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 fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life – in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions – her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens – addressing inequity – not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. Therefore, the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Basic education in Guinea is characterized by low access levels, disparities according to outcome and place of living as well as a low level of teaching and learning. In this context, the spread of the COVID-19 is worsening an already bad situation. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all educational institutions (from pre-school to higher education) have been closed since the third week of March 2020. There is still no indication of the possible date of reopening of educational institutions in the country. This further reduces the learning time of students already affected by the long and frequent strikes of teachers. The spreading of the COVID-19 outbreak in Guinea-Bissau is leading to a significant interruption of the physical, economic and social life of people in the country. A better capacity of the country to detect and assemble an effective response could limit the spread of the infection and significantly reduce its impact. In this sense Guinea Bissau has requested and obtained a financial support from the GPE to reduce the negative impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the education system through the implementation of a cross-sectoral project designed for the purpose. The role of the incumbent of the Programme Specialist position is to assist the government and its partners in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the project.
Click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Guinea Bissau : https://www.unicef.org/guineabissau
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Chief Education, the Programme Specialist will work with the program sections to assist the Ministry of Education and civil society partners in implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the GPE-supported COVID-response and recovery plan for the period from October 2020 to December 2021.
Key responsibilities :
A. Programme development and planning :
- Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing/administering a variety of technical, program, operational and administrative transactions, preparing related materials/documentations and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support program planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating results ;
- Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external colleagues and partners to discuss operational and implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
B. Programme management, coordination and monitoring and quality control of results :
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, COVID-project reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programs/projects and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of management ;
- Monitor and report on the use of the GPE contribution to the education program resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution ;
- Conduct regular program field visits and surveys and/or exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support, take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results ;
- Draft communication and information materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for education programs. Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices on education and related issues to support program implementation, operations and delivery of results.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree in one the following fields is required : Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or another relevant technical field ;
- *A university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree ;
- Five years of relevant professional experience is required. A background or familiarity with emergency is considered as an asset ;
- Fluency in Portuguese and English or French is required. Knowledge of Creole 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 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).
The functional competencies required for this post are Analyzing (2) and Persuading and Influencing (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.
Internal candidates may be given preference over external candidates. The term “Internal” refers to all personnel with an ongoing employment relationship with UNICEF, including staff members on a continuing, fixed term and temporary appointment, individual contractors and full-time time-based consultants, and UNV.