Technical Specialist

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are core principles at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Office/Unit/Project Description

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial risking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector.  By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders.  UNCDF’s work is focused on six priority areas, including: 

• Sub-national and local infrastructure financing;
• Women owned enterprise financing;
• Nature and climate financing;
• Energy and decarbonization finance;
• Sustainable food systems financing;
• Inclusive digital finance.

Following a recent restructuring, UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by the Executive Board of United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and performs the function of the Executive Board of UNCDF.

UNCDF has been selected as the implementing partner of the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills: Support tertiary education for sustainable employability, funded by the European Union. This project aims to support tertiary education for sustainable employability by improving the transition of tertiary students into the job market, with a particular focus on green and digital sectors. The project will enhance coordination mechanisms, increase digital skills training, and provide acceleration and incubation services in Ghana. The action has the following outputs according to the logic in the logical framework:  

• Output 1 contributing to S.O. 3: Strengthened coordination mechanisms for tertiary education institutions with the private sector and increased policy dialogue. 
• Output 2 contributing to S.O. 3: Increased training packages on digital skills and availability of modern workplace and employability services. 
• Output 3 contributing to S.O. 3: Enhanced acceleration and incubation services within Academic Centre of excellence.  

To implement output 2, the Action will create synergies with IBM and its Skills Build program. IBM Skills Build features an e-learning platform with top-notch content on digital skills (basic, intermediate, advanced) that would allow universities to offer to their students learning pathways leading to internationally recognized certifications. The Skills Build e-learning platform has a wide range of modules for students on topics around cybersecurity, software development, Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, but also on other broader skills such as project management and soft skills to improve the employability of students. These modules can be studied autonomously or facilitated by teachers. Other tech giants may join the action later. To implement output 3, the Action will create synergies with selected NGO with experience and track record in incubation and acceleration within tertiary education institutions

Scope of Work

UNCDF is looking for a Technical Specialist to lead the technical activities of the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills: Support tertiary education for sustainable employability and ensure successful delivery of results. 

Strengthen coordination mechanisms for tertiary education institutions with the private sector and increase policy dialogue:

• Co-Lead the establishment of an “advisory group” comprising universities, government and key agencies, and the private sector to support the government in their definition and implementation of their employability strategies for tertiary education students, particularly in digital and green entrepreneurship skills.  The role involves coordinating meetings and facilitating discussions based on the needs of each party, ensuring that all perspectives are considered, and concrete action points are developed;
• Co-Lead the end to end implementation of evidence based exercise e.g. Employer survey to gain insights around the specific skills that the job market requires and finally inform the established coordination mechanisms;
• Support selected universities in coordination efforts with private sector both international (e.g. tech giants) as well as local industries with high potential for job placement to better connect their students to potential job offerings, resulting in the improvement of the transition from tertiary education to the job market.

Increase training packages for digital skills and availability of modern workplace and employability services:

• Lead on the selection, need assessment and technical assistance of universities that would benefit from the Action; 
• Provide technical assistance to universities to design learning pathways that would equip students with top-notch digital skills; 
• Provide technical assistance to selected universities to improve their career service to better support students in their access to job market; 
• Ensure that the selected universities achieve their targets with the desired level of quality as outlined in the Action;
• Supervise end to end roll out of tracer studies with selected universities.

Enhance acceleration and incubation service within Academic Centre of excellence:

• Support the coordination with selected NGO to run incubation and acceleration services with selected universities; 
• Assist the project manager in ensuring the responsible parties (e.g. NGOs) deliver high quality results and in line with agreed workplans;
• Co-Lead on the consolidation of results and synergies between the difference components.

Generate, facilitate, and disseminate research and information sharing to ensure stakeholders are informed on current trends, best practices, market conditions, and special topics as needed:

• Design, Plan and Execute knowledge sharing events to position UNCDF as leader in the digital space as well as inform key stakeholders of the sector;
• Develop knowledge and learning documents, resulting in stronger messages and increased to UNCDF visibility and thought leadership in the space. 

Institutional Arrangement:

The selected candidate will report to Technical Specialist based in Accra.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact;

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems;

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning;

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands;

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously;

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration;

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making .

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Business Direction and Strategy

• Negotiation and Influence
  • Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations. 

Business Development

• Collective Intelligence Design
  • Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.

Business Management

• Partnership Management
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNCDF strategy and policies .

Digital & Innovation

• Digital Learning & Development
  • Knowledge of digital learning methods and ability to design and develop digital learning programs.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity

• Inclusive Growth
  • Job/ Employment /Decent work Promotion.

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Master's degree in Education, Economics or Public Administration, Public Policy or related field: Or
• Bachelor degree in the above mentioned fields with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master's degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in development project focused on tertiary education and/or job creating related work with a master's degree or at least 7 years with a bachelor's degree.

Required skills:

• Professional exposure in providing technical assistance and oversight to implementing partners in delivering activities around school to work transition (e.g. but not limited to: skill training, career development, entrepreneurship).

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section:

• Professional exposure in delivering multi-stakeholder projects related to the tertiary education system and related challenges that affect the youth employment market;
• Ability to coordinate multi actors working groups, including government, private sector and academia;
• Experience in projects focused on digital skills and/or with tech giants;
• Exposure in Ghanaian tertiary education system;
• Excellent knowledge of project management cycle (PMC) principles at international level with international donors, from design to evaluation with proven professional experience;
• Capacity to do research and write technical publications.

Required Language(s) (at working level):

• Proficiency in English is required.

Professional Certificate:

• Exposure to IBM Skill Build platform is desirable.