UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, hope
The position will be based in Gao, which is an emergency setting in the North of Mali, and therefore will have an important element of Education in Emergency. The incumbent will focus on the Central and North regions covering education needs and support the rest of the country on access and ECD whenever possible. The position has a strong coordination element since it will support the programme officers in the Central and North region in the implementation of their activities, ensure grant management of the relevant funding sources and coordinate resource mobilization and information flow for the specified regions.
How can you make a difference?
This position of Education Specialist, P3, # 85200 was recently transferred from Bamako to Gao Field Office, which is an emergency setting in the North of Mali, and therefore will have an important element of Education in Emergency. The incumbent will focus on the Central and North regions covering education needs and support the rest of the country on access and ECD whenever possible. The position has a strong coordination element since it will support the programme officers in the Central and North region in the implementation of their activities, ensure grant management of the relevant funding sources and coordinate resource mobilization and information flow for the specified regions. The incumbent of this position will :
- Support to programme development and planning :
- Support the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis for the education programmes to ensure that current and comprehensive data on education issues is available to guide UNICEF’s strategic policy, advocacy, intervention and development efforts on education programmes ;
- Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine national priorities to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results ;
- Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programmes/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
- 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 programmes ;
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results ;
- Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals ;
- Actively monitor programmes/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.
- Technical and operational support to programme 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 programme management, implementation and delivery of results ;
- Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely and appropriate support throughout the programming process.
- Networking and partnership building :
- Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund raising for education programmes ;
- Participate and/or 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 programmes/projects ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF process in development planning and agenda setting.
- 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 programme 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 programmes and projects. Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on education and related programmes/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 ;
- * First University degree with 2 additional years relevant professional experience may be considered ;
- A minimum of five years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required ;
- Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset ;
- Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset ;
- Fluency in French and English is required (written and oral).Knowledge of another official UN language is considered as an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The functional competencies required for this post are…
- Analyzing (3) ;
- Deciding and Initiating action (2) ;
- Applying technical expertise (3).
The Core Competencies required for this post are…
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1) ;
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2) ;
- Works Collaboratively with others (2) ;
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2) ;
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2) ;
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2) ;
- Drives to achieve impactful results (2) ;
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2).
View our competency framework at : UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks :
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.