Organisation: Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, in collaboration with UNICEF
Location: Eswatini
Assignment Duration: Ten days in November 2026
Deadline: Tuesday, 3 November 2026, close of business
Background
In 2025, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, through the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office and with support from UNICEF, commissioned a national analysis of child protection budgets and expenditure.
The exercise generated evidence on the size, composition and equity of budget allocations for child protection. The findings now need to be translated into accessible, advocacy-focused products that support stronger investment in child protection.
The consultant will develop advocacy data briefs based on the 2025 child budgeting exercise to support national and sub-national budgeting processes.
Purpose of the Assignment
To produce a series of advocacy-focused data briefs on child protection budgeting. The briefs will make complex budget data accessible to decision-makers, civil society and other stakeholders, strengthening advocacy for meaningful child protection throughout the budgeting cycle.
Objectives
- Synthesise and repackage findings from the 2025 child budgeting exercise into concise, evidence-based advocacy data briefs.
- Highlight how children’s needs inform budget planning, allocation and monitoring, and identify gaps and opportunities.
- Translate technical budget data, including allocations, expenditure trends, equity and adequacy analysis, into clear narratives, visuals and key messages.
- Develop practical, costed recommendations to strengthen child protection in future budgeting cycles.
- Support evidence-informed, child-responsive and participatory budgeting practices across sectors.
Key Responsibilities
- Review existing data, reports and analysis from the 2025 UNICEF child/public finance for children budgeting exercise, related budget briefs and national budget documents.
- Design and draft advocacy data briefs in print and/or digital format, presenting key findings, trends and recommendations on child protection budgeting.
- Develop clear data visualisations, infographics and key messages for technical and non-technical audiences.
- Validate draft briefs with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, UNICEF and relevant stakeholders, and incorporate feedback.
- Produce a brief completion report summarising the process, findings and recommendations for follow-up advocacy.
Expected Deliverables
- Inception note outlining the methodology, data sources and proposed structure for the advocacy data briefs.
- Draft advocacy data briefs on child protection budgeting, based on the 2025 child budgeting exercise findings.
- Finalised, print-ready advocacy data briefs, including data visualisations and key messages.
- Final assignment completion report covering the process followed, findings, challenges and recommendations for follow-up advocacy and future budgeting cycles.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree or diploma in Graphic Design, Data Visualisation, Communications or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience producing advocacy briefs, policy briefs or data-communication products for non-technical audiences.
- Proven experience in professional editing, layout and design.
- Experience designing data infographics or other data visualisations.
- Strong writing and communication skills.
- Knowledge of child-rights frameworks, including the African Charter, UNCRC Article 12 and child-participation principles.
- Experience working with government, UNICEF or other child-focused organisations.
Accountability and Payment
The Consultant will be accountable to UNICEF Eswatini and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini for delivery of agreed outputs. All work must comply with UNICEF and Government ethical standards and do-no-harm principles.
Payment will be made by UNICEF upon satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables. Payment is dependent on delivery of outputs, submission of required documentation and a signed Terms of Reference.
How to Apply
Submit an application to childbudgetingdatabriefs@gmail.com with:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Certified academic qualifications
- Evidence of previous data briefs, policy briefs or other data-communication work
- Financial proposal covering all assignment-related expenses
Deadline: Tuesday, 3 November 2026, close of business.
