International consultancy for child‑centred data interoperability roadmap

About the role

UNICEF is seeking an individual consultant to lead the development of a child‑ and youth‑centred data interoperability roadmap for Montenegro. The consultancy is part of the “Quality Education for All Children in Montenegro” project, implemented by the Government of Montenegro, UNICEF Montenegro and supported by the EU Delegation.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of legal, institutional, governance, procedural and technical conditions for data interoperability across education, employment, social welfare, child protection, health and related sectors.
• Develop a detailed roadmap and recommendations to enable seamless data exchange between administrative systems.
• Align the roadmap with EU interoperability standards, GDPR, EIF and other digital governance frameworks.
• Facilitate multi‑sectoral coordination and stakeholder engagement, including ministries, agencies and civil society.
• Produce analytical reports, facilitation notes and final deliverables for the project consortium.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Data Management, Digital Governance, Public Administration, Social Sciences or a related field.
• At least five years of professional experience in administrative data systems, data governance and interoperability.
• Proven experience developing interoperability frameworks and data‑sharing protocols for public institutions.
• Familiarity with education, social protection, employment, health or child‑protection data systems.
• Experience working in the Western Balkans or South‑East Europe and/or with UN/UNICEF is an asset.

Required skills

• EU Interoperability Framework (EIF)
• GDPR compliance
• Data governance frameworks
• Data interoperability assessment
• Digital governance frameworks

What we offer

• Competitive consultancy fee
• Opportunity to influence national data policies in Montenegro
• Collaboration with a leading UN agency and EU partners