L’UNICEF recrute pour ce poste (17 Mai 2022)

Background and justification

UNICEF Senegal continues to establish and maintain partnerships with the public and private sectors. The CO has active funding partnerships with numerous public-sector donors and a growing portfolio of private sector and non-financial partners. Efforts to expand public- and private-sector partnerships are ongoing, and UNICEF Senegal strives to provide ‘best in class’ recognition and relationship management for our partners. The CO is also in the early stages of engaging with the private sector, with a Business for Results roadmap for 2022, and a private sector engagement strategy to follow.

UNICEF Senegal has an exciting and innovative programme for championing child rights in the country. The CO has a project budget of above $17 million for 2022-23 and over 80 staff members. 2022 is the fourth year of the 2019-2023 Country Programme, which has components in Child Survival and Development, Education, Child Protection and Equity, Governance and Social Policy and a new focus on youth and adolescents.

The Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications team at UNICEF Senegal manages the development of new partnerships and ongoing activities related to relationship management, including but not limited to partnership development (including concept notes, proposals, and materials to support high-level partnership engagements), partnership management (due diligence and similar activities), visibility actions and partner field visits.

As part of its obligations to donors, UNICEF Senegal is also committed to providing high quality, results-based planning and reporting on programme achievements. Such project documents/documentation and reporting require coherent quality assurance across all UNICEF sectors as well as ensuring timeliness of reports.

Objectives, Purpose & Expected results

The Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications team at UNICEF Senegal manages the development of new partnerships and ongoing activities related to relationship management, including but not limited to partnership development (including concept notes, proposals, and materials to support high-level partnership engagements), partnership management (due diligence and similar activities), visibility actions and partner field visits.

As part of its obligations to donors, UNICEF Senegal is also committed to providing high quality, results-based planning and reporting on programme achievements. Such project documents/documentation and reporting require coherent quality assurance across all UNICEF sectors as well as ensuring timeliness of reports.

Description of the assignment

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, the incumbent will be responsible for deepening the organization’s collaboration with key stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange and resource mobilization. S/He will serve as a focal point and resource for colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership development. The key result is to ensure greater visibility for UNICEF and influence in support of its mission, including but not limited to stewardship of the COs resource mobilization efforts and partnership growth in both the public and private sectors.

The incumbent will be responsible for timely editing and submission of high-quality donor reports, for timely and regular production of written materials such as briefings and concept notes and provide support to sections in developing proposal documents for donors, in close collaboration with the Deputy representative, Chief of sections and the Budget Associate. He/she will provide guidance to ensure optimum use of program funds by section.

The incumbent will also support efforts towards high-quality partner recognition and donor visibility.

The incumbent will help supervise the work of the reports consultants and the Junior Business for Results and Youth consultants.

Partnership development and management

• Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker partnership and resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs. Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with appropriate UNICEF staff.
• Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization (Donor profiles, tracking tools, meeting notes, contact lists, etc.)
• Contribute to the actualization of the Country Office resources mobilization strategy and its implementation plan
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.

Proposal writing and donor reporting

• Works with relevant sections in the preparation and drafting of high-quality concept notes, funding proposals and donor reports by standardizing formats, contents and ensuring adherence to donor requirements. Provide quality assurance of proposals and reports. This includes gathering of information, consolidation, editing, layout and branding of all required reports which include donor reports, specific thematic reports and consolidated emergency reports.
• Updates and maintains information on all donor and programme reporting requirements, in line with the internal standard operating procedures. Provide section heads and field offices with regular updates on these requirements and follow-up as required to ensure the timely inputs, clearance and submissions of proposals and reports to donors.

Support to grant management and optimum use of program funds by section

• Elaborate the situation analysis of the grant management function within the office, and identify main bottlenecks and possible solution, through participatory process and including an assessment of capacities by main actors at different level
• Propose recommendations to improve grant management within the office, with detailed elements of learning /capacity building at each level
• Develop tools to improve internal grant management at each level, including alert tools and SOPs to ensure an optimal use and monitoring of grant use and modalities to make regular budget reviews
• Organize specific trainings or more specific coaching sessions for most prior needs and for critical staffs (budget associate, some chiefs of section or POs that needs more capacity or that have more responsibilities in managing grants)

Objectives :

1) Objective 1:   Partnership development and management

The consultant is expected to deliver the following key results by the end of the contract period:

• Finalize the draft of the Resources Mobilization strategy – in close coordination with the Reports Consultant
• Develop and operationalize short and mid-terms partnerships and resources mobilization plans, focusing primarily on the most promising donors
• Carry out scanning and gathering of information in relation to fundraising opportunities
• Support the Representative Donor’s convening initiative – including outreach to National Committees
• Contribute to development of concept notes and pitch documents, donor toolkits to support fundraising efforts
• Maintain and update Knowledge Management SharePoint with appropriate resources (donor profiles, key messages per donor, briefing notes, tracking tools and meeting notes)
• Familiarize the country team with the partners and donors’ knowledge management database and tools

June – Feb – 56 days

2) Objective 2:   Proposal writing and donor reporting

• Familiarize the country team with the newly developed SOPs and ensure a smooth implementation of the process
• Ensure that all reports due to donors are submitted on time respecting the quality standards

June – Feb – 56 days

3) Objective 3:    Support to grant management and optimum use of program funds by section

• Grant management situation analysis and assessment capacities through a participatory process conducted
• Key recommendations to improve grant management with detailed elements of learning and capacity building
• Tools to improve internal grant management and SOPs to ensure the optimal use of funding developed
• Training and coaching sessions for most prior needs and for critical staffs conducted

June – Feb – 56 days

Qualification requirements:     

Education: A Master degree in international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.

Experience: At least Five years of professional experience in resources mobilization and partnership development

Language requirements: Fluency in French & English

Additionnal knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Experience in report writing and grant management
• Communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders – especially with donors and financial partners.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation.
• In-depth knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the field and propose changes.
• Familiarity with UN and/or UNICEF programmes is an asset
• Excellent written skills in both English and French•

Application requirement

Candidates are invited to send:

• Cover letter/application/updated CV
• A technical proposal with the proposed methodology/approach to managing the project, showing understanding of tasks
• An all-inclusive financial quote in USD per deliverable, stating also the timeframe for completion of deliverable

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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.