ECARO is looking for a consultant to support the implementation of the Initiative “Promoting a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach to children’s health” ensuring youth perspectives are integrated across all project components.
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For every child, the right to health
Health is a crucial aspect of the development of children and adolescents, encompassing both physical and mental well-being. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which individuals realize their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their community. The health and well-being of children and adolescents are critical for their development and future success. However, estimates indicate that around 11.2 million (13%) children and young people aged 19 and younger in the EU suffer from mental health conditions. Mental health issues among children and adolescents have far-reaching consequences, affecting their physical health, educational outcomes, and overall quality of life.
The European Commission launched an action on ‘Promoting a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach to children’s health’ (DP/CR-CA-24-26) with UNICEF under the EU4Health Programme for the period 2021-2027. The main objective is to promote good physical and mental health and prevent health problems in children and adolescents through impactful actions across various settings, enhancing the understanding of how to improve children’s health and how to address effectively the most pressing health challenges, thus also supporting countries in implementing the flagship actions and other initiatives of the Commission Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health with a specific focus on children and adolescents (aged 0-19).
Under that initiative, a Toolkit for Child and Adolescent Health and Mental Wellbeing Promotion will be designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway, specifically policymakers engaged in improving child and adolescent health and wellbeing. A selected number of countries that have expressed their interest and have areas for improvement, with a balanced geographical representation, will be supported in the national adaptation and use of some parts of the toolkit. The support will include facilitation of consultation among stakeholders at the national level and technical assistance for the national policy development phase.
Via dedicated collaboration activities with countries, UNICEF will facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building and policy dialogue among the participating countries to improve cooperation and synergies in the implementation of other initiatives and actions related to child health promotion.
How can you make a difference?
The consultant will report to the Regional Health Adviser and collaborate closely with the Project Manager, UNICEF’s CP and ADAP teams, Regional Office’s ECD Specialist, Nutrition Specialist, and Immunization Specialists, as well as with the DG Sante Project Manager and the Project Steering Committee. The primary responsibility is to design and implement a structured, inclusive, and sustainable youth engagement strategy that ensures adolescents are actively involved in shaping, informing, and participating in the project’s activities and outcomes.
Tasks:
• Contribute to institutional capacity-building efforts by identifying existing actors, including youth-led organizations and informal youth networks, to foster synergies and collaborations around child and adolescent health. Engaging these groups enables the integration of innovative, youth-driven solutions and ensures that grassroots insights inform institutional strategies, making them more inclusive, responsive, and grounded in lived experience.
• Ensure that Technical Assistance reflects the insights of young people by integrating their lived experiences, priorities, and ideas into efforts to modernize and improve access to child health services for children and caregivers. This includes supporting the development of policies, laws, and capacity-building plans that promote a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach. Youth perspectives help identify barriers such as stigma, lack of trust, or digital exclusion, and offer practical solutions like peer support models, youth-friendly communication strategies, and tech-enabled service delivery—making reforms more socially responsive and effective.
• Support the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based Toolkit for Child and Adolescent Health and Mental Wellbeing Promotion by incorporating tools, methodologies, and best practices on meaningful youth involvement. This will guide stakeholders in designing inclusive, responsive, and sustainable interventions that resonate with young people and empower them as active agents of change—especially those from vulnerable groups, in line with the European Child Guarantee.
• Ensure youth participation in policy dialogues to bring forward their perspectives on mental health and wellbeing. Their contributions can challenge stigma, promote equity, and advocate for inclusive systems that reach all children. Youth voices also help foster cross-country cooperation by highlighting shared challenges and proposing innovative, youth-led solutions.
• Contribute to shaping a common public health narrative by integrating youth-driven messaging that promotes a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach to children’s health. Youth can help craft communication strategies that are engaging, destigmatizing, and empowering, enhancing the narrative’s relevance and reach.
• Collaborate with the broader project team to ensure youth perspectives are integrated into the development and adaptation of the Toolkit and contribute to monitoring, reporting, and documentation of lessons learned.
The consultant must be adaptable, as the scope of work may evolve to address emerging needs and priorities.
Working Modality: Part time. Total of 80 working days over the period of 18 months. Home-based in Europe with estimated 5 trips during contract duration. Initial contract will be issued until end of 2026 only with a possibility to be extended further.
| Work assignment Overview | Deliverables/Outputs | Delivery deadline |
| 1. Identify and map existing youth advisory groups, networks and platforms across Europe relevant to child and adolescent health and mental wellbeing and establish partnerships with UNICEF National Committees, WHO youth networks and other relevant actors. | 1.1 A comprehensive database of youth advisory groups, networks and platforms categorized by thematic focus and level of activity; 1.2 A short analytical summary highlighting gaps, strengths, and opportunities for engagement. 1.3 two partnerships established with European youth networks and 4 with National Committees youth networks (through MoUs or letters of collaboration). |
10 working days from Jan 2026 to April 2026 |
| 2. Identify youth needs, priorities, and service gaps in relation to child and adolescent health and mental wellbeing, to inform the development of the Toolkit and guide policy dialogue. | 2.1 Draft and finalized versions of a youth-friendly survey to capture adolescent priorities across the five thematic areas of the project; 2.2 Dissemination plan (through different means such as U-Report, National Committees, WHO networks, and other mapped platforms) 2.3 Data analysis report summarizing key findings and trends |
15 working days from Jan 2026 to March 2026 |
| 3. Establish a youth advisory mechanism to ensure diverse and representative youth participation through structured consultation, feedback loops, and involvement in project activities. | 3.1 A set of selection criteria for the establishment of a diverse and representative group of youth advisors, also including representation form vulnerable groups. 3.2 A mechanism for regular consultation and participation through existing structures (e.g., NatComs, country offices, advisory boards); 3.3 A detailed roadmap of consultation and participation opportunities across the project lifecycle, ensuring youth advisors are meaningfully involved in project activities; 3.4 Documentation of youth contribution (reports and meeting minutes) |
15 working days from January 2026 to October 2026 |
| 4. Collect and document best practices, case studies, and tools on meaningful youth engagement from global and regional sources and produce a summary report or toolkit to inform internal and external stakeholders. | 4.1 A curated list of global and regional best practices, case studies, and tools, categorized by theme, region, and relevance to child and adolescent mental health. 4.2 A concise document synthesizing key insights, lessons learned, and recommendations for meaningful youth engagement, tailored for internal and external stakeholders. 4.3 A set of 5–10 documented case studies highlighting successful youth engagement models, including context, approach, outcomes, and transferability, to be included in the final toolkit |
15 days From February 2026 to October 2026 |
| 5. Support the organization and participation of youth representatives in two key events related to adolescent well-being and facilitate youth contributions to policy dialogues and presentations of the project’s objectives. | 5.1 Participation in at least two European events targeting youth. 5.2 Participation of youth representatives in at least 6 policy dialogues. |
15 days From January 2026 to August 2027* |
| 6. Collaborate with the broader project team to ensure youth perspectives are integrated into the development and adaptation of the Toolkit and contribute to monitoring, reporting, and documentation of lessons learned. | 6.1 Participation in regular coordination meetings with the project team and donor to ensure alignment and share updates. 6.2 Support in drafting reports and preparing presentations, including synthesizing inputs, integrating youth perspectives, and contributing to donor communications and project documentation. 6.3 Support in drafting communication messages (social media posts, etc). |
10 days From January 2026 to August 2027* |
* Initial contract will be issued until end of 2026 with a possibility to be extended further.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
• Master’s degree in communication, marketing, management, development, sociology, international relations, or a related technical field.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work in youth engagement or volunteer management.
• Experience in building partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector.
• Experience in designing and implementing youth advisory mechanisms, participatory processes, and youth-led initiatives is a strong asset.
• Experience in EU policies is a strong asset.
• Experience in organizing consultations, workshops, and training sessions with youth and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills.
• Fluency in English is required
• Fluency in other European languages is a strong asset.
Desirables:
• Experience with digital youth engagement platforms;
• Knowledge of EU health systems and child health policies, especially in relation to vulnerable populations;
• Experience working with UN/international organizations.
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
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
[add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role].
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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.
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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.
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.
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In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
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.