Consultant for Business for Results implementation in South Asia - UNICEF South Asia

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, a Future

How can you make a difference?

Background:

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA), through effective support to country offices (COs) and strategic engagement with partners, contributes to winning support for the cause of children from decision makers and the wider public particularly on priority issues in South Asia. This includes providing technical assistance, capacity-building and coordination to enhance digital advocacy in the region. UNICEF South Asia works in eight countries and is working to implement UNICEF's Strategic Plan 2018 - 2021 in the region. For more targeted efforts, UNICEF South Asia has translated the Strategic Plan into six headline results (save newborns, stop stunting, every child learns, eradicate polio/fully immunized child, end child marriage, stop open defecation).

Anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF's strategies for change are aimed to yield concrete results for children, charting a course towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 - and the realization of a better world for every child. UNICEF views the private sector as a vital partner in these global efforts.

The business sector plays an important role in the wellbeing of children in their communities in which they operate. Businesses have a strong impact on the lives of the employees, their consumers, their suppliers, and on the communities they serve. From determining the working conditions, health coverage, skills training and employability of workers, to the environmental impact of their operations on the community, businesses have a critical impact on the wellbeing of children and society.

Under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP), businesses have a responsibility to respect child rights. UNICEF engages with the business sector at all levels, including small and medium enterprises, multinational corporations, government institutions, independent regulatory bodies, corporate foundations, industry bodies and multi-stakeholder platforms. Types of partnerships range from financial partnerships to working groups dedicated to improving business policy and practices to respect and support children's rights.

The UNICEF Business for Results (B4R) initiative aims to integrate business sector engagement by mainstreaming the relevance and potential of the business sector across all of the organization's programming. The B4R strategy is drawn from UNICEF's Strategic Plan 2018 - 2021, which identifies leveraging the power of markets and business to maximize progress for children. A central pillar of this capacity building programme is a country-level ‘Deep Dive in Business Learning’ journey for country offices, which consists of preparatory work in collaboration with relevant regional offices (including assessment/analysis, mapping, e-learning), a face-to-face or virtual workshop, action planning and follow-up technical support. The deep dive learning journey builds upon the Programme Guidance Note for Engagement with Business and explores the role of business across five areas: Business as a provider of essential goods and services; Business as an employer; Business impact on communities and environments; Business as a source of innovation, finance and technology; The voice and influence of business.

UNICEF ROSA actively supports the RO and COs to effectively leverage the private sector to accelerate programmatic results. It has set the years 2020 and 2021 to further implement B4R in the region- and to develop strong capacities for understanding and applying the organization’s goals and processes of Private Sector Engagement (PSE). UNICEF ROSA’s action plan for private sector engagement (PSE) includes three interlinked layers:

1. Support and capacity building for UNICEF in South Asia
2. Support implementation of regional and country office private sector engagement priorities
3. Generate regional-level evidence, tools and guidance
4. Support internal and external advocacy

In 2020, UNICEF ROSA prioritized understanding the needs and challenges of COs and developing their capacity to effectively and holistically engage with the private sector and governments to address the impacts of business. As part of that, UNICEF ROSA executed several B4R Deep Dives to equip COs with the skills to be able to integrate B4R in planning and programming. It also facilitated thematic deep dives. One such deep dive focused on family friendly policies and how business could be engaged to improve the lives of children and families through workplace measures.

UNICEF South Asia is seeking to follow through on the capacity-building groundwork of 2020 and support ongoing efforts to prepare ROSA to strategically and holistically engage the private sector, including on building capacities, engaging business, creating evidence and tools at a regional level, and scaling up existing and successful work. Furthermore, as ROSA is preparing for its new Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP), it is looking to provide guidance to all programme and supporting sections to ensure that private sector engagement is considered in their theory of change, where and when it makes sense.

Purpose:

UNICEF ROSA is looking for an international contractor with background in business engagement and program management to support the development and initial execution of B4R across South Asia.

The primary goal of this assignment is to implement regional and country office level efforts identified for 2021. To this end, the consultancy will:

• Coordinate research and dissemination for new reports
• Support the development of advocacy assets that take report findings from paper to action
• Support the implementation of regional level priorities, specifically around employment and skills, mental health and climate change;
• Integrate B4R into Regional Adviser (RA) plans and the next ROMP; and
• Support the development of partnerships.

Main Responsibilities and expected results:

Under the guidance of the Regional Corporate Alliances Specialist, the incumbent will support the Regional Office for South Asia in the following:

• Support the implementation of regional and country level priorities

• Support the development of a plan for the implementation of regional level priorities, specifically on mental health, employment and skills and climate change.

• Undertake additional research to support prioritization of effort.

• Engage with stakeholders, support convenings with private sector and regional level advocacy.

• Plan thematic deep dives

• Identify priority areas for thematic deep dives in the region through impact prospecting and in collaboration with Regional Advisors and programme colleagues

• Thematic deep dives will be prioritized based on data gathered, and could include working on climate change, primary healthcare or other areas which are pertinent to the region.
• Support the development of a plan for the implementation of at least one thematic specific deep dive
• Support project management and coordination calls with relevant actors
• Support the development of a practical roadmap/Action Plan with clear Milestones

• Develop a plan for follow up with participants

• Integrate B4R into RA plans & the next ROMP

• Conduct bilateral meetings with Regional Advisors to determine their level of PSE/B4R capacity and their need for support

• Set up a process to ensure that private sector considerations are integrated into RA strategies and plans as well as the next ROMP

• Review documents and provide suggestion for PSE integration in Theory of Changes and Programme Strategy Notes

• Coordinate research and dissemination for new reports

• Coordinate new research projects, including working with the research team to develop a timeline, creating schedules, and overseeing progress to ensure goals are met on time

• Research projects to be in line with priority areas defined through the prospecting/planning work.

• • Research to be in line with private sector considerations and assessing the impact in the region. Ensure dissemination can be integrated into RA strategies and plans as part of B4R.
  • Develop a plan for dissemination of new reports
  • Support the development of advocacy assets that take report findings from paper to action
• Support the creation of a communication and advocacy assets to disseminate UNICEF’s private sector engagement work in South Asia
• Support partnership development with corporate partners and multi-stakeholder platforms
  • Develop concept notes and pitches to build partnerships with private sector and multi-stakeholder platforms
  • Support contract process
  • Foster Public-private partnership engagement
• Develop guidance, tools and capture lessons learned
  • Ensure that learnings are well documented and captured.
  • Develop guidance and tools for wider use.
  • Create case studies.

Management and Organization:

Management: The constrictor will work in close consultation and under the supervision of the Corporate Alliances Specialist.

The evaluation of the contractor(s)’ performance will be based on:

• Quality of produced outputs;
• Compliance with the established timelines;
• Compliance with ethical UNICEF standards related to reporting on children;
• Responsibility and communication.

Organization: The consultancy assignment is home based.

Schedule: This assignment will commence by March 30 and end on October 30, 2021. The contractor contract is part-time working remotely. UNICEF estimates 10 days per month, hence a total of 60 days to be executed between March 30 and October 30, 2021.

Note: Please submit your applications with financial proposal. Applications without the financial proposal will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced to the next stage of the selection process.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

1. Education:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Economics, Political Science, International Relations

2. Work Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in: PPP, private sector engagement, CSR projects in the international context
• Experience in facilitating consultations with business sector and government representatives and other stakeholders
• Experience in building partnerships
• Experience in working on children’s rights and business
• Understanding of B4R at UNICEF is considered a strong asset

3. Additional Skills:

• Excellent communication and organization skills
• Ability to work independently and to meet tight deadlines,
• Enthusiast about pushing limits and about the potential of the private sector

D. Language Proficiency:

• Fluent in English, spoken and written

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Builds and maintains partnerships
  • Build a network of external stakeholders and alliances with government counterparts, civil society, the media and the private sector, in order to promote and advance the work of the organization
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
  • Self-aware of own strengths, limitations, working style and deeply held convictions and biases. Displays ethical awareness through behaviours that are consistent and compliant with the standards of conduct for international civil servants, UNICEF’s values and relevant UNICEF policies and procedures
• Innovates and embraces change
  • Is open to and proposes new approaches and ideas. Adapts and responds positively to change.
• Drive to achieve results for impact
  • Commits to action and assumes responsibility and ownership for own performance and the associated outcomes.
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
  • Demonstrate resilience and composure, get things done despite challenges and maintain performance levels in pressured, adverse and uncertain environments.
• Thinks and acts strategically
  • Understands the big picture and can identify potential opportunities for action and challenges that exist. Forms sound evidence-based judgements in the delivery of UNICEF’s results.
• Nurtures, leads and manages people
  • Establish and maintain mutually supportive working relationships, demonstrating sensitivity to people of diverse backgrounds, respecting differences and ensuring that all can contribute and succeed.
• Works collaboratively with others
  • Provide exemplary management and leadership, motivating and developing colleagues to perform at their best, while building diverse and inclusive teams.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.