Consultant - Foresight Support Services

UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence is establishing a roster of qualified consultants to provide on-demand technical support in strategic foresight methods and applications. Consultants will support foresight-related initiatives including strategic foresight, facilitation, quantitative modeling, and knowledge management to integrate futures thinking into UNICEF's policy and programming.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise in strategic foresight approaches.
• Facilitate foresight processes and workshops.
• Support integration of futures thinking into UNICEF’s policy, programming, and organizational learning processes.
• Design and facilitate foresight exercises such as horizon scanning, trend analysis, scenario development, backcasting, visioning, and strategic conversations.
• Provide technical advisory support to governments, international organizations, development agencies, research institutions, or the private sector on foresight and long-term planning.
• Design and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops, consultations, and participatory foresight processes involving diverse audiences.
• Engage senior decision-makers, technical experts, and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Support capacity development and institutionalization of foresight approaches within organizations.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in futures studies, public policy, international development, strategic planning, political science, economics, social sciences, systems thinking, innovation, or a related field.
• Specialized training or certification in strategic foresight, futures studies, scenario planning, horizon scanning, or related methodologies is desirable.
• At least 8–10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic foresight, futures thinking, scenario planning, systems transformation, public policy, organizational strategy, innovation, or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of strategic foresight methodologies and tools, including horizon scanning, trend analysis, emerging issues analysis, scenario planning, systems mapping, futures wheels, Delphi methods, and backcasting.
• Demonstrated capacity to analyse megatrends and emerging issues affecting sustainable development (e.g. demographic change, climate change, technological transformation, governance, migration, geopolitical shifts).
• Strong analytical, synthesis, and report-writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating foresight exercises (horizon scanning, trend analysis, scenario development, backcasting, visioning, and strategic conversations).
• Proven experience providing technical advisory support to governments, international organizations, development agencies, research institutions, or the private sector on foresight and long-term planning.
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops, consultations, and participatory foresight processes involving diverse audiences.
• Experience integrating foresight insights into policy development, programme design, organizational strategy, risk management, or decision-making processes.
• Excellent facilitation skills, including virtual, in-person, and hybrid formats.
• Proven ability to engage senior decision-makers, technical experts, and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience working in complex, uncertain, or rapidly changing environments, including fragile, conflict-affected, or climate-vulnerable contexts.
• Experience fostering collaboration across sectors and disciplines.
• Experience in participatory methods with children and youth.
• Experience supporting capacity development and institutionalization of foresight approaches within organizations.
• Experience in quantitative analysis and modelling.
• Excellent written and spoken English required.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages (such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Skills

• Strategic Foresight
• Futures Studies
• Scenario Planning
• Horizon Scanning
• Trend Identification
• Emerging Issues Analysis
• Systems Mapping
• Futures Wheels
• Delphi Methods
• Backcasting
• Megatrends Analysis
• Sustainable Development Analysis
• Report Writing
• Foresight Exercise Facilitation
• Technical Advisory
• Multi-Stakeholder Facilitation
• Participatory Foresight Methods
• Policy Development Integration
• Programme Design
• Organizational Strategy Design
• Risk Management
• Decision-Making Processes
• Virtual Facilitation
• In-Person Facilitation
• Hybrid Facilitation
• Quantitative Analysis
• Modeling

Languages

English