Consultant to Develop a Partnerships' Mapping Instrument, LAC Regional Office

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.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

But we cannot do it alone. Partnerships are essential to bring lifesaving support to children and their families. Our partners include governments, United Nations (UN) agencies, international financial institutions, and other multilateral organizations, especially through Global Programme Partnerships. Together, we advocate for and with children, help countries set agendas that prioritize their rights, and mobilize resources to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and UNICEF’s strategic plan.

On the Partnerships and Communications Working Group (PCWG)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Group for Latin America and the Caribbean mission (UNSDG LAC, consisting of the group of all agencies, funds and programmes with presence in LAC) is to enhance UN System-wide coherence at the regional level, and assist UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in delivering effective support to countries in the region for sustainable development through nationally led and owned development processes.

The UNSDG LAC coordinates its substantive collaboration, including the response to specific cross-border or sub-regional issues through “Issue‐based Coalitions” (IBC), which act as regional task forces to facilitate cooperation between UNSDG LAC members. IBCs coordinate the UN response to cross-cutting challenges in the region, help realize synergies among related areas of work of different UN entities, and serve as platforms to reach out to non-UN stakeholders as appropriate. During the UNSDG LAC retreat held in Panama on 28-29 August 2019, it was agreed to establish five Issue-based Coalitions for the period 2020/2021:

• Issue-based Coalition on Human Mobility
• Issue-based Coalition on Equitable Growth
• Issue-based Coalition on Crime and Violence
• Issue-based Coalition on Governance and Institutions
• Issue-based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience

In addition to the Issue-based Coalitions, the UNSDG LAC decided in its retreat to establish an Interagency Partnerships and Communications Working Group (PCWG) to enhance partnership and collaboration efforts and to provide leadership in communication for the UNSDG LAC and the UNSDG LAC Issue-based Coalitions.

The main objective of the Working Group is to lead the UNSDG LAC efforts creating and reinforcing partnerships for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and seeks to strengthen inter-Agency cooperation in the field of communications and partnership at the regional level.

UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office, on behalf of PCWG, is seeking technical support to develop the mapping of a Partnerships’ Mapping Instrument (PMI) for creating and reinforcing partnerships for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs and seeks to strengthen inter-Agency cooperation in the field of communications and partnership at the regional level, which should be a component of the PCWG.

For every child, a future

Under the overall guidance of the UNICEF LAC Senior Adviser Public Partnerships and in close collaboration with the UNSDG team, the consultant is expected to develop a Partnerships’ Mapping Instrument (PMI) able to map partnerships’ landscape among all UN agencies, funds and programmes (AFPs) with regional presence in LAC that will serve as first step ‘go to’ tool to assess collaborative engagements towards future opportunities for partnering efforts’ agendas. The development of a PMI requires typically a mapping review of existent initiatives. However it should also entail an exercise to identify and classify partnerships needs and opportunities from IBC’s agendas and to be able to seize those partnering opportunities from the identification of existent spaces developed to convey collaborative work (such as platforms, global funds, SDG Funds or other UN System Funds, Multilateral funds, Research centres, etc.). The tool will be used to map engagements at country and regional level.

How can you make a difference?

It is proposed that PMI’s two main work streams and related deliveries should correspond to the following:

1. Taxonomy and Repository: With a focus on supply, the consultant should retort to already existent taxonomy within UN system to identify the different types of collaborative engagements of access to AFPs in the region. Consultant should develop:

1.1. a glossary with such taxonomy, ordering the different types of partnerships mechanisms.
1.2. a structure for a digital repository of actual partnerships mechanisms in operation (ordered by the above taxonomy). For example, if we use “global funds” as a definition of a type of partnerships mechanism, the developed repository should permit adding information of particular ‘global funds’ under such taxonomy: listing info on Global Partnership for Education, The Global Fund, Every Women Every Child, SDG Funds, or others.
1.3. Consultant should pre-populate the repository with at least one particular mechanism per each type of partnerships identified in the glossary.

2. Partnership Mapping Instrument: Based on the taxonomy developed in point 1 above, exemplars of other similar instruments already out there for the use of development organizations (see, in particular, the Collaborative Mapping instrument from USAID), and from identification of relevant variables to assess levels of collaborative engagements among AFPs, the consultant will develop a digital solution able to visualize the extent and scope of partnerships across UNSDG-LAC AFPs and against particular SDG-related objectives of collaboration. The instrument should be able to map involved actors; their interconnection across the partnership; and connections with other external agencies regarding SDG’s commitments. Mapping partnerships through such tool will help to identify the complexity of networks among different SDGs; the relation the interconnected paths (one way, both ways, etc.); those AFPs more isolated from the different networks; and those AFPs dealing with other external agencies (such as international financial institutions, foundations, private sector) that not necessarily have connected paths with the UN inner networks.

Expected results and deliverables 

Glossary with Taxonomy. Comprehensive review of UN system nomenclature for partnerships instrument; alignment with taxonomy from official documents; development of new taxonomy definitions if needed. From week 1 to 3, 25% of fees.

Digital repository. Development of a repository using Excel solutions with interactive pages (and other office suites programs if needed); and capacity to upload in UNICEF SharePoint and in common webpage site for UNSDG-LAC, including SDG regional knowledge management platform. From week 4 to 6, 25% of fees. 

Partnerships Mapping Instrument. Excel-based instrument interactive, with capacity to use with Power Bi data visualization; includes guide to use, to collect and file data; and capacity to upload in UNICEF SharePoint and in common webpage site for UNSDGLAC, including SDG regional knowledge management platform. From week 7 to 12, 50% of fees. 

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education: Master’s degree in social studies, engineering, social data analysis, information systems or knowledge management; or social development professional with work experience on social network analysis combined with a first university degree in a related discipline.

Work Experience: At least 5 years professional experience in development organizations on partnerships building related efforts, social network analysis and/or information systems.

Languages: Fluency in Spanish and English. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge: Proficient in utilizing computer applications and intelligence related automation to support analytical efforts and product development (with expert use of Excel, Power Bi and statistical packages). Proficient in research and use of emerging open source and social media applications of social networking; collaborates with industry and academia subject matter experts and interfaces with other government agencies to identify new and emerging SNA methodologies, techniques and analytical tools. Have experience in applying research methodologies to understand real-world issues. Experience in a range of media for generating learning, including Websites, list serves, and newsletters.  

Other skills and attributes: Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines. Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment. A good understanding of the UN mission and UN System, the International Code of Conduct and of UNICEF Mission and UNICEF Guiding Principles. Understanding of UNICEF programmatic policies, goals, visions, positions, policies, priorities, strategies, and approaches (SDGs, SP, resource allocation policies, key relevant Executive Board decisions, UN delivering as One, etc.)

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, and accountability. UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Supervision: The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Adviser Public Partnerships, UNICEF LAC Regional Office (LACRO) and in close collaboration with the UNSDG PCWG.

Workplace: The consultant will be requested to work remotely, home-based.

Duration: This consultancy is expected to start on 1 October 2020, and will last approximately three months. 

Remarks: 

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.

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.

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.