Background Information - Job-specific
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.
[1] https://digitalprinciples.org/
[2] https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/
[3] https://www.un.org/en/content/datastrategy/images/pdf/UN_SG_Data-Strategy.pdf
[4] A UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19: APRIL 2020 (https://unsdg.un.org/resources/un-framework-immediate-socio-economic-response-covid-19)
[5] Road map for digital cooperation: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation : Report of the Secretary-General (https://www.un.org/en/digital-cooperation-panel/)
Functional Responsibilities
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/Experience/Language requirements
Education
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Work Experience**
Required:
Desirable: (The following experience is optional. Candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply)
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Language**
This vacancy is archived.