Consultant - Ecosystem Development Req

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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Consultant, Ecosystem Development

Section/Division/Duty Station: Generation Unlimited (YPA) secretariat

Duration: 13 November 2023 – 1 December 2024

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a world leading public-private-youth partnership (PPYP) platform that aims to ensure that every young person aged 16-24 is either learning and/or working by 2030. It brings together public, private and youth actors to co-create, unlock investment and resources, and scale up innovative solutions related to skills for employment including entrepreneurship, employability, and social impact. GenU has a country level focus and a series of Global Solutions which it is supporting to deliver on its ambitious mandate.

As a global solution, Yoma lives this collaborative partnership approach by bringing together partners into an ecosystem of opportunities placing youth at the center. Youth are envisioned to navigate the ecosystem through pathways where they can grow their skills and apply themselves to create social impact. This approach allows them to incrementally build a portfolio of skills and experience to unlock livelihoods and thrive.

Supported by SAP, Yoma envisions developing a navigable ecosystem of partner opportunities locally and globally to create a digital learning pathway, focusing on identifying, skilling and placing marginalized youth in jobs within SAP and its partners. The multi-stakeholder approach creates synergies between opportunities so that their collective engagement creates more impact than if they operated alone. This multi-stakeholder approach also creates a myriad of complexities across the supply and demand side of the learning to earning journey. Therefore, GenU seeks the services of a consultant experienced in designing and developing youth-centred solutions through an ecosystem / systems thinking approach.

Scope of Work:

Under the direct supervision of the Innovation Manager (GenU), with overall guidance from the Deputy Director, Partnerships, Resource Mobilization & Innovation and in collaboration with the broader GenU partnerships team, the consultant will provide expertise on human cantered design, system thinking and ecosystems development. The consultant will bring their experience to support the global GenU team, as well as local UNICEF Country offices, to develop the following items to drive outcomes within the Yoma ecosystem:

1. Programmatic Pathways & Project Plan:

The introduction of a unified strategy will ensure a seamless understanding across a multitude of audiences. It will be pivotal in aligning all stakeholders, bridging gaps, and synchronizing efforts towards achieving the project's overarching vision and objectives.

2. Ecosystem Narrative & Strategy:

Through enhanced understanding, shared vision, collaboration and stakeholder integration, there will be improved synergy and efficiency in the Yoma initiative with a clearer ecosystem narrative and strategy. The integration mechanisms will encourage shared ownership and a collective sense of responsibility, fostering an environment conducive to success.

3. Strategic & Operational Planning:

By outlining clear directives and action points for both short-term and long-term phases, the project is poised to achieve local relevance and global scalability. This clarity of purpose ensures consistent alignment with broader project ambitions, even as specific tasks evolve.

4. Technology & System Assessment:

By identifying and leveraging the right technological tools and platforms, the project will maximize its reach and impact. The adaptive technological backbone ensures the project remains agile, responsive, and future-ready, adjusting to challenges and opportunities as they emerge.

5. Stakeholder Onboarding & Collaboration:

With optimized stakeholder integration mechanisms there's an assurance of effective collaboration, reduced conflicts, and a harmonized approach to project milestones. A unified front will be presented, streamlining efforts and multiplying the project's impact.

6. Youth-Centered Ecosystem Design:

The core emphasis on youth engagement and feedback ensures that the project remains relevant, impactful, and genuinely resonant with its primary beneficiaries. By placing the youth at the heart of the initiative, we ensure a dynamic, responsive, and impactful project trajectory.

These core objectives and achievements pave the way for a transformative project that is not only innovative but is also positioned for sustainable impact, scalability, and resonance with its target audience.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• A combined roadmap is prepared detailing the journey for youth, transitioning them from learning to earning throughout the Yoma ecosystem, while also outlining specific roles and integration steps for pivotal stakeholders (like SAP Educate2Employ). This roadmap should serve as a guiding tool for rolling out and monitoring Yoma project phases.

B****y 2 March 2024

• A strong ecosystem narrative document is produced that underpins a shared understanding of the Yoma ecosystem approach. This will be leveraged as a resource repository for developing pitches and proposals to bring in new partners and grow the ecosystem.

By 26 April 2024

• A comprehensive strategy and operational plan is produced that provides clear directives for the project's local adaptability and global scalability via an ecosystem approach. This plan should delineate short-term actions, long-term strategies, and checkpoints to assess alignment with overarching project goals.

By 19 June 2024

• An assessment report is produced that identifies lessons learned from other technology solutions supporting ecosystem scalability and offers a blueprint for an adaptive system architecture. This report should demonstrate how technology is leveraged for the project's objectives and how technology serves as an enabling tool.

By 26 July 2024

• A detailed stakeholder collaboration map and onboarding guide is produced. This should offer a step-by-step approach for integrating various partners into the Yoma ecosystem, ensuring smooth collaboration, alignment of interests, and shared ownership.

By 6 October 2024

• A framework or blueprint is prepared that places youth at the core of the ecosystem's design and implementation. This framework should highlight pathways for youth engagement, feedback mechanisms, and emphasize youth-centric values, ensuring the initiative truly resonates with its primary beneficiaries and partners with youth.

By 30 November 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Masters degree/Collaborative Design, Human-Centred Design, System Thinking, Strategy Consulting, Project Management

Work experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience managing youth and adolescent skilling and employability programmes
• Experience managing projects that leverage partnerships, networks and ecosystems to drive educational and employment outcomes
• Experience developing partnerships for fund raising as well as programme collaboration
• Experience in developing innovative solutions for development through human-entered design approaches
• Experience working in developing country contexts, particularly across Africa
• Experience working with international NGOs and developmental organisations

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong technology literacy (coding, data analytics, UX/I, web three) with proven ability to leverage technology — over and above simply using digital tools — to supplement programmatic outcomes

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.