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.
Position: Early Childhood Development Specialist, P4-FT, Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu – Nepal
> Job no: 531114
> Position type: Fixed Term Appointment
> Location: Nepal
> Division/Equivalent: Kathmandu(ROSA)
> School/Unit: Regional Services Div (SAR), Kathmandu
> Department/Office: Reg Serv – Prog Section, Kathmandu
> Categories: Education, Early Childhood Development
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
UNICEF has set ambitious targets for Early Childhood Development in its current Strategic Plan with the expectation that, by the end of the Plan cycle, countries will have institutionalized the delivery of quality early childhood development services. Public finance for ECD is still low in most countries. Most UNICEF country offices in South Asia have prioritized ECD in their CPDs and need strategic guidance and tools for moving from the ‘WHAT’ to the ‘HOW’ of ECD programming. This requires strong leadership at the regional level and strategic level engagement with the country offices and high-level advocacy with governments. The ECD Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the Regional Adviser for Education and work closely with country offices as well as other programmes across the Regional Office, HQ and other relevant partners to promote and strengthen holistic ECD in South Asia.
How can you make a difference?
1. Technical leadership in ECD programming
In close collaboration with HQ and the Global Technical Team for ECD, develop a common understanding and programmatic strategies for ECD in the region. Keep abreast of global developments and research on ECD and provide technical advice and guidance to COs on policies, strategies, best practices and approaches on ECD issues to support program development planning, implementation and delivery of results. Facilitate technical leadership on country programme preparation and provide inputs for reviews, including indicator development, through interaction with country office teams and ECD Focal Points, where appropriate. Keep abreast of regional/international development priorities to identify opportunities where ECD can enhance inter-sector partnership, integration and linkages. Participate in strategic discussions, meetings and other international/national meetings and workshops to provide ECD evidence-based papers and inputs to influence policy and agenda setting on ECD.
Prepare ECD policy papers, briefs and other strategic program materials for management use, information and consideration in programme development discussion and planning. Co-lead with health on ECD and provides support to cross-sectoral collaboration for ECD.
2. Technical leadership in Inclusive Education
Provide expert technical leadership for Inclusive Education in the region and support integration of inclusion into policies and plans to ensure that the most vulnerable and excluded children, particularly children with disabilities receive quality education starting from pre-primary through higher secondary. Working closely with NYHQ Disability Division and Education colleagues, provide technical and operational guidance to COs on integrating education for children with disabilities and special needs into sector plans and programmes in developmental and humanitarian contexts. Lead knowledge management and capacity building on inclusive education, develop/strengthen partnerships to drive advocacy agenda around education for children with disabilities in the region, strengthen data, research and assessment on inclusive education and support the monitoring of UNICEF’s results for inclusive education in the region.
3. Strategic management, monitoring and delivery of results
Establish standards, benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators, to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results on ECD/Inclusive Education. Promote and provide technical expertise to major monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews to assess progress in ECD/Inclusive education and engage stakeholders to take required action/interventions to achieve results.
4. Advocacy, networking and partnership building
Build and strengthen strategic partnerships through networking and advocacy with global and regional partners, UN system agency partners, donors, internationally recognized institutions, NGOs, funding organizations, research institutes, universities, private sector and communities to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue opportunities to promote goals and achieve the regional results for ECD. Foster enhanced linkages with professional organizations and academia to support regional knowledge-building efforts take a lead role on ECD issues in major regional forums and networks.
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
Promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices for ECD programs/projects initiatives through advocacy and technical advisory services. Keep abreast of new developments, research, benchmark, introduce and implement best and cutting-edge practices on ECD. Institutionalize and disseminate best practices and knowledge learned to support development planning and implementation.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
> An advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to the following areas:
> Education, Early Childhood Development or a Social Sciences fields relevant to international development assistance with specialization in education and/or ECD and early learning is required.
> A minimum of 8 years progressively responsible professional work experience in education in general with specific focus on ECD and early learning, inclusive education, monitoring and evaluation, at the national or international level. Experience with addressing gender and other disparities an asset.
> Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.
Application Deadline: 28 April 2020
HOW TO APPLY
