Education Officer, NOA, TA Vacancy Job Ref: VACUNICEF1831-25
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
UNICEF’s core mission is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, and in everything the organization does—programmes, advocacy, and operations. The equity strategy, which targets the most disadvantaged and marginalized children and families, focuses on translating this commitment to children’s rights into action.
UNICEF understands equity to mean that all children can survive, develop and reach their full potential without discrimination, prejudice or favoritism. A child’s rights are violated when they are denied some or all of the opportunities to which they are legitimately entitled, in the social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions of life.
It is increasingly clear that investing in the health, education and protection of the most disadvantaged citizens—to address inequalities—will not only enable all children to reach their full potential, but will also contribute to the sustainable growth and stability of countries. This is why targeting inequalities is so important.
It helps accelerate progress towards the realization of the fundamental rights of all children, which is UNICEF’s universal mandate, as defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while promoting the equitable development of countries.
Côte d’Ivoire is located in a fragile sub-region, where ethnic, cultural and social ties transcend national borders, and the same is true for conflicts. Successive crises over the past twenty years have been responsible for several hundred thousand deaths, millions of displaced people and widespread economic underdevelopment in the sub-region.
This situation has been exacerbated today with the border countries in the North experiencing recurring changes of regime by force, attacks by violent extremists and other incursions by unidentified urban armed gangs, which further weakens the situation in Côte d’Ivoire in its northern part. Indeed, the northern regions have a high level of multiple deprivations of children’s rights linked to the lack of access to quality social services (health care, education, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection).
In its development vision, Côte d’Ivoire has chosen the development of human capital as one of its priorities. This is explained by axis 2 of the new National Development Plan (PND 2021-2025) which aims at “Developing human capital and improving its productivity”.
This desire is reaffirmed in the Education and Training Sector Plan (2016-2025), which commits to providing Côte d’Ivoire with quality and productive human resources through quality, equitable and inclusive education that is in line with the needs of the job market.
In order to enable Côte d’Ivoire to achieve this development vision and effectively respond to the fundamental rights of children, UNICEF, within the framework of the cooperation plan with Côte d’Ivoire (CPD 2021-2025), initiated programmatic and strategic changes, one of which aimed to refocus interventions where the most vulnerable children are, i.e.
(i) strengthen multisectoral convergence in the arc of vulnerability, (ii) strengthen area offices by increasing their capacities, by strengthening their roles and responsibilities in order to support the implementation of UNICEF programming with corresponding sectoral expertise, in accordance with priorities and KRCs.
In view of the many challenges of the education sector in the north of Côte d’Ivoire, marked by fragile borders and the need to have a quality and resilient education system, UNICEF has decided to strengthen its education staff in the Korhogo Sub-national Office by recruiting an Education Administrator, NOA.
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
The NOA Education Administrator is under the supervision of the NOB Education Administrator of the Korhogo Sub-National Office.
He/she provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process of educational programs/projects through the application of theoretical and technical skills in research, collection, analysis and presentation of technical information on programs while learning organizational rules, regulations and procedures to support the development and formulation of the education program within the Korhogo Sub-national Office.
The NOA Education Administrator will support all interventions relating to emergency preparedness and response in the Education sector.
III. SUMMARY OF KEY FUNCTIONS
The main functions performed by the Education Administrator, NOA, can be summarized as follows: Support to program development and planning Program management, monitoring and delivery of results Technical and operational support to program implementation Networking and partnership building Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
IV. KEY FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RELATED TASKS/ASSIGNMENTS
Support to program development and planning Carry out data collection and analysis at project sites for the purposes of situation analysis and periodic updating, planning and effective management of the education program with a focus on introducing new approaches to improve access to quality education in the northern and northeastern areas of the country, including vulnerable children;
Contribute to the preparation of technical reports and provide inputs to program preparation and documentation ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.
Provide technical and administrative support at all stages of programming processes by executing and administering various technical program transactions, preparing materials and documentation and adhering to organizational processes and management systems, to support program planning, results-based planning (RBM) and results monitoring and evaluation.
Prepare documentation and materials required to facilitate the program review and approval process. Program Management, Monitoring and Delivery of Results Work closely with internal colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues. Provide solutions on program implementation and submit reports to alert relevant managers and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision-making.
Maintain a record of reports and evaluations for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned. Participate in monitoring and evaluation missions, programme reviews and annual sector reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow-up actions by UNICEF officials and other stakeholders.
Monitor and report on the use of Education programme resources, verifying compliance of approved allocations with UNICEF rules and procedures, donor procedures and commitments, accountability and integrity standards; Contribute to the preparation of regular sector reports on programmes/projects to keep supervisors, donors and partners informed of programme progress. Participate in donor monitoring and evaluation missions to project sites.
Technical and operational support to programme implementation Conduct regular field visits and surveys and exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate action to address issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution.
Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems to act in a timely manner and achieve results. Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other partners/donors, at regional and local levels, on the application and understanding of UNICEF education policies, strategies, processes and best practices to support programme implementation.
Support regional and local education sector officials to identify their training and material/equipment needs to carry out their mission and share them with the national level; Support regional and local education stakeholders to propose distribution plans for supplies and materials provided by the programme and monitor their distribution to beneficiaries. Support the implementation of community mobilization and capacity building activities for the management of preschools
4. Networking and Partnership Building Build and maintain close working partnerships with government counterparts and stakeholders at regional and local levels through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate the implementation of the Education program and strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on education programs.
Participate in inter-agency programming meetings/events to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues and in the preparation of education programs/projects.
Prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fundraising and partnership development purposes. Write advocacy communication and information materials for the country office program to promote awareness, build partnerships and alliances and support fundraising for education programs.
5. Innovation, Knowledge Management and Capacity Building Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned for knowledge development and capacity building of stakeholders. Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable program results. Research and report on cutting-edge best practices in planning the development of knowledge products and systems.
Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to improve the skills of rights holders and stakeholders. Contribute to the promotion of quality basic education through awareness raising and dialogue at regional and local levels.
V. QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
A university degree (BAC+3 Bachelor’s degree) in one of the following fields is required:
Educational Sciences, Social Sciences or a related field. Experience: A minimum of 1 year of professional experience in planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of education programs is required. Experience working in a developing country and experience in emergency programs are considered assets.
Have good communication, analytical and negotiating skills with partners Have experience in capacity building of national, regional and local actors Have the ability to express ideas and concepts orally and in writing in as clear and concise a manner as possible.
Be able to maintain working relationships in a team spirit Have mastery of basic management software (Windows, Excel, Word) Language requirements: Fluency in French and a working knowledge of English are required.
VI. VALUES AND SKILLS AND LEVEL OF COMPETENCY REQUIRED
(based on UNICEF Professional Competency Profiles) Core Values Caring Respect Integrity Trust Responsibility Sustainability Core Competencies Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical conscience (1) Works collaboratively with others
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (1) Innovates and embraces change (1) Thinks and acts strategically (1) Drives for impactful results (1) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) Functional Competencies: Applying technical expertise (1) Following instructions and procedures (1) Analyzing (1) Planning and organizing
(2) Coping with challenges and pressure (I) VII. SKILLS Good analytical and negotiation skills. Ability to manage and monitor the effective use of resources. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relationships, both within and outside the organization.
A quick learner, adapts and responds to change, tolerates ambiguity. Ability to contribute to the formulation of strategies and policies. Good knowledge and understanding of UNICEF programmes, public procurement principles. UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children.
The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.
UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. Remarks:
UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to delivering the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates without any distinctions are encouraged to apply.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).
Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you must either be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.
All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include verification of academic credential(s) and employment history.
Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF.
UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced to the next stage of the selection process.
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