Consultancy: Development of the Resource Mobilization and Leveraging Strategy at United Nations Children’s Fund: (Deadline 13 November 2024)

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And we never give up.

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For every child, Hope  

Consultancy Title: Consultant for the Development of the Rwanda Country Office Resource Mobilization and Leveraging Strategy 2025-2029

Section/Division/Duty Station: Deputy Representative’s Office

Duration: 15 November 2024 to 28 February 2025 (45 Working Days)

Home/ Office Based:  Remote (International Consultancy)

UNICEF Rwanda is an active partner with the Government of Rwanda in supporting child development in the areas of health and nutrition, education, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as social protection, during both development and humanitarian situations. The Rwanda Country Office’s (RCO) current Country Programme covers the period of 2018-2024 and will end in February 2025.  The new Country Programme starts in March 2025 and will end in December 2029, and supports the country’s 2nd National Strategy of Transformation (NST-2) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2025-2029).

This new UNICEF Country Programme is unique because it introduces a significant shift from service delivery to catalytic work focusing on evidence generation, policy development, system strengthening, and innovative financing for children.

The innovative integrated country programme requires a robust resource mobilization and leveraging strategy to raise the $75 million in other regular resources necessary for UNICEF to implement various programme components. More importantly, it requires a strategy to support leveraging resources for children through UNICEF’s convening role, advocacy, and partnership with all stakeholders in the country.

This assignment requires an experienced international resource mobilization expert with a track record in assisting UNICEF country offices in developing resource mobilization and leveraging strategies.  This entails an analysis of trends in the public and private financing landscape to propose innovative resource mobilization and leveraging strategies for the new country programme.

How can you make a difference?

The objective of this assignment is to support UNICEF Rwanda’s resource mobilization by developing a comprehensive strategy that analyzes the country’s development partnership landscape, the trends of development partners’ contributions to UNICEF and to the country’s social development sectors, and the public and private sectors’ investment in children in the past years in development and humanitarian assistance. This would be done by analyzing organizations competing with UNICEF over funds and analyzing UNICEF Rwanda’s value proposition or competitive advantage.

The output will be a resource mobilization and leveraging strategic document and an action plan for the 2025-2029 Country Programme. This would enable the office to raise sufficient funds for its programme and support the country in leveraging more resources for children.

The strategy needs to be a forward-looking, more action-oriented document highlighting the changing donor landscape and drawing from lessons learned from current resource mobilization efforts. This strategy must also analyze failed proposals and reasons why proposals were rejected, and explore new aid modalities and actors, including emerging donors, IFIs and Foundations, outline a strategic approach to maintaining existing partners and developing new partnerships, and recommend diversifying the resource base for UNICEF Rwanda and children of Rwanda.

The strategy should include concrete actionable recommendations for different categories of UNICEF staff (Representative, Deputy Representation, Donor reports and Partnership Officer, Chief of Partnerships and Communication, PM&E, and Programme Sections, and Programme Staff, etc.) to implement in immediate, mid-term or longer-term, including a number of workflow and trends analysis,  that will enable the country to raise more effectively funds for the new country programme.

SCOPE OF WOK/OBJECTIVES

Specific tasks of the consultancy will include:

• Desk Review of necessary documentation to understand the country context, development environment and the UNICEF Rwanda’s strategy.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the development partnership environment for potential global, regional and local development partners to map the feasibility of securing multi-year and thematic funding and resources and recommend ways to develop and maintain strategic partnerships and engagement with key development partners (past, present and future).
• Conduct an analysis of UNICEF Rwanda’s country funding trends.
• Conduct an analysis of internal office fundraising practices (interview international and national staff who have relationships with current partners/donors).
• Facilitate internal dialogue around resource mobilization successes and failures, best practices and lesson learned, and leveraging strategies that have been undertaken by the country office.
• Explore opportunities for partnerships from emerging partners- the BRICS countries, IFI, the private sector and foundations. Provide a mapping of main donors (traditional, private sectors, foundations, individuals) in Rwanda, including the ones working primarily on social sectors, but also on new emerging topics which UNICEF may not yet be able to tap into (such as climate change, innovation, data, etc.).
• Recommend ways to develop and maintain strategic partnerships and engagement with key partners (past, present and future).
• Develop the Resource Mobilization and Leveraging Strategy as well as a detailed implementation plan of the strategy.

UNICEF is looking for a strategy that is dynamic, considering Rwanda’s vision of transitioning to a middle-income country by 2035, the ongoing reform, and emerging challenges during the next Country Programme cycle. The strategy should be presented in an innovative way and not be a static document. The following guidance is suggested to captivate readers and convey an innovative approach effectively. The consultant could consider the following:

1. Engaging Title or Heading: The strategy should have a captivating title or heading that grabs attention and reflects the innovative nature of the Rwanda Country Office fundraising strategy. Use creativity to pique curiosity and encourage further reading.
2. Executive Summary: Provide a concise overview of the resource mobilization and leveraging strategy as an executive summary. Highlight the approach’s unique and innovative aspects, emphasizing the potential impact and benefits it can bring.
3. Length of the product: The narrative part of the Strategy should be kept to a maximum of 20 pages.
4. Visualize Data and Statistics: Utilize charts, graphs, and infographics to present data and statistics visually appealingly. Visual representations make information easier to understand and remember and help convey the strategy’s innovation more effectively.
5. Storytelling: Incorporate storytelling techniques to make the fundraising strategy more relatable and engaging. Share success stories of individuals or organizations that have benefited from similar innovative approaches where possible. Weave narratives that showcase the transformative power of the strategy, creating an emotional connection with the readers.
6. Incorporate Multimedia: Make the document more dynamic by integrating multimedia elements such as images, videos, or audio clips. These can be used to demonstrate the impact of the strategy, share testimonials, or showcase innovative technologies related to the UNICEF Rwanda Country Programme.
7. Clear and Concise Language: While it’s important to be innovative, ensure that the strategy remains clear and concise. Avoid jargon and complex language that may alienate readers. Use simple and straightforward language to explain the strategy, making it accessible to a wide audience.
8. Call to Action: End the strategy with a compelling call to action that motivates readers to take the next steps. Encourage them to support the strategy and participate in the innovative change UNICEF Rwanda Country Office wants to create.
9. Detailed implementation plan: Include concrete actionable recommendations for different categories of existing UNICEF staff (Representative, Deputy Representation, Donor Reporting and Partnership Officer, Chiefs of Partnerships and Communication, PM&E, Programme Sections, and Programme Professionals, etc.) to implement in immediate, mid-term or longer-term.

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

• Advanced University degree in international relations, Business Administration/Management, Marketing, or other relevant discipline.

• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in fundraising in an international setting.
• Proven track record of generating significant funding with institutional donors and private sector.
• Background developmental and emergency programming.
• Good analytical skills and capacity to generate visuals, infographics and appealing documents.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken, is required.

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

ADMINITRATIVE FORMALITIES

UNICEF will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback, guidance, and necessary support to achieve the objectives of the work, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the performance and quality of work.

As per policy on consultants, the individual will be expected to complete a list of mandatory training, including policies on Prohibiting and Combatting Fraud and Corruption, Prohibition of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority and other relevant policies for their information and acknowledgement upon acceptance of the offer.

Before issuing the official contract, the consultant must complete the applicable training. The consultant will be provided with office space, access to office resources and other administrative arrangements necessary to complete the assignment.

CONDITIONS

• The consultancy will be for 45 days.
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
• No contract may commence unless both UNICEF and the consultant sign the contract.
• The consultant will be work remotely.
• The consultant will be paid an all-inclusive fee (stationary, communication and other miscellaneous expenses) as per the stipulated deliverable and payment schedule.
• The consultant is not entitled to payment for overtime, weekends or public holidays.
• No travel should take place without an email travel authorization from the section before the commencement of the journey from the duty station.
• Standard UNICEF procedures will apply for invoicing and all other financial management requirements set out in the contract.
• Standard penalty clauses will also apply for late and poor-quality deliverables. The supervisor of the contract will provide the consultant with the criteria for the evaluation of the quality of each deliverable.
• Additional details of UNICEF rules, regulations and conditions will be attached to the contract.
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on the UNICEF budget.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures. They 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. Consultants 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.
• The assignment is an off-site support.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested consultants should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment.
3. (A portfolio of) document(s) the consultant produced or contributed to, exemplifying the capacity of the consultant to create simple-language, compelling documents, with visuals and graphs.
4. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees and other costs). Complete the attached form.  Financial Proposal template.xlsx

5. Reference details

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit our competency framework

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks: 

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.

Applications submitted without technical and financial proposal will not be considered