Consultant (Acceleration Facility), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Hosted Fund, REMOTE, 12 months Req

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, EDUCATION

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the first global movement and fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises. It was established in 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit by international humanitarian and development aid organizations, along with public and private donors, to help reposition education as a priority on the humanitarian agenda, usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground and foster additional funding to ensure that every crisis-affected child and young person is in school and learning.

You can access to more information on ECW via this link www.educationcannotwait.org.

How can you make a difference?

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

ECW’s second Strategic Plan covers the period 2023-2026. Under the direct supervision of the Chief, Strategy, Planning and Accountability, the purpose of this consultancy is to help ECW deliver the commitments made in its second Strategic Plan, with particular responsibility for delivering the new commitments related to the Acceleration Facility.

The Acceleration Facility, one of ECW’s three investment windows, provides ECW with the ability to support the development and uptake of global public goods within the EiEPC ecosystem. ECW’s 2022 Organizational Evaluation highlighted the unique value of the Acceleration Facility, but recommended that the approach be revised as a complement to the broader ECW strategic planning process. ECW have now developed a new Acceleration Facility Approach, which sets out a more strategic and transparent direction for the Acceleration Facility.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

Deliverables

Description

Estimated number of days

Deadline/timeline

Work with ECW to monitor progress of the 2023 - 2026 Strategic Plan, including the development of new Annual Work Plans and support for new workstreams.

1. Presentations/talking points developed for approx. 6 events
2. 4 new products/reports reviewed
3. 2 mid-year and 2 end of year AWP reports drafted and finalized
4. Participate in 2 AWP retreats and provide inputs regarding Strategic Plan workstreams
5. 2 new AWPs developed and finalized
6. Updated MYRP Manual

40

Dec 2024

Establish new Acceleration Facility partnerships in line with the new Acceleration Facility Approach, and in collaboration with the Acceleration Facility Working Group and relevant technical leads.

1. 3 new Architecture Partnerships (May 2024)
2. 4 new Requests for Proposals (Dec 2024)
3. Effective proposal review and approval
4. 6 plans in place for the AF priorities (Dec 2024)

60

1. May 2024
2. Dec 2024
3. As received
4. Dec 2024

Coordinate ECW’s Acceleration Facility Working Group and track and manage the Acceleration Facility Portfolio.

1. 12 AFWG meetings (held monthly) organized
2. AFWG notes taken and shared with group within 10 days from the meeting
3. Effective and updated existing AF knowledge management and tracking system
4. 8 written updates to the SMT
5. 3 discussions with the ETRG per year
6. Monthly updates to ExCom

40

Dec 2024

Work with M&E team and comms team to elevate and share learnings from the Acceleration Facility with the sector, and build a community of practice amongst grantees.

1. Webpage up to date
2. Approx. 10 press releases per year
3. 4 blogs/webinars per year
4. 3-4 learning events sharing learning from the Acceleration Facility with the sector
5. Inputs for Annual Results Report
6. Approx. 2 conference presentations developed.

50

Dec 2024

Build partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders and support Acceleration Facility Grantees to ensure effective impact

1. Organize and take notes in 6 Annual Review meetings held per year
2. Effective email correspondence including preparing and sending message and teams calls with AF partners
3. 1 mission per year to build partnerships with existing or perspective stakeholder and support grantees (location(s) to be determined by consultant in consultation with SPA Chief)

35

Dec 2024

TOTAL ESTIMATED WORKING DAYS

225 days

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one or more of the following disciplines: education, international development, social sciences, public administration, or other related fields.
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience preferably in a United Nations or development organization leading an Innovation Fund similar to the Acceleration Facility, working on a Strategic Plan for a UN organization, working on Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises, working with an implementing partner within the field of Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) particularly French, is desirable.

Desirable skills

• Very strong written and oral communication skills – the ability to summarize complex information in ways that engage and motivate colleagues, and the ability to create high-quality Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents to communicate key information.
• Strong interpersonal skills being able to lead and coordinate working groups, develop and maintain effective working relations with a diverse range of stakeholders, and organize and facilitate meetings and events.

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.