Child marriage among Roma communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia persists at high rates, driven by systemic exclusion rather than cultural tradition. UNICEF is seeking a consultant to produce a scoping review, a regional framework, and an advocacy policy paper targeting EU inclusion strategies. This initiative aims to equip UNICEF with evidence-based tools to ensure the protection and inclusion of Roma girls by 2030.
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UNICEF’s Child Protection and Migration Practice- Prevention of Harmful Practices unit is seeking an individual consultant to conduct an evidence synthesis and produce an evidence-informed advocacy framework on child marriage among Roma communities in the ECA region, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey.
This assignment has three sequential and mutually reinforcing outputs. First, the consultant will conduct a systematic scoping review establishing the evidence base on the prevalence, drivers, consequences, and dynamics of child marriage among Roma communities across the four countries; document the interventions that have been implemented and the evidence of what works; and identify key evidence and data gaps — in particular the widespread absence of ethnicity-disaggregated data. Second, drawing directly on the scoping review findings, the consultant will develop a zero-draft Regional Framework on Child Marriage among Roma Communities in ECA, providing a shared analytical foundation and theory of change to be validated through national stakeholder consultations and a Regional Workshop bringing together UNICEF Country Offices, national governments, and Roma civil society and women's organisations. Third, the consultant will draft a Policy Paper translating the validated Regional Framework into a focused, evidence-based advocacy document directed at the EU Child Guarantee and its National Action Plans, the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030 mid-term review, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), and related financing and accountability instruments — accompanied by a concise advocacy summary for direct engagement with EU institutions and other partners.
Together, these three outputs will position UNICEF as a credible, evidence-based technical partner on child marriage among Roma communities, and will provide the analytical and advocacy tools needed to ensure that Roma girls are explicitly and measurably included in the EU's major child protection and social inclusion frameworks before the 2030 deadline.
Scope of Work: Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist (PHP), with technical guidance from the Research Specialist at Innocenti, the consultant will produce deliverables across the following six tasks:
1. Systematic Scoping Review — Inception and Protocol
2. Literature Search and Screening
3. Data Extraction and Evidence Mapping
4. Synthesis and Draft Scoping Review Report
5. Zero-Draft Regional Framework on Child Marriage among Roma Communities in ECA
6. Draft Policy Paper and Advocacy Summary
If you would like to know more about this consultancy scope, final products/expected deliverables , please review the complete TOR here: 
TOR TMC0004276.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements: (Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills )
Education: Advanced university degree (Master's or above) in public health, sociology, anthropology, international development, gender studies, social sciences, or a related field.
Work Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in conducting systematic reviews, scoping reviews, evidence syntheses, or mixed-methods research on child protection, gender, adolescent wellbeing, harmful practices, or related areas.
- Demonstrated experience producing high-quality research reports, evidence syntheses, and policy-oriented or advocacy documents suitable for institutional and government audiences.
- Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, or research institutions.
- Familiarity with evidence on child marriage, gender equality, social exclusion, and human rights is required.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
- Experience in systematic and scoping review methodologies, including PRISMA-ScR.
- Experience with literature searching, screening, quality appraisal, and data extraction.
- Familiarity with reference management software (EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley) and evidence synthesis tools.
- Excellent analytical and writing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate evidence into policy- and advocacy-oriented products.
- Strong understanding of child marriage, gender inequality, intersectionality, social exclusion, and Roma rights.
- Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence and identify research gaps.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including experience working remotely with multidisciplinary teams.
Desirables: Experience working on issues affecting marginalized populations, including Roma communities, ethnic minorities, or socially excluded groups, preferably in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
NB: Applicants should submit a technical proposal based on the proposed TOR
For every Child, you demonstrate...
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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.
How to apply: Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):
- 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 template TMC0004276.docx
- Technical proposal requirements- Candidates are required to submit: (i) a technical proposal (maximum 4 pages) setting out the proposed approach and methodology for this assignment; and (ii) at least two writing samples of policy paper developed or scoping review or synthesis
Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers
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