Azure Artificial Intelligence/Large Language Models (AI/LLM) Expert Consultancy

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a connected world

UNICEF requires an AI technical expert to develop a GenAI solution using the Microsoft Azure AI platform. The GenAI solution will enable UNICEF staff members to upload a large volume of UNICEF-internal structured and unstructured documents that are domain-specific, submit prompts and get responses as quickly and accurately as possible. UNICEF will grant access to the necessary infrastructure, regulations, and guidance to support the development and operationalization of the GenAI solution.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the UNICEF ICT Division (ICTD) lead, the consultant will perform the following activities:

1. Application Architecture Development:

• Design and develop a GenAI solution that leverages Microsoft Azure AI services such as Azure AI Studio, Azure Cognitive Search, PromptFlow, etc. integrated with OpenAI’s LLMs such as GPT4 and the data sources mentioned above. Similar experience with Google Vertex or AWS Sage a plus.
• Suggest opensource options if any.

2. Data Management:

• Develop and maintain data pipelines for handling a high volume of structured and unstructured documents uploaded by a user
• Ensure data security and compliance with relevant UNICEF data protection regulations.

3. Prompt Engineering and Model Fine tuning:

• Document efficient prompt examples that help the LLMs generate accurate and relevant responses.
• Document the best ways to train and fine-tune LLMs for domain-specific knowledge and applications.
• Employ RAG , Prompt or other techniques to anchor the GenAI responses to the provided data sources and establish techniques to mitigate hallucinations and increase accuracy

4. User Interface Development:

• Build a simple, user-friendly UI/UX for UNICEF staff members to upload documents and interact with the GenAI.
• Implement features to automate document upload and chat-based querying.

5. Security and Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with UNICEF security, ethics, and privacy standards.

6. Testing and Deployment:

• Conduct thorough testing of the chatbot for functionality, accuracy, and security.
• Deploy the solution on UNICEF's Azure.
• Develop a quality plan template for testing validating and revalidating the solution.

7. Documentation and handoff

• Document the work and application in a simple and detailed manner.
• Provide documentation and basic training for end-users and administrators.

Work Assignments Overview

Deliverables/Outputs

Delivery deadline

• Understand UNICEF’s requirements and present application architecture and needs from the team to implement the work

• High level Application Architecture document

20%

TBD by consultant under 10 days, for a total number of 10 days max.

• Minimum viable product (MVP)

MVP

• Develop data pipelines and file storage in compliance with UNICEF standards and guidance on DP/InfoSec.
• Implement prompt engineering and model fine tuning
• Validation/Test Plan
• Basic UI/UX

40%

TBD by consultant under 10 days, for a total number of 10 days max.

• Design and develop a GenAI solution that leverages Microsoft Azure AI services such as Azure AI Studio, Azure Cognitive Search, PromptFlow, etc. integrated with OpenAI’s LLMs such as GPT4 and the internal UNICEF data sources.

Production level application

• Fine tuned application (backend and front end)
• Tested and validated system
• Handoff through presentation of the system
• Handoff documents

40%

TBD by consultant under 10 days, for a total number of 10 days max.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, AI and/or other quantitative field.
• Certifications in Azure AI, AWS Sage Maker, or Google Vertex AI.
• Certification in data science.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in building AI solutions.
• Proven experience in Retrieval Augment Generation (RAG) in a cloud computing environment.
• 5 year experience preferably with Microsoft Azure AI infrastructure, or Google Vertex AI, and AWS Sage Maker.
• Proficient in creating data pipelines and managing large datasets.
• Experience in prompt engineering and implementing AI security measures.
• Knowledge of basic UI/UX design principles. Knowledge in accessibility a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Duration of contract: 10 days between a period of 2 months

Travel: none

Financial Proposal:

Please indicate your ability, availability and an all inclusive lump sum (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

Application Requirements:

• Interested applicants must apply and complete their profile through UNICEF's Talent Management system and attach a CV and copy of academic credentials. • Applicants are required to attach a financial proposal that includes lumpsum fee for the whole deliverables as indicated in the Work Assignments Overview above. Applications submitted without a financial proposal attachment will not be considered.

*At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.