Consultancy - Startup Ecosystem Consultant (DPG Alliance), Remote, Office of Innovation, 6 months

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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 startup 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 currently co-hosts the Secretariat for the Digital Public Goods Alliance, established in follow-up to the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. DPGs are defined as open source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content. In its report, the Panel recommends as 1B “that a broad, multi-stakeholder alliance, involving the UN, create a platform for sharing digital public goods, engaging talent and pooling data sets, in a manner that respects privacy, in areas related to attaining the SDGs”. Norway, Sierra Leone, UNICEF and iSPIRT, the four initial champions are working to implement this recommendation.

As one of the four co-champions, UNICEF is leading the Alliance’s engagement on select strategic areas.

The Digital Public Goods Alliance aims to facilitate the discovery, development, use of, and investments in DPGs of high relevance for attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of the Alliance’s work on ensuring country leadership over Digital Public Goods (DPGs), the Alliance has identified Ghana as a Pathfinder Country to pilot initiatives that aim at a) meeting demand for DPGs; b) supporting supply/creation/strengthening of DPGs; c) supporting the strengthening of the related policy environment and d) supporting the strengthening of the entrepreneurship ecosystem for DPGs.

Digital Public Goods are defined as open source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable best practices, do no harm and are of high relevance for attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

How can you make a difference?

We are seeking a consultant to support further development and deployment of UNICEF’s work on DPGs with accelerators and investors at country level. This work will help curate lessons learned across the ten countries to inform a global approach to engaging startup ecosystems in creating and contributing to DPGs.

Main responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

2. Deploy and update detailed guide for accelerator program managers with content and tools that can easily be integrated into acceleration programs for tailored support to DPGs
3. Provide technical guidance to DPG Pathfinding pilots on strategies to engage the startup ecosystem in the DPG work as well as overall coordination of pathfinding activities
4. Coordinate activities to document business models for DPGs and engage private investors
5. Collaborate with the DPG Alliance Secretariat to develop and implement engagement with DPG product owners

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant field (Entrepreneurship, macroeconomics, business or public policy or related areas). *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 5 years of relevant work experience in project management, partnerships management, or similar, ideally in the field of entrepreneurship support
• Experience in creating toolkits and designing and delivering support programs, ideally within or for startup accelerators
• Experience in open source technology related partnerships and engagements, project management and entrepreneurship ecosystems
• Demonstrated strong writing and presentation skills
• Demonstrated experience managing incubation or acceleration programs, including in emerging and developing markets
• Proven interest in open source technology and emerging startup ecosystems
• Familiarity with emerging technology areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and digital connectivity
• Solid understanding of the role technology plays in the development and humanitarian sectors
• Adept at managing communities and facilitating technical collaborations
• Demonstrated ability to plan and implement projects in coordination with multiple stakeholders
• Project management skills including task prioritization, workflow coordination, and results-driven strategies
• Understanding of UNICEF Innovation operating environment and priority partners
• Ability to work with a diverse team in a rapidly-changing work environment and adapt to unforeseen changes
• Experience working in the social impact space
• 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 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).

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).