Consultancy - Skills for Employment Expert (Tunisia), Education Outcomes Fund (EOF/UK) (Ten (10) months starting May 2022) REQ#548988

There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission (chaired by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education) and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen) came together to create EOF. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes of 10 million children and youth by supporting governments to utilize a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financing (RBF) instruments.

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, education...

There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission (chaired by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education) and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen) came together to create EOF. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes of 10 million children and youth by supporting governments to utilize a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financings (RBF) instruments.

EOF supports improvements in the quality of education and skills programs, with a special focus on underserved populations, including the hardest to reach, rural populations, girls, children with disabilities, and refugees. It measures (and pays for) what matters – both core skills like literacy and numeracy, but also critical 21st Century skills such as socio-emotional skills, ICT skills, and other broader fundamentals of quality education. It helps close the persistent gap between the skills needed by employers and those attained by today’s youth by paying for employment and retention outcomes. 

For all the above, EOF pays primarily on the basis of the results achieved, ensuring that taxpayer-funded domestic resources, aid, and philanthropic funds are only used to pay for what works. This is a game-changing way to finance results in education. It is more than just a fund – it is a powerful new set of partnerships and way of working. 

Together with our supporters, we believe this is the early stage of a much larger movement. Our approach is at the cutting edge of development finance, shifting risk to the private sector, crowding in private capital, and harnessing the capacity and capability of non-state actors, with huge potential to achieve better outcomes for children and youth around the world. 

Rationale for the consultancy

EOF has recently completed a feasibility study in Tunisia to understand the possibility of launching a skills-for-employment program in the country. The Skills for Employment Expert will support the EOF central team on the following components:

• Support the program technical design (e.g., definition of strategic objectives, size, employment outcomes, price targets) by collecting and mapping data for the program from the different governmental agencies and the Ministry of Professional Training & Employment, organizing design workshops and conducting interviews with working level government teams and other relevant stakeholders to collect inputs and information for the program design, preparation of meeting minutes, amongst others.
• Lead in-country engagement with service providers and investors to support the assessment of providers’ landscape. This will include mapping potential providers and investors for the program, having conversations around intervention modalities, collecting data and information for the program, supporting communication efforts to these stakeholders, etc.
• Support the planning and organization of market engagement activities with service providers and investors, helping with the organization of events, webinars and conversations with these stakeholders
• Provide operational and logistical support to the organization of events and missions of EOF central team to Tunisia
• Support the recruitment and onboarding of in-country program unit, providing initial guidance on the program design, operational and logistical support to the new team
• Other activities in line with the above-mentioned components may be required, as per needs identified

How can you make a difference?

We are seeking to recruit an exceptional Skills-for-Employment Expert in Tunis, Tunisia to support the design & inception of our program. EOF is about to launch the design & inception phase of its first results-based finance (RBF) program in skills-for-employment space in Tunisia, after having completed a feasibility study.

The skills-for-employment consultant will report directly to the Program Manager, will collaborate with the senior skills-for-employment consultant in Tunisia and all members of the central skills-for-employment program team.   

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT (TASKS):

• Support the program technical design (e.g., definition of strategic objectives, size, employment outcomes, price targets) by collecting and mapping data for the program from the different governmental agencies and the Ministry of Professional Training & Employment, organizing design workshops and conducting interviews with working level government teams and other relevant stakeholders to collect inputs and information for the program design, preparation of meeting minutes, amongst others.
• Lead in-country engagement with service providers and investors to support the assessment of providers’ landscape. This will include mapping potential providers and investors for the program, having conversations around intervention modalities, collecting data and information for the program, supporting communication efforts to these stakeholders, etc.
• Support the planning and organization of market engagement activities with service providers and investors, helping with the organization of events, webinars and conversations with these stakeholders
• Provide operational and logistical support to the organization of events and missions of EOF central team to Tunisia
• Support the recruitment and onboarding of in-country program unit, providing initial guidance on the program design, operational and logistical support to the new team
• Other activities in line with the above-mentioned components may be required, as per needs identified

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

• A degree in Development Studies, Economics, Demographics, Social Policy or other field relevant to workforce development is preferred
• Minimum of two years of prior experience working in the skills-for-employment, education, or development sector in Tunisia
• Experience with stakeholder engagement
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing data sets
• Experience in the organization of events and missions is preferable
• Fluent in French and Arabic, good command of English

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

• Build and maintain partnerships (II)
• Demonstrate self-awareness and ethical awareness (I)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (I)
• Think and act strategically (I)
• Nurture, lead and manage people
• Innovate and embrace change (I)
• Work collaboratively with others (I)
• Manage ambiguity and complexity (I)

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.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

Remarks:

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE : Monthly

The consultant will invoice monthly the time worked, with a limited number of days agreed with EOF team.  The consultant should be available to commit at least a total of 35 days distributed across the contract period of 10 months. The final number of days will be discussed and agreed, as per the consultant’s availability and needs identified.

For individual contractors and consultants, all travel arrangements to commence the assignment, including insurance and visas, will be managed and paid by the individual.  Therefore, expected travel costs must be included as a budget item in the financial proposal.  Should “mission travel” be required, UNICEF will manage and pay for travel via Travel Authorization.  However, this will be subject to the following prerequisites:  Medical Clearance, Security Clearance through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system, the Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Trainings, Travel Visa, and liability waiver. The consultant/individual contractor is responsible for arranging his/her own travel and submit invoices to UNICEF for payment as part of the contract.

Requirements

Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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.

If selected for this consultancy, the resulting appointment will be limited to EOF, a UNICEF hosted fund.