UNHCR ICT Strategy Development

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve forced displacement problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

Promoting the social and economic self-reliance of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons is a key component of UNHCR’s work, both in displacement situations, and in areas of return and reintegration. UNHCR promotes self-reliance by implementing projects that directly protect and enhance the livelihoods of displaced populations and host communities. Such projects include small business development, entrepreneurship, micro-finance, skills and vocational training, employment services, food security including; agricultural production, livestock, and/or fisheries.

Within the livelihoods framework, UNHCR’s Community Technology Access (CTA) programme is being implemented as a global programme, managed from the Livelihood unit at UNHCR HQ. The programme objectives are ensures access to computers and connectivity to UNHCR’s persons of concern, in order to provide IT skills, certified education courses, non-formal education and distance learning, to further improve employment opportunities.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The purpose of the consultancy is to assist UNHCR in improving the sustainability of the CTA model and enhance the impact of the CTA programme on the educational and livelihood opportunities of its users.

Specific objectives are:

To define an actionable, results-based strategy for the next phase of the CTA programme.

To develop and put in place management tools and other measures for efficient and sustainable management of the CTA programme, including the various centers.

To consolidate best practices of ICTs and the use of innovative technologies and develop a menu of userfriendly technologies from which excisting CTAs can draw information on potential programmes for education and livelihoods promotion, including entrepreneurship, business development, vocational skills and employment.

Qualification and Experience of Consultant (degree required, years of experience, field of expertise, language required):

• A post graduate in business development, adult learning, education, social sciences, economics, ICTs for development, or other development / humanitarian related studies;
• 7-10 years of experience in designing programmes and projects, leading and conducting research, managing educational and training projects using communications technology, especially in early recovery, post-conflict, or forced displacement context;
• Proven experience in ICT-related projects; skills-development, training, education and livelihoods projects, including distance-learning;
• Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches.
• Broad knowledge of key actors involved in developing policies and programmes related to livelihoods: International and Non-governmental organizations, research institutes.
• Strong communication and individual organizational skills.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong working knowledge in another language (French, or Spanish, or Arabic) is highly desirable.
• Women are encouraged to apply.

How to apply:

Please send full Curriculum Vitae including nationality and references, and a cover letter to: hqliveli@unhcr.org