Consultant – Instructional Design – Innovations & Technology (GBViE) Req.#567065

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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

 Consultancy Title: Consultant – Instructional Design – Innovations & Technology (GBViE)

Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection – Programme Group – NYHQ

Duration: 27 January 2024 – 27 July 2024

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life – in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions – her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens – addressing inequity – not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Related to this mission, UNICEF is directly involved in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in some of the world’s most intense and complex conflicts and disasters. GBV in its various forms constitutes a global crisis which undermines social and economic progress; as one of the world’s greatest human rights violations, GBV must be addressed to ensure universal rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of human beings. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE) is recognized as a life-saving measure and an essential component of humanitarian action. As a lead agency in addressing GBViE, UNICEF has expanded its on-the-ground programming in recent years and made prevention and risk mitigation of, and response to GBViE one of its targeted priorities in its new Strategic and Gender Action Plans (GAP) 2022-2025, as well as in the new Child Protection Strategy. GBViE contributes to the results under Goal Area 3 and is also now a cross-cutting priority across the new Strategic Plan-, making GBV risk mitigation one of UNICEF’s change strategies and a key contributor across all Goal Areas. GBViE risk mitigation is now also across all sectors and areas of work in UNICEF’s updated Core Commitments for Children.

In 2019, UNICEF’s Executive Director issued a call to innovate to fill gaps in accessibility and availability of services at the Oslo Conference on Ending GBV in Emergencies. Since 2020, UNICEF has embarked in developing new technologies for gender-based violence programming. One of these innovative solutions is Laaha, a Virtual Safe Space platform for women and girls.

Women and girls’ safe spaces have long been established as a key approach to provide survivors with information, links to services, skills-building, peer connection, and support. Yet, as access to physical safe spaces is often limited, UNICEF has been developing Laaha, a virtual safe space (VSS) platform for women and adolescent girls to access information. Following successful piloting, a second version of a more interactive platform has been developed and piloted in Iraq and Ecuador. Laaha is currently being deployed in a number of additional countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Ukraine and Venezuela. New countries are expressing interest for the scaling phase. Laaha aims at reaching 1 million users and 15 languages by 2025. In this context of expansion, technical expertise on instructional design is critical to support the creation of additional modules on various topics requested by women and girls (including medias and illustrations) and development of content in new languages.

During the 6-month period of the contract, the consultant will support the design of the VSS through the implementation of workplan specific tasks listed below.

 Scope of Work:

 Under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist (GBViE Innovation and Service Delivery), the consultant will be responsible for completion of the following deliverables:

1. Create content in at least 2 new identified languages (translated and proofread content provided);
2. Create multimedia content for IRC’s digital literacy training toolkit.

The consultancy will be home-based with travels to emergency-affected contexts as feasible.

 Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Content created in at least 2 new identified languages and added to platform

            By 27 July 2024

• All new modules on digital literacy published on laaha.org

           By 1 June 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelors/University degree, preferably in instructional design, educational technology, media, computer science. University degree in social science, project management, human resources, business administration, international relations, psychology provided relevant experience. Human-computer interaction or online and distance education desirable.

Work experience:

• 8-10 years of systems analysis experience in a non-profit setting and/or in the international development field, including with a UN agency.
• International experience is highly desirable.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Exposure to and awareness of the systems development life cycle, structured analysis, design and programming techniques, web-based tools / solutions, system utilities and development tools, application software packages, and PC-based packages used in development or support of production systems.
• Exposure to web-based Knowledge Management and Intranet applications
• Ability to quickly develop a sound understanding of the processes performed by UNICEF functional areas, both at Headquarters, Regional and Country Office levels.
• Knowledge and understanding of women’s rights, gender-based violence and humanitarian protection, especially related women and girls.
• Experience developing technology products successfully, specifically in product management. Technical skills and track record on Apps development processes.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodology and Software development project management using GitHub e.g., Pivotal Tracker, Redmine, Trello, etc.
• Additional professional training in LMS (Totara/Moodle), programming languages (HTML, JavaScript, Java, etc.) is an advantage.
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications.
• Deep understanding of GBV guiding principles and what it means to provide a survivor-centered response.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with a team as well as independently in a multi-cultural environment.
• Proven ability to manage relationships with UNICEF partners, including women and girls.
• Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability to relate this to new media and young people.
• Proven capacity to work with and lead collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at Here

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:  Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.