Digital Impact Specialist – Foundations and Guardrails

This assignment is part of UNICEF Asia Pacific’s Regional Office (APRO) Digital Impact section. The role will provide Regional Office (RO) oversight, technical assurance and coordinated support for Digital Foundations and Guardrails across UNICEF Country Offices (COs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Working in close collaboration with UNICEF’s Digital Impact Division (DID), the role will support the consistent application of UNICEF’s global technology standards, architecture, cybersecurity and digital risk requirements, while responding to Country Office needs and regional priorities.

a. Support Regional Digital Foundations and Guardrails
In collaboration with Headquarters (HQ), Country Offices (COs) and relevant regional teams, the Digital Impact Specialist will contribute to strengthening secure, resilient and scalable digital foundations across the region, in alignment with UNICEF’s Digital Impact Strategy, enterprise architecture, technology standards and cybersecurity requirements.

Key activities include :

• Support the regional implementation and adoption of cloud-based and cloud-native services, unified communications, modern workplace technologies and next-generation network infrastructure to improve reliability, scalability, interoperability and secure access across COs.
• Liaise with global and regional Digital Impact teams in COs to support alignment of Country Office digital architectures, infrastructure and services with UNICEF enterprise architecture, cloud modernization and technology standards.
• Provide technical guidance and coordination to COs in the implementation of UNICEF’s Global Cyber Resilience Initiative (GCRI) and related cybersecurity, information security and digital risk-management measures.
• Assess and consolidate Country Office requirements for ICT, cloud, data and AI infrastructure, platforms and related digital services for both operations and programme delivery and facilitate access through regional Long-Term Arrangements (LTAs), global contracts, HQ services or other appropriate mechanisms.
• Provide technical assurance for digital solutions and services to ensure that relevant requirements relating to cybersecurity, privacy, data protection, interoperability, accessibility, resilience, scalability and sustainability are considered throughout their lifecycle.
• Support Regional and Country Office Supply teams in establishing or using regional and local LTAs and other contracting mechanisms for ICT products, digital services and technology-related programme requirements.

b. Strengthen Regional Digital Governance, Coordination, Capacity and Partnerships
The Digital Impact Specialist will support effective governance, coordination and capacity development for Digital Impact across the region and contribute to coherent implementation of UNICEF global standards, policies and good practices.

Key activities include :

• Coordinate and contribute to regional technical capacity-building initiatives in areas including digital foundations, cybersecurity, data governance, responsible use of emerging technologies, enterprise platforms and digital service delivery.
• Contribute to the TeamOne approach for strengthening the capabilities of Digital Impact personnel across the region, working closely with HQ, Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE) and other regional technical teams to identify learning needs, develop resources and facilitate knowledge exchange.
• Provide technical review and assurance for business-process automation solutions developed or procured by Country Offices and the Regional Office to ensure compliance with UNICEF requirements for cybersecurity, privacy, data management, access control, maintainability and enterprise technology standards.
• Provide technical guidance and governance support for digital fundraising platforms and channels in the region, particularly in relation to solution architecture, data management, privacy, cybersecurity and integration with UNICEF enterprise systems.
• Prepare, coordinate and present relevant regional digital initiatives to UNICEF governance and oversight mechanisms, including the Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) forum, and support follow-up on recommendations and decisions.
• Represent in Digital Impact/ICT in relevant regional inter-agency mechanisms, technical working groups and coordination forums, and contribute to common UN digital initiatives where appropriate.
• Facilitate communities of practice, knowledge exchange and peer support among Country Offices, helping identify common requirements, reusable solutions, lessons learned and opportunities for regional collaboration.
• Maintain and develop their own knowledge and professional capability across enterprise technology, cybersecurity, cloud services, data and AI, digital public infrastructure and other relevant areas, through continuous professional development, professional networks, training and relevant certification

c. Support the Design, Implementation and Management of Digital and Data Solutions
The Digital Impact Specialist will provide technical support to the Regional Office and Country Offices in the assessment, design, implementation, operation and improvement of digital and data solutions for programme and operational needs.

Key activities include :
(i) Business process automation and analytics
• Work with Regional Office sections, including Operations, Human Resources, Supply, Programme COEs [JH5.1][JH5.2][JH5.3]and other teams, to analyse business requirements and identify opportunities for appropriate process improvement and automation.
• Design, develop, implement and maintain business applications, workflows and analytics solutions within UNICEF’s approved enterprise environment, including Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Power Automate, Power Apps and Power BI, in accordance with organizational architecture, security and data-governance standards.
(ii) Digital solution architecture and technical advisory support
• Provide technical advice and assurance to Regional and Country Office teams on the design and review of ICT, Technology for Development(T4D)[NP6.1], digital, data and technology interventions, including requirements analysis, solution architecture, integration, interoperability, hosting, data management, cybersecurity, accessibility, scalability and sustainability.
• Support Country Office Digital Impact teams, programme sections and other relevant stakeholders to define technical requirements, assess solution options and identify technically viable, secure, scalable and sustainable approaches, including engagement with government counterparts and implementing partners where appropriate.
• Promote the reuse of existing UNICEF and UN platforms, Digital Public Goods and other suitable solutions before the development or procurement of new bespoke solutions, taking account of UNICEF enterprise architecture, technology standards and programme requirements.
(iii) Enterprise and programme platforms
• Support adoption and effective use of UNICEF-led, endorsed or enterprise platforms used across the region, including, as relevant, RapidPro, InForm/ODK, HOPE, UNICARE, Learning Passport and other global or regional digital services.
• Help Country Offices troubleshoot common technical or operational issues, coordinate vendor support where applicable, identify systemic issues affecting multiple offices, and consolidate and escalate matters to HQ product and platform teams as required.
• Support lifecycle management of regional digital services, including adoption, configuration, user support, vendor coordination, upgrades, documentation, risk management and transition or decommissioning where required.
(iv) Web and online services
• Coordinate or provide technical oversight for the development, maintenance and improvement of websites, microsites and other online services where regional support is required, ensuring alignment with UNICEF standards for security, accessibility, branding, privacy and content management.
(v) Knowledge management and collaboration platforms
• Support Regional Office knowledge-management focal points in administering and maintaining intranet, SharePoint and collaboration environments, including Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Microsoft 365, Teams and related platforms.
• Support appropriate user-access, permissions and information-management arrangements and provide knowledge transfer, guidance and end-user training on relevant knowledge-management and collaboration tools.
(vi) Regional solution coordination and procurement support
• Identify recurring digital and ICT requirements across Country Offices and work with Supply, HQ and technical teams to develop common specifications, procurement approaches, LTAs or shared services where these can improve quality, efficiency, interoperability and value for money. Document and disseminate technical guidance, solution patterns, lessons learned and reusable resources that enable Country Offices to implement digital solutions consistently and efficiently across the region.