Consultancy, Advocacy Strategist (Digital Public Goods Alliance) ,11.5 months, Remote

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, innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives. 

The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions. 

UNICEF’s Office of Innovation creates opportunities for the world’s children by focusing on where new markets can meet their vital needs. We do this by: 

●  Connecting youth communities (or more broadly — anyone disconnected or under-served) to decision-makers, and to each other, to deliver informed, relevant and sustained programmes that build better, stronger futures for children. 

●  Provoking change for children through an entrepreneurial approach — in a traditionally risk-averse field — to harness rapidly moving innovations and apply them to serve the needs of all children. 

●  Creating new models of partnership that leverage core business values across the public, private and academic sectors in order to deliver fast, and lasting results for children. 

The Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) is a multi-stakeholder initiative to accelerate the attainment of the sustainable development goals in low- and middle-income countries by facilitating the discovery, development, use of, and investment in digital public goods.  

Incubated by Norway and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the DPGA relies on engagement and leadership from key pathfinder countries, private sector technology experts, government and philanthropic donors, implementing organizations and innovation groups across the UN system. 

The Secretariat of the Digital Public Goods Alliance is co-hosted by UNICEF and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and governed by an Interim Strategy Group consisting of: iSPIRT; The Government of Norway; The Government of Sierra Leone;  and UNICEF.  

The Secretariat is seeking a consultant to guide the development and execution of an advocacy and campaign strategy for the DPGA.

How can you make a difference?

You are an experienced, ambitious advocacy professional who is passionate about the potential for open source technologies to accelerate attainment of the sustainable development goals in low- and middle-income countries and catalyze change for a more equitable world. You are skilled at crafting the narratives and strategies that inspire action and engagement among high-level stakeholders. 

From your past experiences, you have the ability to translate technical concepts into engaging narratives, design and manage global campaigns and have experience leading advocacy strategies that inspire engagement and action from politicians, c-suite executives, high-level government officials, and UN leadership. 

You have led ambitious and successful advocacy efforts, including those relevant to open access, technology and international development. 

You are self-motivated, internationally-minded, capable of working and thriving in a dynamic fast-paced environment with a highly-distributed team. 

Your main responsibilities will be: 

• Develop an advocacy strategy that includes: 

  •  3-5 ambitious advocacy asks aimed at c-suite, head of state, ministerial, UN leadership;

  • An engagement strategy for technology and private sector; and government and UN entities; 

• Work with the Secretariat leadership and communications team to execute at least 3 campaigns and initiatives that change opinions and drive measurable impact. 

• Work with the team to develop bold positions for the DPGA and effectively draw attention to DPGA projects and stances.

• Compile and oversee the creation of relevant advocacy materials. 

• Represent the DPGA in relevant communities, meetings, and fora.

• Measure and assess DPGA impact. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced degree in political science, international development, business or another relevant field.
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree. 

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.

• Demonstrated understanding of power mapping, theory of change, and framing the narrative around advocacy campaigns.

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing global level campaigns or advocacy efforts, targeting high level stakeholders within private sector, government or multilateral entities.

• Demonstrated experience working with and within complicated coalitions.

• Demonstrated experience working with governments and government stakeholders to affect change. 

• Strong written and verbal communication, presentation, negotiation and facilitation skills.

• Experience working or liaising with the UN and/or the World Bank is considered an asset. 

• Experience working with low- and middle-income country governments is an asset.   

• Experience or familiarity with intellectual property regime, open source and/or digital governance is an asset.  

• Understanding of policy and regulatory safeguards needed to ensure that digital products are built in a manner that is inclusive, secure, and protect privacy and human rights is an asset.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Manages ambiguity and complexity – level 2

• Thinks and acts strategically – level 2

• Drive to achieve results for impact – level 2

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

Payment details and further considerations 

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor. 

• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance 

• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel 

Remarks:

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.