Social Policy Officer, NO-A, Pacific Multi Country Office, Honiara, Solomon Islands Field Office, (, 364 Days)

Contract

This is a NO-1 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-1 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, support

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands

Social Policy programme in Solomon Islands is aimed at strengthening capacity of provincial government in policy, planning and budgeting to compliment the efforts of National Government to decentralize social services especially for health, and education sector that promotes the (a) transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (b) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Social Policy Specialist of the Field Office and general guidance by the Chief of Social Policy of the UNICEF Pacific Office, the Social Policy Officer is accountable for providing technical support and assistance in all stages of social policy programming on decentralization and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results.

Social Policy officer will closely work with Social Policy Specialist to:

• Support the provincial and national government at improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy, planning, budgeting, and programme at provincial level.
• Support the provincial and national government to improve use of public financial resources for children through undertaking budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, Ministry of Provincial Government & Institutional Strengthening, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children.
• Support strengthening capacity of provincial governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services in collaboration with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation, and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely responds to the needs of local communities.
• Support UNICEF Programme Management and coordinate technical support and dialogue around social policy programme on decentralization ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the EU funded programme on decentralization.

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

Education:

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• A minimum of one year of relevant professional experience is required.
• Previous experience working with national and provincial governments in Solomon Islands.
• Good understanding of decentralization mechanism, policies, and stakeholders.
• Good networking and coordination skills and time management.
• Willingness to travel to provinces and remote location within Solomon Islands
• Ability to communicate and coordinate with range of stakeholder at all levels.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required as well as a local language.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The functional competencies required for this post are...

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

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

Remarks

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflet diversity of those children. 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.

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.

For national professional officer positions, only applicants with the nationality or staff with a work permit for the respective country will be considered.

With regard to higher educational qualifications, UNICEF only considers degrees obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

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.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

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 visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Internal and external candidates are welcome to apply.

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