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The private sector is increasingly an agent of change and a valuable partner in implementing Sustainable Development Goals. Businesses have the potential to foster development through the provision of good and services. At the same time, they can create positive impacts on the environment or the community: they transfer skills, improve technology and innovation, generate jobs, and promote sustainable activities.
UNICEF engages actors in the private sector with the aim of scaling, accelerating and sustaining the achievement of the organization’s Goal Areas and deliver results for all children.
In line with its strategy, UNICEF launched a new consultancy project to map the private sector in six West and Central African countries: Burkina Faso, CAR, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Mauritania and Togo.
The project was awarded to GlobalCAD. In that frame the organization will map current corporate engagement activity among the largest and most relevant companies present in each of the countries. The final goal is to identify the ones with the largest potential for partnering with UNICEF.
The consultancy will provide insights to support the six Country Offices in developing a national corporate engagement strategy. Secondly, it will analyze the key economic sectors in the region, the main trends and practices of the private sector operating there, its business perceptions on UNICEF, opportunities for partnerships, and the best modalities to engage with business organizations.
GlobalCAD will thus follow a tailored approach for every Country Offices, assessing the main needs and identifying a number of services to give them solution. Key business sectors will therefore vary from country to country. Specific emphasis will be made in assessing companies working on environmental-friendly areas (solar energy, recycling waste, recycled plastic bricks, etc.).
This assignment complements the Private Sector Mappings in 13 Countries of West & Central Africa Region, developed by GlobalCAD for UNICEF WCARO last year. The current project will thus feed from the lessons learnt of the first set of private sector mappings. It will also reflect on the feedback received during the final regional workshop with UNICEF, that conveyed all senior officials from the region (Representatives, Deputy Representatives, Partnership specialists, etc.).
The assignment is expected to last four months, and will also finalize with a validation workshop with UNICEF and its stakeholders in mid-December.
