Consultancy: UNICEF.ORG Quality Assurance Support – (36 months, remote based) – GCA, NYHQ – Requisition # 571207

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. 

For every child, a chance 

Within the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (GCA), the Digital Strategy Section (DSS) manages all global digital channels and digital communications for UNICEF, including unicef.org in 5 UN languages, global social media channels, and digital multimedia content creation. 

The Section is also responsible for the build, management, and maintenance of the unicef.org web platform, as well as providing support to Country, Regional, and HQ Offices to maximize their use of the platform in their communications activities. The unicef.org web platform stands for a web ecosystem of public-facing communication websites built on the common underlying infrastructure and powered by the Drupal Content Management System (CMS), with the main function of enabling authoring, publishing, and delivering content to UNICEF targeted audiences. The section coordinates the implementation of the unicef.org platform using agile and scrum methodology.

How can you make a difference? 

The platform development is organized into releases and sprints. Each release consists of three sprints, each taking two weeks to execute (ten working days). At the end of each release, new features, changes, improvements, and bug fixes are pushed to unicef.org sites. It is critical that platform updates are thoroughly tested to avoid code regressions that could lead to the instability and inaccessibility of the unicef.org sites and disruptions in using the CMS by 900+ UNICEF staff.

Expected Results (Measurable Results):

Under the supervision of the Digital Communication Specialist (Product Owner and Product Management Lead), the consultant will be responsible for the following release activities throughout this 36-month contract:

• Perform unicef.org platform related quality assurance activities
  • Perform testing and user acceptance of new platform features.
  • Perform release sanity checks and release post-deployment spot checks.

Description of the Assignment:

You will be part of a team that will perform release realted quality assurance activities to ensure uninterrupted operation of the platform’s CMS and continuous availability of the UNICEF websites. The testing will require use of the Drupal CMS to perform actions as prescribed in the test cases. Those actions may include managing content and administering site configuration using the CMS backend interface. You will be required to identify and report defects, inconsistencies, and usability issues in a structured format using the project management tools such as Trello and Microsoft Visual Studio.

Reporting Requirements:

• All deliverables should be presented to the contract supervisor for review and approval by an agreed-upon date. Specific deliverables, as indicated, will require review by other subject matter experts (SMEs), to be defined by the contract supervisor at commencement of work on the respective deliverable. These SMEs, and the contract supervisor, will be given the opportunity to provide up to two rounds of feedback to be incorporated into the final deliverable.

Duty Station

• Remote-based.

Timeframe

• Estimated Start date: 15 May 2024             Estimated End date: 15 May 2027

Deliverables

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or related field is required.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of three years of experience in the manual testing of Drupal CMS (or any other enterprise grade CMS) and applications.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.

Other:

• Proficiency in executing test plans and test cases with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy is required.
• Good knowledge of Drupal CMS (or any other enterprise CMS) architecture and functionality is required.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to juggle competing priorities, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

 

APPLICATION GUIDANCE

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING (incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration)

1. Fully completed FINANCIAL PROPOSAL FORM  Financial Proposal Form – Updated 10 April 2023.xlsx

2. Fully completed TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FORM  Copy of Technical Proposal Form – Updated 10 April 2023.xlsx

3. Fully completed applicant online applicant profile

4. Cover letter

5. Resume

Assessment Criteria (applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria):

Each Proposal will be evaluated against a weight allocation of 80% for the technical proposals and 20% for the commercial proposal. The total maximum obtainable is 100 points. The minimum acceptable technical score is 50.

 

HEALTH INSURANCE

The Consultant is fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the Contract as he or she considers appropriate. The Consultant is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

IMPORTANT – G4 Visa is only valid if the consultant will reside within the tri-state area during the duration of the assignment. It is illegal to apply and obtain a visa for consultants who do not intend to reside within the tri-state area during the duration of the consultancy assignment.

FEE

Requests for services under an individual contract requires that the consultant indicates their all- inclusive fees (including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable) for the services to be provided.

When submitting their bid, the consultant is also advised to take into consideration as part of their bid for the assignment the cost of health insurance and/or photographic, video-graphic equipment if such equipment is needed to complete the deliverables of the assignment.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

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.