Social Policy Specialist, P-3, Monrovia, Liberia, PAT #124355 (For Non-Liberians Only)

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 123,917 USD and 162,260 USD.

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.

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, social policy and child benefit.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose for the Job:

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes Programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty;(b) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management, including at the sub-national level; and This encompasses both direct Programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to UNICEF teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.

In the context of Liberia in particular, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the current war in Ukraine have more than ever shown the gaps in attention to the most vulnerable populations such as women and children. These major crises have also shown how crucial it is in the Liberian context to make better room for basic social sectors such as Health, Education, Child Protection in the limited fiscal space the country has, by a better part in the public distribution through the state budget, while taking care to minimize the pitfalls of the debt on the most vulnerable strata. How to advise, influence and convince decision makers at the right time based on tangible evidence to establish more protective policies for the most vulnerable groups, taking them into account in an equity-based way in public spending, is where an expert team dedicated to social policy can make a difference.

I. Key Functions, Accountabilities, and related Duties/Tasks:

1. Improving Data on Child Poverty & Vulnerability for Increased use for Policy and Budgets:

• Supports 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.
• Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy initiatives to reduce child poverty.
• Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues, and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children

2. Improving Use of Public Financial Resources for Children:

• Undertakes budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children. Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.
• Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.
• Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability, and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation

3. Strengthened Advocacy and pPartnerships for Child-sensitive Social Policy:

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence about children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy Programme and the country Programme overall.
• Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness, and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

4. UNICEF Programme Management:

• Manages and coordinates technical support around child poverty and public finance, ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF Programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and government.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country Programme. Ensures that the Social Policy Programme enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research, and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

II. Impact of Results****:

The strategic and effective advocacy, planning and formulation of the Social Policy Programme and the achievement of sustainable results, contributes to achievement of goals and objectives to create a protective environment for children and thus ensure their survival, development, and well-being in society. Achievements in social policy in turn contribute to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country.

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

Education:

• An advanced 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 five years of relevant professional work experience is required. Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset. Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as a strong asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3)

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

For every child, a future!