National Consultant on Youth Ecosystem Mapping and Youth Engagement

## National Consultant on Youth Ecosystem Mapping and Youth Engagement, Ashgabat - Organization:UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - Office:UNICEF Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 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 survival and development UNICEF Turkmenistan is implementing its Country Programme of Cooperation for 2026–2030, which is aligned with national development priorities, the National Action Plan for the Realization of Children's Rights in Turkmenistan (2023–2028), the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. ( UNICEF ) The Country Programme identifies climate action and youth as one of its three flagship areas and aims to strengthen climate resilience through education and meaningful youth engagement, recognizing young people as agents of change. ( UNICEF ) Recent UNICEF-supported initiatives, including the Youth Climate Summer School, have demonstrated both the growing interest of young people in leadership and community action and the value of building nationwide networks of engaged youth. The 2026 programme brought together young people from across all regions and supported the development of youth-led community initiatives. ( UNICEF ) At the same time, there is a need for a more systematic understanding of the broader youth ecosystem in Turkmenistan. Information on existing youth initiatives, volunteer networks, youth interests, capacities, opportunities and regional differences is fragmented. A consolidated evidence base would support UNICEF and national partners in designing more inclusive, relevant and geographically balanced opportunities for young people. UNICEF therefore seeks to engage a national consultant to conduct a comprehensive mapping of the youth ecosystem in Turkmenistan and develop practical tools and recommendations to strengthen youth participation, volunteering, leadership and youth-led action. How can you make a difference? The purpose of the consultancy is to develop a comprehensive and practical evidence base on the youth ecosystem in Turkmenistan to inform UNICEF's programming and partnerships related to youth participation, leadership, volunteering, climate action and community engagement. The consultancy will identify and map: - Existing youth initiatives and youth-led activities across the country; - Youth interests, priorities, skills, aspirations and areas of engagement; - Existing professional, personal and volunteering network opportunities available to young people and gaps in access to such opportunities; - Key institutions, organizations and stakeholders working with and for young people; - Database for UNICEF engagement of youth across subjects and initiatives. The consultant will undertake field missions to all regions of Turkmenistan, subject to UNICEF-approved travel plans and in coordination with relevant national and local partners. Travel will support direct consultations with young people, youth groups, institutions and other relevant stakeholders to ensure geographically representative findings. Based on the findings, the consultant will develop practical recommendations and tools to support a more systematic, inclusive and sustainable approach to youth engagement. For the purposes of this assignment, the term “youth” shall be understood in accordance with the Law of Turkmenistan “On State Youth Policy” (Türkmenistanyn Kanuny «Ýaslar barada döwlet syýasaty hakynda») as citizens of Turkmenistan aged from 14 to 35 years, as defined in Article 1, paragraph 3 of the Law. To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… Minimum requirements: Social sciences; Youth development; Education; Public policy; Sociology; Psychology; International development; Or another relevant field. At least 3 years of relevant professional experiencein youth development, participation, community engagement, research, programme development or related fields; - Experience in qualitative and quantitative research and consultations; - Experience in stakeholder mapping and consultation processes; - Experience developing databases, mapping tools or analytical reports would be an asset; Experience working with young people: - Knowledge of youth-related institutions and the context in Turkmenistan; - Experience working across regions and engaging diverse communities; - Experience with UNICEF, United Nations or international development organizations would be an asset; Knowledge and competencies: - Strong facilitation and communication skills; - Strong analytical and report-writing skills; - Ability to translate findings into practical programme recommendations. Fluency in Turkmen and Russian (spoken and written) is required. Working knowledge of English is an asset. 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of misconduct.UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verifi