The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development.

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

  Digital economies: 

UNCDF manages initiatives to develop inclusive digital finance ecosystems which offer a wide range of financial services especially for low-income vulnerable communities. Specifically, UNCDF provides a mix of policy, technical and financial support to a range of government and private sector actors in each country, as well as invests in research and other public goods to benefit all market actors. By supporting the development of digital finance ecosystems in these countries, UNCDF aims to increase the financial security of low income and rural households through access to appropriate, affordable and secure means to receive, manage and save money.

Recently, UNCDF has formulated its strategy ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. The vision of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the SDGs. UNCDF will apply a market development approach and continuously seek to address underlying market dysfunctions. For more information, please see: https://www.uncdf.org/article/4567/uncdf-launches-digital-economy-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era

Silicon Zanzibar:

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has been operating in Tanzania for the past 40 years contributing to different financial inclusion initiatives, enhancing local government alternative sources of funds to finance local infrastructure, and expanding its scope to support inclusive economic digital transformation. Recently, UNCDF has been engaging with stakeholders on the Silicon Zanzibar initiative in line with UNCDF's strategy to ensure "No one is left behind in the digital era."

Silicon Zanzibar is a public-private initiative to attract tech companies and workers from across Africa and beyond to Zanzibar. This initiative is being led by the Zanzibar Ministry of Investment & Economic Development and the Ministry of Tourism alongside Wasoko, a leading African tech company and CPS, a real estate developer (Fumba Town). Silicon Zanzibar aims to transform Zanzibar into a leading hub for Pan-African tech companies. 

Zanzibar has a unique opportunity to work with the tech companies, understand the type of skills required and upgrade its current training facilities and curricula to meet these demands.  In return, the tech companies will be a source of employment for youth and  a source of world-class training for IT-skilled youth that would allow them to be employable in Zanzibar and beyond.  This type of program truly prepares youth for employment in the digital age which will result in a spillover positive economic effect on both the Island and the country  accelerating Tanzania’s digital transformation.

UNCDF seeks to engage a researcher/consultant to draft and design a strategy for a future program to equip IT-skilled youth in Zanzibar to meet the talent demands of national and international technology firms. The program will aim to leverage off  and strengthen existing training and skilling programs/resources in order to build pathways through which Zanzibari youth can attain employable digital skills that are industry driven and marketable.

Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for the following:

Supply side:

1. Conduct a mapping and analysis of the Zanzibar digital innovation ecosystem, its stakeholders and training/educational resources available in Unguja.
2. Identify existing higher educational institutions and/or programs both private and public offering technical IT training (segmented according to foundational and advanced level training)
3. Segment IT trainings received at higher educational institutions according to topics and content.
4. Map and assess quality and availability of human and physical IT training resources (trainers, experts and IT equipped training centers)
5. Based on a sample of IT graduates, assess IT skill competencies, skills and knowledge of graduates of Zanzibari technical trainings; identify skill gaps; identify constraints faced by youth (cost, access, language etc..).
6. Identify existing IT learning platforms targeting African youth and map according to content, cost and length of training.
7. Identify private and public stakeholders relevant to higher level IT skill development, any ongoing, complementary initiatives, potential opportunities; map relationships among the stakeholders and key decision-makers.
8. Highlight enabling attributes or potentially constraining regulations that could hinder program implementation
9. Identify opportunities and challenges to bring regional and international skill-building agencies, organizations and companies to the Zanzibar market to support digital upskilling

Demand side:

1. Identify and map potential public and private sector employers of IT-skilled graduates
2. Identify and map digital core competencies required by potential employers; demand and salary range of IT-related competencies.
3. Identify apprenticeship/fellowship/internship opportunities that could be provided by employers.
4. Identify opportunities at the regional and global levels for skills outsourcing (exporting skills to mainland and internationally)

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant/firm will work with UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economies Team in Tanzania. The consultant will be managed by UNCDF Tanzania IDE’s Country Lead.

Outputs and deliverables will be reviewed and approved by Tanzania IDE Country Lead. All costs needed to achieve the deliverables set forth in this TOR are to be included in the financial proposals from the applicant/bidding entity (transport and travel, professional fees, software, hardware, communication, consumables, etc.)  

To ensure that content delivered can be published on the UNCDF website, design and form of outputs and deliverables will be advised by the Communications Analyst.

Key Performance Indicators and Service Level

• A kick-off meeting will be conducted at the beginning of the project to agree on the minimum standard of services acceptable. UNCDF must be informed and be part of decision-making if there are any deviations from the sampling protocol, tool change or any other augmentation.
• At least two progress meetings will be required per phase. The first meeting will be to discuss the planning and the second meeting will be to approve the deliverables.
• Monitoring of progress shall be measured both per the activities of the contractor as well as the performance of the UNCDF partners involved in the project.
• The contractor will be asked to organize progress calls with UNCDF bi-weekly.
• Payments will be linked to the approval of deliverables. Should a deliverable not meet the standard agreed, UNCDF will withhold payment and discuss remedial actions with the contractor.

 Duration of the Work

The expected duration of the assignment is 4 months. The activities are expected to be completed by July 30, 2023.

Duty Station

This is a home-based consultancy.

Facilities to be provided by UNCDF

• No facilities will be provided by UNCDF
• All costs needed to achieve the deliverables set forth in this RFP are to be included in the financial proposals from the applicant/bidding entity (transport, professional fees, software, hardware, communication, consumables, stakeholder events, etc.)

Requirements of the Successful Consultant

• Successfully conducted similar research previously.
• Experience drafting strategies and/or program proposals.
• Experience engaging with public and private sector and performing focused group discussions
• Previous experience working in Zanzibar
• Experience providing analyses based on findings and proposing a way forward.
• Existing relationships with various government stakeholders in Zanzibar
• Understanding of technology-based private sector in Tanzania (including Zanzibar)
• Technical understanding of IT-related competencies and their application within technology firms
• Understanding of how private and public educational institutions in Zanzibar function

Competencies

• Minimum 2 years of experience in doing qualitative research and program design
• Minimum 2 years of experience in IT-related sector or IT-related educational sector
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Kiswahili languages

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in development studies, economics, communications, arts and/ or social sciences, education, or equivalent in work experience.