Roster for Gender and Technology Consultancy Services, ICTD Digital Centre of Excellence (Remote-based)

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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 connected world.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals cite gender equality and women’s empowerment, and innovation as driving forces to reach the 2030 objectives. In 2021, the UN Secretary General launched the Generation Equality Action Coalition Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality, a five-year public-private partnership, co-led by UNICEF, that will harness technology and innovation to advance gender equality and create new solutions responding to women and girls needs in all their diversity.

The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 highlights gender-transformative programming and fostering innovation and digital transformation as main change strategies to achieve UNICEF’s objectives and contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan 2022-2025 specifies how UNICEF will promote gender equality across the organization’s work and specifies five targeted gender priorities focused on empowering adolescent girls.

Digital transformation and innovation are widely recognized as a catalyst and accelerator of desired development outcomes. Coupled with gender equality, technology and innovation can accelerate the elimination of pervasive gender gaps and inequalities, be socially transformative, unlock markets, and have huge, positive economic implications.

However, as the gender digital divide persists, catalytic, scalable and measurable actions are needed to bridge the gap in women and girls’ digital access, adoption and use, digital literacy, and online safety. Investments and targeted support are required to tackle the under-representation of women and girls as tech creators and leaders, to ensure gender-responsive processes for digital solutions to be built with women and girls, and for these digital innovations to be prioritized that benefit women and girls and transform a gender inequality.

One flagship example of UNICEF Gender and Technology work is Oky, an innovative mobile menstruation and Sexual and Reproductive Health information solution, designed with and for girls. Key features include a gamified design for girls (10-19 years); avatars and personalized interface; evidence-based information created by experts in girl-friendly language to learn in entertaining ways; localized in national languages and to local context. Girls’ digital realities require tailored technology, so Oky exists as a light-weight Android and iOS app for low end smartphones; offline functionality for low connectivity settings; multiple user login and password protection for girls sharing phones; read-out function, tutorials, help for low (digital) literacy or vision impairment; downloadable via link; highest data protection.

Oky is a demonstration model that illustrated innovative tech design to help close the gender digital divide. Other UNICEF activities in Gender and Digital Technology include support to girl-led digital solutions and products that address gender-based violence; promote online safety; increase girls’ learning, digital skills development, pathways into employment and entrepreneurship; and or health and well-being.

UNICEF is now seeking Gender and Technology consultant services to support the development, management and expansion of UNICEF Gender and Technology work around the world, including Oky.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF's ICTD Digital Centre of Excellence Gender and Technology team is seeking services of individual Gender and Technology consultants to provide a range of support services and technical assistance to enhance the ability of UNICEF Offices at global, regional, and field level to lead and deliver high quality digital programmatic results that promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as specified within the UNICEF Strategic Plan and the Gender Action Plan 2022-25.

Applicants will be considered for current and upcoming Gender and Technology consultancy opportunities, and for placement on the ICTD Gender and Technology Consultant Roster 2023-2025.

Key Responsibilities:

Gender and Technology categories for this roster include, but are not limited to:

Product and Partnerships Management: Perform product and partnership management services for girl-centred digital solutions and initiatives; provide coordination and project planning services, implementation and reporting support, including guidance to country offices and partners on strategic and operational aspects of the products localization, deployment and roll-out; support vendor management; develop and maintain partnerships with implementing and contributing partners from all sectors of society and industries; support research, assessments and learning across multiple markets, and related product and partnership tasks; garner support and expansion of the Gender and Technology ecosystem; etc. (Applies to Junior and Senior roles)

Technology Advisory: Provide technology related advisory services to Oky and other open source gender-related products; quality assure technology related digital gender work; liaise with tech vendors and ensure both technology and gender related aspects and quality; support implementing partners on technology related decisions that ensure technology products are built and deployed to meet girls and women’s digital realities; advise and lead on products’ features and built-out; guide low-tech multi-platform products development; advise on Content Management System for open source content management; provide technical advisory to governance structures; advance data protection and privacy for children agenda; liaise with UNICEF Technology for Development (T4D) global, regional and country teams, technology vendors and technology industry partners; etc (Applies to Junior and Senior roles)

Full-stack Development: Write open-source code on both the front and back end of gender-related digital products (including apps, websites, etc); write database queries; upgrade master codes periodically to the latest stack; provide support and maintenance for technology products (including bug fixes, responses to security issues, ensuring compatibility with new operating systems, adding new features and designs, etc); conduct security audits and bi-annual penetration testing of gender-related digital solutions as per UNICEF T4D guidance etc (Applies to Junior and Senior roles)

Human-centred design: Provide Human-centred Design (HCD) advisory services to UNICEF teams and partners developing girl-intentional digital solutions; design and facilitate design and user testing processes with girls and women; advise on HCD approaches in different markets; map girl-centred HCD providers in different markets; support HCD vendor management with experience in inclusive HCD; document HCD insights and translate into tech and UX/UI requirements; develop HCD guide for girl-centred digital innovation; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

UX / UI: Provide UX / UI services to Oky and other GenderTech products; create, map out and test user flows/user journey maps for Oky and other GenderTech products; design graphic interface elements; developing wireframes (high and low fidelity) and prototypes; evaluate user feedback and requirements and iterate product UI and features based on user inputs etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Open-source Advisory: Provide technical assistance on open-source community building and open-source governance structures for GenderTech products, including project charter development (vision, mission, community statements); explore options for GenderTech governance models that put women and girls at the forefront; support open-source steering committees establishment and Standard Operating Procedure development; perform secretariat tasks for GenderTech open source steering committees; support implementation of strategies of open-source community development and ecosystem engagement; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Gender Digital Divide: Provide research advisory and expertise on what works for closing the gender digital divide; technical assistance for UNICEF countries and partners on high impact interventions that help bridge the gender digital divide for girls; feed into UNICEF and partners research and interventions that aim to close the digital gender gaps; feed into policy advocacy initiatives and engage with policy makers if requested; support with evidence briefs; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Digital Literacy: Provide advisory on what works in digital literacy for women and girls; develop gender-specific digital literacy standardised frameworks; feed into digital literacy strategies and policy documents, advise on intervention strategies and activity implementation; develop curricula and materials that advance women and girls’ digital literacy, etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Digital Content: Create new and evidence-based content in girl-friendly, girl-centred and compelling language in English (or other languages where GenderTech products are deployed); design chatbot conversations and scripts; develop gamified content for multiple platforms such as chatbot, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and SMS; advise on editorial processes for content at global and/or country level; quality assure content developed in various contexts; participate in content quality review panels; manage open-source content repository; foster digital content collaboration with partners; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Marketing and Communications: Provide Oky and other GenderTech products marketing, promotion and communications, with a view towards a female target audience and their digital realities; develop quicklines and FAQs for media inquiries; develop and roll-out strategies for user acquisition (both digital and in-person); support monitoring and reporting on backend analytics; customer and user feedback management; etc (Applies to Senior and Junior roles)

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Research: Refine GenderTech Theory of Change and indicators, including analytics and business intelligence systems; build out digital monitoring and reporting frameworks; lead the setting up of MEL data collection and reporting mechanisms, particularly using lean data approaches; data analysis, insights generation and sharing (writing snapshots, briefs, reports); provide technical support for in-country and multi-country GenderTech and Oky research projects and impact assessments; etc. (Applies to Senior and Junior roles)

Peer-to-peer: Provide technical assistance on developing peer education strategies for connecting un-connected female users and tap into adolescent girls’ peer and women networks; develop prototypes for peer-to-peer methodology; develop training and other peer-to-peer materials; pilot materials in low-connectivity areas and iterate materials based on piloting insights; work with UNICEF teams and partners to repurpose trainings and materials for multiple markets; liaise with partners and organizations trialling approaches to ensure the benefits of digital products for un-connected women and girls; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Disability and Accessibility: Provide technical assistance on ensuring GenderTech products cater to girls and women with special needs (physical and/or intellectual disabilities); design and run consultations with girls and women with special needs; work strategically with partner organizations (and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities) specialized in accessibility of digital products; advise on adaptations needed to ensure accessibility (e.g. code, design and UX); design strategies and materials to reach more girls and women with special needs through adaptations, community and outreach approaches that can be replicated in multiple markets; etc (Applies to Senior roles)

Duration and Location:

This is an expression of interest to be placed on the ICTD Digital Centre of Excellence Gender and Technology roster. For each work assignment, a Terms of Reference with work scope and tasks, schedules, deliverables, timelines and final outputs will be developed. Work assignments might require full-time or part-time commitments, at Senior or Junior level expertise.

Assignments will be remote based, with travel to deployment countries or conferences as needed.

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

• University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or higher) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, ICT, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s Gender and Technology work (Sexual and Reproductive Health, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Health, Education, Child Protection, WASH, etc.) is required. • Specific work experience on digital projects, products and services, or innovation, in emerging markets; experience with GenderTech products and working with women and girls, preferred. • At least 8 years (applies to Senior level) or 3 years (applies to Junior level) of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record in the area of gender, digital or innovation, or in the specific area of support that candidate is applying for. • Strong, substantive, experience and skills related to the specific roles and areas of support that candidate is applying for. • Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications; “Get things done” mindset. • Self-starter who is happy to hit the ground running; independently motivated who doesn’t require extensive set-up processes, training, orientation, or strategy development (Applies to Senior level) • Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability to relate this to innovation and young people. (Applies to Senior level) • Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas. (Applies to Senior level) • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Candidates from development countries are particularly encouraged to apply.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit their application for this roster through UNICEF’s Talent Management System. In the application process, applicants will be asked to confirm: • Levels the candidate would like to be considered for (Junior or Senior level) • Workload availability (Full-time, Part-time or Specific Assignments) • Categories the applicant would like to be considered for (Product and Partnerships Management, Technology Advisory, Full-stack Development, Human-centred Design, UX / UI, Open-source Advisory, Gender Digital Divide, Digital Literacy, Digital Content, Marketing and Communications, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Research, Peer-to-peer, Disability and Accessibility)

Applicants should include the following attachments in their application: • Cover letter indicating availability until end of 2025 and availability for home based work. • Samples of previous work on similar assignments (links preferred) • Financial Proposal: Please indicate your availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

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:

This is an expression of interest only to be placed on the ICTD Digital Centre of Excellence Gender and Technology roster. Consultants placed on the roster will be contracted for individual work assignments as needed. Being on the roster does not guarantee an assignment.

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 (if 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.

This is a re-advertisement to expand the roster. Previous applicants will be included for consideration and do not need to re-apply.