Organization: Unicef

Country: Zimbabwe

City: Harare, Zimbabwe

Office: UNICEF, Harare

Closing date: Thursday, 3 June 2021

UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant to undertake Zimbabwe Giga Focal Point

Job no: 540390

Position type: Consultancy

Location: Zimbabwe Division/Equivalent: Nairobi Regn'l(ESARO)

School/Unit: Zimbabwe

Department/Office: Harare, Zimbabwe

Categories: Consultancy

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.

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UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children's rights.

The current UNICEF-Government of Zimbabwe Country Programme of Cooperation (2016-2021) aims to support Zimbabwe to sustain and build upon the gains achieved for children during the 2012-2015 Country Programme of Cooperation. The programme focuses on improving the quality of social services, increasing access to services, and helping to build national and sub-national capacities to provide low-cost, high-impact interventions for all children, especially the most vulnerable.

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How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an innovative individual consultant as a Zimbabwe Giga Focal Point to provide professional, technical, operational and administrative support in the identification, assessment, and integration of Giga in Zimbabwe and wider education and related sector programming.

Consultancy Terms of Reference

Title

Zimbabwe Giga Focal Point

Section

Education

Purpose

To provide professional, technical, operational and administrative support in the identification, assessment, and integration of Giga in Zimbabwe and wider education and related sector programming.

Location

Harare based

Duration

11.5 months

Start and End Dates

1 June 2021 to 14 May 2022

Reporting to

Chief of Education

Background and Rationale

Giga is a joint UNICEF-ITU initiative to connect every school to the internet, and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. In 2020, Giga team developed a proposal to accelerate the initiative in 13 countries, including Zimbabwe, to improve the response to COVID19 and create an improved environment post pandemic.

To accelerate the deployment of Giga in Zimbabwe there is a need for a Consultant who will support the implementation of the initiative.

For more information about Giga, please visit the website: https://gigaconnect.org/ About UNICEF

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 fulfilling their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 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. UNICEF is mandated to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and works across different domains including education, health and protection, to ensure that all children everywhere are able to equitable enjoy their rights. For more information about UNICEF, please visit the website: https://www.unicef.org/Zimbabwe/

Purpose for the technical support

Under the overall guidance of UNICEF Zimbabwe Chief of Education and ICT Specialist, the Consultant will provide professional, technical, operational and administrative support in the identification, assessment, and integration of Giga in Zimbabwe and wider education and related sector programming. The Consultant through below listed assignments will play an integral role in contextualizing and integrating Giga in Zimbabwe, one of the thirteen pilot countries for the initiative. S/he will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating the mainstreaming effort, and for strengthening the Government of Zimbabwe's capacity to lead and support Giga related projects through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal & Courier Services and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, and maximizing potential for Giga scale-up and roll-out.

Assignments

Under the supervision of the Chief of Education and ICT Specialist, the individual consultant will deliver on the following key functions/accountabilities; Under the supervision of the Chief of Education and ICT Specialist, the individual consultant will deliver on the following key functions/accountabilities;

1. Act as primary focal point for coordination

Act as liaison between Government of Zimbabwe's Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal & Courier Services and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, ITU, UNICEF, the Giga HQ/RO team and other key sector ministries.

Support the budgeting of key initiatives

Oversee development and quality assurance during planning and deployment of Giga based initiatives; participate in establishing and maintaining standards, documentation and support mechanisms.

Support the Giga Zimbabwe Technical Committee to ensure that progress is made on the Giga work plan

Lead and provide critical input in design of major Giga Zimbabwe events in 2021/2

Develop relationships with counterparts in relevant institutions and private sector

Develop partnerships and networks with key line ministries (ICT, Education), local solution providers, innovators, NGOs, cultural and religious organisations, the private sector, local media and academia to advance Giga in Zimbabwe.

Support the establishment of data sharing agreements with the Telecommunications sector (MNOs and ISPs) and manage these relationships to ensure the smooth and continued sharing of data.

Support the generation of partner-oriented communication materials, including clear concept notes and budgets.

Ensure partner support to the project and facilitate timely communications.

Coordinate the activities related to all the pillars of Giga

Work with relevant government divisions to collect, clean, classify the required data for Giga mapping and finance modeling work. Support relevant government counterparts to re-incorporate cleaned and validated data back into the respective government registries.

Support the deployment of software tools for real-time monitoring of internet connectivity in schools.

Work with the Giga team to adapt the developed tools to the needs of Zimbabwe, and coordinate and mediate between all key stakeholders to achieve the results.

Identify and compile lessons and results from previous connectivity initiatives in Zimbabwe, especially those related to school connectivity, and integrate these insights into Giga programming and planning.

Coordinate the implementation of an eventual Giga pilot and inform scale-up through testing innovative technologies, business models, costed investment cases and other solutions to inform scale up school connectivity in the country.

Tags access to services big data communication technology covid data collection data sharing development planning good practices information technology knowledge management monitoring and evaluation procurement risk management social development social services south africa

Knowledge Management activities including progress reporting, project communications, risk management and lessons learned.

Ensure documentation and clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for Giga projects in Zimbabwe including baseline data collection, on-going monitoring, as well as first phase data collection and analysis

Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned from Giga deployment for integration into broader knowledge development planning and management efforts including from other countries via the global and regional networks. Share regular updates with the Giga HQ/RO team.

Once on-board, the Supervisors and the Consultant will develop the consultant's overall workplan as per the ToR. S/he will also prepare his/her monthly workplans regularly, also based on any changes in the overall programme plans.

The consultant would be paid on a monthly basis to complete the assignments outlined in the TOR. There will be a monthly report prepared and submitted by the consultant of the activities performed and results achieved, according to the preliminary key tasks and deliverables and outputs outlined earlier. Each monthly report will include an update on the activities listed above, in particular:

A summary of progress report against the workplan and noting of any changes therein;

A summary of progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken.

Report on the active forum, teams site, knowledge management and sharing activities;

A summary of monthly status reports on progress; and,

Description of expected deliverables and payment schedule

Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Timeline

Workplan, budgeting of key initiatives and the preparation of relevant, linked communication and materials.

Work plan finalized, Monthly status report 1

30-Jun-21

Complete mapping of school locations and their connectivity status

Completed map of static school connectivity, Monthly status report 2

31-Jul-21

Progress report on Giga workplan with support from the Giga Zimbabwe Technical Committee. Outline of the Giga Zimbabwe events in 2021/2

Giga Zimbabwe events calendar, Monthly status report 3

31 August 2021, Ongoing

Develop partnerships and networks with key line ministries in addition to MICTPCS and MoPSE. Establishment of data sharing agreements with the Telecommunications sector (MNOs and ISPs).

Data sharing agreements established with MNOs/internet service providers, Monthly status report 4

30 September 2021, Ongoing

Deployment of software tools for real-time monitoring of internet connectivity in schools.

Real-time monitoring is deployed in 30% of connected schools, Monthly status report 5

31-Oct-21

Collate information required for financial modelling, and compile lessons and results from previous connectivity initiatives in Zimbabwe

Data set of financial information and lessons learned document, Monthly status report 6

30-Nov-21

Knowledge management resources, organizing activities to ensure sharing, exchange and collaboration and documenting lessons learned, challenges, and good practices.

Monthly status report 7

31 December 2021, Ongoing

Monitoring, financial reports

Real-time monitoring is deployed in 80% of connected schools, Monthly status report 8

31 January 2022, Ongoing

Monitoring reports

Monthly status report 9

28-Feb-22

Monitoring reports

Real-time monitoring is deployed in 100% of connected schools, Monthly status report 10

31-Mar-22

Achievement of all deliverables

Final report

14-May-22

Required qualifications, expertise, technical background and experience of the International Consultant

University Degree in Education, Information Technology, Business Administration, Communication or any other ICT relevant field. In lieu of a specific academic degree, relevant experience may be considered to meet this requirement.

At minimum of five (5) years professional experience in ICT technologies.

Experience with ICT hardware or software tools, mobile phones and web-based technologies, particularly designing or deploying tools appropriate to low-bandwidth environments, or in the phases of adoption.

Familiarity working with quantitative and qualitative statistics and government data is desired: census, EMIS, location data, etc.

Familiarity working with big data is desired: telcos, Twitter, satellite imagery.

Experience working with or managing relationships with Telecommunications sector, fixed MNOs and ISPs.

Experience in supporting and coordinating social development analysis and programming activities across organizations and with other international partner organizations.

Experience with developing budgets, contracts and procurement, etc.

Demonstrated ability to work with people of various professional, academic and cultural backgrounds

Desired experience with early stage technical products

Development or government experience; familiarity with the UN system.

Fluency in English is a minimum requirement. Experience in working with MICTPCS and MoPSE is an asset.

For more information refer to attached terms of reference (TOR) Zimbabwe Giga Consultant ToR.pdf

Other Consultancy Costs and Payment Modalities

Competitive market rates will apply.

If interested and available to undertake the consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the

technical and an all-inclusive financial proposal (detailing professional fees, DSA, airfare etc where necessary).

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

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

Those who had already applied do not need to re-apply.