International Writer Consultant for public version of the Country Office Annual Report (COAR) Harare,Zimbabwe ,30 days (Open to Non- Zimbabwean Nationals Only)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, protection

UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights. 

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous  and  empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

For more information about UNICEF Zimbabwe please click here

You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies and create job alerts via the UNICEF Zimbabwe website link below:

https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

How can you make a difference? 

UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an International Writer Consultant to develop text for the 2025 UNICEF Zimbabwe public facing version of the annual report.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF Zimbabwe is preparing its 2025 annual report. This is a flagship publication that documents UNICEF’s achievements, challenges, progress, and impact for children in Zimbabwe during the year 2025.  It is the organization’s key corporate tool that is used for outreach and advocacy purposes with different stakeholders, including government, public and private partners, civil society representatives, to name a few.

The report covers the office’s programme work, humanitarian action, partnerships and advocacy efforts; while highlighting major programmatic accomplishments, innovative approaches, strategic milestones, and lessons learned in the quest to improve efficiency and effectiveness in programming for children in Zimbabwe.

The Annual Report reinforces the office’s credibility, demonstrates transparency, and supports future resource mobilization efforts. As such, a public facing version of the report must be written in a clear, compelling, accurate, and accessible manner that reflects the organization’s and the office’s mission, values, and strategic priorities

UNICEF Zimbabwe therefore requires the expertise of a professional writer who has extensive experience in writing the public version of a UNICEF’s Country Office Annual Report (COAR) and other related documents, which can be used to share widely with external audiences. The content of the COAR 2025 will serve as a basis for this product, be summarized and adapted for use in a public version of the Annual Report 2025.

ASSIGNMENTS

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Zimbabwe Chief of Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, and the Communications Specialist, the writer is expected to undertake the following:

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Online inception meetings with UNICEF ZCO and desk review

Inception report with details on

5 days

Prepare and submit the first draft of the ZCO annual report for external audience

First draft of text for the annual report, which would include:

10 days  

Receive feedback and agree with UNICEF on the proposed adjustments

Feedback session with UNICEF

2 days

Incorporate feedback as received from UNICEF

Second Draft incorporating UNICEF feedback

5 days

Develop a final, polished and proofread text for the annual Report

Annual Report narrative ready for design and publication

5 days

Draft an executive summary for the report

Executive Summary (1–2 pages) suitable for standalone communication

2 days 

Write text for social media posts

5 Short social media texts summarising key highlights from each programme area.  

1 day

Start Date: 15 February 2026

End date: 1 April 

Total Working Days:

30 days

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

Work Experience:

Language Requirements:

Desirables:

Strong organisational and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with little supervision, both independently and with a multicultural team.

The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link Writer for public version of the COAR-TOR.pdf If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel. 

Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

 To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.