Smart Villages Consultant - Pakistan

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION  

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems. 

ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.

Smart Villages Consultant - Pakistan 

 Vacancy notice no: 2438 
Sector: BDT
Department: Regional Offices
Country of contract: Remote
Duty station: Home Based

 Position number: [[positionNumber]] 
Grade: [[PositionGrade]] 
Type of contract: Consultant
Duration of contract: 15 months - 20 working days per month
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 27 October 2026

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT

The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for the organization and coordination of the work of the Telecommunication Development Sector of the Union. BDT deals mainly with development policies, strategies, programming, projects, as well as technical cooperation activities to enable and foster universal access to affordable, high-quality and secure telecommunications/ICTs and Foster equitable and inclusive use of telecommunications/ICTs to empower people and societies for sustainable development. To effectively and efficiently serve the needs of Member States, BDT is organized into four functional areas:

• Operations Coordination Department (Office of the Deputy to the Director) (DDR)
• Projects, Partnerships & Digital Skills Department (PPS) 
• Digital Networks & Environment Department (DNE) 
• Digital Knowledge Society Department (DKS)

The regional offices provide assistance to the ITU Member States of the Region, ensuring a close relationship and collaboration. To implement the agreed programs and projects, in accordance with the ITU Strategy Plan and the BDT Action Plan, with the active support of all Departments, providing timely information about their development. To provide proper line management and support, the Regional Directors report to the Director of the BDT.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Smart Villages and Smart Islands (SVSI) initiative is transforming rural and remote communities by improving livelihoods and well-being through enhanced access to digitally enabled services. The initiative addresses socio economic challenges at the community level through a whole of government approach, user centric design, emerging technologies, cross sector collaboration, and the principle of leaving no one behind.
The SVSI framework is built around four core solution components that may be applied individually or in combination, according to local needs: (a) improving broadband connectivity, (ii) making broadband affordable, (iii) strengthening digital literacy and skills, and (iv) enabling access to digital services. SVSI projects and programmes have been implemented across the Asia Pacific region, including in Pakistan, demonstrating the potential of community level digital transformation to address structural socio economic challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
In Pakistan, ITU, in collaboration with Huawei Technologies and the Ministry of Information Technology (IT) and Telecom has completed the implementation of the Smart Village Pakistan pilot project under the broader Smart Village Pakistan programme. The pilot introduced the smart village concept in three villages nationwide.
As part of the further scale-up, ITU is implementing the project “Scaling up of Smart Villages in Pakistan” together with the Islamic Development Bank and the Ministry of IT and Telecom.  This new phase will strengthen existing Smart Villages, support the potential development of an additional Smart Village, and expand access to connectivity, digital skills, and essential services. Through a whole-of-government approach, the initiative will continue to improve opportunities for learning, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and community resilience in underserved areas of Pakistan.
Within this context, ITU is seeking a consultant to support the implementation and enhancement of Smart Villages Pakistan, including assistance with partnership development and resource mobilization.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under the overall guidance of the ITU Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, the supervision of the Project Manager, and in close collaboration with the other concerned ITU staff Members, the consultant will provide efficient and effective coordination towards the project objectives to meet the Project KPIs.
The consultant will perform the following activities:

• Coordinate and manage the implementation of the Smart Village Pakistan programme in close collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Pakistan, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), connectivity providers, service providers, local communities, ITU experts, and other relevant stakeholders in the identified village(s), including by developing and updating project work plan.
• Write and collate various reports such as workshop reports, meeting reports and make presentations in internal and external meetings as required.
• Prepare documentation related to the recruitment of experts and procurement requests and carry out follow-ups as required.
• Contribute to and provide technical feedback on village-level assessments and studies, while coordinating with international and regional experts.
• Provide support to establish and formalize the National Steering Committee and community-level local task forces.
• Coordinate community engagements, digital skills activities, and enable access to priority digital services targeting vulnerable populations, including women, youth and persons with disabilities.

CONCRETE DELIVERABLES

• Monthly reports including the details as required mentioned in the Terms of Reference.
• Quarterly, half-yearly and other project reports as necessary.
• Presentations and other project deliverables as required under the project.
• Updated project webpage.
• Submission of the Final report.

Copyright will be exclusively vested with ITU. 

COMPETENCIES

• Strong written documentation and reporting skills.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to initiate and maintain good working relations with officials at all levels and maintain effective liaison with related services.
• Proficient knowledge in project management and implementing digital transformation / Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) projects.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Education: 

University degree in sciences, arts, public policy, mathematics, engineering, data, information systems, information management, social science, computer sciences, computer engineering, economics, business administration, or a related field OR education from a reputed college of advanced education, with a diploma of equivalent standard to that of a university degree in one of the fields above. An advanced degree or doctorate would be an advantage.

Experience: 

At least five (5) years of experience including in the field of ICTs and project management.

Languages: 

Knowledge of English and Urdu at advanced level

REMUNERATION INFORMATION

USD 250 per working day. 

INFORMATION ON RECRUITMENT PROCESS   

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the ITU career website. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. ITU uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Messages originating from a non ITU e-mail account - @itu.int - should be disregarded. ITU does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.