UNICEF
AI - Assisted Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis Consultant, Evaluation Synthesis
UNICEF, New York, New York, us, 10261
AI-Assisted Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis Consultant – Evaluation Synthesis and Formative Evaluation of UN System Work on Climate-Resilient WASH (Senior Level)
Duty Station:
Evaluation Office, NYHQ – Remote Duration:
1 Nov 2025 – 30 Jul 2026 Employment type:
Full-time Seniority level:
Mid-Senior level
About UNICEF UNICEF is the world's leading children's rights organization. For over 70 years it has worked on the ground in 190 countries to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
Background & Purpose of the Activity The
Evaluation Synthesis and Formative Evaluation of UN System Work on Climate-Resilient WASH
is a UN system-wide review of evaluative evidence on climate-resilient WASH (CR WASH). The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, accessible evidence base that informs UN entities, development banks and other WASH sector partners about achievements, gaps and opportunities to scale up and strengthen CR WASH programming. The review aims to make evidence on CR WASH accessible for learning and decision-making and to contribute to the wider knowledge on progress toward SDG 6 (water & sanitation) and SDG 13 (climate action) targets.
Specific Objectives
Systematically extract, consolidate and map evaluation evidence on CR WASH to highlight what works across agencies, countries, contexts and programme types.
Detect recurrent barriers and enabling factors to CR WASH programme outputs and outcomes.
Identify critical evidence gaps to inform future research and evaluation priorities.
Evaluate whether CR WASH interventions have achieved intended outputs and outcomes.
Examine longer‑term impacts, including sustainability and system-level changes.
Translate evaluation findings into actionable recommendations for future CR WASH strategies and activities.
Provide evidence to guide funding decisions by highlighting interventions with proven effectiveness and supporting governments and donors in prioritizing investments aligned with SDG 6 and SDG 13.
Strengthen decision-making by linking retrospective learning (synthesis) with forward-looking insights (formative evaluation) to achieve synergies across policy and practice.
Scope of Work UNICEF will use a
hybrid approach
for implementing the activity. The exercise will be led by an Evaluation Office staff member as the team leader (Evaluation Team Leader) and supported by two consultants, one of whom is the AI‑Assisted Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis Consultant. The AI‑Assisted consultant will focus on supporting the AI components of the activity.
Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables
Deliverable 1 – Cleaned and Standardized Dataset:
Machine‑readable corpus of evaluation reports with metadata (country, year, type, sector).
Due:
31 Dec 2025
Deliverable 2 – Structured Evidence Matrix:
Extracted findings organized by DAC criteria and themes, suitable for synthesis and visualization.
Due:
31 Jan 2026
Deliverable 3 – Gap Analysis Report：
Trend analysis note with visual representation.
Due:
31 Mar 2026
Deliverable 4 – Benchmarking Report：
AI-assisted vs. traditional evidence synthesis approaches.
Due:
31 Jan 2026
Deliverable 5 – Interactive Dashboard and Visual Infographics：
Evidence maps and dashboards.
Due:
30 Apr 2026
Deliverable 6 – QA Log and Validated Dataset：
Accuracy checks documented.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Deliverable 7 – AI-Generated Interview Transcripts and Matrix Summaries：
AI-assisted analysis sections contribute to final report (≈40‑60 pages).
Due:
30 Apr 2026
Deliverable 8 – Presentation Deck and Brief：
Visuals accessible to participants with varied technical backgrounds.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Deliverable 9 – Documentation and Technical Annex：
Reusable methods and tools, toolkit for “living syntheses”, relevant datasets.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in a relevant field (data science, AI, machine learning, information systems, or another relevant field). PhD preferred.
At least 5 years of experience conducting evaluations, evaluation syntheses, evidence syntheses and/or related research.
Prior experience with WASH/climate evidence generation is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to deliver quality products on time, preferably for UNICEF or other UN system entities.
Relevant skills in AI‑enhanced methods required, including:
• Natural language processing (NLP) and text mining – ability to extract themes, keywords and insights from large volumes of evaluation reports, grey literature and academic studies; familiarity with topic modeling, sentiment/semantic analysis and clustering of qualitative data.
• Machine learning for evaluation and evidence synthesis – skills in supervised/unsupervised learning to classify findings (e.g., by DAC criteria, sector, geography) and identify patterns, correlations and gaps across heterogeneous datasets.
• Automation of document screening and coding – experience with AI‑based systematic review platforms or custom NLP pipelines and competence in developing workflows that reduce manual effort.
• Data integration and visualization – capacity to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings using AI‑enabled dashboards; proficiency with Power BI, Tableau or Python/R libraries.
• Responsible and ethical use of AI – understanding of bias, transparency and data privacy considerations; ability to validate AI‑generated insights against human judgment.
Requirements & Selection
Completed profile in UNICEF’s e‑Recruitment system.
Upload copy of academic credentials.
Financial proposal reflecting costs per deliverable and total lump‑sum for the whole assignment (US$).
Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance included where required.
Availability indicated.
At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have current health insurance coverage.
U.S. Visa Information Consultants and household members residing in the United States must change visa status to G4 and, where applicable, obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to work under the G4 visa.
EEO Statement UNICEF is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to citizenship, immigration status, race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Contact & Application To apply, please submit your application through UNICEF’s e‑Recruitment system using the job reference number 585037.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Evaluation Office, NYHQ – Remote Duration:
1 Nov 2025 – 30 Jul 2026 Employment type:
Full-time Seniority level:
Mid-Senior level
About UNICEF UNICEF is the world's leading children's rights organization. For over 70 years it has worked on the ground in 190 countries to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
Background & Purpose of the Activity The
Evaluation Synthesis and Formative Evaluation of UN System Work on Climate-Resilient WASH
is a UN system-wide review of evaluative evidence on climate-resilient WASH (CR WASH). The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, accessible evidence base that informs UN entities, development banks and other WASH sector partners about achievements, gaps and opportunities to scale up and strengthen CR WASH programming. The review aims to make evidence on CR WASH accessible for learning and decision-making and to contribute to the wider knowledge on progress toward SDG 6 (water & sanitation) and SDG 13 (climate action) targets.
Specific Objectives
Systematically extract, consolidate and map evaluation evidence on CR WASH to highlight what works across agencies, countries, contexts and programme types.
Detect recurrent barriers and enabling factors to CR WASH programme outputs and outcomes.
Identify critical evidence gaps to inform future research and evaluation priorities.
Evaluate whether CR WASH interventions have achieved intended outputs and outcomes.
Examine longer‑term impacts, including sustainability and system-level changes.
Translate evaluation findings into actionable recommendations for future CR WASH strategies and activities.
Provide evidence to guide funding decisions by highlighting interventions with proven effectiveness and supporting governments and donors in prioritizing investments aligned with SDG 6 and SDG 13.
Strengthen decision-making by linking retrospective learning (synthesis) with forward-looking insights (formative evaluation) to achieve synergies across policy and practice.
Scope of Work UNICEF will use a
hybrid approach
for implementing the activity. The exercise will be led by an Evaluation Office staff member as the team leader (Evaluation Team Leader) and supported by two consultants, one of whom is the AI‑Assisted Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis Consultant. The AI‑Assisted consultant will focus on supporting the AI components of the activity.
Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables
Deliverable 1 – Cleaned and Standardized Dataset:
Machine‑readable corpus of evaluation reports with metadata (country, year, type, sector).
Due:
31 Dec 2025
Deliverable 2 – Structured Evidence Matrix:
Extracted findings organized by DAC criteria and themes, suitable for synthesis and visualization.
Due:
31 Jan 2026
Deliverable 3 – Gap Analysis Report：
Trend analysis note with visual representation.
Due:
31 Mar 2026
Deliverable 4 – Benchmarking Report：
AI-assisted vs. traditional evidence synthesis approaches.
Due:
31 Jan 2026
Deliverable 5 – Interactive Dashboard and Visual Infographics：
Evidence maps and dashboards.
Due:
30 Apr 2026
Deliverable 6 – QA Log and Validated Dataset：
Accuracy checks documented.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Deliverable 7 – AI-Generated Interview Transcripts and Matrix Summaries：
AI-assisted analysis sections contribute to final report (≈40‑60 pages).
Due:
30 Apr 2026
Deliverable 8 – Presentation Deck and Brief：
Visuals accessible to participants with varied technical backgrounds.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Deliverable 9 – Documentation and Technical Annex：
Reusable methods and tools, toolkit for “living syntheses”, relevant datasets.
Due:
30 Jun 2026
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in a relevant field (data science, AI, machine learning, information systems, or another relevant field). PhD preferred.
At least 5 years of experience conducting evaluations, evaluation syntheses, evidence syntheses and/or related research.
Prior experience with WASH/climate evidence generation is preferred.
Demonstrated ability to deliver quality products on time, preferably for UNICEF or other UN system entities.
Relevant skills in AI‑enhanced methods required, including:
• Natural language processing (NLP) and text mining – ability to extract themes, keywords and insights from large volumes of evaluation reports, grey literature and academic studies; familiarity with topic modeling, sentiment/semantic analysis and clustering of qualitative data.
• Machine learning for evaluation and evidence synthesis – skills in supervised/unsupervised learning to classify findings (e.g., by DAC criteria, sector, geography) and identify patterns, correlations and gaps across heterogeneous datasets.
• Automation of document screening and coding – experience with AI‑based systematic review platforms or custom NLP pipelines and competence in developing workflows that reduce manual effort.
• Data integration and visualization – capacity to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings using AI‑enabled dashboards; proficiency with Power BI, Tableau or Python/R libraries.
• Responsible and ethical use of AI – understanding of bias, transparency and data privacy considerations; ability to validate AI‑generated insights against human judgment.
Requirements & Selection
Completed profile in UNICEF’s e‑Recruitment system.
Upload copy of academic credentials.
Financial proposal reflecting costs per deliverable and total lump‑sum for the whole assignment (US$).
Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance included where required.
Availability indicated.
At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have current health insurance coverage.
U.S. Visa Information Consultants and household members residing in the United States must change visa status to G4 and, where applicable, obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to work under the G4 visa.
EEO Statement UNICEF is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to citizenship, immigration status, race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Contact & Application To apply, please submit your application through UNICEF’s e‑Recruitment system using the job reference number 585037.
#J-18808-Ljbffr