L’Unicef recherche un spécialiste de l’éducation (qualité), Nairobi, Kenya

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, education.

 

Purpose of the job :

Under the general supervision of the Regional Education Adviser, the post is expected to provide advanced technical assistance, quality assurance and knowledge generation/management and partnership building services to ESAR countries to support the improvement of education quality, including learning outcomes and equitable access to quality education in the region.

The post holder will lead two key areas of work :

• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy : support Country Offices advocate for and implement cost-effective programmes that aim towards universal acquisition of foundational skills in the lower primary phase ;
• Reimagine Education : support Country Offices advocate for and implement high-impact technology for learning programmes and support and coordinate the five pillars of the global Reimagine Education programme (connectivity, world class digitial learning solutions, affordable data, devices and youth engagement).

Additionally, the post holder will lead in areas related to quality including, but not limited to, curriculum reform, teacher performance, system strengthening to improve learning outcomes and remote and hybrid learning.

 

Key responsibilities and functions :

1. To lead the development of regional analysis/es on education quality issues and the development of strategies to address the quality of education in the region, with a focus on systemic national approaches (e.g. national assessment, national standards, national teacher performance, school governance) and the scaling up of innovations, including those Technology For Development initiatives ;
2. To co-ordinate and develop key partnerships focused on enhancing education quality. This includes building resource mobilization partnerships through Schools-for-Africa, bilateral donors, IFIs and private sector donors and building technical and strategy partnerships such as with AU, UNESCO, ADEA and SEACMEQ ;
3. To provide guidance to all Country Offices on how UNICEF can support governments in enhancing education quality through undertaking country visits or providing remote support on issues around the quality of education, including on learning outcomes, teachers, ECD/ECE, transferable skills, curriculum, technology  and learning ;
4. Organise and facilitate or participate in meetings and workshops/seminars related to promoting quality education and support resource mobilisation efforts by partners, donors, and NatComs ;
5. Contribute to the situation analysis, planning, and monitoring/review processes of the Education Sector in the region, including support for more rigorous analysis of analysis of interventions (including cost-effectiveness analysis) in collaboration with other ESARO colleagues ;
6. For the ESARO Education Section, lead the quality assurance role for a series of countries, currently designated as: Botswana, South Africa, South Sudan and Zimbabwe ;
7. Manage institutional and individual contracts as per UNICEF guidance and best practice to secure results for children ;
8. Support to regional office management processes and for other section duties, as agreed with the supervisor ;
9. Support ESARO with its oversight, quality assurance and technical assistance through the designated alternative country focal point role (currently Zimbabwe).

 

Qualifications :

• Advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Education; Primary Education, or Social Sciences fields relevant to international development assistance. Some demonstrative capacity to identify and monitor gender inequalities, as well as develop and implement gender mainstreaming in programmes ;
• Eight years of progressively professional work experience at national and international levels in fields relevant to Education programmes. Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset. Background/familiarity with Emergency ;
• Fluency in English, fluency in a second UN language (IP) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS).

The core competencies required for this post are :

• Builds and maintains partnerships ;
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness ;
• Drive to achieve results for impact ;
• Innovates and embraces change ;
• Manages ambiguity and complexity ;
• Thinks and acts strategically ;
• Works collaboratively with others ;
• Nurtures, leads and manages people.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks :

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service ;
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.