Deputy Representative, P-4, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

The Deputy Representative (DR) reports to the Country Office (CO) Representative for general supervision and direction. The DR provides strategic direction and coordination of effective engagement in social policy dialogue with Government, parliament, civil society, private sector and other partners, advocating for increased public resources towards child related policies and programmes and improved child rights realisation in the country. Coordinates the office knowledge generation and dissemination strategy. Ensures that equity and a gender equality perspective is mainstreamed in all aspects of substantive work across the country programme.

 If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Position
The Deputy Representative (DR) reports to the Country Office (CO) Representative for general supervision and direction. The DR provides strategic direction and coordination of effective engagement in social policy dialogue with Government, parliament, civil society, private sector and other partners, advocating for increased public resources towards child related policies and programmes and improved child rights realisation in the country. Coordinates the office knowledge generation and dissemination strategy. Ensures that equity and a gender equality perspective is mainstreamed in all aspects of substantive work across the country programme.

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks
Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be accountable for all or assigned areas of the following major duties and end results.

1.Rights-Based and Results-Based management approach
•Supports government authorities at all levels, parliament and civil society with expertise and partnerships and builds their capacity for developing policy, implementation and monitoring systems for child rights that are sustainable.
•Adopts a rights-based programmes approach in the formulation of programme goals and objectives, and in the development of strategies and implementation frameworks.
•Ensures the programming planning and design processes are built on a foundation of human rights, and bring coherence, synergy and added value to the national priorities; uses a results-based management approach to programme planning and design that contains a focus on equity and gender equality as well as strategies for systematically mainstreaming gender. 
•Prepares and submits viable recommendations for the implementation of demonstration project/models , alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the realisation of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on programme new initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives. 

2.Knowledge management and policy coordination
•Ensures that UNICEF provides relevant support to national partners so that useful valid, disaggregated and reliable information on the situation of children's and women's rights and reduction of equity gaps are available and used to inform national policies and programmes.
•Leads UNICEF's efforts in periodic and on-going situation analyses, identifying knowledge gaps and establishing partnerships to generate cutting edge equity-focused evidence data and analysis and links them to UNICEF's advocacy, partnership and expertise. 
•Evaluates and documents policy models that are in line with international standards and can be shared beyond borders.
•Ensures that the country programme supports national  reforms for children with sound knowledge management approaches, sharing and exchange of good practices.
•Participates in the Programme Knowledge Network system of  "lessons learned" and other agency-wide information exchanges.
•Ensures that a strategic plan of monitoring, evaluation and research, including performance monitoring of UNICEF supported national programmes, is developed jointly by the Country Office and national partners, and collaboration with the Regional Office.
•Ensures with national partners that UNICEF-supported evaluations are strategically selected (in consultation with the Representative) and conducted in accordance with UN quality norms and standards. Joint evaluations or country-led evaluations of national sector reform programmes as well as impact evaluations of pilots should be prioritized whenever possible.
•Ensures that evaluations conclusions and recommendations are discussed with all stakeholders, management response prepared and follow-up actions implemented.
•Ensures that evaluation results are systematically used to inform national programmes and relevant UNICEF support.

3.Policy and programmes development and dialogue
•Coordinates engagement of other senior programme staff with government and civil society counterparts, providing strategic leadership on policy direction, streamlining and coordination of major strategies and polices in line with UNICEF policies and MTSP priorities.
•Engages in and establishes constructive dialogue and partnerships between international and local stakeholders to support the development of policies and programmes contributing to the progressive realization of children's rights.
•Supports various partners by bringing top-level expertise, and advocates for reforms in the social sector, ensuring integrated cross-sectoral strategies and approaches.  Coordinates support to child rights-based reviews, normative frameworks and budgets.
•Collaborates with the central and local authorities, and supports efforts of programme staff, to strengthen public, private sectors and civil society's efforts in supporting community-based capacities on planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of social policies and programmes. Supports the strengthening of coordination between sectors and among different levels of government structures for policy implementation.

4.Programme development and management
•Provides overall guidance and direction for programme planning, implementation through on-going consultations and inter-sectoral coordination of activities. Formulates programme goals and objectives and develops strategies and implementation frameworks, including sound monitoring indicators.
•Coordinates preparation of the Country Programme Documents, and related documentation. Coordinates major programme evaluation exercises, annual/sector review meetings with government counterparts, prepares RWPs and annual programme status reports. Follows up, coordinating the implementation of the programme recommendation to ensure goals/objectives are met.
•Identifies critical cross-sectorial and sectorial interventions by administering a consistent and transparent management and monitoring system; analyses country level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for on-going programme and interventions.
•Monitors compliance and provides training, support and guidance to the programme team in order to meet objectives.  Prepares programme recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation. Prepares relevant programme reports required for management.
•Plans and monitors the overall allocation and disbursement of programme funds, making sure that funds are properly used. Takes appropriate actions to optimize use of programme funds. Ensures programme efficiency and delivery through a rigorous and transparent approach to programme planning, monitoring and evaluation.
•Ensures that the application of gender mainstreaming is integral to all work processes.
•Organises annual programme review and planning meetings with government counterparts. Ensures the timely preparation of annual programme reports. 

5.Partnership, coordination and collaboration
•Promotes the inclusion of children's issues and the requirements of relevant duty-bearers to meet their obligations in the realisation of children's rights in budgetary decisions, in poverty reduction strategies, in inter-sectorial approaches and programmes.  Collaborates with the communication team in developing strategies for communication for social change and social mobilization.
•Promotes partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including the UN and national partners, in order to improve their ability to collect and disseminate child-related data and knowledge on good practices and lessons learned and exchanges information on programme implementation, with focus on excluded and marginalised children. 
•Develops and maintains strategic and coordinated partnerships and collaboration with various stakeholders, including national and local governments, civil society, the corporate sector, the media and international partners to support the development and implementation of the country programme and on-going reforms for social inclusion in the country.
•Ensures guidance and coordination in provision of expertise, negotiation, advocacy and promotion of country and regional level goals. Strengthens the role of UNICEF as the key convenor on child rights.
•Maintains close collaboration with Regional Advisers and other appropriate UNICEF staff for effective overall guidance and coordination of programmes.
•Liaise with other country offices to identify opportunities for mutual learning, exchange and cooperation for children.

6. Optimum use of programme resources
•Oversees programme work plans and monitors progress and compliance. Approves and monitors the overall allocation and disbursement of programme resources, making sure that funds are available by appropriate and effective fundraising, properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated, and staff resources are optimally used and managed.
•Takes appropriate actions to optimize use of programme funds. Ensures programme efficiency and delivery through a rigorous and transparent approach to programme planning, monitoring and evaluation. Assesses country programme effectiveness in achieving thematic/cross-cutting and sectoral goals.
•Supervises staff responsible for tracking programme financial inputs and outputs. Provides guidance to the programme staff and sets priorities as needed. 
•Ensures the accurate and timely input of programme information in VISION and issuance of status reports for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

7. Acts on behalf of the Representative of the Country Office during his/her absence
• Represents UNICEF in meetings with high-level and senior government officials as well as multi-lateral, bi-lateral agencies and NGOs to conduct programme advocacy and negotiations, identify strategic alliances and influence policy development to facilitate achievement of programme goals and objectives. Participates in international/national meetings and workshops.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate
• An Advanced University Degree in public health, social sciences, international relations, government and public relations, public or social policy, sociology or other related fields is required.
• Eight years of relevant work experience that combines technical and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, some of which served in middle-income countries, including solid experience in planning and management of a medium-size country programme, resource management, monitoring and evaluation and fostering cross-sectoral cooperation.
• Thorough understanding of UNICEF programme policies, goals, strategies and approaches.
• A proven track record in successful policy advice to and advocacy with governments and other partners in similar country contexts leading to improved policies and programmes.
• Strong leadership, inter-personal and teamwork skills as well as demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
• Relevant professional experience in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Fluency in English and excellent professional writing skills are required. Knowledge of another UN language and/or the local language of the duty station is considered an asset.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values
• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies
• Communication (II)
• Working with People (II)
• Drive for Results (II)

Functional Competencies
• Formulating strategies/concepts (II)
• Analyzing (II)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and initiating action (II)
• Persuading and influencing (II)
• Leading and supervising (II)

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

Remarks:
This is an extension of the deadline for applications to expand upon the candidate pool for this post. Previous applicants need not re-apply as their original application remains under consideration.