Social Policy Specialist - Fixed Term Appointment – 2 years, UNICEF - Global Office of Research & Foresight, Florence Italy

This opening expired 11 months ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Open positions at UNICEF
Logo of UNICEF

Application deadline 11 months ago: Sunday 23 Apr 2023 at 21:55 UTC

Open application form

Contract

This is a L-3 contract. More about L-3 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, Research!

Job organizational context:

UNICEF Innocenti - Global Office of Research and Foresight is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children to inform the strategic directions, policies and programs of UNICEF and its partners. The Office explores emerging issues, identifies research gaps, brings together existing researchers, and supports or undertakes research and data collection to address critical questions to inform global debates.

Purpose of the post:

UNICEF Innocenti conducts research on various aspects of social protection and cash transfers, including their impacts. With the support of Sida, UNICEF Innocenti through the Transfer Project works with national governments to provide rigorous evidence from sub-Saharan Africa to inform better social protection policymaking and programme design and implementation. Research involves rigorous evaluations of the impacts of various cash transfers and cash-plus programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, including on various outcomes including child labour; the assessment of the role of design and implementation features, integrated social protection programmes, and making the economic case for investing in cash transfers and social protection. In addition, UNICEF Innocenti is also building a robust multi-country evidence base focused on ‘what works’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ with respect to social protection’s contribution to enhanced gender equality outcomes. This is done through a four-year research programme funded by FCDO, Gender-Responsive Age-Sensitive Social Protection (GRASSP), that seeks to strengthen the gender-responsiveness of social protection systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Primary research, which includes qualitative techniques, aims to unpack change pathways by exploring design & implementation features and examining how gender is integrated within social protection reforms and systems.

UNICEF Innocenti is also conducting research that examines the design, implementation, and impacts of shock responsive social protection programmes in developing countries. This will be achieved through strategic mixed-methods impact evaluations around shock-responsive cash-based programming and process/operational (qualitative) research that examines design and implementation aspects.

In addition, UNICEF Innocenti is building new research lines on climate change and urban contexts. Of particular interest are studies that assess the economic and social consequences of climate change on children, adolescents and families, and deepen understanding of the urban child populations and their wellbeing, including the role of urban planning, service delivery and governance.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

Under the supervision of the Chief and senior staff members in the Social and Economic Policy team, the staff member will be responsible for the following activities:

1. Qualitative research leadership and technical assistance to the social protection/cash transfers workstream (includes Transfer Project, shock responsive social protection and GRASSP) • Design, undertake and manage multi-country qualitative research for impact evaluations of social protection/cash transfers and examining design and implementation aspects. • Lead operational research of cash-based programming by conceptualizing, designing, undertaking and managing qualitative research, including data collection and analysis. • Guide the design of appropriate and rigorous qualitative methodologies, tools, protocols, trainings • Manage qualitative field work and data collection for mixed methods impact evaluations and operational research of large-scale social protection programmes designed to address children’s poverty and social exclusion. • Conduct and support the implementation of qualitative data analysis and write-up of research findings, in collaboration with partners on the research programmes. • Make major analytical contributions to research reports, briefs, working papers and other peer reviewed publications. • Coordinate research implemented by teams and partners and assure quality of outputs produced. • Supporting in the preparation and writing of high-quality peer-reviewed policy reports and briefs, working papers, web stories, blogs and other media and journals and edited volumes.. • Provide technical assistance in cross-team (Innocenti, NYHQ, Evaluation Office, Regional and Country Offices) research activities in areas of social protection and gender, as needed.

2. Support the development of new lines of research and maintain collaborative relationships with external/internal partners • Contribute qualitative research expertise to the development of new research lines on climate change and urban contexts. • Contribute to grant seeking proposals for research on social protection, climate change and/or urban contexts. • Initiate new forward-looking research that could strengthen UNICEF Innocenti’s research profile, including developing Working and Discussion Papers. • Provide technical assistance to HQ, regional and country offices in the design of research around social protection and social inclusion policies and interventions, as needed. • Contribute to other ongoing work in the Office; • Carry out other tasks as requested.

3. Management and co-ordination • Day-to-day management of research operations, project design, planning, development and implementation. • Monitor work plans, timelines, budgets, milestones and deliverables. • Support the identification, recruitment, and management of consultants (in-country and international) who will support research programmes. • Working closely across teams within UNICEF Innocenti (Social and Economic Policy, Child Rights and Protection, Research in Education and Development, Research Facilitation and Knowledge Management, Finance, HR, Communications, Operations, Convening) and across offices (HQ, Evaluation Office, Regional, Country Offices) to ensure that research objectives are met.

4. Reporting, dissemination and advocacy • Lead and support results reporting to donors and internally within UNICEF, through meetings and preparation of progress reports • Represent UNICEF Innocenti and support the communication of research findings including through presentations and lectures, policy briefs, blogs and other social media outlets. • Serve on advisory groups for related research and contribute to peer review in appropriate situations.

Competencies and level of proficiency required:

Recruitment Qualifications

Education: • Advanced university degree in social science, public policy or related fields, with specialization in advanced qualitative methods of research. A PhD with research experience desirable.

Experience: • At least five years of professional and progressively responsible experience in social policy or public policy research and analysis including training in qualitative methodologies • Prior professional experience in designing, supervising and undertaking qualitative research and fieldwork for impact evaluations and process research of social protection programmes; including managing primary data collection and qualitative data analysis in collaboration with partners in the field. • Experience in research concerned with social protection (cash plus, cash transfers) and gender. • Expertise in social protection systems analyses would be an asset. • Experience with writing for – and verbal presentation to – varied audiences, including both specialists and policy makers. • Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency contexts is preferred. • A good record of professional publications in relevant academic and policy areas. • Excellent knowledge of advanced software applications for quantitative research is preferred.

Language Requirements: • Fluency in English required; • Fluency in French and knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Competencies

• Strong research and analytical skills. • Strong planning and organisational skills. • Strong skills in qualitative methodologies. • Excellent writing and verbal communication skills. • Ability to work well as part of a team and in a multi-cultural environment. • Aims to achieve high standards for quality of work. • Good leadership and management skills. • Innovative thinker and problem solver.

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 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 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:

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

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 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unicef.org