ICT Associate

Mission and objectivesThe fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children are given opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination or, bias. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. Therefore, the focus on equity and inclusion is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. The Zimbabwe Vision 2030 is “working towards building a new Zimbabwe, a country with a thriving and open economy, capable of creating opportunities for investors and employment” .

ContextThe Zimbabwe Vision 2030 is “working towards building a new Zimbabwe, a country with a thriving and open economy, capable of creating opportunities for investors and employment” . Section 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013 provides that every citizen has a right to a basic state-funded education, including adult basic education, which means the basic education is supposed to be free to the user. The Education Amendment Act 2020 made landmark provisions based on the Constitution of Zimbabwe on the provision of State-funded basic education, retention in schools of girls who fall pregnant, abolition of corporal punishment and provision of sanitary wear to maximize girls’ attendance and participation. All this is in synchronize with Sustainable Development Goal 4 that seeks to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all” as well as SGD 5 that seeks to achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls\". Overall, adolescent boys and girls in Zimbabwe are greatly challenged but the challenges are more compounded for girls, and these reduce their option in life and clearly in education. Problems faced by them include among other things, child marriages; where according to MICS (MICS, 2019) 1 in 3 (34%) women aged 20-24 were first married or in union before age 18; early pregnancies; lack of correct knowledge and resources to manage menstruation with dignity, limited access to comprehensive SRH information and services, gender based physical and sexual violence and sexual exploitation. A key concern is the issue of teen pregnancies resulting in at least 6000 girls dropping out of school each year. Data further shows that the highest proportions of male and female secondary school learners (45.59 percent, 26.99 percent, respectively) drop out of school on financial grounds. Data further shows that overall, the second major reason for girls’ dropout in both primary and secondary is marriage (17.14% and 11.63%) respectively. Learners with special needs, especially girls, are also dropping out of school thus increasing their vulnerability. In 2021, a total of 4.6% g and 0.96% girls with special needs dropped out of primary and secondary school respectively. To ensure that no-one is left behind, the Zimbabwe education system provides for non-formal education. Non-formal education is not only for those who dropout, but it also provides a second chance education to children, youth and adults who have not been able to start school. This is a huge opportunity for girls and boys who drop out of school. EMIS 2021 data suggests that there are more girls than boys that enroll for non-formal education, which could be an indication that this is more flexible for learners who dropout especially due to pregnancy as they have an added role of being a mother. For primary level non-formal education there are 53 200 (21 290 males, 31 910 females) learners who were enrolled, and the total number of learners enrolled in non-formal education (NFE) at secondary level of education is 32 419 (14 434 males, 17 985 females).

Task DescriptionUnder the guidance and general supervision of the T4D Officer (NOB), the ICT Associate supports on-going and new ICT/T4D projects and provides user support to ZCO staff. Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the T4D Officer NO-2 or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV ICT Associate will: Summary of key functions/accountabilities: • Provide first-level support that includes receiving, logging, and processing service requests • Manage the lifecycle of ICT incidents assigned to him/her in the service management tool • Participate in any upgrade or maintenance (proactive or troubleshooting) of the Meraki LAN/WAN infrastructure • Collaborate with ZCO Asset Manager in maintaining ICT equipment inventory in order • Support Teams/Cloud Telephony deployment, maintenance and billing • Provide support in conferencing with ICT and audiovisual equipment as and when requested • Provide support on Sharepoint/Cloud platforms • Participate in Office process simplification and automation projects, including Power Automate, Power Apps, Sharepoint lists, etc. • Participate in all Global rollouts of UNICEF systems • Participate in ongoing T4D and Innovation projects, including tech support for community engagement platforms (uReport, Internet of Good Things, et.) • Support data collection campaigns (uReport, ODK Central, etc.) and data visualisation (Power BI) • Support BCP-related activities • Any other duty assigned within the ICT context Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: As an active UNICEF Zimbabwe team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF Zimbabwe colleagues and visitors in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:  Assist in Installing/upgrading, configuring (routine, standard) and maintaining systems, tools, and equipment  Assisting in routine ICT operations  Providing first-level user support/troubleshooting  Providing on-the-job orientation for users in the use of ICT systems/platforms A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed

Competencies and values• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness • Works Collaboratively with others • Builds and Maintains Partnerships • Innovates and Embraces Change • Thinks and Acts Strategically • Drive to achieve impactful results • Manages ambiguity and complexity

Living conditions and remarksAs this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.