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Programme Officer (Gender and Social Policy), NOB, TA, Islamabad (For Pakistan Nationals Only)

Islamabad

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Islamabad
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Political Affairs
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Social Affairs
    • Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
    • Social and Economic Policy
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

There are two key aspects to this role. Firstly, the Programme Officer (Gender and Social Policy) will offer technical support and assistance in all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child, a fair chance

How can you make a difference? 

There are two key aspects to this role. Firstly, the Programme Officer (Gender and Social Policy) will offer technical support and assistance in all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c)  the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the  quality, equity and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV. 

In addition, there is a strong gender component to the role.  In alignment with the GAP, the role of the Programme Officer (Gender and Social Policy) is primarily technical and programmatic. The Officer provides technical guidance/operational support throughout all stages of programming to facilitate the management and delivery of results contributing to gender equality in alignment with the Gender Action Plan. S/he works to Gender and Development Specialist to support the development, implementation, and monitoring of high quality gender programming/projects across sectors in alignment with the Gender Action Plan. S/he 1) supports Gender and Development Specialist to advance one or more of the four Targeted Gender Priorities in the Gender Action Plan. S/he also plays a role in working with one or more of the 6 UNICEF sections in Pakistan to prioritize  ey gender results within the sector(s) with a strong gender relevance; 2) supports cross-sectional collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence in delivery of results; 3) works with programme colleagues and management so that gender results are effectively defined, measured, and reported, and high quality assessment, research, evidence generation and evaluation on gender programming is supporting, including through the application of the MoRES framework; 4) Supports effective review, assessment, planning, capacity building, and knowledge management on gender; 5) and supports the assessment and identification of gender needs for emergency preparedness and response. 

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

  1. Improving and supporting analysis of data on child poverty & vulnerability, gender and increased use for policy and programme action. 
  • Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on social policy and gender, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making. 
  • Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy and gender and development initiatives to reduce child poverty. 
  1. Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for girls and boys: 
  • Supports the development of social protection policies and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on girls and boys, with special attention to the most marginalized. Identifies, generates and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners. 
  • Supports improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes, and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results. 
  1. Improving use of public financial resources for children 
  • Supports budget analysis to inform UNICEF's advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for girls and boys
  • Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.  
  1. Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services. 
  • Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of local communities. 
  • Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of essential social services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability and the need for gender-disaggregated data. 
  1. Strengthened  advocacy and partnerships for child- and gender-sensitive social policy 
  • Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of girls and boys in Pakistan and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy and gender and development programmes and the country programme overall. 
  • Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, international commitments to women and girls' empowerment and gender equality; and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals. 
  • Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family. 
  1. UNICEF Programme Management: 
  • Coordinates technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and gender and development; ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery.
  • Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the gender and social policy programmes. Ensures that projects enhance policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the gender and social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems. Incorporates sound gender indicators and measures in programme/project and policy initiatives, proposals, and advocacy efforts. 
  • Supports indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and the Targeted Gender Priorities, in collaboration with Planning, M&E and planning section and sectoral teams. Supports coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results. 
  • Supports the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on gender results. 
  • Supports high quality reporting on gender results, and a biannual performance review of GAP specified results. Works closely with evaluation colleagues to effectively integrate data collection, tracking, analysis and reporting on the indicators for the GAP into programme results and gender performance benchmarks into M&E systems.  
  • Leads the gender and social policy components of the reporting of routine country-level programme expenditures in gender and social policy, including the annual reporting and the RAM. 
  1. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building 
  • Supports documentation and sharing of the country-level experience in gender programming and lessons learned, which will be shared with internal network and external partners and utilized for South-South cooperation. 
  • Brings best practice in gender programming and measurement to the attention of sectoral colleagues. 
  • Supports innovative research of Gender and Development Specialist and Chief, Social Policy 

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

A university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Gender and Development, International Relations, Political Science, or other relevant disciplines is required.

Experience:

Minimum of two years of relevant professional work experience is required. 

Pakistan work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered a strong asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our Core Values

  • Commitment
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Integrity

Core competencies

  • Communication
  • Working with People
  • Drive for Results

Technical Knowledge  

  • Technical programmatic or research skills in gender or social policy
  • Proven rigor in programme/project design skills relevant to gender or social policy
  • Knowledge and understanding of country gender equality or social policy issues, specifically relating to children and women

Functional Competencies

  • Formulating strategies and concepts (I)
  • Analyzing (I)
  • Relating and Networking (II)
  • Applying Technical Skills (I)
  • Planning & Organizing (II)
  • Learning & Researching (II)
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to write succinctly and clearly
  • Ability to generate new ideas, approaches or insights and shape solutions to problems
  • Proven ability to build rapport with individuals and groups internally and externally 

To view our competency framework, please click here

Interested in finding out more?  


You will have a rewarding experience working with a dynamic, diverse and committed staff who are making a difference in saving lives and building a better future for Every Child in Syria. Meet some of our brave staff in Syria: "I've always wanted to contribute in making this world a better place for children
  

For more details on UNICEF in the Syrian Arabic Republic please visit: 
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syria.html 
 
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. 

Note: NOTE:

HEC Attested degrees are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF. During the recruitment process candidates may be required to present HEC attested degrees.

This vacancy is now closed.
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