Consultancy - Accessibility Audit, Home-based, Office of Innovation, 20 days over 6 weeks

Consultant Programme & Policy Innovation

Overview

Conduct an accessibility audit for the INVENT Platform and OpenINVENT website.

You have:

• A minimum of 5 years in web accessibility
• Professional experience in developing and writing accessibility audits
• Knowledge of the latest technologies used to deliver web experiences
• Knowledge of assistive technology
• An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in relevant field is an asset
• Fluency in English is required; Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

Contract

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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.

With a fundamental mission to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, UNICEF is and has always been committed to saving lives of children and their mothers and to generating evidence to promote this work.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF defines innovation as a new or significantly improved solution that contributes to progress for children and accelerates results for children or young people. It is about doing new things to solve problems and improve the lives of children around the world. It is about matching today’s challenges with tomorrow’s solutions.

A recent review of innovation at UNICEF identified the potential for a global portfolio-based approach to improve the effectiveness of innovation efforts. This has resulted in the establishment of 9 global Innovation Portfolios, and the creation of INVENT, a digital platform that serves as an inventory of innovation initiatives across UNICEF.

A coherent ecosystem of Technology for Development initiatives, the Innovation Portfolios, and the INVENT platform are key pillars of UNICEF’s innovation strategy.

INVENT interface: the INVENT Platform The INVENT Platform is UNICEF’s internal innovation hub, and act as an inventory of innovation and technology for development initiatives across UNICEF’s, with the following goals:

• Creating connections and collaboration among those tackling similar challenges
• Reducing duplication of effort
• Providing insights into innovation at UNICEF to inform decision-making.

The INVENT Platform is a web application, with:

• Extensive use of large data tables
• Sort and search interactions on data tables
• Interactive maps with data overlays
• Non-trivial web forms
• Data visualizations

INVENT interface: the OpenINVENT website The INVENT Platform is currently only intended for use by UNICEF staff. To make some of INVENT’s useful content and data available beyond UNICEF we are preparing to launch a public facing website called OpenINVENT. This website will display carefully curated content. Users will interact primarily as content-consumers, with very little user input. Content includes text, images and videos.

Context UNICEF identified the need for visibility on the current accessibility of the INVENT Platform and OpenINVENT website, and for recommendations on changes that will increase accessibility. To meet these needs, a specialist consultant is required.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the INVENT Product Manager, the consultant will develop an accessibility audit of the INVENT Platform and the public facing OpenINVENT website. The output of this audit will be shared in a technical report on accessibility of the LP to support accessibility improvements.

The audit should address the needs of all users with and without disabilities (ie. vision, hearing, intellectual, communication and mobility) and cover the following: 1) Accessibility of the INVENT platform’s design and implementation:

a. Accessibility of the design. b. Accessibility of interactive elements, including controls and navigation. c. Compatibility with accessibility features in operating systems (ie. screen-readers), browsers, and automated accessibility checkers. d. Support for assistive technologies used by children with disabilities (hardware and software) e. Frequent shortfalls in the accessibility of user-provided content that would be improved with better user guidance and recommendation

2) Accessibility of the OpenINVENT website’s design, implementation, and content

a. Accessibility of the design. b. Accessibility of interactive elements, including controls and navigation. c. Compatibility with accessibility features in operating systems (ie. screen-readers), browsers, and automated accessibility checkers. d. Support for assistive technologies used by children with disabilities (hardware and software). e. Accessibility shortfalls in site content.

Deliverables/Outputs: The consultant will be accountable for the following deliverables:

1. Approved inception report with workplan for the assignment. This will allow the consultant to confirm their understanding of the scope of work and of the expected outcomes.
2. An independent accessibility audit report of the INVENT Platform and the OpenINVENT Website. The audit should reflect both global accessibility standards and emerging principles for accessibility of web products

3. Presentation of the findings of the report to key UNICEF and other stakeholders

   Work Assignment Overview Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Develop and submit an inception report including:

- a detailed explanation of the audit process and methodology - Any relevant standards or guidelines - the subsequent report structure - Identify and describe key application flows to be tested - illustrative examples of issues and recommendations

(est. 3 days)1) Approved inception report with workplan for assignment.

Inception report to be developed with inputs from key UNICEF stakeholders to align on the nature and scope of the INVENT Platform and the OpenINVENT website

Audit INVENT Platform (automated and manual testing required) accessibility and prepare a report with the findings and subsequent recommendations.

(est 10 days)

A detailed audit report with the following sections:

1) Findings of the audit of INVENT Platform 2) Issues prioritized by impact on accessibility 3) Technical and actionable recommendations for changes to INVENT to eliminate or reduce the identified issues

Audit OpenINVENT (automated and manual testing required) accessibility and prepare a report with the findings and subsequent recommendations.

(est 5 days)

A detailed audit report with the following sections:

1) Findings of the audit detailing accessibility issues and their impact on accessibility 2) Issues prioritized by impact on accessibility 3) Technical and actionable recommendations for changes to eliminate or reduce the identified issues

Presentation and handover of the audit process, findings, and recommendations

Est 2 days

A presentation session with the INVENT Product Manager and other relevant UNICEF stakeholders covering: - A an explanation of the audit process (methodology, tools, test participants,…) - • Key findings and recommendations for the INVENT Platform and for the OpenINVENT Website, with explanation for prioritization - • Successful handoff session to project management and technical teams.

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

• A minimum of 5 years in web accessibility
• Professional experience in developing and writing accessibility audits
• Knowledge of the latest technologies used to deliver web experiences (frameworks, browser, standards and specs)
• Knowledge of assistive technology
• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in relevant field is an asset
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org