UNICEF recrute un consultant, assistant technique pour le développement des adolescents (focus spécifique sur Generation Unlimited), Afrique du Sud

UNICEF recrute un consultant, assistant technique pour le développement des adolescents (focus spécifique sur Generation Unlimited), Afrique du Sud

Job Number : 528158 | Vacancy Link

Locations : Africa: South Africa

Work Type : Consultancy

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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, Development

Background and Justification :

Background and Issue Identification   :

South Africa (SA) has one of the highest schooling participation rates on the continent, with up to 96% of learners in the compulsory years of schooling (7-15 years) in school; and gender parity has been reached^[1]. Participation remain consistently high across provinces and population groups. Attendance rates for 14-18 years olds is 91% notably with gender parity having been reached, albeit with provincial differences^[2]. Specifically, while available data indicate that while girls perform relatively better than boys in basic education, while boys outperform girls in STEM related subjects, even though girls outnumber boys in accessing education. On average, 51.8% of mathematics passes and 51% of physical sciences passes were males and echoing a long-term education trend.  A result is an exacerbation of gender inequality in the higher levels, with less than one third (28.5%) of female graduating in STEM related careers such as engineering, manufacturing and construction (2015 UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

The result is that female participation in the labor market in these fields trails that of men. Current data indicate that females account for only around 7% of the 28,200 or so professional engineers, professional engineering technologists, professional certified engineers and professional engineering technicians registered with the organization.^[3]  Other data indicate that In South Africa, the proportion of females to males who graduate with STEM-related degrees is out of kilter: women are underrepresented in math and statistics (4:5), ICT and technology (2:5), as well as engineering, manufacturing and construction (3:10)^[4].  This inequality is not good for the economy. Indeed, the report further goes to note that by closing the gender gap in employment and pay by just 10% across various sectors of the South African economy, we could generate additional economic growth of 3.2% and decrease the number of unemployed job seekers by 6.5%. Closing the gender gap also helps to alleviate poverty: low-income households will receive an estimated 2.9% more income than previously. Enormous economic opportunity lies in promoting gender workforce equality (ibid.p.8).

UNICEF’s partnership with the Government of South Africa (GoSA) is anchored on the Government of South Africa’s National Development Plan, Vision 2030, and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) blueprint, Action Plan to 2019: Towards Schooling 2030, and informed by UNICEF’s Global Strategic Plan 2018 – 2021 and Goal Area #2, Every Child Learns. The GoSA has identified the improvement in the quality of basic education as its number one priority. On the other hand, UNICEF’s support is centered on improving learning outcomes through quality and holistic early childhood development and basic education, reducing inefficiencies and inequity in the system, deployment of educational technology and promoting innovation, addressing 21^st C skills, among others.

To address these challenges and barriers to ensuring quality outcomes for girls, UNICEF partners with Uweso Trust, Department of Basic Education, the Department of Women in the Presidency to implement a job shadowing programme for girls called the TechnoGirl. It is an innovative programme that provides mentorship and structured job-shadowing opportunities for girls, with a bias toward STEM careers. The girls are exposed to job experience and role models in STEM careers for motivation and aspiration for better performance in STEM subjects and taking up studies in higher education and subsequently careers in STEM fields. Girls are therefore placed in companies whose core business activities are focused on scarce career fields and/or occupations were women are under-represented such as engineering, construction, forensic sciences, etc.

Scope of Work :

Goal and objectives : The purpose of this assignment is to support the implementation of the Generation Unlimited Catalytic intervention for mainstreaming and scaling up the girls in STEM programme (TechnoGirl), a job shadowing programme for disadvantaged female learners in Grades 9-11) with specific reference to addressing key barriers and bottlenecks focusing on efficiency; impact; scale and sustainability; evidence building; monitoring and evaluation; and, advocacy. These broad parameters are outlined in the “Gen U Front Runner Solutions” Project document, to be shared with the successful consultant.

The specific objectives are :

• Provide technical, advocacy and coordination support for the development and implementation of an advocacy, branding and visibility strategy for the scaling of the TechnoGirl programme ;
• Provide technical and coordination support for capacity strengthening of the TechnoGirl Trust, and national and sub-national government systems to host and support the TechnoGirl programme ;
• Provide technical, advocacy and coordination support for the development and implementation of a strategy to engage young people on the scaling of the TechnoGirl programme ;
• Provide oversight, monitoring and reporting support for the catalytic component of the TechnoGirl Programme.

In delivering on these objectives, the Consultant shall closely coordinate closely with the Department of Basic Education, the TechnoGirl Trust, other sections in SACO as well as other stakeholders in the course of implementing this assignment. In addition, s/him will be the main source of analytical and quantitative data on monitoring the progress of this intervention and represent UNICEF at technical level meetings within the office and beyond as the case may be.

Tasks / Deliverables and Performance Indicators  :

Deliverables :

Measurement framework for the Gen U Catalytic intervention :

• Establish 5 and 10-year targets for the TechnoGirl programme using data-driven methods in collaboration with DBE ;
• Develop results framework for catalytic components ;
• Develop and implement method with the DBE to measure impact of TechnoGirl Programme on core indicators ;
• Conduct quarterly site monitoring visits on the programme ;
• Prepare quarterly donor reports and short stories on the programme ;
• Donor visits on the programme planned and supported.

Advocacy, visibility and branding (undertaken with UNICEF communication section) :

1. Advocacy, visibility and branding strategy and campaign :

• Contract communication company with experience in social marketing ;
• Develop and implement advocacy branding and visibility strategy and campaign through range of digital and non-digital platforms targeted at various key stakeholders.

b) Presidential event :

• Plan and host annual job shadowing event with Presidency to promote and give visibility to the Programme ;
• Establish partnership with Youth Employment Service (YES) Campaign such that TechnoGirl is recognized as feeder programme to YES.

c) Partner with STEM sector convening bodies :

• Identify potential STEM private sector convening bodies, industry associations, professional bodies to partner on TechnoGirl ;
• Develop and/or support partnerships with them to advocate and support the TechnoGirl Programme.

System strengthening :

1. Strengthen TechnoGirl Trust   :

• Facilitate and/or support the transfer of the patent of name TechnoGirl from Uweso Consulting to TechnoGirl Trust ;
• Conduct and/or support a desktop review of form and function of Trusts in SA on other causes to extract lessons for the strengthening of the TechnoGirl Trust ;
• Undertake a financial review of the TechnoGirl model to identify possible cost efficiencies ;
• Follow-up and/or support BBB-EE rating of TechnoGirl.

2. Government integration :

• Facilitate and/or draft document that outlines current location of TechnoGirl programme at national, provincial and district levels ;
• Draft and/or support drafting of a core advocacy presentation on TechnoGirl & GenU (with support of communication company) ;
• Support presentation of programme to senior management structures of DBE and PEDs with a view to locate the programme in the DBE MST Strategy (in curriculum branch/directorate) and advocate for Cabinet resolution on TechnoGirl.

3. Close urban- rural divide  :

• Explore and/or support identification of low-cost innovative solutions to bridge the urban location of private sector companies and the rural location of participants in the TechnoGirl programme

4. Adolescent leadership and engagement  :

a) Adolescent engagement :

• Support alumni-led discussions with other alumni, incumbents and potential incumbents on content of programme, strengthening engagement with girls and creating demand (digital and non-digital) for the programme ;
• Explore partnership with existing youth platforms (e.g. G/BEM, U-report, Children’s Radio foundation) for youth engagement on the programme.

b)  Adolescent empowerment  :

• Identify and/or support identification of alumni to be involved in development and implementation of the catalytic funding component of the programme ;
• Set up and/or support set up of capacity building programme for alumni to take on leadership role in TechnoGirl Trust.

5. Coordination :

• Liaise with key partners and service providers on the development and implementation of the various components of the catalytic funding ;
• Liaise with UNICEF programme lead on TechnoGirl to ensure programme coherence between catalytic components and current implementation of the programme.

Performance indicators :

The Consultant will be subjected to the following set of performance indicators to ensure compliance:

Measurement :

• Project 5 and 10-year targets for the TechnoGirl programme established ;
• Results framework for catalytic components developed ;
• Method to measure impact of TechnoGirl Programme on core indicators developed and implemented ;
• Quarterly site monitoring visits on the programme conducted ;
• Quarterly donor reports, short stories on the programme developed ;
• Donor visits supported and conducted.

 Advocacy, visibility and branding strategy and campaign :

• Communication company with experience in social marketing contracted and deliverables reviewed and monitored ;
• Advocacy branding and visibility strategy developed and campaign through range of digital and non-digital platforms targeted at various key stakeholders implemented and monitored.

Presidential event :

• Annual job shadowing event with Presidency to promote and give visibility to the Programme planned and hosted ;
• Partnership with Youth Employment Service (YES) Campaign established and implemented.

Partner with STEM sector convening bodies : STEM private sector convening bodies, industry associations, professional bodies partnering with TechnoGirl

System strengthening :

Strengthen TechnoGirl Trust  :

• Patent of name TechnoGirl transferred from Uweso Consulting to TechnoGirl Trust ;
• Desktop review of form and function of Trusts in SA conducted, and lessons used to strengthen the TechnoGirl Trust ;
• Financial review of the TechnoGirl model conducted, cost efficiencies identified and implemented ;
• BBB-EE rating of TechnoGirl finalised.

Government integration  :

• Document developed on the current location of TechnoGirl programme at national, provincial and district levels ;
• Core advocacy presentation on TechnoGirl & GenU developed ;
• Presentation of programme made to senior management structures of DBE and PEDs ;
• Programme located in the DBE MST Strategy (in curriculum branch/directorate) ;
• Cabinet resolution on TechnoGirl developed.

Close urban- rural divide : Innovative solutions identified, and partnerships set up to bridge the urban location of private sector companies and the rural location of participants in the TechnoGirl programme

Adolescent leadership and engagement :

Adolescent engagement  :

• Discussions held with alumni, incumbents and potential incumbents on content of programme, strengthening engagement with girls and creating demand (digital and non-digital) for the programme ;
• Partnership established with existing youth platforms for youth engagement on the programme.

Adolescent empowerment ($120,000)  :

• Alumni involved in implementing the catalytic funding component of the programme ;
• Capacity building programme set up and implemented for alumni to take on leadership role in TechnoGirl Trust.

Coordination :

• Relationships monitored and managed with key partners and service providers on the development and implementation of the various components of the catalytic funding ;
• Programme coherence maintained between catalytic components and current implementation of the programme.

Partners :

• UNICEF Programme lead ;
• Generation Unlimited Secretariat ;
• Department of Basic Education ;
• Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities ;
• The Presidency ;
• TechnoGirl Trust.

Timeframe, Deliverables and Payment :

The payment schedule for this assignment shall be based monthly reports due by the last week of each month. The payment amount shall be the amount agreed upon with the consultant at the point of recruitment, in South African Rand (ZAR) and deposited directly into the Consultant’s account.

* The final monthly report shall include a comprehensive hand over note

Required Travel

The consultant maybe required to travel to attend meetings with UNICEF and other partners and/or to conduct consultations/interviews/FGDs. These must be stated in the proposal and must include purpose, location, estimated number of days and costs.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience :

The following are desired, and applicants will be strictly weighed against these criteria. The consultant/individual contractor shall have :

• At least a master’s degree in education, social sciences or related field, with a strong track record in adolescent programming and promotion of girls’ education ;
• Sound conceptual, planning and analytical skills, capacity and knowledge in research, identification, review and analysis of data and information. Experience with a UN agency or similar international organization is as asset ;
• A comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the South African education landscape ;
• At least 8 years relevant work experience related to the work required in this assignment ;
• Strong writing skills, and ability to communicate effectively in the English language ;
• Ability prepare written materials in English ;
• Ability to multi-task, and to work under tight timeframes ;
• Record of prior engagement with the Department of Basic Education an asset ;
• Immediate availability is highly preferred.

Administrative issues :

• The contract will be managed by UNICEF. The consultant/individual contractor shall have regular consultations with UNICEF as needed, either in person or telephonically. These consultations may bring about slight deviations in agreements and the work assignment. This includes an inception discussion to ensure that aspects of the work assignment are understood clearly ;
• UNICEF is responsible for the monitoring of the implementation of this assignment and shall execute this in a professional and consultative manner throughout the term of the contract.

How to Apply :

Qualified persons are invited to submit their application comprising a cover letter and a full Curriculum Vitae indicating all qualifications and relevant experience and quoting a MONTHLY FEE. Applications submitted without a fee/ rate/ budget will not be considered.

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit their application to the following link: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=528158 by 13 September 2020.

This notice will also appear on http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/, http://www.unicef.org/southafrica, UN Job List, UN Jobs.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in ZAR) to undertake the terms of reference above (including admin cost if applicable).

We invite you to watch a short video on the system on how to apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePgDIQ9RVYs&feature=youtu.be

If you have not been contacted within 1.5 months of the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from South African nationals, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and on any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks

Closing Date Sun Sep 13 2020 22:55:00 GMT+0100 (heure normale d’Afrique de l’Ouest).