Digital Inclusion Consultant — International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) · Homebased · Remote
Job Description
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is looking for a roster — consultant with expertise in digital inclusion.
The consultant will support ITU's digital inclusion work, including research, programme activities, project implementation, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge development. The consultancy is particularly relevant to professionals working on ICT accessibility and digital inclusion for vulnerable or underserved groups.
The consultant will work under the guidance of the Head of the Digital Inclusion Service and alongside relevant ITU teams and regional focal points.
The work will vary according to the consultant's expertise and the requirements of individual assignments. It can involve technical advice, research, policy work, project support, training, stakeholder engagement, and events related to digital inclusion.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical advice on digital inclusion policies, strategies, programmes, and initiatives.
- Research and analyse digital inclusion issues affecting relevant target groups and regions.
- Develop research papers, briefing notes, case studies, policy inputs, and other knowledge products.
- Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of digital inclusion projects.
- Track progress, identify implementation risks, and recommend practical actions.
- Coordinate with partners, beneficiaries, ITU offices, and other stakeholders.
- Develop training materials, guidance documents, tools, and capacity-development resources.
- Support consultations, workshops, webinars, campaigns, and advocacy activities.
- Prepare event documentation, recommendations, lessons learned, and follow-up actions.
- Undertake other digital inclusion assignments relevant to the consultant's expertise.
Areas of Expertise
ITU is looking for expertise across areas such as:
- ICT accessibility.
- Digital inclusion policy and strategy.
- Women and girls.
- Youth.
- Persons with disabilities.
- Rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.
- Older persons.
- Regulatory measures related to digital inclusion.
- Emerging technologies, including AI, to advance digital inclusion.
- Inclusive digital societies and digital ecosystems.
Requirements
Education
A university degree in telecommunications, information technology, law, international development, business administration, or a related field is required.
An equivalent diploma from a reputable college of advanced education may also be accepted. An advanced degree is an advantage.
Experience
Candidates need at least 3 years of experience in digital inclusion, including ICT accessibility or work involving one or more vulnerable or underserved groups.
Experience in ICT policies, regulations, strategies, research, programme development, project activities, stakeholder engagement, or capacity development is desirable.
Knowledge of holistic and intersectional approaches to digital inclusion is an advantage. Familiarity with ITU's digital inclusion work is also considered an asset.
Languages
Advanced knowledge of English, French, or Spanish is required.
Knowledge of another official ITU language — Arabic, Chinese, or Russian — would be an advantage.
Key Competencies
ITU is seeking consultants with:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong drafting and storytelling abilities.
- Strong research, analysis, and synthesis skills.
- Good organizational and collaboration skills.
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to meet tight deadlines.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- A practical, diplomatic, and service-oriented approach.
- Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments.
- Flexibility, resilience, and a team-oriented mindset.
Salary and Benefits
The consultancy pays USD 160–USD 450 per working day.
The final daily rate will depend on the consultant's experience and the complexity of the assignment.
The vacancy notice does not specify a standard employee benefits package because this is a consultant roster rather than a conventional permanent staff position.
Application Close
31 December 2026 at midnight Geneva Time.
About ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for issues related to information and communication technologies.
This opportunity sits within the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). BDT works on development policies, strategies, programmes, projects, and technical cooperation aimed at expanding affordable, high-quality, and secure access to telecommunications and ICTs.
The Digital Knowledge Society Department (DKS) focuses on areas including ICT statistics, regulatory and market environments, innovation, accessibility, digital inclusion, youth participation, and gender-related issues.
Recruitment Process
Candidates must complete an online application and provide complete and accurate information.
The selection process may include tests or assessments and a competency-based interview. ITU may use video or teleconference, email, and other communication technologies during the assessment process.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates reaching the final selection stage may also undergo reference checks.
How to Apply
This is an ITU consultancy opportunity, not an AscendurePro vacancy. AscendurePro is publishing the opportunity to help professionals find relevant international career opportunities.
Applicants should apply through the official ITU careers website and verify the vacancy before submitting an application.
ITU also states that it does not charge candidates a fee at any stage of recruitment and that genuine recruitment communications come from @itu.int addresses.
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LIKELY QUESTIONS - How would you define digital inclusion in an ITU and international-development context, and how would you apply an intersectional approach? - Describe your experience advancing ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities. Which standards, principles, or practical measures have informed your work? - How would you assess the digital-inclusion needs of a specific underserved group, such as rural women, older persons, Indigenous communities, or youth? - What policy and regulatory measures can governments and regulators use to improve affordable, accessible, meaningful connectivity? - Tell us about a research or policy product you developed. How did you turn complex evidence into practical recommendations for decision-makers? - How would you design and monitor a digital-inclusion project across multiple countries or regions with different institutional capacities? - What are the key opportunities and risks of AI and other emerging technologies for digital inclusion, particularly for marginalized populations? - This is a roster consultancy with varied, potentially fast-moving assignments. How would you manage competing deadlines, remote stakeholders, and changing scopes while maintaining quality? BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS - Tell us about a time you brought together stakeholders with different priorities to advance an inclusion-related programme or policy. Model approach: Situation: Identify a multi-stakeholder initiative involving government, civil society, industry, disability organizations, or community representatives. Task: State your responsibility for building alignment and moving the work forward. Action: Explain how you mapped interests, ensured meaningful participation by affected groups, communicated in accessible formats, managed disagreement, and documented decisions. Result: Quantify the outcome where possible, such as an adopted strategy, funded pilot, improved partnership, or number of beneficiaries reached. - Describe a time when research or data changed your approach to a programme, policy recommendation, or project design. Model approach: Situation: Describe an initial assumption or proposed intervention related to access, affordability, accessibility, skills, safety, or usage. Task: Explain your role in gathering and interpreting evidence. Action: Outline your methodology, including disaggregated data and direct consultation with target groups, then show how you translated findings into a revised recommendation or design. Result: Share the resulting improvement, such as stronger targeting, better uptake, reduced barriers, or endorsement by decision-makers. - Give an example of delivering a high-quality output under a tight deadline and with incomplete information. Model approach: Situation: Set out the urgent assignment, such as a briefing note, donor report, workshop package, or policy input. Task: Clarify the required product, deadline, and stakes. Action: Describe how you prioritized essential evidence, validated key facts, consulted efficiently, flagged assumptions and risks, and created a clear review process. Result: State that the product was delivered on time and explain how it was used or what feedback it received. - Tell us about a time you identified an implementation risk in a project and took action to address it. Model approach: Situation: Describe a project at risk because of stakeholder disengagement, procurement delays, accessibility gaps, limited local capacity, connectivity constraints, or safeguarding concerns. Task: Explain your responsibility for monitoring delivery and protecting outcomes. Action: Detail how you identified the risk through indicators, field feedback, or partner check-ins; proposed realistic mitigation measures; assigned owners; and tracked follow-through. Result: Show the avoided delay, improved participation, course correction, or strengthened project sustainability. SMART QUESTIONS TO ASK - What types of assignments are most likely to be prioritized from this roster over the next 12 to 24 months, and which digital-inclusion themes have the greatest demand? - How does the Digital Inclusion Service ensure that persons from affected communities, including persons with disabilities and other underserved groups, meaningfully shape research and programme design? - What does success look like for a consultant in the first assignment: policy influence, quality of knowledge products, project-delivery milestones, capacity-building outcomes, or stakeholder engagement? - How do headquarters teams, regional offices, and country-level partners typically divide responsibilities during programme implementation? - What accessibility, inclusion, and safeguarding standards or quality-assurance processes does ITU expect consultants to apply to events, publications, training materials, and digital tools? RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR - Assignments have vague deliverables, unclear decision-making authority, or unrealistic timelines despite the expectation of rapid, high-quality outputs. - The team describes inclusion mainly as connectivity numbers, without discussing affordability, accessibility, meaningful use, digital skills, safety, local language, gender, disability, or community participation. - There is limited clarity on contracting terms, expected availability, payment timing, intellectual-property ownership, travel expectations, or how consultants are selected from the roster.
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Adjacent Career Paths
Roles you'd also qualify for based on this posting's requirements:
- ICT Accessibility Specialist — Direct experience with accessible digital technologies, standards, and disability inclusion closely matches the consultancy.
- Digital Inclusion Policy Advisor — The role aligns with developing inclusive ICT policies, strategies, regulatory inputs, and evidence-based recommendations.
- International Development Programme Consultant — Project design, implementation, monitoring, capacity building, and partner coordination transfer directly to this role.
- Digital Equity Researcher — Researching digital divides affecting underserved groups and producing policy-focused knowledge products is highly relevant.