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Job Description
Background
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development.
By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.
Duties and Responsibilities
- UNCDF seeks to engage a researcher/consultant to draft and design a strategy for a future program to equip IT-skilled youth in Zanzibar to meet the talent demands of national and international technology firms. The program will aim to leverage off and strengthen existing training and skilling programs/resources in order to build pathways through which Zanzibari youth can attain employable digital skills that are industry driven and marketable.
Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for the following:
Supply side:
- Conduct a mapping and analysis of the Zanzibar digital innovation ecosystem, its stakeholders and training/educational resources available in Unguja.
- Identify existing higher educational institutions and/or programs both private and public offering technical IT training (segmented according to foundational and advanced level training)
- Segment IT trainings received at higher educational institutions according to topics and content.
- Map and assess quality and availability of human and physical IT training resources (trainers, experts and IT equipped training centers)
- Based on a sample of IT graduates, assess IT skill competencies, skills and knowledge of graduates of Zanzibari technical trainings; identify skill gaps; identify constraints faced by youth (cost, access, language etc..).
- Identify existing IT learning platforms targeting African youth and map according to content, cost and length of training.
- Identify private and public stakeholders relevant to higher level IT skill development, any ongoing, complementary initiatives, potential opportunities; map relationships among the stakeholders and key decision-makers.
- Highlight enabling attributes or potentially constraining regulations that could hinder program implementation
- Identify opportunities and challenges to bring regional and international skill-building agencies, organizations and companies to the Zanzibar market to support digital upskilling
Demand side:
- Identify and map potential public and private sector employers of IT-skilled graduates
- Identify and map digital core competencies required by potential employers; demand and salary range of IT-related competencies.
- Identify apprenticeship/fellowship/internship opportunities that could be provided by employers.
- Identify opportunities at the regional and global levels for skills outsourcing (exporting skills to mainland and internationally)
Key Performance Indicators and Service Level
- A kick-off meeting will be conducted at the beginning of the project to agree on the minimum standard of services acceptable. UNCDF must be informed and be part of decision-making if there are any deviations from the sampling protocol, tool change or any other augmentation.
- At least two progress meetings will be required per phase. The first meeting will be to discuss the planning and the second meeting will be to approve the deliverables.
- Monitoring of progress shall be measured both per the activities of the contractor as well as the performance of the UNCDF partners involved in the project.
- The contractor will be asked to organize progress calls with UNCDF bi-weekly.
- Payments will be linked to the approval of deliverables. Should a deliverable not meet the standard agreed, UNCDF will withhold payment and discuss remedial actions with the contractor.
Requirements of the Successful Consultant
- Successfully conducted similar research previously.
- Experience drafting strategies and/or program proposals.
- Experience engaging with public and private sector and performing focused group discussions
- Previous experience working in Zanzibar
- Experience providing analyses based on findings and proposing a way forward.
- Existing relationships with various government stakeholders in Zanzibar
- Understanding of technology-based private sector in Tanzania (including Zanzibar)
- Technical understanding of IT-related competencies and their application within technology firms
- Understanding of how private and public educational institutions in Zanzibar function
Competencies
- Minimum 2 years of experience in doing qualitative research and program design
- Minimum 2 years of experience in IT-related sector or IT-related educational sector
- Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili languages
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in development studies, economics, communications, arts and/ or social sciences, education, or equivalent in work experience.
Required Skills and Experience
(a) Personal Profile:
Cover letter
Methodology and approach to assignment
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) or completed and signed P11 – Personal History Form (available at http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc), stipulating applicant’s official name the qualifications and professional experiences (with similar projects) relevant to the assignment/TOR and the contact details (email address, telephone numbers) of 3 professional references.
Example of research done previously – document or link to online document
(b) A signed financial proposal for the assignment,
Completed and duly signed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, quoted in US dollars, outlining the all-inclusive fee, supported by a breakdown of reimbursable – direct and indirect – costs (if applicable ). (see click here for document)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested documents.
Proposal should be submitted at the following email uncdf.procurement@uncdf.org with subject line: “Researcher Zanzibar ” no later than 27 February 2023
Individual consultants and persons employed by a company or institution are invited to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for individual consultant must do so in their individual capacity by providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly.
Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
UNCDF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to the address or email Uncdf.procurement@uncdf.org . UNCDF will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.
UNDP’s Individual Consultant’s General Terms and Conditions are provided here:
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