Evaluation of Human Resources Management in UNICEF
How effectively does UNICEF’s HR management contribute to the organization’s mission, values, and strategic objectives while ensuring its workforce's well-being, diversity, and inclusivity?
Human resources management (HRM) plays a critical role in enabling UNICEF to deliver results for children by ensuring the organization has a skilled, diverse, and motivated workforce. Over the past decade, UNICEF has expanded its workforce significantly while navigating evolving workforce expectations, digital transformation, and increasingly complex operating environments.
To assess how well HRM is supporting UNICEF’s mandate and future readiness, the UNICEF Evaluation Office conducted an independent evaluation of HRM. The evaluation covered the period 2016–2024, with consideration of selected developments in 2025. It examined the relevance and performance of HRM policies, systems, and practices, as well as their contribution to workforce well-being, diversity, and inclusion, and organizational effectiveness.
The evaluation provides evidence on progress made, identifies persistent challenges, and offers actionable recommendations to strengthen strategic workforce planning, leadership and accountability, organizational culture, and HRM processes. The findings are intended to inform ongoing reforms and support UNICEF’s efforts to build a resilient, inclusive, and high-performing workforce aligned with its strategic priorities.
