Title: Long Term Agreement (LTA) for Engagement of Individual Consultants for Strategic Advisory Services On Undersea Cable Economics for Connectivity
Duty Station: Remote-based with some mission travels to Geneva, Barcelona and countries working with Giga
Duration of LTA: Two years with the possibility of extension for one more year (max. 3 years)
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
The Office of Innovation (OoI) is a critical driver of UNICEF’s mission, leveraging expertise and resources from across the organization and its partners to address key challenges facing children worldwide. By continuously ideating, testing, and scaling the most impactful solutions, the OoI plays a pivotal role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals related to children.
Giga (giga.global), an initiative launched in 2019 as a joint effort between UNICEF and ITU (itu.int), seeks to connect every school in the world to the internet, thereby addressing the growing digital divide. With over 75 years of experience in delivering emergency assistance, technical advice, and building systems in health, education, and child protection, UNICEF, through Giga, aims to provide children with access to information, opportunity, and choice. The initiative not only focuses on connectivity but also uses schools as community hubs, creating broader economic and social opportunities.
The Giga team (https://giga.global/about-us/) has experience and background in building technology products, finance and investment, design, and infrastructure. It’s a global team, with two “centres of gravity” (in Barcelona, Spain and Geneva, Switzerland) with many team members located around the world.
Giga works across three main areas: Mapping, Finance, and Market Influence and Procurement. The Country Engagement Team supports the initiation and implementation of all three areas of Giga’s support in countries. The Mapping team maps schools and their connectivity, creating a real-time display of access and need on Project Connect (https://projectconnect.unicef.org/map). The Finance team works to create the financing (grant, loan, and investment) for connectivity. The Market Influence and Procurement team works closely with UNICEF Supply Division to support governments through public procurement processes for contracting sustainable, high quality and affordable school connectivity. There are also cross-cutting teams that support on communications, partnerships, staff wellbeing, and operations.
The team functions similar to a tech start-up, but within the United Nations. We aim to have agility and flexibility in how we work and to be driven by real-time data about what we are doing. We also work within the political and global framework of the UN, which means that we can collaborate with policy makers and regulators, governments, civil society, and of course, most closely with our 135 country offices, in everything we do.
You can read more about Giga’s work at https://giga.global/ and by following us on twitter @Gigaglobal
Undersea cables are a critical component of global internet infrastructure, connecting continents and facilitating international data transmission. These cables are particularly vital in ensuring that remote regions, such as many parts of Africa, can access global networks at affordable rates. However, the high costs of undersea cable deployment and maintenance, combined with regulatory barriers, can pose significant challenges for expanding connectivity to underserved areas.
As Giga aims to connect every school in the world to the Internet, understanding the economics and regulatory environment surrounding undersea cable infrastructure is essential. This role will focus on providing strategic insights into the financial models, investment strategies, and market dynamics related to undersea cables. By advising Giga on the economic aspects of undersea cable deployment and supporting partnerships with cable operators, this consultancy will help ensure that Giga’s connectivity goals are achieved efficiently and sustainably.
This Long-Term Agreement (LTA) aims to provide Giga with ongoing strategic advisory services focused on the economics and regulation of undersea cable infrastructure. The consultant will support Giga’s mission to connect schools globally, especially in regions where undersea cables are critical to expanding connectivity.
The consultant will be called upon for specific tasks as needed under the LTA. These tasks will include:
Economic and Market Analysis:
Regulatory and Policy Support:
Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement:
Reports and Presentations:
Task-Based Strategic Support:
You must access the full Term of Reference (ToRs) and read a more detailed description of the assignment in this file to prepare your financial proposal and learn more about the role: ToRs Undersea Cable Economics.pdf
The consultant supervisor will be determined at the contracting stage.
Remote-based, with some mission travels to Geneva, Barcelona, and countries working with Giga, which will be determined at the contracting stage.
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
Core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1), Work Collaboratively with others (1), Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1), Innovates and Embraces Change (1), Thinks and Acts Strategically (1), Drive to achieve impactful results (1), Manages ambiguity and complexity (1). Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
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.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.