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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.

For every child, HOPE

Consultancy Title: Digital Strategy & ICT Consultant for GenU Section

Division/Duty Station: GenU Section, Programme Group, New York

Duration: 15 April 2025 to 30 November 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote 

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

As a part of the GenU Programmes Team, under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director Programmes, under the direct supervision of the Senior Advisor, Global Programmes, in collaboration with the Global P2E Coordinator, P2E Content Specialist, UNICEF and GenU partners, the Digital Strategy & ICT Consultant will support GenU’s broader digital initiatives, ensuring cross-programme ICT support by:

• Developing and implementing a digital strategy that enables a portfolio approach to digital scaling across GenU programmes. 

• Providing ICT technical expertise across P2E, GVI, imaGen Ventures, and other initiatives requiring digital infrastructure support. 

• Overseeing platform integrations and technical alignment between Learning Passport, ICTD, and other digital solutions. 

• Enhancing back-end system management, data security, and cost optimization to ensure sustainability and compliance. 

This role is critical for ensuring that all GenU digital programs are technically sound, scalable, and cost-efficient. 

Scope of Work:

A. Digital Strategy Development and Execution

• Facilitate the design and implementation of GenU’s digital strategy, ensuring a harmonized portfolio approach for digital solutions. 
• Provide technical guidance and ICT support across P2E, GVI, imaGen Ventures, and other GenU programs in the deployment and management of digital platforms. 

B. MCT Platform Support

• Assess the feasibility and financial implication of the MCT open-source migration in relation to technical and programmatic requirements of Passport to Earning (P2E); including evaluating alternative LMS solutions (e.g., Moodle, Open edX) and providing recommendations for future platform selections for the programme.
• In coordination with the Learning Passport and ICTD, monitor the process of migrating MCT to open source, ensuring it meets the agreed timeline, and performs to the expected quality needed to support P2E implementation in countries.
• In coordination with the Global P2E Coordinator, provide backstopping support to the integration of P2E with other GenU digital platforms (e.g., Yoma), and technical advice to countries on linking to national platforms

Assess and advise on cloud hosting, Azure credit costs and other financial implication of cost-efficient scaling for P2E.  

C. Data Management and Security

• Ensure data integrity, analytics and security compliance across all GenU platforms.

• Coordinate with GenU programme leads (e.g., P2E, Yoma, Youth Hub, 1MiO) in updating relevant data security policies and protocols

D. Training and Capacity Building

• Provide technical training to GenU and program teams to enhance their capacity to manage digital platforms. 
• Facilitate knowledge transfer to ensure long-term sustainability of digital operationsEnsure data integrity, analytics and security compliance across all GenU platforms.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer to ensure long-term sustainability of digital operations

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1. Support the design and implementation of GenU’s digital strategy, ensuring a harmonized portfolio approach for digital solutions.

Provide technical guidance and ICT support across P2E, GVI, imaGen Ventures, and other GenU programs in the deployment and management of digital platforms.

- A Digital Strategy Roadmap for GenU, which outlines a harmonised portfolio of learning-to-earning digital programmes for youth, developed

- 8 monthly reports detailing technical guidance and ICT support across P2E, GVI, imaGen Ventures, and other GenU programs developed

30 April 2025

2. Assess the feasibility and financial implication of the MCT open source migration in relation to the technical and programmatic requirements of P2E. Evaluate alternative LMS solutions and provide recommendations.

Monitor the process of migrating MCT to open source

-  A technical feasibility report on the MCT open source migration is developed

30 June 2025

3. Provide backstopping support to the integration of P2E with other GenU digital platforms (e.g., Yoma), and technical advice to countries on linking to national platforms.

Assess and advise on cloud hosting, Azure credit costs and other financial implication of cost-efficient scaling for P2E.

-  9 monthly briefs updating on platform integrations are provided. 9 monthly reports updating on the MCT migration, cloud hosting and Azure credit consumption are shared with GenU

30 November 2025

4. Ensure data integrity, analytics and security compliance across all GenU platforms.

Coordinate with GenU programme leads (e.g., P2E, Yoma, Youth Hub, 1MiO) in updating relevant data security policies and protocols.

-  A final report on updated data security protocol and alignment to make sure the data security policies and protocols for GenU platforms are up-to-date and aligned with UNICEF standards, data requirements are standardized and aligned with programme needs, and documented

30 September 2025

5. Provide technical training to GenU and program teams to enhance their capacity to manage digital platforms. Facilitate knowledge transfer to ensure long-term sustainability of digital operations

Produce final consultancy deliverables report

-  At least 9 capacity-building sessions for Gen U team and other key stakeholders on digital platform management and data security are provided

-  Final report on produced deliverables is produced

30 September 2025 

Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Digital Transformation, or a related field. 
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English required. Working knowledge of another UN language an asset

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Certifications in Cloud Computing (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud), LMS platforms, or Data Security are highly desirable. 
• Strong knowledge of the Microsoft Community Training platform
• Strong knowledge of LMS management, open-source learning platforms (Moodle, Open edX, Totara), and cloud-based learning ecosystems. 
• Minimum 3 years of experience in backend system management, APIs, and digital infrastructure. 
• Proficiency in data security, GDPR compliance, and analytics-driven decision-making. 

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.