Education Officer, NO-2, Banjul, Gambia

Contract

This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.

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, an education

The Gambia, like many Sub-Saharan countries, struggles to ensure all children are in school, especially at the right age. Data from the 2018 Multiple-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) indicated that less than one in four (23.8 percent) 36-59-months old children attended Early Childhood Education (ECE). This to some extent impact on attendance at the primary level. There is a 16 percent difference in ECE experience between the rich (79.6 percent) and the poor (63.5 percent). Furthermore, exposure to risk to child marriage can influence attendance in primary school. Although child marriage has reduced from 46.5 per cent in 2010 to 34.2 percent in 2018 (MICS), households within the poorest quantiles are having the highest rates of child marriage with 49.2 percent.

Another significant challenge in the Gambian education system is the low level of foundational reading and numeracy. The learning crisis has become a major driver in the increased number of Out-of-School Children (OOSC). Other factors that contribute to OOSC are the low completion rates at 65.5 per cent for primary and 45.8 per cent for lower secondary. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the fragility of the Gambian education sector and threatens to undermine the gains made in the past years. The pandemic has seen 708,484 children out of school and at home in the country.

Through this project “Zero out-of-school-children in The Gambia”, UNICEF intends to enroll all 61,765 OOSC (7–12 years old) at the right age (51.6 percent girls, 48.4 percent boys, and 1.5 percent children with disabilities) and about 5,000 adolescents will be supported with foundational literacy and numeracy to have another opportunity to be enrolled in primary school or be functionally literate and numerate; thus the total enrolment will be 66,765 OOSC. Overall, the project will retain its focus on children 7 – 12 years and this will enable the identification of the targeted children that are over-aged or enrolled at the right age. The project will be implemented in all Regions of The Gambia.

How can you make a difference?

1. Support to programme development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

1. Support to programme development and planning

• Contribute to the preparation and updating of the situation analysis for the development, design and management of education related programmes/projects. Research and report on development trends (economic, social, health etc.) and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results.
• Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives and strategies and results-based planning through research, collection, analysis and reporting of education and other related information for development planning and goal setting.
• 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.

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.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• 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. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
• 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

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on education programmes.
• Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and alliances, and support fund raising for education programmes.
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency United Nations Country Team (UNCT) meetings and events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners on United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) operational planning and preparation of education programmes/projects and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with the UNDAF development and planning process.
• 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

• Contribute to identifying, capturing, synthesizing, and sharing lessons learned for knowledge development and capacity development of 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.

Summary of key Specific functions/accountabilities:

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primarily, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.

• Effective Implementation of the “Zero out-of-school children” project in all regions of The Gambia

Under the guidance of the Education Specialist, provides effective technical support and guidance to the Implementing Partners for the operation and implementation of the Zero out-of-school children project; facilitation of training and workshops, communication material/strategy, among others.

• Ensuring Partner Compliance to Project Guidelines and Requirements

Supports the Implementing Partner to ensure the Educate A Child (EAC) and UNICEF programme guidelines and requirements are adequately implemented. Ensure that any assistance needed by the Implementing Partners to effectively administer the programme is provided on time and areas of capacity needs are accessed and support provided in consultation with supervisor and the technical team of UNICEF. Ensuring that the Implementing Partners comply with the financial documentation and reporting requirements.

• Effective Management of Project Data for Planning and for Evaluation Purposes

Provides assistance to the Implementing Partners for the management of the Zero out-of-school children project data and ensures that the data is readily made available for planning and adjustment purposes as may be required by UNICEF and other stakeholders. Collaborates with the M&E focal points from the Implementing Partners and UNICEF in providing data that might be required for evaluation/monitoring purposes. Data management needs should be accessed with appropriate support sought or provided.

• Effective Advocacy and Communication on Project Objectives

Support the design and implementation of a communication and information strategy to accompany the programme’s roll-out. Work closely with the Communication Specialist of UNICEF in the implementation of the Communication and Visibility plan.

• Planning and Effective Monitoring of the Programme

Supports the Implementing Partners in planning and implementation of project activities in line with the disbursement plan and reporting cycle. Participates in field activities to monitor implementation of project activities, collection of data and providing support to field staff and submit monitoring reports to supervisor.

• Funds Transfer to the Implementing Partners on Timely Manner and in Accordance with Annual Work Plan

Provides assistance to the Implementing Partners in requesting for transfer of funds from UNICEF to the Implementing Partners and liquidation of the funds in accordance with UNICEF’s HACT procedures.

• Donor Reporting

Prepare draft periodic donor narrative and financial reports for the review of the supervisor. Such report must be of good quality and meet the requirements of Educate A Child and UNICEF.

• General Support to the Education Sector

Provide support to the implementation of activities under the RWP for the Education sector.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• 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.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken. Fluency in local language(s) an asset.

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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.