Job Vacancy @ UNICEF: Consultancy – Team Assistant, Education Outcomes Fund

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 fulfil 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, education…

There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission (chaired by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education) and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen) came together to create EOF. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes of 10 million children and youth by supporting governments to utilize a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financing (RBF) instruments.

EOF supports improvements in the quality of education and skills programs, with a special focus on underserved populations, including the hardest to reach, rural populations, girls, children with disabilities, and refugees. It measures (and pays for) what matters – both core skills like literacy and numeracy, but also critical 21st Century skills such as socio-emotional skills, ICT skills, and other broader fundamentals of a quality education. It helps close the persistent gap between the skills needed by employers and those attained by today’s youth by paying for employment and retention outcomes.

For all the above, EOF pays primarily on the basis of the results achieved, ensuring that taxpayer-funded domestic resources, aid, and philanthropic funds are only used to pay for what works. This is a game-changing way to finance results in education. It is more than just a fund – it is a powerful new set of partnerships and way of working.

Together with our supporters, we believe this is the early stages of a much larger movement. Our approach is at the cutting edge of development finance, shifting risk to the private sector, crowding in private capital, and harnessing the capacity and capability of non-state actors, with huge potential to achieve better outcomes for children and youth around the world.

Rationale for the consultancy

The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is collaborating with the Government of Sierra Leone to establish an outcomes fund – Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge. SLEIC will serve children in approximately 325 primary schools that will be spread across 5 contractual lots, each with its own service provider and unique intervention.

How can you make a difference?

EOF is looking for a consultant in Freetown, Sierra Leone to support the Senior Program Lead to oversee and manage the day-to-day Programme-related activities in-country. The Team Assistant will support the in-country team with administrative and operations tasks.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT (TASKS):

Service providers budget monitoring and verification under the guidance of the Sierra Leone Operations Specialist:

• Assist in the verification of documents submitted by providers to account for expenses included in their expenses quarterly report
• Collaborate in the planning and conducting spot checks of in person verification and monitoring of expenses reported by service providers
• Support the elaboration of the Expenses Report after year 1 of Programme implementation

Safeguarding:

• Provide support to ensure that escalation pathways are in place to apply EOF´s safeguarding policies and procedures by all service providers
• Assist in building capacity at the provider´s level around safeguarding

Communications in collaboration with EOF´s Central Team:

• Provide support in defining and implementing a social media and overall communications strategy for the Programme
• Contribute to the drafting and editing of strategically important communication pieces (including emails, letters, blogs, presentations, and reports)

Administrative and financial support:

• Collaborate with the Sierra Leone Operations Specialist in tasks such as:
  • Preparing supporting documents for various transactions
  • Tracking of internal finances
  • Travel logistics
  • Recruitment (if needed)
• Support local procurement for EOF Sierra Leone team, including market research
• Support local office and assets management
• Assist in the organization of events and activities with team members and/or external stakeholders

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

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, finance, education, journalism or a related field.
• At least 2 years of professional experience, within the following fields (or related): operations, administration, communication.
• Experience or an interest in international development, the global education sector, and international aid is desirable.
• Strong analytical skills
• Good communication (external and internal) and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Fluent in English and Krio is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

• Build and maintain partnerships (II)
• Demonstrate self-awareness and ethical awareness (I)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (I)
• Think and act strategically (I)
• Innovate and embrace change (I)
• Work collaboratively with others (I)
• Manage ambiguity and complexity (I)

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.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

Remarks:

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE: Monthly

The consultant will invoice monthly the time worked. We expect the consultant to be available to commit to full-time hours for the duration of the 11.5-month contract.

For individual contractors and consultants, all travel arrangements to commence the assignment, including insurance and visas, will be managed and paid by the individual.  Therefore, expected travel costs must be included as a budget item in the financial proposal.  Should “mission travel” be required, UNICEF will manage and pay for travel via Travel Authorization.  However, this will be subject to the following prerequisites:  Medical Clearance, Security Clearance through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system, the Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Trainings, Travel Visa, and liability waiver. The consultant/individual contractor is responsible for arranging his/her own travel and submitting invoices to UNICEF for payment as part of the contract.

Requirements

Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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.

If selected for this consultancy, the resulting appointment will be limited to EOF, a UNICEF hosted fund.