ICT Advisor (Retainer)

Contract

This is a IICA-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's an external contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about IICA-3 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO)

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) is part of the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management (full service, back on track), HR and Transactional Services, Grants Management and Technical and Advisory Services.

Uzbekistan Office

Under the purview of AUMCO, the UNOPS Uzbekistan Office, established in Tashkent in October 2022 supports the Government of Uzbekistan’s development efforts in the country, through the provision of effective project management, infrastructure and procurement services. At present, the office has signed and has been implementing three engagements contributing to SGD3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), while actively working with the Government of Uzbekistan and development partners in diversifying its portfolio in line with the country’s development priorities including education.

Project Information

The UNOPS Uzbekistan Project Office currently has two ongoing projects both of which are major contributions to SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing).

The first project, “Support to Development of Oncology Services in Uzbekistan” is funded through a major loan from the Islamic Development Bank. UNOPS will support the Government of Uzbekistan in strengthening the preparedness of its national healthcare system, and preventing and treating oncological cases in an effective and timely manner. By identifying, procuring, delivering and operationalizing urgently needed medical, laboratory, radiological and ICT equipment, the project will significantly contribute to improved access and quality healthcare services for local communities in 14 regional locations including Tashkent and throughout the country.

The second project is the “Uzbekistan COVID-19 Emergency Response Project” with the Republic of Uzbekistan's Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Service (SES). Funded through two major loans from the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. In this project UNOPS will support the Government of Uzbekistan to upgrade up to 54 existing laboratory and treatment facilities across the country, procure diagnostic equipment and supplies, and establish an ICT system for monitoring the epidemiological situation to strengthen preparedness and resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic and other epidemics.

The ICT Advisor will be working with a team of UNOPS colleagues with expertise in Infrastructure, Biomedicine, Public Health, and provide strategic guidance and input to an ICT team with technical expertise in the development of HMIS software and ICT systems. Overall, ICT Advisor is expected to advise on the implementation of the projects’ ICT components, project development planning and preparation, coordination for implementation of all stages to achieve results in the area/s of responsibility under the assigned project.

The ICT Advisor will also provide technical guidance relating to digital transformation and ICT-focused policies, in-country strategies and implementation, knowledge management and sharing, and capacity building, in close collaboration with national counterparts and relevant stakeholders.

*** Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply***

Functional Responsibilities

1. Strategic and Technical Leadership
2. Project Planning and Management
3. Results Orientation and Quality Assurance
4. Requirements, Landscape and Options Analysis
5. Contracting and Evaluation
6. Implementation and Contract Management
7. Capacity and Change Management
8. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

Strategic and Technical Leadership

• Provide advisory services on ICT strategies and technologies, aligning them with local and international standards.
• Lead the development of technology strategies for new and existing services, outlining technical requirements, standards, and specifications.
• Collaborate with Senior Technical Advisors to adapt strategies based on emerging evidence and industry best practices.
• Establish technical frameworks in compliance with relevant international programs and strategies.
• Identify and assess various risks, including political, institutional, inter-agency, legal, and technology-related risks, and develop risk mitigation plans.
• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programs and draft concept notes and project document briefs for discussion with partners.

Project Planning and Management

• Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of ICT projects and work packages per UNOPS methodologies.
• Coordinate multiple team assignments, balancing capacity against client requirements.
• Tracking and reporting of resource allocation.

Results Orientation and Quality Assurance

• Offer strategic technical direction and quality assurance to ensure alignment with international standards.
• Advise on work plan development, ensuring they are adaptive and realistic.
• Present findings and preferred option to project governance body for decision making.
• Provide inputs for project reports, capturing progress, challenges, and future activities.
• Escalate potential risks to avoid implementation delays.

Requirements, Landscape, and Options Analysis

• Conduct stakeholder and landscape analysis to document key personas, technical capacities, and business requirements.
• Use a user-centered approach to outline functional and nonfunctional requirements, including key use cases.
• Conduct options assessments, incorporating considerations like total cost of ownership (TOC), duration, sustainability, and scalability.
• Present findings to project governance bodies for informed decision-making.

Contracting and Evaluation

• Contribute to development of technical specifications (ToR) for the procurement and delivery of IT products and solutions, including cost estimation.
• Supporting vendor evaluation and selection process.
• Design optimal delivery and payment schedule to ensure iterative release of functionality.
• Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers / suppliers.

Implementation and Contract Management

• Monitor and adjust the Action Plan in collaboration with internal teams and external partners.
• Track project progress against plan, requirements, and quality measures.
• Establish a user-focused working group engaged throughout the development and implementation phases.

Capacity and Change Management

• Develop a change management plan from the project's outset, focusing on user adoption and change resistance mitigation.
• Tailor communication, training and change management to suit different groups of users and stakeholders.
• Develop appropriate communication and training material as well as an effective training approach.

Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Stay updated on emerging technologies and advocate for their consideration where appropriate.
• Contribute to ICT standards and strategies within UNOPS and external networks.
• Engage in communities of practice, sharing knowledge and lessons learned.
• Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.
• Coordinate research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

a. Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g., Masters) in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related subject is required.
• A first-level university degree (e.g., Bachelor) in combination with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Certification in ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Strategic Leader is a strong asset.
• Certification in Google Cloud technologies is an asset.
• Certification in Prince2, PMP, or similar project management certifications is an asset.

b. Work experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of IT, software development lifecycle, or related experience is required.
• Experience with leading ICT and digital innovation projects in UNOPS or other UN organizations is an asset.
• Experience working in field contexts and dealing with local Government stakeholders is required.
• Demonstrated experience in leading cross-functional teams and multi-stakeholder initiatives is required.
• Experience with data management, analytics, and modeling is highly desirable.
• Experience with Google Workspace is highly desirable.

c. Languages

• Proficiency in English is required.
• Proficiency in Russian and/or Uzbek is an advantage.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA Contract level: IICA-3/ICSC-11 Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and project duration.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:

https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.