T4D/ICT Consultant (National, Belarus), 9 months – Req#569044

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, innovation

Consultancy Title: T4D/ICT Consultant (National, Belarus)

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme & Operations sections, UNICEF Belarus CO

Duration: February 2024 to October 2024

Home/ office Based: Remote/Home-based

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. Over 75 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. 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 abuse. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this role is to provide support to UNICEF Belarus ICT/T4D unit and ensure technical assistance to the growing demand for the Technology for Development (T4D) support in Belarus.

Under the supervision, guidance, and oversight from Deputy Representative and Operations Manager, the T4D/ICT Consultant will:

• Assist programme teams in the integration of ICT and digital innovation into UNICEF programming; strengthening internal capacity to lead and support T4D related initiatives; identifying and engaging with key partners; and maximizing potential for the sustainable scaling of technology and digital innovation for UNICEF programming in Belarus.
• Provide recommendations to ensure integration of digital development and technology innovation into the programme work, build the capacity and knowledge within the programme sections on digital development, train UNICEF staff, partners, counterparts in creating and maintaining high quality digital systems.
• Provide technical assistance and support to the overall ICT activities, incl. daily maintenance and ICT services in the country office.

The T4D/ICT Consultant reports to Deputy Representative and Operations Manager and works closely with CO Programme and Operations staff.

Scope of Work: 

Under the overall supervision, guidance, and oversight from Deputy Representative and Operations Manager, the T4D/ICT Consultant:

Provides technical and programmatic support in T4D 

• Supports and assists in the design of T4D interventions:

• Provides support and technical assistance to the Country Office in the identification, selection, concept design, deployment, and sustainability of T4D interventions to address bottlenecks towards the achievement of programme results.
• Assists programme sections to identify and assess T4D initiatives with potential to improve UNICEF programming.

• Solution procurement and evaluation:

• Assists the review of technical solutions to ensure UNICEF standards are followed; contribute to project management processes, generation, and review of terms of reference and vendor selection.

• Proposal and partnership development:

• Identifies opportunities for resource mobilization and new partnerships and supports proposal and partnership development efforts in close collaboration with ICT Division’s Digital Centre of Excellence, where applicable.

• Provides advice and support to programme partners:

• Provides inputs to technical and operational support to a wide range of stakeholders and partners on UNICEF policies, practices, standards, and norms on technology for development.

• Transfer and skill-sharing for programme partners:

• Helps maintain partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing and transfer of knowledge, skills, and tools to foster and facilitate technology-enabled programming.

• Document localized partners and profiles:

• Contributes updates to a catalogue of country specific T4D partners and their profiles/areas of engagement to promote and enhance UNICEF goals for outcomes for children through the use of technology.

• Share lessons learned:

• Helps identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned from T4D for integration into broader knowledge development planning, advocacy, and communication efforts.

Provides technical support in the ICT

• Provides technical assistance and support to the ICT functions and services’ bottlenecks.

• Provides ICT end user support as required.

• Assists in the management of contracts for T4D/ICT for services and products.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables / Delivery Deadline:

1. Technical and programmatic support in T4D Constantly liaise with the IT companies and beneficiaries and coordinate the improvement and maintenance of the following digital platforms: talk2ok.by, U-platform, kidspomogut.by, HOPE and initiatives that may come up during the contract.

• Monthly report on the progress of the development of digital platforms and UNICEF projects.
• Response and repairs to platform interruptions within one working day.
• Timely revision and removal of the technical glitches, end-user support,
• At least # (TBC) Trainings for partners, working with hosting and domains.

Reporting at the end of each month during the contract validity

2. Advisory and Quality Assurance to Technology enabled Programming

• Report on coordination with programme colleagues to publish PCO content on the UNICEF Digital Intervention
• Report on the changes in the Inventory Management System (INVENT)
• Report on the Updated INVENT PCO entries
• Development of at least concepts for the development of office digital transformation
• Development of the ToRs • Negotiations with partners

Reporting at the end of each month during the contract validity

3. Technical Support to ICT tasks

• Report on the progress of the technical support to ICT unit
• End User Support
• Network infrastructure support
• Installation and configuration of operating systems and programs.
• Video conferencing and presentation support

Reporting at the end of each month during the contract validity

4. Capacity Building

• Carry out at least 6 webinars/training sessions to programme colleagues and/or partners for capacity building in T4D. Report on the accomplishment.

Topics:

• Cyber Security
• Network Security
• Financial security on the  Internet
• Internal SharePoint, collaboration with documents.
• IT security on a business trip
• If necessary and at the request of users, topics can be adjusted.

Reporting at the end of each month during the contract validity

Travel (if required as per TOR):

No travels expected within this TOR

Qualifications

Education:

• University degree (Bachelors) or equivalent qualification in Mathematics, Analytics, Computer science, Programming or in a related technical field.

Work experience/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in T4D/ICT area in identifying, designing, and implementing solutions for the projects with technical components – including supervising external vendors and software developers; responsibility for business analysis, budgets, contracts, project management and procurement, etc.
• Experience in system administration, ability to set up and network telecommunications equipment; knowledge of network routing, network protocol levels; good knowledge of Windows operating systems; experience with teleconferencing systems, Microsoft Office 365.
• Experience in Open Source, mobile and emerging technology
• Experience identifying, designing, and implementing solutions for the projects with technical components – including supervising external vendors and software developers.
• Experience with ICT, mobile and web-based technologies.

Will be an asset:

• Hybrid background combining technical skills, strong conceptual ability to integrate the capabilities of available technology, the organizational needs, and functions that technology must support.
• Understanding international development issues.
• Responsibility for business analysis, budgets, contracts, project management and procurement, etc.
• Experience in coordination with multiple stakeholders like government agencies, academic institutions, research organizations, private sector, etc. in implementing ICT projects and exploring space for collaboration and partnerships.

Competencies:

• Ability to multi-task and work to deadlines,
• Analytical and conceptual thinking,
• Attention to details,
• Able to work in a multicultural setting,
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion, and loyalty.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and:

• Interested applicants should provide a letter of interest (Cover Letter) describing how they can contribute to the interventions listed under roles and responsibilities and why they should be selected for this position. In addition, they should share their latest CV/Resume and Financial Offer template_T4D ICT consultant _UNICEF Belarus.docx to undertake this job.
• Samples of the related job/tasks done.
• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal should be submitted using the financial offer template and must:
  • Reflect the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment period (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • Include travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. Consultants are responsible for arranging their own transportation arrangements. UNICEF can provide office vehicle for some duty travel missions with prior agreement as per monthly travel plan approved by the supervisor
  • Include any other costs: visa, health insurance, payment of an incidental expenditure (such as bank charges, insurances, etc.) 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.

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

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:  

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.