Social Policy Specialist, NO-C level, Jayapura, Indonesia (National Post)

UNICEF Indonesia is looking for a Social Policy Specialist who will be accountable for supporting social policy engagement of the UNICEF Country Office and Field Offices in Eastern Indonesia. S/he will advise on the articulation of social protection policies and strategies, with an emphasis on universal child grants and universal birth registration. This position opens for Indonesian Only.

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,   Social Policy

Indonesia’s steadily growing economy is leaving many children behind. More than half of all children grow up in households with less than IDR 25,000 per person per day. Children’s possibilities to develop their full potential can vary dramatically depending on their families’ wealth or where they live.

For more information, visit the UNICEF Indonesia Country Office website: https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the incumbent will be accountable for supporting social policy engagement of the UNICEF Country Office and Field Offices in Eastern Indonesia. S/he will advise on the articulation of social protection policies and strategies, with an emphasis on universal child grants and universal birth registration.  

The key responsibilities include:

1. Social policy dialogue and programme development

Participates in social policy dialogue and development with the Government, engages in and establishes constructive dialogue and partnerships between international and local stakeholders to support the development of social protection policies and programmes contributing to the progressive realization of children’s rights and strengthening of implementation and monitoring mechanisms at all levels of society, and ensures that the services reach out in innovative, effective ways to those most vulnerable pockets of children and families that have been previously left out.              

2. Monitoring state budget resources

Monitors and updates current information on state budgeting and spending patterns for social programmes and decentralization status of social services on an on-going basis to support advocacy for greater public resources and budget allocation for social development, the prioritization of resource allocation for children, and universal coverage of social protection for children, to reflect the best interest of children.

3. Sustainable decentralization and capacity building

Where the national decentralization process is taking place, collaborates with the central and local authorities to assist in planning, policy discussion and service delivery closely responding to the needs of local communities.

Provides on-going support in making decentralization sustainable through adequate local support while keeping decentralized services both accessible and effective.

Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen community-based capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of social policy and programmes.

Develops programme plans of action for children at provincial and district/municipality levels; strengthens coordination between sectors and between different levels of government structures for policy implementation.

4.  Advocacy and communication

Promotes and raises awareness on children’s rights with both the general public and with policy makers, utilizing effective information dissemination, mass media campaign, special events, and other means, to ensure local buy-in, commitment, and continued relevance of UNICEF programming.  Highlight interventions to attain social policy goals which are designed to reduce gender inequalities.

5. Partnerships

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 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.

6.  Data collection, analysis and results-based approach

Collects systematically qualitative data for the sound and up-to-date assessment of the situation of children and women to provide the base-lines for result-based decisions on interventions and evaluations.  Develops information systems for monitoring child rights indicators, with emphasis on community and child participation.

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 initiatives.  Support maintenance of information system for monitoring gender/sex disaggregated data. 

Identifies, documents and synthesizes effective strategies for improving child well-being and reducing disparities in different settings across Eastern Indonesia. Provides cross-sectoral support to modelling and proof of concept in Eastern Indonesia for scale-up.

7.  UNICEF Programme Management

Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme.

Ensures, particularly in the areas of social protection and birth registration, enhanced policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

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

• Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Social Policy, Economics, Development Planning, or a related technical field.
• Five years of relevant professional work experience.
• Field work experience.  
• Background/familiarity with Emergencies an advantage.
• Fluency in English and Bahasa Indonesia is a must.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.