Consultancy - Adviser (Cryptocurrencies for Cash Transfers), Remote, Office of Innovation, 6 months

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.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives.

The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the start-up thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions.

UNICEF's Office of Innovation creates opportunities for the world's children by focusing on where new markets can meet their vital needs. We do this by:

• Connecting youth communities (or more broadly -- anyone disconnected or under-served) to decision-makers, and to each other, to deliver informed, relevant and sustained programmes that build better, stronger futures for children.
• Provoking change for children through an entrepreneurial approach -- in a traditionally risk- averse field -- to harness rapidly moving innovations and apply them to serve the needs of all children.
• Creating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across the public, private and academic sectors in order to deliver fast, and lasting results for children.

The Office of Innovation specifically looks to form partnerships around frontier technologies (like drones and UAVs, blockchain, 21st century skills, urban technologies, new banking tools, wearables and sensors, or 3D-Printing) that exist at the intersection of $100 billion business markets and 1 billion person needs – and to identify how they can grow and scale profitably and inclusively.

We're an interdisciplinary team around the world tasked with identifying, prototyping, and scaling new technologies and practices. With our partners, we focus on convening and collaborating on new and different solutions, low- and high-tech, by:

• Looking at the 2-5 year horizon to evaluate emerging and trending technologies and to see how UNICEF can work with the private sector on doing better business while improving essential services for children;
• Investing in early stage solutions that show enormous potential to positively impact children in the 0-2 year future including the Venture Fund that invests in open-source technology solutions from start-ups based in UNICEF’s programme countries;
• Identifying proven solutions that can be implemented at national scale in multiple countries – taking the ideas that help thousands in one country, bringing them to dozens of countries across multiple sectors, and impacting the lives of millions of children.”

Background on our blockchain/crypto work:

UNICEF Ventures explores technologies, such as blockchain, with the potential to impact children and young people globally, providing them with information, opportunity, and choice. The team sees blockchain technology as having benefits in three main ways: 1) leveraging innovative financing models to distribute resources; 2) increasing the efficiency and transparency of processes, and; 3) incentivising and encouraging the creation and maintenance of open-source digital public goods. The approach to achieving this is by researching and prototyping with both internal and external stakeholders.

To understand the technical, social, ethical, and legal challenges of utilising blockchain technologies in our complex and interconnected world — the team is exploring this space with open eyes on practical experimentations of cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and various types of tokens, as well as by supporting learning and training initiatives to build capacity.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is one of the largest and most innovative global players in Cash Transfer Programming (https://www.unicef.org/topics/cash-transfers). We continue to search for ways to improve the efficiency and transparency of our programmes.

The UNICEF Venture Fund is looking for an experienced cryptocurrency expert to conduct detailed research and analysis to help us further our understanding of the potential of cryptocurrencies to improve large scale cash transfer programming in humanitarian and development contexts.

Based within the UNICEF Ventures team, this consultant will collaborate closely with UNICEF’s Division of Financial and Administrative Management and Office of Emergency Programmes. Through a consultative process, this role will provide an assessment of options, cost-benefit analyses and recommendations to guide UNICEF’s explorations into leveraging cryptocurrencies for its cash transfer programming. Depending on the result of initial mapping, this role may provide guidance to initial pilots.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Provide a mapping of known (and imminent future) modalities and tools + processes for cryptocurrency transfers relevant for cash transfer programming in humanitarian and development settings (direct crypto transfer, crypto debit cards etc. with a focus on open source solutions)
• Provide analysis of various opportunities and risks of utilising cryptocurrencies, including benefits to key stakeholders (donors, end beneficiaries, UNICEF and other relevant partners as the modalities might require)
• Propose parameters to determine the settings and contexts in which crypto based currency transfers would be most likely to add value
• Recommend a list of countries / regions where performing crypto transfers for humanitarian assistance could work well (regulatory framework, local banking infrastructure, internet connectivity etc.)
• Based on review of internal processes, rules and regulations and internal consultations, identify a roadmap for piloting new modalities, prioritised based on cost/benefit analysis and relevant implementation metrics.
• Subject to timelines and internal feedback, support design and development of pilots and provide relevant assistance

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Business Management, Government relations, Economics or advanced degrees in technical disciple such as Computer Science or Engineering. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience (eg. Strategy Consulting, Business Research, Cryptocurrency advisory, Product Roadmaps etc).
• Experience in providing consulting or advisory services and developing strategies, using consultative methods
• Knowledge of cash transfer programming, main technical platforms in use and key stakeholders – practical experience implementing related programming or systems desired
• Demonstrated knowledge of the blockchain ecosystem, cryptocurrency tools, main stakeholders, discourse and experience in advising related products and projects
• Experience in developing technical strategies based on data, trends and standards and best practices
• Knowledge of open source platforms, open source tools in the Blockchain / Web3 ecosystem
• Understanding of the operational and financial systems that shape UN and/or other public sector organisations’ activities in cash transfers desired
• Experience in engaging with stakeholders from different backgrounds and developing technical strategies and roadmaps
• A track record of project delivery for large, cross-functional projects with tight deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent technical communication with peers and non-technical stakeholders
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Payment details and further considerations

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

The competencies required for this post are….

• Applying technical expertise (level 3)
• Creating and innovating (level 2)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (Level 3)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).