Planning Specialist, Fixed Term, P-3, Nairobi, Kenya, Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 111,152 USD and 145,545 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, and advocate.

The position is in the Programme Planning and Monitoring (PPM) section of the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), which is responsible for all aspects related to Regional Office (RO) planning, monitoring, data, research and related technical support to 21 Country Offices in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA). The Regional Chief of Programme Planning and Monitoring (P5) heads the Section.

The position will report to the Planning Manager (P4), remain under strategic guidance of the Regional Chief of Programme Planning and Monitoring (P5) and work closely with other PPM staff members, and other sections, in particular the Evaluation section.

How can you make a difference?

Under direct supervision of the Planning Manager (P4) and overall guidance of the Regional Chief of Programme Planning and Monitoring (P5), the position supports UNICEF ESARO and country offices to maintain high-quality programme planning, reviews and reporting related processes and products.

Summary of key functions and accountabilities

Quality assurance of Country Office-level planning, reviews and reporting

• Provide technical assistance and conduct quality assurance/assessment of key planning/monitoring/reporting processes/products of COs.
• Contribute to quality assurance of new country programme development, including the review of related Country Programme planning documents, keeping in view the lessons learned and recommendations of the Country Programme Evaluations.
• Support the digital work planning module rollout process for ESARO and COs, including facilitating training of trainer sessions and assisting with follow-up needs.
• Support the on-going annual CO work-planning process using the digital work planning platform in RAM.
• Support the resolution of corporate system-related issues in CO planning in coordination with ESARO and HQ experts. Support the section in ESAR peer reviews and rights- and results-based management (RRBM) activities as needed.

Support to quality programme planning, reviews and reporting of the ESARO

• Provide technical support to the ESARO sections on the digital work-planning in RAM.
• Support the organization of ESARO annual and mid-year programme planning and review processes.
• Prepare quality reports of all internal ESARO milestone planning/review meetings.
• Support in development of the Regional Office Annual Report, coordinating inputs from all RO sections.

Support to regional milestone meetings

• Support the section in the organization of regional leadership platforms such as Regional Management Team (RMT) meeting, Deputy Representatives’ (DREP) meeting, and any others that may be called by the Office of Regional Director.
• Prepare timely and quality reports from RMT and DREP meetings.
• Conduct feedback surveys on milestone meetings, and support its analysis and presentation to the Office of the Regional Director.

Support to Collaboration for Children (“C4C”, the ESA regional priorities)

• Support the section in the regional implementation of the C4C, including revision of documents, organization of review meetings and the upkeep of the related SharePoint, and any other associated requirements.

Support administrative needs in ESARO planning

• Support the organization of the ESARO Programme Coordination Team meetings, and any others that may be called by the Office of the Regional Director.
• In collaboration with the ESARO HR Section, manage the ESARO editor/writer individual LTAs.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in social sciences, economics, public policy, international development, statistics, or research methods is required.
• Work Experience: Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in planning, reporting, research or a related technical area.
• Proven experience of synthesizing highly technical information from different sources and making it accessible to a wider audience.
• Proven ability to identify emerging trends and themes from a body of knowledge and use it to inform policy and programming.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as transfer knowledge and skills.
• Proven writing skills, with an ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, direct, and lively style.
• Excellent knowledge of online collaborative tools with the ability to adapt quickly to technological changes and foster use of appropriate digital and online collaborative tools and technologies.
• Experience in reporting on qualitative and quantitative analytics.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Fluency in another UN language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

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: UNICEF Values

The 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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

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

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

This post is open to nationals of Kenya who have worked outside Kenya in a professional capacity for at least two years.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.