Local Consultant to support Inspection Division of the Ministry of Family in Kosovo with technical expertise Individual Consultant Mid-level National Position Short term contract

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.

For every child, the right to Growth and Development

Kosovo has recently strengthened its legal and institutional framework for social and family services through the adoption of the Law on Social and Family Services (2024), which foresees the establishment and operationalization of inspection mechanisms to ensure the quality, accountability and compliance of social service providers. With the adoption of the new Law, the role, scope and responsibilities of the Ministry in inspecting and monitoring social and family service providers have been significantly expanded and there is a need to strengthen the recently established Inspection office within the Ministry with technical knowledge.

How can you make a difference?

Specific deliverables for the consultant are:

Deliverable 1: Inception Phase – Inception Report, including workplan, methodology, and analytical notes on inspection models and practices developed and approved by the Ministry of Family and UNICEF.

Tasks: Face to face kick-off meeting with UNICEF and Ministry of Family; Review of legal and institutional framework; Short analytical note on inspection models and practices from selected countries in the region and Europe with recommendations relevant to Kosovo; Preparation of detailed workplan, timeline and methodology.

Timeline: 5 working days (from the start of the contract)

Deliverable 2: Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – One standardized SOP describing stages of the inspection process including inspection planning, conducting inspections, documentation of findings, reporting and follow-up monitoring, developed and validated by the Ministry of Family and UNICEF.

Timeline: 5 days (within May 2026)

Deliverable 3: Development of inspection tools and working instruments – Package of inspection tools, including checklists, templates, reporting formats, and monitoring tools developed and validated by the Ministry of Family and UNICEF.

Tasks: Draft package of practical inspection tools including inspection checklist, inspection plan templates, inspection report formats, data collection forms and monitoring templates.

Timeline: 5 working days (beginning of June 2026)

Deliverable 4: Capacity building of Inspection Division staff – Training delivered to inspectors, including training materials and pre/post assessment results.

Tasks: Deliver targeted training for inspectors (approx. 6), including practical application of inspection tools and methodologies; Develop pre- and post-training assessment tools (tests) to measure participants’ knowledge and learning progress.

Timeline: 3 day (by mid-June 2026)

Deliverable 5: Piloting of Inspection Tools – Brief report on piloting inspection tools, including feedback, lessons learned, and final adjustments drafted and submitted to the Ministry of Justice and UNICEF.

Tasks: Support practical piloting of inspection tools by inspectors; collect feedback and refine tools accordingly

Timeline: 2 working days (within June 26)

Deliverable 6: Orientation and Training for Service Providers– Orientation sessions delivered to approximately 100 service providers, including training materials and attendance records.

Tasks: Deliver training sessions for approximately 100 participants, social and family service providers, on inspection procedures and compliance requirements; Develop pre- and post-training assessment tools (tests) to measure participants’ knowledge and learning progress.

Timeline: 3 working days (end of June – beginning of July 26)

Deliverable 7: Validation and refinement of Tools and Final reporting- Final report summarizing activities undertaken, tools developed, training delivered, piloting results, learning outcomes based on pre- and post-test results, key findings and recommendations for further strengthening the inspection system.

Tasks: Final report summarizing activities undertaken, tools developed, training delivered, piloting results, learning outcomes based on pre- and post-test results, key findings and recommendations for further strengthening the inspection system.

Timeline: 2 working days, by mid-July 26

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s degree in social work, Law, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Human Rights, or other relevant disciplines.
• Work Experience:
  – Advanced academic degree in child protection and social policy related issues, social science, psychology or another relevant subject.
   – At least 5 -7 years of professional experience in social protection, social services, or regulatory and inspection systems.
  – Demonstrated experience in developing procedures, operational guidelines, or institutional tools for public institutions.
  – Experience in quality assurance, monitoring, inspection or oversight mechanisms related to social services or public administration.
  – Proven experience in capacity building and training delivery for public institutions or service providers.
  – Good understanding of social protection and social services systems in Kosovo or the Western Balkans.
  – Working experience with the Governments, EU, UN and international agencies, CSO’s, Human and Children’s Rights and Child Protection.
  – Excellent inter-personal relations and consulting skills.
  – Strong facilitation, communication, and report writing skills.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Albanian and good working knowledge in English

What to submit as part of the application:

• An updated CV and a cover letter
• A financial proposal in USD – daily fee, all taxes included

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

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

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.

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.

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.