Impact Evaluation Consultant: Thematic WASH expert

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is a leading organization dedicated to promoting children's rights and well-being globally. Established in 1946, UNICEF has been operational for over 70 years and works in 190 countries and territories. The organization is known for being the world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries and focuses on various areas including child health, nutrition, education, and protection from violence and exploitation. With a workforce of over 12,000 employees, UNICEF is funded entirely through voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments, allowing it to carry out its mission effectively across diverse regions.

Job Overview:
The Impact Evaluation Consultant will play a crucial role in supporting UNICEF's Evaluation Office (EO) in its mission to enhance organizational learning and accountability through evidence-based evaluations. This position is particularly focused on the thematic evaluation of climate-resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in schools and healthcare facilities in Karamoja. The consultant will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to provide expert advice on the technical aspects of the evaluation, including the development of survey instruments, data analysis, and the preparation of reports. The consultant's work will directly contribute to UNICEF's Strategic Plan (2026-2029) by ensuring that evaluations are aligned with the organization's goals of improving children's health outcomes and educational opportunities, particularly in the context of climate resilience.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for a variety of tasks including: 1) Formulating and validating the program's theory of change with stakeholders, advising on indicators for outcomes and impacts; 2) Collaborating with the evaluation team to finalize survey instruments for various stakeholders, ensuring alignment with international best practices; 3) Providing feedback on thematic interpretations of baseline and midline data, ensuring findings are consistent with current literature; 4) Defining the scope of process evaluations and developing methodologies; 5) Conducting dissemination activities related to WASH-health-education data; 6) Engaging with stakeholders to ensure the evaluation meets its objectives and contributes to program improvements.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a doctoral degree (PhD) in public health, environmental engineering, education, development economics, or a related field, with a demonstrated research focus on WASH, health, and education programming. Additionally, a minimum of 10 years of professional research experience in WASH programming is required, with a proven track record in conducting impact evaluations or randomized controlled trials. Familiarity with health outcome measurement and education quality assessment approaches is essential, along with experience in instrument development and validation. Candidates should also have basic ethics certificates for conducting primary studies on human subjects.

Educational Background:
The educational requirement for this position is a doctoral degree (PhD) in a relevant field such as public health, environmental engineering, education, or development economics. The degree should reflect a strong research focus on WASH, health, and education programming, ensuring that the candidate has the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to contribute effectively to the evaluation process.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of professional research experience specifically in WASH programming. Candidates should have demonstrated expertise in school WASH or the linkages between WASH, health, and education, supported by peer-reviewed publications. Experience in conducting or supporting impact evaluations or randomized controlled trials in relevant sectors is essential, as well as familiarity with implementation research or process evaluation in WASH programming.

Languages:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not explicitly required.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy position is remote and is expected to last from February 1, 2026, to June 30, 202

• Candidates must complete their profiles in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and submit a financial proposal detailing costs per deliverable. UNICEF will cover any emergent travel expenses, and selected candidates must have current health insurance coverage at the time of contract award. Payment will be contingent upon the submission of satisfactory deliverables, and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment for unsatisfactory work. Candidates must also confirm their fully-vaccinated status against COVID-19, although this requirement does not apply to those working remotely.