Social Policy Officer

Volunteering IT & Telecom Monitoring & Evaluation

Overview

Support the generation, analysis, and communication of evidence on child poverty and M&E activities.

You have:

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in data analysis, working with socio-economic datasets, monitoring and evaluation, social policy, or a related field.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills and ability to articulate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required; familiarity with statistical software (e.g. SPSS, STATA, R, or Python) is an advantage.
• Proven ability to present data/information in understandable tables, charts, graphs and reports; Ability to produce data insights to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Experience working with household survey data (e.g. MICS, DHS) and/or poverty analysis is an advantage.
• Experience working with UN agencies, government institutions, or development partners is an asset.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The Social Policy programme section of UNICEF Kenya Country Office works to promote and protect the rights of every child, with a strong focus on reducing child poverty and strengthening social protection systems. The Social Policy Section leads UNICEF's work on child poverty analysis, public finance for children, social protection, and the generation of evidence to inform policy and programme decisions. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and nutrition. Improving data and evidence on child poverty and vulnerability to increase their use in policy and programme action is one of the key components of

UNICEF's overall support to the Government of Kenya under the Social Policy Section. Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Social Policy, the Social Policy Officer (Child Poverty and M&E) will support the Section's work in generating, analyzing, and communicating evidence on child poverty and multidimensional deprivation, and in strengthening and coordinating monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities for social policy programmes and results in coordination with the PME section. The Volunteer will work as part of a small, collaborative team alongside the Social Policy Specialist and M&E Officer, with regular opportunities for mentoring, on-the-job learning, and exposure to national-level policy dialogue.The Social Policy Officer will provide technical and analytical support to the Social Policy Section on child poverty measurement, data analysis, and programme monitoring and evaluation.

The assignment aims to strengthen the evidence base used for policy dialogue, advocacy, and programme design related to children's wellbeing, while supporting the tracking of results against the Country Programme and broader national development frameworks.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the Social Policy Officer will carry out the following primary duties: Child Poverty Analysis • Support the production and updating of child poverty and multidimensional deprivation analyses, including MODA (Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis) or similar methodologies. Contribute to the analysis of national household survey data (e.g., Household Budget Surveys) to generate evidence on child poverty trends and drivers. • Support the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making. • Support advocacy efforts on child poverty reduction, including preparation of talking points, presentations, and advocacy materials for use by the Chief of Social Policy and senior management. • Support dissemination of child poverty evidence and findings through events, publications, briefings, and media/communication products, in coordination with the Communication section. • Support and strengthen the section's engagement and data-sharing arrangements with the National Statistics Office and other relevant government partners.

Monitoring & Evaluation • Support the design and maintenance of M&E frameworks, indicators, and data collection tools for social policy programmes. Assist in the design, implementation, and maintenance of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) indicators for social policy programmes. Track and compile indicator performance data against the Country Programme Document (CPD) and support the preparation of the Annual Work Plans. • Support the implementation and follow-up of studies and research related to child poverty and social protection. Contribute to data quality assurance processes for social policy programme data.
• Support the preparation of management reports (e.g., Situation Reports, Annual Reports, Results Assessment Module (RAM) inputs).

Cross-cutting (as capacity allows) • Provide regular socioeconomic and data analysis to support the evidence needs of the Social Policy Section, including timely turnaround of data requests, contribution to periodic data updates/briefs, and quality-assured analytical outputs that inform section planning, reporting, and decision-making. • Assist in preparing policy briefs, factsheets, and presentations, translating data findings into accessible messages for policymakers and partners Contribute to knowledge management, ensuring analyses, tools, and lessons learned are well documented and accessible. • Perform any other duties as required by the Chief of Social Policy, in line with the scope of the assignment.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in data analysis, working with socio-economic datasets, monitoring and evaluation, social policy, or a related field. • Strong quantitative and analytical skills and ability to articulate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required; familiarity with statistical software (e.g. SPSS, STATA, R, or Python) is an advantage. • Proven ability to present data/information in understandable tables, charts, graphs and reports; Ability to produce data insights to inform strategy and decision-making • Experience working with household survey data (e.g. MICS, DHS) and/or poverty analysis is an advantage. • Experience working with UN agencies, government institutions, or development partners is an asset.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available.

The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate. The official currency of the Republic of Kenya is the Kenya Shilling (KES) which is a convertible currency. The use of credit cards to pay for purchases and services in major facilities is fairly common. Automated Teller Machines (ATM) banking services are situated at major centres across the city. ATMs services are also available on the UN compound. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the main airport in Kenya and serves as a regional hub for many global airlines. JKIA is 15 Kilometres from Nairobi’s central business district and 25 Kilometres from the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) in Gigiri. It is UNVs’ responsibility to obtain visas for Kenya. A valid passport, not expiring for at least six months from date of departure is required for an entry

visa into Kenya. Public health Malaria: Nairobi is generally malaria-free, but it is still recommended to consult your doctor about all malarial prophylaxis if travelling into Kenya and beyond Nairobi, especially if going to the Kenya coast and Lake Victoria region. Adequate safeguards against mosquito bites are recommended, such as insect repellents, bed nets, long trousers, and long-sleeved clothing covering all arms. Diarrhoeal Diseases: In Kenya, food poisoning and infection from waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, are common - depending on the hygiene standards of the places you visit for food. It is advisable to avoid raw foods, while fruits and vegetables that must be peeled and cleaned properly. Drinking water directly from the municipal taps is not advisable. Please ask for treated bottled water from a certified company with a secured seal.

General Security precautions Nairobi is a beautiful city with a large expatriate community and modern amenities where people can move around freely in a relatively safe manner. However, it is advisable to take necessary precautions and exercise common sense in light of certain security concerns. It is also advisable to be vigilant especially in Nairobi where petty crimes like phone and handheld property snatching, theft of valuables, including from in vehicles, are not uncommon. You may check the full benefits and allowances applicable to the duty station using the UVP calculator. Please see the Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers for more information and details.”

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Potential interview questions

Added 18 days ago - Updated 4 days ago - Source: unv.org