Child-Friendly Governance Consultant, Colombo,Sri Lanka, Remotely, 13.5 Months (Open For National Candidates Only) Req#596218

Contract Duration: 13.5 Months

Working arrangement: Homebased

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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.

To support the coordination, monitoring, documentation, and institutionalization of Child Friendly Governance (CFG) across provinces and municipalities, ensuring lessons are captured and disseminated for learning, visibility, advocacy, and sustainability.

This consultancy contributes to output 3 of the Social Policy Section’s biannual workplan for 2024-27 (“National and subnational government officials have enhanced capacities to use a more evidence-based and child-friendly approach to ensuring adequate and equitable investments in children”).

To support the coordination, monitoring, and institutionalization of Child Friendly Governance (CFG) at the national level and across Southern and Western Provinces and selected municipalities, while documenting lessons learnt and good practices for learning, visibility, advocacy, and national ownership.

The consultancy will also strengthen communications, capacity-building, and the development of a CFG Community of Practice to ensure sustainability and scale-up across Sri Lanka.

Objectives:

• To advance national and subnational institutionalization, including capacity-building and CFG course content development.

• To provide technical support for CFG implementation in Southern and Western Provinces and selected local authorities.

• To consolidate technical resources, document lessons learnt and organize national learning workshops.

• To support communication and outreach activities and the development of a CFG Community of Practice.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Terms of Reference TMC0007014.pdf

Excellent English language skills and knowledge of at least one local language is required.

Social sciences, including economics, public policy, sociology, law, human rights, international development any other relevant field.

• At least two years of relevant experience in governance, social policy, or child rights within Sri Lanka.

• Experience working on Child Friendly Governance (CFG) or related child-friendly governance initiatives, with strong knowledge of the conceptual framework and its adaptation to Sri Lanka’s provincial and local government structures, is a very strong asset.

• Experience collaborating with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly in participatory planning, budgeting, or monitoring of social sector spending, is a strong asset.

• Experience engaging with media and communications platforms (including social media) to raise awareness of governance reforms, child rights, or local government initiatives is an asset.

• Strong analytical skills.

• Strong communication skills, including excellent professional English writing skills and presentation skills.

• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills.

• Solid grasp of economic, political, legal and human rights situation of Sri Lanka

• Familiarity with Sri Lanka’s decentralization and local government systems, including Provincial Councils, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, is highly desirable.

• Understanding of current governance challenges in Sri Lanka (e.g., fiscal constraints, equity in service delivery, community participation) and ability to contextualize CFG within these realities is an asset.

Competencies:

• Drive to achieve results for impact (1)

• Works collaboratively with others (1)

• Builds and maintains partnerships (1)

• Thinks and acts strategically (1)

• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)

• Innovates and embraces change (1)

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

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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0007014.docx

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: 09 Oct 2026 Sri Lanka Standard Time
Applications close: 22 Oct 2026 Sri Lanka Standard Time

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