If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you.
For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
Purpose of the Position
Under the supervision of the Chief Social Policy, the Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection) coordinates and manages UNICEF technical support to Zambia’s National Social Protection Policy implemented by the Government of Zambia.
The Social Policy Specialist (Social Protection) is accountable for the planning, implementation and monitoring of technical support in the fields of research & evaluation, programme design and targeting, institutional and human resource capacity development, systems strengthening, communications, programme monitoring, and the establishment of linkages with other social protection interventions as well as with essential social services in health, nutrition, education, agriculture, water & sanitation, and (child) protection.
Key Expected Results:
1. Social protection policy dialogue and programme development
Participates in social policy dialogue and development with the Government, engages in and establishes constructive dialogue and partnerships between international and local stakeholders to support the development of social policies and programmes contributing to the progressive realization of children’s rights and strengthening of implementation and monitoring mechanisms at all levels of society, and ensures that the services reach out in innovative, effective ways to those most vulnerable pockets of children and families that have been previously left out.
2. Monitoring state budget resources
Monitors and updates current information on state budgeting and spending patterns for social protection programmes and decentralization status of social protection services on an on-going basis to support advocacy for greater public resources and budget allocation for social development, the prioritization of resource allocation for children, and universal coverage of essential services for children, to ensure that they reflect the best interest of children.
3. Sustainable decentralization and capacity building
Where the national decentralization process is taking place, collaborates with the central and local authorities to assist in planning, policy discussion and service delivery closely responding to the needs of local communities.
Provides on-going support in making decentralization sustainable through adequate local support while keeping decentralized services both accessible and effective.
Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen community-based capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of social policy and programmes.
Develops programme plans of action for children at provincial and district/municipality levels; strengthens coordination between sectors and between different levels of government structures for policy implementation.
4. Data collection, analysis and results-based approach.
Collects systematically qualitative data for the sound and up-to-date assessment of the situation of children and women to provide the base-lines for result-based decisions on interventions and evaluations. .
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. Support maintenance of information system for monitoring gender/sex disaggregated data.
Analyzes the macroeconomic context of social policy programmes 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
5. Advocacy and communication
Promotes and raises awareness on children’s rights with both the general public and with policy makers, utilizing effective information dissemination, mass media campaign, special events, and other means, to ensure local buy-in, commitment, and continued relevance of UNICEF programming.
6. Partnerships
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 and the World Fit for Children (WFFC) agenda.
Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.
7. UNICEF Programme Management
Manages and coordinates technical support to Zambia’s National Social Protection Policy, 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 the Government of Zambia.
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.
Qualifications of the successful candidate
- Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, International Finance, public relations, media, communication, or other relevant disciplines.
- Five years of relevant professional work experience is required.
- Developing country work experience, familiarity with emergency is required.
- Applicants must be fluent in English.
Competency Profile
i) Core Values (Required)
- Commitment
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Integrity
ii) Core Competencies (Required)
- Communication – Level II
- Working with People – Level II
- Drive for Results – Level II
iii) Functional Competencies (Required)
- Leading and Supervising – Level II
- Formulating Strategies and Concepts – Level II
- Analyzing – Level III
- Relating and Networking – Level II
- Persuading and Influencing – Level II
- Planning and Organizing – Level III
To view our competency framework, please click
here.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
