School Children and youths. The objective is to allow learners to catch-up on missed schooling and integrate into formal school or acquire vocational skills (older learners) based on the interest of the learners. The programme specifically targets children aged 10-18 who have either dropped out of school or never attended and are now overage for formal primary education. The implementation package includes a structured curriculum, a National Implementation Guidance document to support education officials and practitioners, and a Teacher Training Manual designed to equip educators with the necessary skills to deliver accelerated learning effectively. The ABEP curriculum developed by the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) is aligned with the national basic education curriculum but condensed and includes five core subjects, English Studies, Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology, Nigerian History and Values, and a selected Nigerian language. The ABEP is divided into three levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3). Each level is 9 months.  

How can you make a difference? 

Scope Of Work:

1. Develop investment case framework

1.1. Stakeholder coordination and engagement

• Organize a meeting with key federal-level stakeholders (e.g., Federal Ministry of Education; ABEP Task force) to present, discuss and agree on the concept and workplan of investment case development.

1.2. Review and analyze ABEP delivery models:

• Conduct a desk review of reports and studies on ABEP.
• Conduct interviews with federal-level stakeholders (e.g., Federal Ministry of Education; ABEP Task force).
• Conduct field visits to two states to interview key stakeholders (e.g., SUBEB; ABEP centres; local education officers) and review the planning and implementation of ABEP. Gather information related to ABEP implementation (e.g., cost, enrolment, transition data). 
• Examine and validate existing ABEP delivery models, which include analysis of local assumptions, detailed costing, outcomes, and model variations.

1.3. Develop investment case framework

• Use the collected data and analysis to develop an ABEP investment case framework, which outlines the structure and methodology for the investment case (two states). This framework includes:
• Identification of critical inputs, cost categories, and implementation assumptions.
• Definition of key outcomes and indicators for measuring impact.
• Proposed approach for scenario analysis and cost-effectiveness estimation.

2. Draft state-level investment cases (two states)

2.1. Apply the framework to two states to draft state-level ABEP investment cases

• Refine and finalize cost and outcome data and develop 2–3 implementation scenarios per state (intensity, modality, context).
• Conduct sensitivity and cost-effectiveness analysis, compare scenarios across states and against the benchmark nationally, and develop key messages and summary findings.
• Draft state-level investment cases with key messages, which include:
• Detailed costing and scenario modeling.

 Cost-effectiveness ratios per scenario.

•  Preliminary estimates of reach, impact, and returns on investment.
• Comparative summary of state cases and extrapolated national-level implications.

3. Finalize state-level investment cas3es (two states) and national-level policy brief

3.1. Finalize and validate the state-level ABEP investment cases

• Share draft investment cases with federal and state stakeholders (e.g., FME, UBEC, ABEP Taskforce, SUBEB) and organize a validation meeting.
• Revise and finalize the investment cases based on feedback.

3.2. Develop a national-level policy brief on ABEP

• Develop a national-level policy brief with strategic narrative for improved access, quality and equity.
• Prepare ABEP policy presentation deck and key message summary for policy advocacy.

Work Assignment/Overview:

• Develop investment case framework

Deliverable/Output:

• Investment case framework
• Draft state-level investment cases (two states)

Deliverable/Output:

• Two draft state-level investment cases
• Finalize state-level investment cases (two states) and national-level policy brief

Deliverable/Output:

• Two final state-level investment cases validated
• National-level policy brief on ABEP
• Policy presentation deck and key messages summary

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

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, International Development, Education. 
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in programme review and evaluation.
• At least five years of experience in cost-effectiveness analysis and financial evaluation of programmes in the development sector.
• At least three years of experiencing in designing, implementing, or evaluating education programmes.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Working knowledge of UNICEF programmes in the education sector is an asset.
• Fluency in cost-saving approaches for development programmes as well as knowledge of education sector "best buys "is an asset.
• Familiarity with donor priorities and an understanding of the education landscape, ideally in Nigeria or in other WCAR countries, 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.