Project Management Support - Specialist (Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Digital Public Goods)

The mission of the UN Technology Innovation Lab (UNTIL) is to use digital innovation to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. UNTIL´s vision is a world where the benefits of digital innovation are harnessed for sustainable development, to empower people and societies, and accessible to all.

UNTIL stands in a unique position at the intersection between development and technology. A program within the Executive Office of the UN Secretary General, and working under the umbrella of UN Global Pulse, UNTIL aims to harness and apply digital innovation to critical development challenges through collaborations with UN, NGO, government and private sector partners to develop impactful innovation projects.  UNTIL aligns its work with current best practice such as the Principles of Digital Development[1] as well as the UN Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation[2] and Data Strategy.[3] UNTIL Finland receives support from Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs for the period 2018-2022. 

The consultancy is aimed at leading and taking stock of available digital solutions in the area of MNCH and critically appraise both available and new solutions, including analysing contextual elements, identifying entry points and challenges, with a view to the development of guidelines for digital public goods in the area of MNCH that are both sustainable and scalable in different contexts and paving the way for piloting key projects.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN has launched its most recent “A UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19”[4] to immediately transform UN programmes and projects into an emergency operation to address and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.  The new framework’s first priority is “Health First: Protecting Health Services and Systems during the Crisis”. The framework reiterates the importance of sustaining basic healthcare services at a time of crisis, stating that “It is therefore crucial to maintain essential lifesaving health services even while addressing the pandemic” and to support the recovery of the health system and build its resilience to meet the potential emergence of future waves of COVID-19.  Linking to that and in line with the High-Level Panel (HLP) report; alongside the UN Secretary General’s approach to harmonize and align UN and member states efforts to ensure efficiency towards the achievement of sustainable development goals, especially in the decade of action to deliver on the goals; UNTIL aims to facilitate this exercise for digital public goods with a special focus on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in follow up to the HLP recommendation 1B which highlights the need for more investment and support to strengthen access to digital public goods as  “A concerted global effort to create digital public goods would be key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” as reiterated by the UN Secretary General [5]

The incumbent of this position will be a UNOPS personnel and is under its full responsibility.

The incumbent will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Conduct a desk review of the available widely utilized digital solutions in developing countries in the area of MNCH.

• Support the scoping for developing countries to prioritize 2-3 countries through in-depth analysis and desk review of available evidence to identify key entry points, opportunities and challenges. 

• Facilitate the convening of an expert technical panel of key Finnish, Nordic and international stakeholders in the field of MNCH, digital technologies and international cooperation.

• Draft the guidelines based on consultations with relevant stakeholders among UN agencies, member states with a focus on global south inclusion, INGOs, NGOs and private sector actors.

• Facilitate the validation exercise of the final guidelines including monitoring and validation tools for future projects in line with HLPDC recommendations through stakeholder consultation aiming at national endorsement and integration into national health plans

• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above
  
  

Monitoring and Progress Controls

In coordination with the UNTIL Finland staff, the incumbent will monitor progress and assure the timely deliverables of the agreed outputs.

The incumbent is expected to exercise flexibility in the consultancy assignment regarding the potential of dynamically changing delivery requirements, for example adapting working arrangements so that outputs can be delivered online/electronically.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Public health, social sciences, political sciences, or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Work Experience

Required:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, political advocacy, policy research or research in technology innovation in public health or related area;
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in planning, designing and/or facilitating promotion of digital technology solutions in the areas of public health.

Desirable: (The following experience is optional. Candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply)

• Experience in establishing and implementing guidelines, policies and partnerships in the areas of public health with specific focus on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH);
• Experience in implementing programmes with local and global scope with an international organization;
• A thorough understanding of the Health digital innovation ecosystem in the Nordic region;
• An understanding of the global MNCH digital innovation ecosystem;
• The ability to express complex ideas and concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Language

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) 
Contract level: International Individual Contractor Agreement (I-ICA 2)
Contract duration: Open-ended (renewable subject to funds availability and satisfactory performance)

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.


Background Information - Sustainable Development Cluster 

Based in New York, the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations.

The SDC’s services include grants management, development and special initiatives support, and technology support to the UN and UN agencies.

The SDC is part of the New York Service Cluster that supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.