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The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life – in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions – her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens – addressing inequity – not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Botswana has made significant strides in access to education. However, challenges in education remain regarding equity and quality of services. While access to primary education is high, the quality of education is wanting, as indicated by low pass rates in both primary and secondary school. Evidence also shows that the socially disadvantaged children and children in remote areas have more limited access to pre-primary education compared to children from financially stable families. These children find it hard to catch up in the later stages of education, hence they drop out or demonstrate lower performance throughout the learning period.
For the 2017-2021 Country Programme cycle, UNICEF Botswana is supporting the Government of Botswana to develop and implement policies and programmes to improve access to, and quality of, education for all children in Botswana. As Botswana is an upper middle-income country, UNICEF is not involved in service delivery. UNICEF’s comparative advantage is to provide technical expertise for strategic guidance and leveraging of government resources for children. Consequently, the Country Office operates with a programme team that currently stands at 8 staff members under the supervision of the Deputy Representative. The Education Specialist is responsible for overall coordination and implementation of the Education Programme. Given the current momentum of the Education programme and the size of the portfolio, UNICEF Botswana is seeking an Education Officer to support the Education Specialist in the implementation of the Education programme.
Job organizational context: The Education Officer GJP is to be used in Botswana where the Education Programme is a component of the Country Programme (or UNDAF). The Education Officer reports to the Education Specialist who is at Level 3.
Purpose for the job: The Education Officer reports to the Education Specialist. Under the supervision of the Education Specialist. The Education Officer will support implementation of the annual work plan. The Education Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for education programmes/projects within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results, preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, evaluating and reporting.
Summary of key functions/accountabilities:
- Support to programme development and planning
- Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
- Technical and operational support to programme implementation
- Networking and partnership building
- Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Support to programme development and planning
1. Support planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Education Programme for preprimary, primary and secondary education.
- Research and report on development trends (economic, social, health etc.) and data for use in education programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results.
- Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information.
- Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluation of results.
- Prepare required documentation/materials to facilitate the programme review and approval process.
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
- Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues.
- Suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit reports to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decisions. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders.
- Contribute to field-based implementation and monitoring work within the Education Portfolio and consolidate lessons learnt, best practices, case studies, testimonials in written, picture and video form.
- Prepare draft inputs for programme/donor reporting.
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
- Undertake field visits and surveys and share information with stakeholders to assess progress and refer to relevant officials for resolution.
- Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices on education related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.
4. Networking and partnership building
- Participate in regular internal and external meetings including for a with government counterparts and civil society to facilitate programme implementation.
- Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and alliances, and support fund raising for education programmes.
- Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learnt for knowledge development and to build the capacity of education stakeholders.
- Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
- Research and report on best and cutting-edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems.
- Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.
Impact of Results
The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the Education Officer to programme preparation, planning and implementation, contributes to the achievement of sustainable results to improve learning outcomes and universal access to quality, equitable and inclusive education. Success in education programmes and projects in turn contribute to maintaining and enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide programme services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education
A university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.
Experience
- A minimum of two years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
- Demonstrated knowledge of development programming, ideally in the Education sector is required.
- Proven ability to effectively cooperate with partners and stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner.
- Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
- Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
Language requirements
- Oral and written proficiency in English 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…
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….
Core Values
- Care
- Respect
- Integrity
- Trust
- Accountability
Core competencies
- Communication (II)
- Working with people (I)
- Drive for results (I)
Functional Competencies:
- Formulating strategies and concepts (I)
- Analyzing (II)
- Applying technical expertise (II)
- Learning and researching (II)
- Planning and organizing (II)
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
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:
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.
