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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

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Consultancy Title: GBV Technology Product Consultant
Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection Section, UNICEF NYHQ
Duration: November 1, 2024 to April 30, 2026
Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / 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:

Safe spaces for women and girls have been established as a key approach for reaching and providing them with key information, links to services, skills-building, peer connection, and support. Yet, access to physical safe spaces is often limited for adolescent girls and women especially during COVID-19. UNICEF has developed an online platform, Laaha, a Virtual Safe Space for them to find GBV and SRH information and services.

Since its inception, the Laaha’s design and content have been developed using a human-centered design (HCD) methodology. The content modules have been developed based on the information needs and priorities women and adolescent girls have expressed throughout the research phase in the various deployment countries. As of today, Laaha offers a total of 85 modules on SRHR and GBV.

Laaha is currently deployed in Afghanistan, Ecuador, Iraq, Lebanon, OpT, Ukraine and Venezuela and reached over 85,000 users. In 2024, it will expand to Bangladesh, DR Congo, Moldova, Myanmar, Sudan, Turkey. The platform is currently undergoing a design revamp to ensure its user friendliness based on user feedback collected during research. In order to accommodate scaling, the platform is for example shifting from country-based instances to language-based instances to enable women and girls across the globe to access Laaha in their respective languages. In terms of features, following extensive testing and human-centered design, a moderated user forum and interactive chatbot are being launched in the next few weeks.

Scope of Work:

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

• Facilitate the launch of user forum across 3 deployment countries
• Support migration to Headless drupal
• Ensure Laaha is available in 15 languages by the end of 2025
• Support ongoing deployment of Laaha across 8 new deployment countries
• Improve chatbot backend and roll out across 5 languages
• Build out a financial model for Laaha along with a sustainability plan
• Build out Comms assets for Laaha accounting for local and global needs
• Improve design of product based on inputs from end users
• Support development of framework documentation for Laaha including Deployment Guide
• Support impact evaluation of Laaha in Ecuador
• Prepare quarterly progress reports on Laaha’s deployment and performance, presenting key challenges and achievements.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Deliverable: Facilitate the launch of user forum across 3 deployment countries
Outcome: User forum launched and operational in 3 countries
Deadline: 30 April 2025
• Deliverable: Support migration to headless Drupal
Outcome: Migration to headless Drupal completed
Deadline: 30 June 2025
• Deliverable: Ensure Laaha is available in 15 languages by 2025
Outcome: Laaha localized in 15 languages
• Deadline: 31 December 2025
Deliverable: Deployment of Laaha across 15 new deployment countries
Outcome: Laaha deployed and functioning in 15 new countries
Deadline: 31 March 2026
• Deliverable: Improve chatbot backend and roll out across 5 languages
Outcome: Chatbot backend improved and rolled out in 5 languages
Deadline: 30 September 2025
• Deliverable: Build out a financial model for Laaha along with a sustainability plan
Outcome: Financial model and sustainability plan delivered
Deadline: 31 March 2025
• Deliverable: Build out Comms assets for Laaha accounting for local and global needs
Outcome: 10 Laaha comms assets created and disseminated
Deadline: 30 June 2025
• Deliverable: Improve design of product based on inputs from field level
Outcome: Product design updated and improved
Deadline: 15 October 2025
• Deliverable: Development of framework documentation for Laaha including Deployment Guide
Outcome: Framework documentation including Deployment Guide finalized
Deadline: 31 July 2025
• Deliverable: Evaluation of Laaha in Ecuador
Outcome: Evaluation completed; findings documented
Deadline: 31 December 2025
• Deliverable: Prepare quarterly progress reports on Laaha’s deployment and performance
Outcome: 6 quarterly reports submitted
Deadline: 30 April 2026

Qualifications
Education:
University degree (Bachelors) in Engineering, Economics, Business Development, International Development, social science, Innovation, or a related field.

Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required

Work experience
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:
• At least 5 years of experience in supporting and coordinating tech project activities across a large organization and with other international partner organizations.
• Specific experience as a product manager for users in emerging markets.
• Experience preferably including GBV programming in humanitarian contexts.
• Progressively responsible professional work experience in communication, technology fields, youth participation and gender, some of which should be in an international setting.
• Experience in managing projects with strong technology components.
• Project Management Professional (PMP)®, PRINCE2 certification and/or MBA from a recognized university or college are a plus.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodology and Software development project management using GitHub e.g., Pivotal Tracker, Redmine, Trello, etc.
• Technical skills and track record on Apps development processes.
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications.
• A strong understanding of UNICEF programmes, communication, technology, user-centered design, youth participation and partnership goals.
• Deep understanding of GBV guiding principles and what it means to provide a survivor-centered response.
• Strong interpersonal skills and 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 ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas.
• 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.