Job no: 561775
Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment
Duty Station: Mazar-I-Sharif
Level: NO-3
Location: Afghanistan
Categories: Education
UNICEF operates in some of the most challenging regions worldwide, striving to assist underprivileged children globally. Their aim is to safeguard their lives, protect their rights, and support them in unlocking their full potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
Purpose for the job: As an Education Specialist, I work closely with the Chief or Education Manager to develop and prepare educational programs. My responsibilities include managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the progress of education projects within the country program. I provide technical guidance and management support to ensure successful program administration and achievement of results that improve learning outcomes and promote equitable and inclusive education for marginalized, disadvantaged, and excluded children.
How can you make a difference?
- Support to program development and planning
- Assist in preparing, designing, and updating the situation analysis for education programs to provide UNICEF with up-to-date and comprehensive data on education issues. This will guide the organization’s strategic policy, advocacy, intervention, and development efforts for education programs.
- Assist the supervisor in establishing priorities, strategies, and plans for design and implementation. Stay up-to-date with current trends in order to improve program management, efficiency, and delivery.
- Join the strategic discussions on education program planning, and contribute your ideas. Create, develop, and draft program proposals aligned with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Country Programme, and in harmony with the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), regional strategies, national priorities, plans, and competencies.
- Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies, and implementation plans for the sector using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentation for program review and approval.
- Collaborate closely and work in partnership with internal colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies. Together, determine national priorities to ensure the attainment of tangible and lasting outcomes.
- Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of programs/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
2. Programme management, monitoring, and delivery of results
- Plan and collaborate with internal colleagues and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, and other UNICEF/UN system indicators to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence, and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector on education programs.
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews, and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
- Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths, and weaknesses in program management.
- Identify lessons learned and use the knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
- Actively monitor programs/projects through field visits and surveys, and exchange information with stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
- Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative, and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations/procedures, donor commitments, accountability standards, and integrity, ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
3. Technical and operational support to program implementation
- Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and country office partners, and donors on interpretation, application, and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices and approaches on education and related issues to support program management, implementation and delivery of results.
- Arrange/coordinate the availability of technical experts with the Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely and appropriate support throughout the programming process.
- Participate in education program meetings including program development and contingency planning to provide technical and operational information, advice, and support.
- Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic program materials for management use.
4. Networking and partnership building
- Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, donors, and academia through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise, and reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on education programs.
- Prepare communication and information materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fundraising for education programs.
- Participate and represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions on education and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF planning and preparation of programs/projects ensuring managerial position, interests, and priorities are fully considered and integrated into the UNDAF process in development planning and agenda setting.
5. Innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building
- Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable program results.
- Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in education management. Assess, institutionalize, and share best practices and knowledge learned.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programs and projects.
- Organize and implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results in education and related programs/projects.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology, or another relevant technical field.
- Alternatively, a bachelor’s Degree with an additional 2 years of experience.
- A minimum of five years of experience working in the Education sector.
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness(3)Drive to achieve results for impact(4)Innovates and embraces change(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity(6)Thinks and acts strategically(7)Works collaboratively with others (8) competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people)
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
At UNICEF, we uphold a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any behavior that goes against the goals and values of the United Nations and UNICEF, such as sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination, or abuse of authority. Our top priority is to ensure the protection and safety of all children. To maintain this commitment, all potential candidates will undergo thorough background and reference checks and must pledge to uphold these high standards and principles. We will verify all academic credentials and employment history during the investigation, and some candidates may need to provide further details to complete the process.
Remarks:
UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Before joining UNICEF, it’s important to note that medical clearance is a requirement. Additionally, UNICEF will facilitate the issuance of a visa from the host country for IP positions. Inoculation against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid) is also necessary. Government employees who wish to work for UNICEF are usually required to resign from their current government job. If a visa or medical clearance is not obtained or the necessary inoculations are not completed within a reasonable time frame, UNICEF may withdraw the offer of employment without compensation.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Advertised: 08 May 2023 Afghanistan Standard Time
Deadline: 22 May 2023 Afghanistan Standard Time
Apply Now || For more information please visit the official website
