Establishment of a roster of mentors on cultural business creation and scaling up in the Caribbean
JOB DETAIL
OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)
Duty Station: Havana
Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]
Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]
Job Family: Culture
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 10-Sep-2023
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
BACKGROUND
The programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity was launched in 2020 by UNESCO, thanks to the support of the European Union, with the overall purpose to deepen cultural integration in the Caribbean and strengthen people‐to‐people cooperation and exchange in the region and with the European Union. The programme is expected to last until the end of 2024 and is implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture, in Havana (Cuba), with the support of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean (Jamaica), the UNESCO Port-au-Prince Office (Haiti), and the UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels (Belgium).
Beneficiaries include the following 17 Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, as well as Trinidad and Tobago.
The Programme aims at achieving two strategic objectives:
- supporting the professionalization of the cultural and creative sectors, through highly specialized capacity‐building provided by a Caribbean Cultural Training Hub, bringing together high‐level academic institutions from Cuba and the Caribbean.
- generating opportunities for socioeconomic development and cultural cooperation, through the development of a grants and incubators programme to foster entrepreneurship and innovation, the launching of twinning and joint actions for cultural exchange and cooperation and the promotion of regional sustainable tourism building on cultural heritage as well as the cultural and creative industries.
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
In particular, the programme component focused on scholarships and incubators is designed to significantly enhance capacities for the development of new cultural projects, self-employment, and the initiation or expansion of start-up initiatives. By facilitating beneficiaries’ access to new knowledge, markets, management models, and diverse funding sources, the Programme will enhance the development of innovative and entrepreneurial projects, as a pathway to generate new opportunities for socio-economic development in the Caribbean.
In this context, a Transcultura Business Angels Scheme is going to be implemented as an online mentoring from qualified mentors to young cultural professionals to orient their careers, adjust their strategy and/or face specific challenges. Upon request, young cultural and creative entrepreneurs will meet with an expert mentor in a short session (1 hour max) who can help them with a general or specific question. Each entrepreneur will have the opportunity to access a mentor up to a maximum of four times in a timeframe of 12 months.
It is against this background that the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently seeking to establishing an expert pool (roster) of mentors on cultural business creation and scaling up in the Caribbean.
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST:
Under the supervision of the Transcultura Programme Officer – Scholarship and Incubators, the international consultants will be requested to undertake the following activities:
1. Support the application process.
Mentors will assist the Transcultura team in receiving and processing participants´ applications and will provide direct responses to applicants to confirm acceptance and agree on suitable dates and times. The applications from potential participants will be received periodically throughout the implementation of the initiative.
2. Deliver mentoring sessions on demand:
Mentors will offer a comprehensive total of up to 100 hours of personalized online mentoring sessions within the designated implementation timeframe. Each session (1 hour max) will focus on addressing participants’ specific inquiries related to starting, growing, or overcoming challenges in their businesses. Furthermore, mentors will assist in developing the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve success in entrepreneurship.
The following key topics will be covered (but not limited):
– Business plan development
– Networking strategies
– Marketing / branding / communication techniques
– Fundraising strategies
3. Reporting and evaluation:
At the end of the initiative, mentors will deliver to UNESCO individual session reports for each participant, an endline report for each participant and a mentorship report on the scheme as a whole, based on a format to be provided by UNESCO.
Long Description
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• University Degree in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Culture, Anthropology, Communication and Media Studies, or any other field related to Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) entrepreneurship.
Work Experience
• Have a minimum of 5 years of experience in business development services, skills development, and employment promotion related projects within the CCIs sector.
• Have a minimum of 5 years of experience offering business mentorship, technical assistance, and entrepreneurship advice within the CCIs sector.
Skills and competencies
• Excellent communication skills with demonstrated competence in establishing good communication with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
• Knowledge of ethical and behavioural expectations, sound judgement, and high standards of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong ability to respond to challenging situations with creativity.
• Good knowledge of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Languages
• Fluency in one of the programme implementation languages (English, Spanish and French) is required.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Work Experience
• Have at least 5 years of proven experience working with youth within the CCIs sector in the Caribbean region.
• Specialised training/certification in a field related to the position.
• Experience with international and/or European entities, notably in the UN system.
Languages
• Knowledge of a second programme implementation language (English, French or Spanish).
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
All candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information.
In place of the Employment History Form, please upload the following documents as a single PDF document, or send them to: [email protected]
1. An updated detailed curriculum vitae
2. A Cover Letter including financial proposal, based on the job description described above. Kindly indicate your hourly fee.
Applications must reach UNESCO by 10th September 2023 (midnight, Paris time).
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.
Shortlisted experts will be considered whenever relevant opportunities arise. Shortlisted experts may be contacted directly using the email address provided in their application.
BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS
Shortlisted applicants will be on the roster for up to one (1) year.
Payments will be made on a lump sum basis at the end of the assignment, according to the delivered hours (up to 100 hours).
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