Consultancy, country strategies
JOB DETAIL
OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Field Office
Duty Station: San Jose
Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]
Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]
Job Family: Programme Coordination
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 27/08/2023
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Under the overall authority and direct supervision of the Director of the UNESCO Office in San Jose, the consultant will support the office in the development of country strategies for the five countries under the office’s responsibility.
Long Description
ASSIGNMENTS AND DELIVERABLES
The UNESCO Office in San Jose, Costa Rica, supports governments and other stakeholders in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in all areas of UNESCO’s mandate. As a regional multisectorial office, it also coordinates with the national offices in Guatemala and Mexico. The office is currently developing strategic documents (‘country strategies’) for the five countries covered by the office. The purpose of the country strategies is (1) to guide the office’s work internally and (2) to communicate the office’s strategy externally to counterparts.
Specifically, the consultant’s tasks include:
For data collection:
Conduct a desk review of relevant internal and external documents (UN Cooperation Frameworks and UNESCO key programme documents C/5 and C/4 with which the documents to be developed must be compatible, project documents, reports, meeting notes, previous drafts of country strategies, etc.)
Organize bilateral meetings and ca. 5-7 group consultation meetings with office staff
Organize (remote) semi-structured interviews with key counterparts in the countries and in the region (list of interviewees to be provided by the office, ca. 8-10 interviews per country)
For drafting:
Prepare various drafts (ca. 2-3) of the strategy documents (preferably in Spanish) and include feedback from the office and selected counterparts until a final version is reached. The final version of each document will be submitted to the concerned government for validation.
Work with the communication consultants of the office to present the final draft in a reader-friendly, attractive, communicable layout, including visual elements (layout and visual elements under responsibility of the communication consultants).
The aim is that the final version of each country strategy document should be a concise, readable and communication oriented document of 16-20 pages maximum each (including visual elements). An additional 2-page summary of each strategy should also be prepared. The UNESCO Style Manual applies.
Tentative timeline: data collection September/October, drafting October/November, revisions November/December, final versions by mid-December. The process is expected to conclude in December. After successful conclusion and subject to the availability of funds, a 1-2 month contract extension may be considered in order to develop an overarching office strategy document that synthesizes the five country strategy documents and expands the perspective to Guatemala and Mexico, for which the office in San Jose will serve as a regional office.
Long Description
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Advanced university degree in a field of UNESCO’s competence
• Knowledge of the region under the office’s responsibility
• Experience with organizing consultation processes and drafting strategy documents
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills
• Excellent drafting skills and the ability to synthesize complex information into concise messages
• Excellent drafting skills in Spanish and good skills in English
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
• Previous experience with UNESCO or another UN agency
• Excellent drafting skills in English
HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates are kindly requested to submit the following documents (in English or Spanish):
• A letter of interest explaining how your qualifications and experiences match with the requirements of the post
• Curriculum vitae
• Short technical and financial proposal indicating the total amount (in USD) to carry out the assignments described above, and an explanation how this total amount is calculated
• The contact details of three references
Your application should be submitted directly here in the UNESCO jobs portal. Preferably, all of the above documents are uploaded as one pdf in the section “Employment History Form” of this website. In case of difficulties uploading all documents, please upload the letter of intent and send remaining documents to [email protected] before the above-mentioned deadline.
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.
UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.
Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.
UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
