Education Cluster Coordinator, NO-4, Khartoum, Sudan

On behalf of the IASC Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan and UNICEF (as the lead agency for the IASC Education cluster), and in collaboration with the State Authorities, the main purpose of the Education Cluster Coordinator post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent, strategic, and effective Education response in Sudan by a mobilized and adequately resourced group of agencies, organizations, NGOs, local communities etc. The incumbent is to assists the Government of Sudan and state authorities in Education cluster visioning, strategy formulation and the articulation of a 'Road Map' to provide adequate Education responses to emergency-affected populations.

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, www.unicef.org/sudan

Sudan is a huge country, more than four times the size of Sweden and the third largest in Africa—even after South Sudan was carved out in 2011. Sudan has a lot of land and resources, a population of 40 million and a history that predates the Nubian kingdoms established along the Nile River around 4,000 BC.

Sudan’s children make up half of the total population, and the past two decades have seen their lives improve. Fewer boys and girls are dying before their fifth birthday. Primary school attendance is increasing. Immunization coverage is high and the country remains polio free.

Still, millions of children continue to suffer from chronic conflict, from seasonal natural disasters and disease outbreaks, from under-investment in basic social services. Sudan ranks as one of the worst in the world for malnutrition, and three million of its school aged children are not in the classroom.

How can you make a difference?

On behalf of the IASC Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan and UNICEF (as the lead agency for the IASC Education cluster), and in collaboration with the State Authorities, the main purpose of the Education Cluster Coordinator post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, coherent, strategic, and effective Education response in Sudan by a mobilized and adequately resourced group of agencies, organizations, NGOs, local communities etc. The incumbent is to assists the Government of Sudan and state authorities in Education cluster visioning, strategy formulation and the articulation of a 'Road Map' to provide adequate Education responses to emergency-affected populations.

KEY END-RESULTS

1. Inclusion of key humanitarian partners

• • Ensure inclusion of key Education humanitarian partners in a way that respects their mandates and programme priorities including OIC, ICRC, UN, INGOs, LNGOs, Government, Civil society.
  • Act as focal point for inquiries on the Education cluster's response plans and operations.

2. Establishment and maintenance of appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms at National level and at State level:

• • Ensure appropriate coordination between all Education humanitarian partners (national and international NGOs, the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, etc), through establishment/maintenance of appropriate Education Cluster/sector coordination mechanisms, including working groups at the National, and State levels
  • Promote Education emergency response actions while at the same time considering Education within recovery and development planning through close interaction with the Education Section. Ensure inter-cluster and programme response planning with other Clusters/sector groups specifically in the areas of WASH, CP, health, nutrition, and other key sectors as appropriate.
  • Represent the interests of the Education Cluster/sector in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator, OCHA, Inter Sector Working Group, and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy

3. Coordination with national/local authorities, State institutions, local civil society and other actors

• • Ensure that Education humanitarian responses build on local capacities
  • Ensure appropriate links with national and local authorities, State institutions, local civil society and other relevant actors (e.g. peacekeeping forces) and ensure appropriate coordination and information exchange with them
  • Strengthen Government Capacity to support and co-chair cluster coordination mechanisms in the Khartoum and at the Stale Level.

4. Attention to priority cross-cutting issues

• • Ensure integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues in Education assessments, analysis, planning, monitoring and response (e.g. age, diversity, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights)
  • Ensure effective and coherent Education assessment and analysis, involving all relevant partners.

5. Planning and strategy development

• • Developing/updating agreed Education response strategies and action plans and ensuring that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies, such as the HPC, HNO and SRP, Contingency plans, and in the broader UNDAF as appropriate.
  • Drawing lessons learned from past Education activities, revising strategies and action plans accordingly
  • Developing an exit, or transition, strategy for the Education interventions and key Cluster/sector partners.

6. Application of standards

• • Ensure that Education cluster/sector participants are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government/concerned authorities have undertaken under international human rights law
  • Ensure that Education responses are in line with existing policy guidance, technical standards, and relevant Government human rights legal obligations.
  • Ensure all agreed upon guidelines at country level are followed and adhered to in all Education response.

7. Monitoring and reporting

• • Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place (with OCHA and UNHCR support) to review impact of Education interventions and progress against implementation plans including monitoring indicators (quantity, quality, coverage, continuity and cost.  Target population data including desegregation by sex, age etc. of service delivery
  • Ensure adequate Education impact reporting and effective information sharing (with OCHA and UNHCR support) to demonstrate the closing of gaps
  • Ensure the cluster adapts verification, monitoring, reporting and evaluation tools with innovations as appropriate such as mobile technology, third party monitoring, pictures, etc.
  • Ensure that the cluster evaluates own performance on a regular basis and ensure corrective actions hence improved cluster coordination and response.

8. Advocacy and resource mobilization

• • Identify core Education advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the HC, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, Government, and other actors
  • Act as the media spokesperson for the cluster/sector highlighting the key issues, concerns and achievements within the cluster/sector to the outside world
  • Advocate for donors to fund Education actors to carry out priority Education activities in the sector concerned, while at the same time encouraging actors to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
  • Produce and publish a quarterly Education cluster bulletin and other regular reports as tools to show onward progress on the cluster response in relation to the workplan/response plan.

9. Training and capacity building

• • Promote and support training of Education humanitarian personnel in areas such as Minimum Standards for Emergency Education and capacity building of humanitarian partners, based on the mapping and understanding of available capacity
  • Support efforts to strengthen the Education capacity of the national/local authorities and civil society Build capacity of the cluster/sector partners in Education in Emergencies, cluster coordination, transformative agenda in order to effectively understand the cluster roles and responsibilities as well as be able to fully support cluster functions

10. Accountability to Affected Populations

• • Ensuring that mechanisms, agreed upon by cluster partners are in place to consult and involve affected populations in decision-making about programme implementation
  • Ensure that there is a system for community/ beneficiary complaints and a proper investigation mechanism is in place and actions drawn in a transparent manner.

ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primarily, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.

1. Rights-Based Programme with Results-Based Approach.

Promote the quality of rights-based Education programme and programmes through participation in the formulation of programme/project goals, strategies and approaches for the sector. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to programme management processes using a results-based management approach to planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

2. UNICEF and Government Accountability.

Advocate for due attention and support to be given to environmental and sustainable development issues (pertaining to Education) in all sectors and line ministries. Ensure adequate attention is given to Disaster Risk Management, including emergency preparedness.

3. Communication, Collaboration, Networking and Partnership.

Collaborate with Communication and Programme Communication groups to ensure development of effective communication materials and strategies to support advocacy and social mobilization efforts. Overall coordination with Global and HQ Clusters. Collaborate with other sectors to ensure the integration of the project/sectoral programme with other sectors.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
  
  
• A minimum of [insert years] of relevant professional experience in 
  
  
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
  
  
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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.

This position is classified as “rotational” which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty,

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