Programme Officer ( Social Policy), NOB, Kathmandu, Nepal, Temporary Appointment ( 364 days) - Open only for Nepalese Nationals

The post of Programme Officer ( Social Policy) at NOB level is a temporary appointment post for 364 days based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, 

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the Social Policy officer is accountable for providing technical support and assistance in all stages of social policy programming and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) the social protection system to make it child sensitive, resilient (shock responsive) and inclusive ensuring better coverage and impact on children (b); the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (c) 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.

How can you make a difference?

. Improving the social protection system making it child sensitive, resilient (shock responsive) and inclusive ensuring better coverage and impact on children

Supports the development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention the most marginalized. Identifies, generates and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.

Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on social protection coverage and impact on children, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.

Supports strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.

Supports improved projects implementation monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results. 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 to reduce child poverty.

2. Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development

Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effect of social welfare policies on the rights of children.

3. Improving use of public financial resources for children

Undertakes 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 children.  Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.

Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.

Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation.

4. 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.

5.  Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy

Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy programme 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 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.  UNICEF Programme Management

Helps manage and coordinate technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and governance ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.

Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social planning project enhances 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 an advocate for every child you will have…

1. Education

• A university (Bachelor's) degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

  2. Work Experience 

•  

  • A minimum of four years of relevant professional experience is required.
  • Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.
  • Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as a strong asset.
  3. Language Proficiency

  Fluency in English and Nepali language is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

For every Child, you demonstrate:

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

The competencies required for this post are:

1. 1. Core Values (Required)

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity
  
  
  2. Core Competencies (Required)
• Communication
• Working with people
• Drive for results
  
  
  3. Functional Competencies (Required)
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Analyzing
• Applying Technical Expertise
• Learning & Researching
• Planning & Organizing

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

 Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.