Education Specialist (Peacebuilding/System Strengthening), P-3, Bangui CAR #88992

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

Under the supervision of the Chief of Education, P4, the incumbent is accountable for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of Education programme(s) to ensure overall efficiency and effectiveness of the programme management, delivery and accomplishment of programme goals and objectives. Across the Education programme(s), S/he is also accountable for identifying inequalities in education, and for developing innovative approaches and programmes to eliminating these inequalities.  Also collaborates across the programme(s) to ensure peacebuilding mainstreaming. S/he ensures that monitoring mechanisms are in place to track progress towards disparity reduction goals and targets in education while promoting intersectoral partnerships in order to ensure that progress benefits education and other programmes, in particular Health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation.

S/he assures strong collaboration at the national level and promotes an equity and rights-based perspective in education donor collaboration and national education up stream policy development. S/He ensures the alignment of national education objectives, policy dialogue and sector partnerships with defined programme strategies and approaches, capitalizing on the experiences gained over the years to influence national policy and strategy development.  S/he contributes to synergizing the work of United Nations agencies in education related Sustainable Development Goals including in humanitarian actions, working closely with the Education Cluster within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). 

Key Expected Results

1. Timely sectoral analysis, input, support and collaboration to the Situation Analysis and its periodic update for effective programme planning, development and management, in a gender-specific framework. Partnership with the stakeholders, including recognized institutions strengthened to further understanding of barriers to and opportunities for advancing the three priorities themes (the “3Es”) – Equal access to quality education and universal primary completion, Empowerment through girls’ education through peacebuilding and gender mainstreaming, Emergencies and post-crisis education cluster interventions.

2. Knowledge management effectively promoted through drafting/finalizing key education sectoral programme documents and reports, sharing good practice, lessons learned, and knowledge/information exchange. With partnerships and collaborative relationships with priority stakeholders, capitalizing on the know-how and network of recognized institutions.

3. Rights-based Education programming effectively promoted, and coherence, synergy and value added to programme management process through results-based management. Core partnerships as well as other high value partnerships on specific issues and themes and/or regional priorities such as peacebuilding, education and HIV, abolition of school fee are efficiently developed in order to formulate common advocacy positions, develop policy guidance and influence allocation of resources on behalf of education.

4. Sectoral work plan and activities formulated, implemented and monitored, ensuring alignment with the defined programme strategies and approaches, and gender mainstreaming across programmes. UNICEF contribution reflected as part of the coordinated support of external partners to national efforts to achieve the education related SDGs.

5. Programme delivery, evaluation and reporting carried out efficiently and transparently in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.

6. UNICEF’s global goals effectively promoted through advocacy and policy dialogue in the Education Sector.

7. Proper and timely UNICEF and Government accountability ensured regarding supply and non-supply assistance as well as disbursement of programme funds for the Education sector. Ensure that core partnerships in education – such as Global Partnership for Education, The United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI), Education Cannot Wait and Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Education Cluster for Education in Emergencies – are enhanced in order to accelerate progress in achieving the education related SDGs.

8. Effective communication and networking achieved through partnership and collaboration, focusing on the three priorities themes (the “3Es“) and two cross-cutting areas – Early Childhood Development and school readiness, and enhancing quality in primary and secondary education –which reflect UNICEF comparative advantage and expectation that donors and partners have on UNICEF’s ability to help the country to achieve the education related SDGs.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

1. Education

Advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to the following areas:

Education; Primary Education, Economics or a Social Sciences fields relevant to international development assistance.

2. Work Experience

• Five years of progressively professional work experience at national and international levels in field programs relevant to Education programmes. Experience working in the UN or other international development organization.
• Experience in national level development assistance is an asset.
• Experience with addressing gender disparities and conflict risks in the education sector is an asset.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency.

3. Language

Fluency in English and French is required.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

1. Core Values

• Commitment 
• •  Diversity and Inclusion 
• •  Integrity    

2. Core Competencies

• Communication  [ II ] 
• Working with People   [ II ]      
• Drive for Results   [ II ]  

3. Functional Competencies

• Leading and Supervising    [ I ]                      
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts [ II ]
• Analyzing   [ III] 
• Relating and Networking [ II ]
• Deciding and Initiating Action [ II ]
• Applying Technical Expertise [ III ]

To view our competency framework, please click here.

Remarks

* The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receiving an offer.

* Please note that Bangui is a non-family duty station.

Employment is conditional upon receipt of medical clearance, any clearance required, the grant of a visa, and completion of any other pre-employment criteria that UNICEF may establish. Candidates may not be further considered or offers of employment may be withdrawn if these conditions are unlikely to be met before the date for commencement of service