Programme Officer ( Refugee Education), NO-2, Athens, Greece Temp Appointment 6 months

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,

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.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country under the form of a Greece Country Office. This office falls under the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 21 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of an expanded mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are moving towards an even greater collaboration and partnership in order to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (MoE), the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA) and UNICEF Greece launched, in September 2021, a three-year national programme to enable all refugee and migrant children to access quality learning. All Children in Education (ACE) will ensure a pathway to formal education for all school-age refugee and migrant children, and aims to not only increase access to public schools but also provide the necessary retention support once children are enrolled – ultimately improving future outcomes and integration into Greek society.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and general supervision of the Education Specialist, the incumbent will coordinate project ‘All Children in Education – ACE’, in partnership with the competent Ministries and all other relevant stakeholders and partners. In addition, the Programme Officer will ensure adequate linkages with other areas of UNICEF GCO’s overall migrant and refugee response, in order to deliver integrated services for children and their families.

The Programme Officer will be responsible for providing professional technical assistance and support for programme design, planning and implementation, management and evaluation of project activities, data analysis and progress reporting, in support of project goals and objectives, within the country programme.

The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the Programme Officer (Refugee Education) to project planning and implementation, contributes to the achievement of sustainable results to improve learning outcomes and access to quality, equitable and inclusive education for all refugee and migrant children in Greece.

1. Support to programme development and planning

▪ Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies and implementation plans using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM).

▪ Analyse country level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing interventions under project ‘All Children in Education – ACE’ and related to the refugee and migrant response areas (child protection, GBV prevention, psychosocial support), and support the generation of comprehensive data on refugee education issues to guide UNICEF’s strategic policy efforts and interventions.

▪ Develop project work plans as required, guide implementing partners and project staff and propose adjustments/changes in work plans.

2. Optimum use of program funds and programme monitoring

▪ Plan and collaborate with colleagues and partners to establish and monitor benchmarks and performance indicators under the ‘All Children in Education – ACE’ project and the wider Greece UNICEF Country Office refugee and migrant response portfolio.

▪ Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.

▪ Actively monitor the ‘All Children in Education – ACE’ project, including progress of implementing partners, conduct field visits, review reports and exchange information with stakeholders to assess impact, identify bottlenecks, and take timely decisions to resolve issues.

▪ Prepare regular project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of project progress.

▪ Monitor the allocation and disbursement of project funds, making sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated.

3. Partnership and capacity building ▪ Facilitate partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including UN Agencies and Ministries, and exchange information on project status. ▪ Provide operational support and technical advice to implementing partners and ensure visibility of the ‘All Children in Education – ACE’ project goals. ▪ Provide government authorities with technical assistance and support in planning and organizing training programmes for the purpose of capacity building and project sustainability. ▪ Promote and maintain the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of national and local partners in the context of the UNICEF Greece Country Office refugee education efforts in Greece, by providing continuous support, coordination and collaboration for sustainability.

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, social sciences, international relations, public administration, social policy, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in project/programme planning, management and monitoring is required.
• Experience working in the refugee and migrant context, in particular on refugee education, is considered a strong asset.
• Experience in the design, management and monitoring of multi-year development or humanitarian projects/programmes funded by a variety of donors, including the European Union is considered a strong asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and Greek is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA)

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)

• Works Collaboratively with others (2)

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)

• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)

• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)

• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)

• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Functional Competencies

• Analyzing (3)

• Deciding and Initiating action (2)

• Applying technical expertise (3)

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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:

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.