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For every child, a future
Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and here.
How can you make a difference?
Purpose for the job:
Under the guidance and general supervision of the Chief, Education (Level 4), the Specialist leads the overall management and implementation of education interventions related to strengthened data systems and governance mechanisms both within UNICEF and the Government.
The Government of Sierra Leone has identified Delivering the Foundations of Learning for All as the priority reform that will be achieved through education system transformation in the country. The transformation will be done by addressing bottlenecks and working collaboratively with all stakeholders, partners, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and other donors. This will be supported by the approved GPE financing for three grants System Capacity Grant (SCG), System Transformation Grant (STG), and GPE Multiplier Grant amounting to USD 50 million. UNICEF is the Grant Agent for all the three grants. One critical focus of the grant is on building on strengthened data systems and governance mechanisms, including the commitment to at least 20% of the government’s discretionary budget spent on education. More specifically, data and data-innovation, data dashboards will be used to generate actionable data for use by relevant stakeholders and enable evidence-based policy and system strengthening towards the priority reform of foundational learning,
The Specialist will work to strengthen national systems for evidence-based planning, management and delivery of education services and will contribute to the achievement of results according to plans, allocation of funding, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework. The Specialist will provide technical support in the establishment and roll out of education monitoring tools, inclusive of data, in collaboration with the other education output leads and other stakeholders, to collectively track progress of the UNICEF Education Programme towards the Education Sector Plan (2022-2026), the SDGs and other international commitments for children. The Specialist will support the development of national capacities for education system’s strengthening, for data strengthening, monitoring and evaluation.
The Specialist will also ensure that the UNICEF Country Office has useful, valid and reliable information about education focusing on quality, access, and equity and the performance of UNICEF and government-supported education interventions including their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability, and in emergency contexts, their coverage, coordination and coherence.
Summary of key functions/accountabilities:
1. Strengthening systems for data at all levels
2. Integrated Monitoring & Learning
3. Learning Assessment
4. Innovation, Knowledge Management and Capacity Building
5. Coordination, Advocacy and Networking
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
JD - Education Specialist (M&E) Level 3.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
Education:
Advanced university degree in education, social sciences, statistics, economics, planning, development, or related fields.
Work Experience:
- A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in the education sector including in education programming, development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience in Education in emergency programming, including disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness planning is an asset.
- Experience working in a developing country considered is an asset.
Skills
Technical competencies must be demonstrated in the following areas:
- Excellent communication skills, including writing and oral presentation.
- Professional/technical knowledge/expertise in Team Management, Coaching & Training.
- Experience in in working with Government on education sector monitoring & evaluation design, data analysis, and reporting.
- Experience in working with Government on education sector data-related policy analysis, development and monitoring (e.g. EMIS policy).
- Demonstrated experience in mixed-methods research (quantitative and qualitative), including co-creation approaches and stakeholder engagement.
- Proficiency in data cleaning, quality assurance, and analysis, using statistical packages such as Stata or R.
- Familiarity with electronic data collection tools, such as Kobo Toolbox, and managing data collection in education settings.
- Demonstrated skills in managing field data collection, including recruiting, and coordinating data collectors/assessors.
- Experience in producing knowledge products, such as research reports, policy briefs, and factsheets, and facilitating the dissemination of findings.
- Good understanding of gender and inequity issues in relation to education and development and the application of gender/equity analysis to policy and planning in education.
Behavioral Skills:
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Strong leadership and management skills and experiences
- Excellent collaboration with colleagues and partners
- Attentive and open to feedback and new ideas
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Desirables:
Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. [Please do not remove this desirable; it should be present in all advertisements]
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [internal candidates] are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
