Programme Specialist, P2 TA Abidjan

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Application deadline 10 months ago: Wednesday 24 May 2023 at 23:55 UTC

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Contract

This is a P-2 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 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 95,256 USD and 129,381 USD.

Salary for a P-2 contract in Abidjan

The international rate of 57,661 USD, with an additional 65.2% (post adjustment) at this the location, applies. Please note that depending on the location, a higher post adjustment might still result in a lower purchasing power.

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.

More about P-2 contracts and their salaries.

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, a hero

Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, is facing a critical environmental issue. Every day, the city produces an alarming 288 tons of plastic waste, 90% of which pollutes low-income communities. The situation is dire as only 5% of plastic waste is recycled, and that too informally by women and youth at meager prices. The lack of recycling infrastructure in the country means that very little of this waste is transformed into other forms of plastic, compounding the problem further.

The urbanization of Abidjan is expected to worsen the problem of plastic waste, leading to more pollution and its associated environmental and health impacts on communities and children. To address this issue, in 2018, UNICEF partnered with Conceptos Plasticos, a Colombian social enterprise that specializes in plastic recycling. Together they launched a successful pilot program to convert plastic waste into bricks to build classrooms.

UNICEF recognized the need to support the program's expansion and, therefore, helped to build a new plastic brick factory in 2019, the first of its kind in Africa. The factory aims to produce bricks locally and from the collection of the country's waste. Thanks to this programme, classrooms are being built to increase the capacity of children, either by reducing the number of children per classroom or bringing the offer closer to the most disadvantaged areas.

Access to quality education is essential for the future of children from low-income households. In addition to classrooms adapted for learning through sufficient space and large windows to let in light, the programme also ensures that these classrooms are equipped with furniture for students and teachers. To strengthen the quality of teaching, actions are also planned, such as providing teaching materials and training for teachers.

The innovation, the use of plastic bricks, is not only favorable to the fight against pollution, but it also presents an opportunity to raise environmental awareness among children. To this end, UNICEF developed educational materials to sensitize students to environmental issues, which were made available to beneficiary schools.

In summary, the collaboration between UNICEF and Conceptos Plasticos to convert plastic waste into bricks for building classrooms in Abidjan is a significant step towards addressing the plastic waste crisis in the city. The programme not only helps to reduce pollution but also improves access to education for children from low-income households. Additionally, the program's focus on raising environmental awareness among children highlights the importance of sustainable development for a better future.

After 5 years of implementation the country office organized a peer review to discuss the future of the programme. Indeed, many challenges have been overcome resulting in useful lessons learned. It is important that the office put in place an exit strategy from the current modality which has shown its limitations. It is also important that the office explore other alternatives that will allow it to remain involved in environmental issues.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Chief of Education, the Programme specialist will play a crucial role in supporting the implementation of the construction programme. The position encompasses a range of responsibilities, including managing a dozen grants dedicated to construction, quality, and hygiene. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, tracking expenditures, maintaining donor relations, writing reports, and preparing an exit strategy.

The primary objective of the position is to monitor, manage, coordinate, and support the implementation of the construction program and related documentation and monitoring for the education sector, ensuring maximum impact for children. The program includes several components, including the innovative use of recycled plastic bricks for classroom construction, classroom equipment, and a quality component that includes teacher training and teaching and learning materials. The communication with all donors involved in the programme is also a critical component of this role.

Based at the Education section, the Programme specialist will work closely with different UNICEF sections, such as WASH, Supply, Resource Mobilization, and Operations, as well as other relevant public/private partners to develop and identify solutions that help implement internal cross-cutting processes. It is essential to improve the quality of education in Côte d'Ivoire, and the candidate must have cross-functional work experience to succeed in this role.

The successful candidate must possess a multi-faceted profile with specific skills necessary for the successful execution of the missions. This position requires a high level of organizational skills, programme management experience, and the ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels. A strong background in education and experience in cross-functional collaboration is essential.

In summary, the Programme specialist role is critical to the success of the programme and the improvement of education in Côte d'Ivoire. The ideal candidate will have the skills and experience necessary to manage a complex program, work effectively with donors and stakeholders, and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure the program's success.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

  1. Coordinate classroom construction program:
  • Plan classroom needs by region and donor
  • Monitor execution of contracts and global expenditures
  • Develop tools to measure implantation performance and manage implementation risks
  • Ensure coordination with construction unite, as well as Wash and supply sections
  • Organise coordination meetings, draft related minutes and follow-up actions planed
  • Support and document reflection strategy related to the construction programme with recycled plastic bricks
  1. Ensure internal and external communication:
  • Draft proposals and reports writing for donors
  • Coordinate communication needs and knowledge management
  • Support communication with Ministry of Education
  • Ensure donor relations (Provide informal updates to the donor as requested and any changes/alterations to activities are discussed and validated by the donor…)
  • Organize donor field visit as well as monitoring visits
  1. Support Education section's fundraising and grant management:
  • Monitor budget utilization in accordance with HACT guidelines
  • Ensure systematic grant monitoring (monitor Open commitment, expiration dates, targets...)
  • Ensure matching with quality component (teacher training, teaching and learning material)
  • Participate in monitoring and evaluation initiatives
  1. Support the exit strategy
  • Ensure communication with Conceptos Plasticos
  • Establish the partnership model to be carried out with Conceptos Plásticos
  • Support draft of the business model and a social impact assessment with the consulting firms Kerney and 180 degrees.
  • Planning of different options for active donors’ communication depending on different identified scenario
  • Support the development of alternative modalities to see how to continue the engagement with recycled plastic bricks.

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

  • Master's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Management or any other related field. Technical skills as engineering, or architecture is an asset. Specific training in programme Management as well as Agile and Scrum
  • At least three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience in Marketing, Communication, Partnerships, Fundraising, Reporting and Programme management of which at least 2 years should be in Cote d’Ivoire.

    Specific experience in construction with innovative material as recycled plastic

    Specific experience in fundraising, coordinating, writing, and editing donor proposals

    Specific experience in Education Programme management (access and quality)

    Specific experience in donor relations

    Good knowledge of specificity of regions in Cote d’Ivoire

    Proficient in use of MS Office suite

    Proficient in use of AutoDesk.

    Familiarity with UN/UNICEF systems (VISION / Insight / Fiori Donor) is an added value

  • Excellent writing and speaking skills in French, Spanish and English.

  • High level of Integrity and commitment to UNICEF's mission and professional values.

    Analytical and conceptual ability, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills.

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

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 's 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 values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. 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 visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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

Added 10 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: unicef.org