Consultancy: Project Team Lead: Innovating for equitable energy for schools and health centers, Office of Innovation, 240 days over 11.5 months, Remote (field-based)

UNICEF’s Office of Innovation seeks an experienced Project Team Lead to coordinate the implementation of “ProjectAlpha”, a project of integrating humanitarian services through solar-powered schools and health centers using sustainable energy investment in conflict affected areas. The consultant will be hosted at a UNICEF Country Office, and act as a project team lead for multi-country rollout. Project Alpha explores an innovative approach to energy equity. Our mission is to globally mobilize USD 100M to provide sustainable and reliable solar energy to children, ensuring that they have the power to learn and live, even under the most challenging circumstances. The endeavor is not just another solar technology project, it represents a commitment to improve the lives of 100 million children and youth through energy provision and access. At the heart of ProjectAlpha lie agile and adaptable core modules that provide the blueprint for sustainable change through valuable impact. The modules leverage frontier technologies, innovative financial models, and youth skill development to address core aspects of the problem. The modules outlined below summarize how we intend to redefine the way energy is generated, distributed, and accessed.

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 start-up 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 Office of Innovation specifically looks to form partnerships around frontier technologies (like drones and UAVs, blockchain, 21st century skills, urban technologies, new banking tools, wearables and sensors, or 3D-Printing) that exist at the intersection of $100 billion business markets and 1 billion person needs – and to identify how they can grow and scale profitably and inclusively. 

Our team

We're an interdisciplinary team around the world tasked with identifying, prototyping, and scaling new technologies and practices. With our partners, we focus on convening and collaborating on new and different solutions, low- and high-tech, by:

• Looking at the 2-5 year horizon to evaluate emerging and trending technologies and to see how UNICEF can work with the private sector on doing better business while improving essential services for children;
• Investing in early stage solutions that show great potential to positively impact children in the 02 year future including the Venture Fund that invests in open source technology solutions from start-ups based in UNICEF’s programme countries;

Identifying proven solutions that can be implemented at national scale in multiple countries – taking the ideas that help thousands in one country, bringing them to dozens of countries across multiple sectors, and impacting the lives of millions of children.

For every child...innovate

How can you make a difference?

OOI is looking for a project management consultant that will take the ProjectAlpha concept and bring it to life. The consultant will be required to coordinate, lead, and connect across UNICEF teams and project partners and stakeholders. You will possess excellent communication and coordination skills and the experience to connect, energize and support country offices.

The key outputs and responsibilities of the project management consultant is:

1. Project management: working closely with and in country offices to ensure that all requirements for successful implementation of Project Alpha are met, including identifying needed digital tools and creating and incorporating mechanisms for evaluating the project.
   
   
2. Co-ordination: organize and lead the project team, co-ordinate the work between the different project partners, ensuring smooth implementation and good relations.
   
   
3. Reporting: represent Project Alpha internally and externally, including providing articles about the project, attending fund-raising activities and communicating with potential and current donors. 

The project follows an agile and iterative approach underpinned by a dynamic, multi-disciplinary project team, that is guided by core principles and practices of the innovation process. Familiarity with project management approaches like agile is very beneficial. The project brings together several different thematic fields (e.g. finance, business models, skill building for entrepreneurs) and sustainable energy technologies; so, awareness of and the ability to discuss these types of technologies with diverse audiences will be very helpful.

The project manager will work to implement the ProjectAlpha ‘Beta’ phase by seeding the three project modules across multiple countries in Africa. The three modules include:

1. Optimize

Through optimize, we aim to identify, develop, and adapt digital tools using satellite data to accurately estimate the energy needs and solar potential of schools and health centers. This includes a detailed analysis of school power requirements, calculating capital expenditure, and estimating revenue, facilitating the creation of rapid renewable energy business cases in partnership with government entities.

2. Resource

The resource module will tap into innovative financial avenues like the carbon credit market and alternative investment capital, complemented by pioneering tools like Peace Renewable Energy Credits and Blockchain protocols for risk mitigation and investment security. We will build a financially robust foundation that secures capital requirements and ensures sustainable revenues, that prioritizes long-term stability and appeals to investors.

3. Sustain

ProjectAlpha unlocks both solar and human potential. Through sustain we will cement the sustainability of solar energy by introducing educational programs and forging strong partnerships, with a key collaboration involving UNICEF and the public sector to integrate renewable energy training into curricula. We aim to empower communities by cultivating a youth workforce skilled in solar technology, ensuring the enduring success and growth of solar infrastructure projects.

ProjectAlpha will be initial beta tested in three countries with the expected outcome of creating a sustainable solar-powered infrastructure. In applying the modular approach, project partners will address the challenge that best matches their expertise, where the role of the project management consultant will be to coordinate, guide and lead these efforts.

Your main responsibilities will be:

For Project Alpha to be implemented successfully several work areas are needed, and the project management consultant’s scope of work will focus around three main areas: project management, co-ordination, and communication.

Project Alpha will adopt a comprehensive approach that focuses on several different areas of work as described above. The primary focus of Project Alpha will be on creating an infrastructure for sustainable and renewable energy, building capacity at a local level and ensuring the psychosocial well-being and education of children in areas with high energy-poverty. The responsibilities will be as follows:

Project Team Leadership

• The consultant will act as Project Team Lead to support implementation of the solution as an Office of Innovation special project, destined for the Humanitarian Innovations Portfolio.
• Work with selected country offices, UNICEF OOI, UNICEF HQ and relevant energy staff at Supply Division.
• Identifying and acquiring appropriate digital tools for online learning. 
• Work with private sector and public sector partners to support blended and innovative finance mechanisms related to renewable energy credits.
• Support the project planning, implementation, reporting. Including design, adapt and implement the project plan for Project Alpha, including risk mitigation strategies, ensuring adherence to the project plan and objectives.
• Work with UNICEF colleagues to support project documentation – such as preparing documents and advocacy pieces as needed.
• Support the narrative and financial reporting to the donors per requests from country office management and global project team requests.
• Maximize the efficient and effective use of resources, reducing potential overlap between the many partners of the project and leveraging synergies.

Co-ordination

• Organizing and leading regular meetings of the project team and writing regular project updates.
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with the project team and project partners, including private sector partners.
• Engage with key internal and external project stakeholders.
• Support the mapping of potential private partners for the financing of P-REC and the provision of green skills for local youths.
• Coordinate with relevant UNICEF sections to ensure smooth implementation of the project, and the use of expertise from different sections where needed.

Reporting

• Representing the project internally and externally (meetings and conferences) as part of the OOI and country level project team, including for and with partners.
• Advocacy – ability to present the innovation to diverse audiences.
• Project awareness-raising activities, including writing articles and taking and managing photographs etc.
• Support to any future fundraising related to the solution for scale up
• Map, develop and maintain partnerships with, including but not limited to:

• Innovative finance private sector partner for use of P-REC as a method of innovative finance to ensure sustainable energy in conflict affected regions.

• • Potential donors and other interested parties that can benefit the implementation of the project.

The project management consultant will report to the Humanitarian Portfolio Manager, at the Office of Innovation, UNICEF.

Please find attached the full ToR (Terms of Reference) with related information:  ToR Project Alpha - project management consultant final.pdf 

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social sciences, development studies, management and business administration, project leadership or other 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 in project management skills, including project coordination and leadership, and ability to work independently and deliver results. Minimum of 3 years of experience in the energy sector is preferable.
• Knowledge of working with communication, including for different target groups such as donors, internally and for private sector partners
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effectively building and maintaining positive partnerships both internally within UNICEF colleagues and externally with private sector partners and/or donors
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset, as well as experience of working with UNICEF or UN.
• Beneficial with previous experience of working with sustainable energy, in particular solar technologies, and education and mental health solutions for children in conflict affected regions.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Travel:

• The consultancy assignment will involve traveling to country offices or project areas, and the duty travel will be discussed with the contract manager. Actual travel costs will be reimbursed upon providing receipts with relevant evidence of the occurrence of travel.
• The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including visa and travel insurance for country missions.
• Office of Innovation will pay for a return economy flight to the country office hosting the consultant.

 Payment details and further considerations

Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. 

How to apply:

• Interest applicant is required to submit a CV, cover letter, and a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee.  Please see the financial proposal template  Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx
• Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered.

 For every Child, you demonstrate…

 UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Contact: For any queries, please contact: swe-ooi-recruitments@unicef.org