Senior Programme Planning & Coordination Consultant – 6‑month Remote (Barbados)

About the role

UNICEF is seeking a senior consultant to design, facilitate and document a structured, time‑bound planning process for the Caribbean Multi‑Country Programme (MCP) 2027‑2031. The consultant will produce a quality‑assured annual/rolling work‑planning package, ensuring alignment with the approved MCPD/RRF and the Global Monitoring Framework.

Key responsibilities

• Design the practical planning architecture and VISION‑ready coding package for all 12 programme countries.
• Facilitate the end‑to‑end MCP work‑planning process, including methodology, calendar, templates, consultations and documentation.
• Validate outcome‑output‑key intervention structures, PIDB coding and indicative budget architecture for VISION configuration.
• Ensure work plans are jointly developed with government counterparts and anchored in national priorities.
• Align annual and rolling plans with MCPD priorities, outputs, indicators and implementation strategies.
• Identify and organise data, baselines and indicator metadata for integrated monitoring.
• Promote regional coherence while avoiding duplication and inconsistent coding.
• Support programme teams in translating strategic priorities into realistic, costed work plans.
• Review donor grants, partnership commitments and reporting requirements to reflect them in work plans.
• Document planning assumptions, risks and handover information to maintain continuity during staff transitions.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in international development, public policy, strategic planning, programme management or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, results‑based management and multi‑country programme coordination.
• Demonstrated experience supporting UNICEF country programme planning and results frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of results‑based management and ability to translate strategic frameworks into implementation‑ready plans.
• Experience facilitating complex multi‑country or multi‑stakeholder planning processes.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of Spanish or Dutch is an asset.
• Familiarity with the Caribbean context is highly desirable.

Required skills

• VISION coding
• Results‑based management