Individual Consultant - Digital Skills Training Consultant

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

Like the rest of Africa, Zimbabwe has a youth unemployment challenge. However, what distinguishes Zimbabwe from most African countries is the high literacy rate which currently stands at 92%. UNDP Zimbabwe believes that the latter can be used to tackle the former via a digital skills training program, which aims to train youths in the key skills lacking on the job market. COVID-19 has accelerated the global shift by firms from traditional brick and mortar services to online platforms and by riding on that momentum we seek to create a program that either connects youths with digital jobs or assist them in creating jobs via start-ups.

The program works with private sector partners to identify the digital skill lacking in industry and use that information to tailor a training program aimed at transforming youth with a strong IT/computing background into job ready candidates. Over a period of 4 months students will go through an intensive project-based curriculum that addresses the digital skills gap in Zimbabwe. Additionally, the training will also ensure that the students are competitive on the international job market, which will open opportunities for free lancing gigs. The technical training will be paired with a soft skills training package aimed at providing the students with skills in business development, plus the conception and growth of start-ups.

That said, UNDP Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an experienced, driven and tech savvy consultant to lead the design and delivery of the training program.

Digital Skills training Consultant will be tasked with coordinating and managing the creation and delivery of a digital skills training curriculum. He or she will be expected to liaise with private sector partners to identify the skills gap and use the information to create a training syllabus that gets the students job ready. Additionally, the consultant will be responsible for the weekly delivery of training to the students, reviewing assignments/projects and offering technical assistance. The consultant will function as the focal point throughout the project, keeping up to date records of the students, reporting challenges and opportunities for improvement.

The principal responsibility for managing this assignment lies with the UNDP Country Office, Zimbabwe. UNDP will contract the consultant and ensure the timely provision of reimbursable costs and remuneration. UNDP will mobilise internal technical expertise to support the consultant’s work. UNDP will support the consultant’s engagement with stakeholders, arrange for meetings, field visits and coordinate with stakeholders and Government officials as necessary.

The Consultant is accountable to UNDP under the overall guidance of the UNDP Accelerator Lab Head of Experimentation and direct supervision from the Chipinge Town Council team. The consultant will submit bi-weekly progress updates, detailing work progress, constraints and solutions whilst carrying out the syllabus design and training. The Consultant should be available for subsequent discussions about the consultancy work with UNDP.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities and duties will cover four main areas of activities

Communication with private firms to map their digital needs and document them

• Work with Accelerator and Chipinge Town Council to compile a list of private sectors players with the potential to join and find value in YIP. The program will be pitched separately to each one of them to obtain their buy-in;
• Conduct meetings with technology personnel from private sector partners to discuss technical skills gap and document them;
• Guide private sector partners in distinguishing between immediate skills needs and those that will be relevant in the future to remain competitive in their respective industries;
• Produce a write up that summarises the skills gaps identified, and the software/hardware training required to address the skills deficit. For each lacking skill identified there should be a corresponding proposed solution.

Development of a comprehensive training curriculum that address the digital skills gap identified in partnership with private sector

• Design a training syllabus that transfers the sort after digital skills to the students in the most efficient and timely manner. The syllabus should have a clearly defined timeline and expected outcomes;
• Compile a list of hardware and software requirements for the training. The list should utilize as many publicly available (free) resources as possible before considering commercial products;

• Create an online repository that contains all necessary training material and accessible by anyone with the link.

  Delivery of training modules online and in person when circumstances allow

• Remotely configure all computers with the required software for the training to run effectively;

• Be available to lecture students online or in person at the agreed frequency as set in the training syllabus;
• Support students in projects and assignment as necessary either directly or by directing them to relevant resources;
• Review student assignments, track of student participation and performance record;
• Hold an online office hour once a week during which students can voluntarily sign on for extra support;
• Identify domain experts to invite for a guest appearance and QnA session once a month as a way for the students to network.

Advise/guide the project in recruiting of students, assessment and job placement of students and any other activities requiring expert advice.

• Attend biweekly meetings with Chipinge Town Council and UNDP to discuss the progression of the training. During the meetings consultant should give a brief report;
• Assist in the pairing of firms with students for job placement based on a review of the student interest, performance and company needs;
• Provide a final report that outlines opportunities for further improvement in future cohorts of the project.

The consultant is expected to deliver the following

• A summary of the digital landscape in Zimbabwe outlining the skills gaps identified;
• A training syllabus that clearly targets to address the skills gap;
• A comprehensive list of tools (hardware and software) required for the training;
• An online repository with training material;
• Biweekly reports on student performance and progression of the training;
• A final report on the program and comments on each of the students. This will guide the placement of students in companies.

Competencies

Functional Competencies

• Excellent drafting, documentation, and communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of digital platforms, coding, and capability to transfer the knowledge via lessons;
• Proven record in creating digital tools.

Corporate Competencies:

• Promote the highest standards of ethics and integrity;
• Support creativity and innovation;
• Help create an enabling environment for open communication;
• Share knowledge and support a culture of learning;
• Demonstrate fairness and transparency.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Academic qualifications of at least a National Diploma in computer science, ITC, or relevant field;

  Experience:

• At least seven years of experience related to coding, app development and tinkering with hardware and software digital tools;

• Technical background and experience in using various programming tools;
• Knowledge of front end or back-end development. A full stack developer would be preferred;
• Demonstrated prior experience in teaching programming;
• Knowledge and experience using version control and collaboration platforms like GitHub Beanstalk and Mercurial;
• Prior experience working with UN entities is desirable but not a must.

Language Requirements:

• An excellent command of English and Local Language is a requirement

  Latest CV highlighting the relevant experience; Updated P11 Form template of which can be downloaded from this website - http://www.sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc. A detailed technical proposal on undertaking the tasks and evidence of previous work;

Please group all your documents (CV, P11, Technical Proposal and certificates) into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. Incomplete applications will not be given consideration. Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application

Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.

Evaluation criteria:

The Consultant will be evaluated based on qualifications and the years of experience, as outlined in the qualifications/requirements section of the ToR. In addition, the Consultant will also be evaluated on the following methodology:

Technical Criteria weight: 70%; Financial Criteria weight: 30%;

The award of the contract shall be made to the Consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the Terms of Reference.

“UNDP is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Well qualified candidates, particularly women and people with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply”.