Consultancy (Home-based): Mapping and Review of UNICEF’s Public-Private Partnerships and Practices, Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP)

With the beginning of the ‘Decade of Action,’ the achievement of the SDGs is off track, including targets related to children. It is clear, that the SDGs can only be achieved through increased collaboration between the public and private sector. The funding needs far exceed the current public sector contributions through ODA, with a clear call to move “from billions to trillions” and “funding to financing,” based on the recognition that the SDGs will require a step-change in the levels of both public and private investments in all countries. Given this need for increased public-private collaboration and for development actors to leverage the potential of such collaborations in the context of the SDGs, there has been an increased focus on Public-Private Partnerships as a modality for international organizations to address systemic issues that need to be addressed to achieve the SDGs.

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, hope

With the beginning of the ‘Decade of Action,’ the achievement of the SDGs is off track, including targets related to children. It is clear, that the SDGs can only be achieved through increased collaboration between the public and private sector. The funding needs far exceed the current public sector contributions through ODA, with a clear call to move “from billions to trillions” and “funding to financing,” based on the recognition that the SDGs will require a step-change in the levels of both public and private investments in all countries.   

Given this need for increased public-private collaboration and for development actors to leverage the potential of such collaborations in the context of the SDGs, there has been an increased focus on Public-Private Partnerships as a modality for international organizations to address systemic issues that need to be addressed to achieve the SDGs.  

With UNICEF moving into its next Strategic Plan period for 2022-2025 during the first half of the Decade of Action, the current draft Strategic Plan already recognizes “Partnership and Engagement: Public and Private” as one of its ‘Change Strategies.’ In addition, the April 2021 UN Executive Committee in its discussion on the Common Agenda item on Partnerships raised “the need for more public-private partnerships, noting that they are key to the Secretary-General’s vision of networked multilateralism.”  

While there is no widely recognized definition of Public-Private-Partnerships in the development context, UNICEF currently clusters public-private engagements into four categories:

1. Innovative Financing: Innovative Financing modalities, with public sector as donors and private sector as investors, including development impact bonds, blended finance, impact investing and matching funding arrangements.
2. Multi-stakeholder arrangements: formal and informal arrangements, that bring together multiple stakeholders including the private sector, including (i) Global Programme Partnerships and Funds, (ii) multi-stakeholder platforms, coalitions, networks, initiatives, (iii) cross-sector partnerships and private sector engagement at the country level, and (iv) Data Collaboratives.
3. Traditional PPPs: bilateral arrangements between governments and the private sector to deliver public services, promoting small to medium enterprises and infrastructure.
4. North-South and South-South Cooperation (SSC): Strategic partnerships between governments of the global South and private sector to leverage private sector operations.

How can you make a difference?

Under the leadership of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Unit within the Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division (PFP), the objective of this consultancy is to identify key internal and external trends that can inform the development of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs); as well as to map and assess UNICEF’s engagement in PPPs and provide initial recommendations and guidance for all UNICEF Offices (at HQ, regional and national levels) and National Committees to maximize engagement opportunities with PPPs as a way to scale-up results for children.

MAIN TASKS and DELIVERABLES

The below is an indicative timeline for the process, with the deliverables determined as below.

November 2021 - January 2022 (30 working days): Knowledge gathering

1. Consult with all HQ Divisions, Regional Offices and select UNICEF National Committees and Country Offices to:

• Map existing public-private partnerships in which UNICEF either leads or joins at global, regional and national levels - noting that private sector partners are, in this context, identified as ‘business stakeholders. 
• Collect examples and case studies of good practices.
• Capture lessons learned and initial recommendations.
• Identify and categorize the different models and engagement modalities used by UNICEF and its partners. The mapping needs to reflect the variety of geographic and socio-economic contexts (low, middle and high-income countries) in which UNICEF operates; and feature partnerships delivering results in both development and humanitarian contexts. The examples also need to differentiate between those generating direct income for UNICEF, from other opportunities leveraging resources for children, to provide some basis for effective segmentation and prioritization.
• Identify examples of additionality, where bringing public-private collaboration can have a multiplier effect.  
• Collect information about existing cost/ management / accountability structures on PPPs and to identify successful and lightweight models.
• Take stock of existing policies, guidance, agreement templates and modalities, identify the gaps, what needs to be updated and what could potentially be repurposed for traditional PPPs and other forms of public-private arrangements
• Assess country office needs for guidance.
• Identify existing impact measurement models and KPIs used to measure the contribution of PPPs to advance results for children.

2. Map available internal and external guidance documents on public-private partnerships practices or training material available, including within the UN and multi-lateral system.

Deliverables:

• A database is capturing the public-private partnerships identified, which are clustered by type of PPP, type of contribution (financial and non-financial) of both public and private sector actors and programmatic and thematic areas etc.
• A PowerPoint presentation:
  • highlights the different categories of PPPs in which UNICEF engages, as well as the models and modalities for engagement.
  • features a select number of good practices.
  • identify existing impact measurement tools and KPIs used to measure the value of engagement
  • provides a general feedback from UNICEF Offices and articulates potential request for support and guidance
  • captures key lessons learned and provides initial recommendations to enhance engagement in PPPs.
• A repository is maintained with references and hyperlinks to key internal and external guidance documents, policies, agreements, templates etc. on public-private partnerships practices as well as available training material and courses.

February - March 2022 (20 working days): Review and Assessment

3. Conduct a desk review of existing guidance documents on public-private partnerships practices.
4. Analyze the evolving trends and internal and external factors or reforms (e.g. Reform of the UN System) that should inform the establishment of public-private partnerships at HQ, regional and national levels (in both Country Offices and National Committees).
5. Identify key risks and opportunities for engagement with PPPs as well as linkages with organizational priorities (2022-2025 UNICEF Strategic Plan) and partnership approaches and frameworks (such as Business for Results, the Core Commitment for Children etc.).
6. Drawing from the feedback provided by UNICEF Offices and National Committees, lessons learned and the desk review, identify success factors and guiding principles to develop and drive public-private engagements and results – including recommendations to develop effective and lightweight models.
7. Quantify the different engagement opportunities to differentiate those generating direct income for UNICEF, from other opportunities leveraging resources for children, and provide initial recommendations for effective segmentation and prioritization.
8. Quantify the additionality that public-private partnerships can demonstrate (multiplier effect); and recommend impact measurement tools and KPIs to demonstrate PPP’s contribution to the new 2022-2025 UNICEF’s Strategic Plan
9. Develop a set of case studies illustrating the different engagement modalities, contribution in the different programmatic areas and engagement with specific industries/sectors and in different settings.

Deliverables:

• A PowerPoint presentation:
  • highlights the key internal and external trends (e.g. changes related to the UN Reform) that should inform the establishment of public-private partnership at HQ, regional and national levels (in both Country Offices and National Committees).
  • identify key risks and opportunities for engagement with PPPs and linkages with organizational priorities and partnership approaches and frameworks (such as Business for Results, the Core Commitment for Children etc.).
  • captures key lessons learned and identifies success factors and guiding principles to develop and drive effective public-private engagements.
  • provides initial recommendations for effective segmentation and prioritization.
  • quantifies the additionality and recommends impact measurement tools and KPIs to demonstrate PPP’s contribution to the new 2022-2025 UNICEF’s Strategic Plan.
• Checklists are developed to guide UNICEF Offices (at HQ, regional and national levels) on their engagement in public-private partnerships.
• A set of case studies illustrates the different engagement modalities, contribution in the different programmatic areas and engagement with specific industries/sectors and in different settings.

ESTIMATED DURATION OF THE CONTRACT

The consultant will work for a total of 50 working days within the period of November 2021 to March 2022.

REPORTING TO 

The consultant will report to the Chief of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships based in Geneva.

WORKPLACE

The consultant will work home-based and should be available to come to the Geneva UNICEF office for in-person meetings and presentations as requested by UNICEF. The travel cost will be covered by the Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships Unit. 

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

The ideal candidate will have a solid experience in building and managing public-private partnerships and with international organizations and/or the United Nations.

Education:

• Master's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration and Management, International Relations, Economic Development, Humanitarian and Development Studies, Social Science, International Development, Political Science, International Relations or another relevant field, is required.
• Alternatively, a first level university degree in a relevant field combined with additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of experience; including in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, private sector partnerships, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area.
• Demonstrated experience in brokering or managing public-private partnerships in humanitarian or development settings with international organizations (including UN agencies) at global, regional or national levels.
• Familiarity with the UN-Business Agenda and understanding of corporate social responsibility, shared value, multi-stakeholder partnerships and/or advocacy would be an asset.
• Demonstrated understanding of impact measurement.
• Experience in writing briefings and reports.

Language and others:

• Fluency in English required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.
• IT-savvy and advanced user of MS Office Word and Excel.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Remarks: Please indicate your ability, availability and gross daily rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered. Also, please mention the earliest date you can start.

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. 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.

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.