International Consultant - Skills Gap Analysis for 2025-2030 CPMP, Sierra Leone CO

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, resilience

Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and here

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the activity/task:

The objective of the consultancy is to comprehensively assess the current capacities and skills of staff members in relation to the requirements for the forthcoming UNICEF-Sierra Leone Cooperation Programme. This evaluation aims to identify gaps or discrepancies between existing competencies and those necessary for effective programme implementation. Recommendations will be formulated to address these gaps, focusing on developing learning and capacity-building strategies tailored to the team's needs.

Additionally, this initiative provides a roadmap for reviewing the staff structure, ensuring alignment with developing the Country Programme Management Plan (CPMP) and Sierra Leone's submission to the Programme Budget Review (PBR) in 2024. The initiative aims to optimize human resource utilization to support the cooperation programme's goals and objectives by integrating staffing considerations into budgetary planning and resource allocation processes.

Scope of Work

Sierra Leone has completed the development of its next UNICEF-Sierra Leone cooperation programme, the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2025-2030, and is in the process of developing its CPMP as part of the submission of its PBR 2024.

To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the UNICEF Sierra Leone office in delivering impactful results for children and women, staff must have the requisite skills, knowledge, and competencies to support the new program (2025-2030) effectively. Thus, assessing the capacities and skills of current staff is essential. This evaluation will thoroughly review the current CPD 2020-2024 and its PBRs as well as the new CPD 2025-2030 and assess and analyze existing competencies and identify critical skill gaps crucial for realizing the goals and objectives outlined in the new country program. By addressing these gaps through targeted interventions and capacity-building initiatives, the office can ensure its workforce is well-prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the evolving program landscape, thereby maximizing its impact on the lives of children and women in Sierra Leone.

The Office has outlined in the roadmap for CPMP preparation the recruitment of an international consultant to conduct this analysis, which will play a crucial role in supporting the submission to the Programme and Budget Review (PBR) in 2024.

Roadmap

Drawing from the objectives outlined in the Country Programme Document (CPD), the Sierra Leone Office aims to achieve the following through questions:

1. Identify skills needs across all program areas, encompassing both operational and cross-sectoral domains.
2. Assess the current skill landscape, highlighting gaps in skills and knowledge.
3. Develop a robust framework for crafting training and development plans to empower our current staff to address these gaps effectively.

This consultancy will address the following key questions:

• What skills are imperative for acquisition under the new curriculum?
• Which new skills are required, and where are they most needed within our Sierra Leone Country Office?
• How do the current profiles of our staff align with the identified skill needs?
• What strategies can be employed to bridge the existing skill gap?

Methodology

Under the general supervision of the Deputy Representative, Operations, the consultant will collaborate closely with the Human Resources Manager. This collaboration will extend to working with the local Learning and Training Committee (LLTC) and the local staff association. The process will follow a four-phase approach for conducting the skills gap analysis. Throughout each phase, there will be consistent emphasis and focus on communication, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and engaged at every process step.

Phase 1: Understanding current staffing and training needs.

During this initial phase, the consultant will comprehensively assess the office's current staffing landscape and training requirements. This phase involves:

1. Document Review:
2. Office Structure Review:

3. Individual Interviews:

   Outcomes:

• Identification of technical skills and abilities necessary for successful training implementation.
• Compilation of a comprehensive list of technical skills to facilitate the data collection and analysis.

Phase 2: Determining Availability and Demand for Skills and Identifying Gaps

Assessment of the Current Internal Skills

Identification and prioritization of Gaps

Phase 3: Identify strategies to fill skills gaps.

Phase 4: Preparation of a report with recommendations

Please see attached ToR for detailed information. Skills Gap Analysis ToR updated.pdf

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

• A minimum master’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, International Relations, Social Sciences, Psychology, or any other related field.
• Eight years of relevant professional experience in organizational development and human resources planning and management.
• Proven experience in training and development and coaching, with interventions focused on alignment with direction and strategic objectives, will be an added advantage.
• Fluency (written and oral) in English is an asset.
• Experience working with the United Nations and particularly UNICEF would also be an advantage

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.