UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up.

For every child, support.

The fundamental and primary mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favouritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in child survival, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. Therefore, the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

For every child, champion.

The Government of Oman – UNICEF Country Programme is centered around two priority outcome areas, one of them is Enhancing Children’s Potential: Children of all ages have more equitable access to quality services in protection, education and health, and enhanced opportunities to realize their full potential. Under this goal area, UNICEF together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) built an investment case for a national coalition engaging the government, the private sector, the civil society, and young people to promote 4 strategic priorities related to the Vision 2040 of the Government of Oman. These are namely: 1) education and training that build skills for life, civic engagement, and work, 2) employment opportunities; 3) entrepreneurship mindset and 4) equitable access to quality education, training and employment, equipping young people as problem solvers and engaged members of society.

1. JUSTIFICATION/BACKGROUND

The population of the Sultanate of Oman reached 5.2 million in 2023, with 43.3 per cent being expatriates. Young people aged 0–19 made up 31 per cent of the population, evenly split between males and females. There are notable differences in the sex ratio between Omanis (101 miles per 100 females) and expatriates (362 males per 100 females). In addition, the economy grew by 1.3 per cent, with GDP per capita reaching US$23,295 with inflation rate recorded 0.94 per cent (down from 2.5 per cent in 2022). In 2022 the unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent, with 10.6 per cent for females and 1.6 per cent for males.

Oman has achieved universal enrollment for primary education with gender parity. The country also has a national system for recording all births, resulting in 100 per cent birth registration rates and also achieved universal vaccination coverage for both boys and girls without gender differentiation.

UNICEF Oman has been operating in the country for over 50 years, providing technical support to the Government of Oman to enhance children’s rights, welfare, and well-being. The organization aims to empower all children in Oman to realize their rights and participate in building a knowledge-based society and competitive economy. This involves addressing issues such as the quality and financing of services, institutional capacity, and behavioral and social norms.

The 2022–2025 Country Programme Document (CPD) of UNICEF Oman aligns with national goals notably Oman’s Vision 2040 and its 10^th Five Year Plan 2021–2025, while also supporting the objectives of various international agreements such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To maintain its in-country presence, Oman Country Office (OCO) depends on the integrated budget, and for programme activities, depends largely on the Government of Oman (GoO) contribution.

The overarching goal of the 2022-2025 Country Programme is “to support the Government to empower all children in Oman to realize their rights and participate equitably in building a knowledge-based society and competitive economy”, by

• Outcome 1: Strengthening evidence-based policies for children, so that by 2025 improved public finance analysis, data and evidence are used to inform social policies and programmes for children, adolescents and young people, and progress towards the realization of the SDGs.
• Outcome 2: Enhancing systems and services for children, adolescents and young people, so that all children, adolescents and young people in Oman, including those with disabilities, benefit from improved social service systems and services.

Since the inception of the CPD 2022-2025 until the present, the office has continued its efforts to strengthen systems in collaboration with relevant ministries to enhance the quality of services for children. Through high-level advocacy, provision of technical assistance, and effective partnerships, the OCO has engaged in strategic initiatives in health and education financing, systemic child protection approaches, early childhood development (ECD), early childhood education (ECE), comprehensive social protection programs and social behaviour change.

A significant development in 2023 was the enactment of a new Social Protection Law aimed at enhancing the resilience of vulnerable groups, including children and people with disabilities, and bolstering the sustainability of the unified pension fund. The implementation of the universal child benefit began in January 2024, along with maternity leave insurance in July for working mothers to support them during pregnancy and after childbirth. The insurance policy also includes paternity leave to assist fathers in caring for their families. Additionally, a new Labour Law was introduced to improve working conditions for mothers and increase female labour force participation. Moreover, a new Education Law was endorsed, emphasizing the child’s right to enroll in pre-primary education.

In July 2024, the Sultanate of Oman presented its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the progress of implementing the SDGs during the High-Level Political Forum. Oman has made significant strides across social, economic, and environmental dimensions, achieving an overall indicator score of 82.2 per cent, indicating substantial progress towards the UN goals. The report highlighted that 11 out of the 17 SDGs are on track to meet their targets by 2030, with the remaining six making significant progress.

2. PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT

Purpose of Assignment:  The purpose of this consultancy is to facilitate development and draft a coherent child centered CPD incorporating inputs from the situation analysis, in-depth thematic analyses, Strategic Moment of Reflections (SMR) and programme rationale and narratives of theories of change articulated for collectively identified programme priority areas.

UNICEF Oman is looking to hire an individual consultant with expertise in strategic planning and facilitation to assist in developing the CPD 2026-2030. The consultant will develop a detailed timeline with milestones and deliverables based on the CPD roadmap. The consultant will be required to be present in Muscat for meetings with key stakeholders, including the SMR and other workshops as outlined in the CPD roadmap. Additionally, the consultant will work remotely to finalize deliverables such as the CPD, Result and Resources Plan (RRP), Costed Evaluation Plan (CEP), and other CPD products once in-person consultations are completed.

The final CPD document should adhere to the Procedure on the Development, Review and Approval of CPDs, Guidelines for drafting CPDs-OSEB-2020.08.25.docx (sharepoint.com), Guidelines for Country Programme Documents (sharepoint.com) and the UNICEF Strategic Plan with a high-level theory of change with an alignment with Oman national priorities. Detailed guidance will be provided on the specific requirements in line with the latest country programme planning guidance, style, and templates.

The consultant will collaborate closely with the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Officer under the overall guidance of the Programme Manager to ensure an efficient, participatory, and consultative process.

3. THE KEY OBJECTIVE:

 The objective of this assignment is to develop the UNICEF Oman Country Programme Document (CPD) 2026-2030 and associated documents, including the Costed Evaluation Plan (CEP), the Country Programme Management Plan (CPMP), and planning products aligned with the UNICEF Strategic Plan. The CPD will be developed through adopting inclusive, child-centered approach in consultation with government counterparts, private sector, NGOs, UN agencies^[1], UNICEF regional Office, and HQ, considering Oman’s high-income status. The consultant will be responsible for developing the CPD based on in-depth thematic cross-sectoral analysis to identify priority areas and theories of change.

 4. EXPECTED RESULTS:

 The consultant is required to produce the deliverables through the below tasks:

 Inception Phase:

• Conduct a desk review analysis to understand the socioeconomic situation in Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for a better understanding of the region context.
• Review the current CPD for 2022-2025 to identify accomplishments, innovations, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Conceptualize, organize and coordinate meetings and workshops with key stakeholders in Oman, including government counterparts, private sectors, NGOs, UN agencies, etc., to understand priorities with evidence-based validation to produce the programme rationale.
• Develop the CPD Theory of Change (ToC) for the programme rationale and each outcome ToCs after consultation.
• Conceptualize, organize and coordinate the SMR to discuss the prioritization for the CPD 2026-2030 as the foundation for the programme rationale.
• Draft Explanatory Note (EN) based on the situation analysis, ToC and RRP.

Drafting Phase:

• Draft the CPD RRP at the output and outcome levels, linking to expected activities while adhering to the UNICEF Quality Assurance Checklist with alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan  after consultation.
• Draft the CPD 2026-2030, including the Results Framework (RF) and the CEP after consultation.

Finalizing Phase:

• Finalize the CPD 2026-2030, including the RF and the CEP after incorporating feedback from stakeholders, UNICEF Oman, regional office, HQ, and the Executive Board.
• Support OCO in drafting and finalizing the Country Programme Management Plan (CPMP), which is a strategic multi-year planning document that outlines the main management structures and mechanisms to support the implementation of the Country Programme and achieve planned results.

The consultant is required to develop a work plan outlining the tasks and timeframe in alignment with the CPD roadmap.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• The consultant is expected to develop a detailed timeline with milestones as part of the inception report to be aligned with the CPD 2026-2030 roadmap and approved by UNICEF Oman.
• All deliverables have to be produced in English.
• UNICEF Oman must approve each deliverable prior to moving to the next phase.
• All payments will be made at the successful completion of each phase.
• The materials under this assignment are the property of UNICEF.

 6. LOCATION AND DURATION

 The work will be conducted for 40 days. The selected consultant may work in Muscat Duty station, or remotely.

7. OFFICIAL TRAVEL INVOLVED

 One travel ticket to and from Muscat, Oman to conduct the consultative meetings and workshops.

 8. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT 

The consultancy will be managed by the program manager at the Oman Country Office.

10. FREQUENCY OF PERFORMANCE REVIEWS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR EVALUATION OF RESULTS

The overall review process will be led by the UNICEF Oman.  The assignment to be a combination of desk work, consultations, and meetings in Muscat.

11. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE

The required consultant profile and qualifications are as follows:

• An advanced Masters’ degree in social and behavioural science, statistics, sociology, public health, public governance, education, protection, or other related social science field is required.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in areas of development programme at national and international levels.
• A minimum of 10 years of robust experience in planning and design, programme management, monitoring and evaluation, results‐based planning and budgeting, and/or related areas at the international and/or large organization.
• Relevant experience in developing country programme documents and result frameworks with UNICEF or a similar UN agency is required.
• Proven strong understanding of UNICEF CPD process, Gender Equality, Human Rights Based Programming (HRBP) approach, Environmental Sustainability and Results Based Management (RBM).
• Proven experience in communicating and facilitating consultative meetings and workshops with large and various number of participants.
• Excellent and strong skills for report writing and analysis is a must.
• Working experience in high-income country is a and advantage.
• Familiarity with Oman national context is an asset.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in Arabic is an asset.

13. CONDITIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

• The contractor will work on its own computer(s) and use his/her own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. The contractor’s fee shall therefore be inclusive of all office administrative costs
• All persons engaged under a UNICEF service contract, either directly through an individual contract, or indirectly through an institutional contract, shall be subject to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct: https://www.ungm.org/Public/CodeOfConduct
• Please also see UNICEF’s Standard Terms and Conditions attached.
• Selected consultant will be assist (administratively) in obtaining visa.
• Transportation will be arranged by the office.
• The overall review process will be led by the UNICEF Oman.
• Assignment to be a combination of desk work and frequent consultations and meetings in Muscat.
• The Consultant is not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.
• Consultant will coordinate their own travel arrangements based on an agreed travel schedule. UNICEF will cover airfare to Oman in Economy class via the most direct and economical route.
• Transportation upon arrival and departure is to be arranged by the travellers, terminal expense will be provided by UNICEF.
• For in-country stays, UNICEF will provide a DSA not exceeding the UN DSA rate.
• Insurance (life, health and other forms of insurance) covering the term of the contract while in Oman, will need to be issued by the consultant and to provide proof of such insurance prior to travel.
• Arrangements for booking accommodation are to be made by the consultant. UNICEF can support obtaining UNICEF corporate rates.  Settlement of any accommodation will be made directly by the consultant with the hotel.

 For every Child support, you are expected to demonstrate:

 UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

 Statement on UNICEF’s Zero-Tolerance policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

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. 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.

14.Remarks:

a) Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.

b) The selected consultant is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected consultant are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. The vaccine mandate, does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

c) UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

d) Shortlisted candidate remark: Only shortlisted candidates who provide a technical proposal and financial proposal will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.