Education Specialist, Nairobi

Closing date: Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Education Specialist, P-3, Nairobi, Kenya (Temporary Appointment)
Vacancy No: E-VN-2015-000851
Duty Station: Nairobi
Country: Kenya
Region: ESARO
Job Level:P-3
Position: 93424
Application Close: 05-May-15
Contract Type: Temp/Short-term Staff
Purpose of the Position
The purpose of this position is to provide a dedicated resource for the overall coordination of a common and systematic approach to identification, design, and monitoring of interventions to address SRGBV within education plans in the participating countries. These are Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia and Zambia. The post will be located in the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office to facilitate coordination and support to the four participating countries.
Locating the post in ESARO will contribute to the greater strengthening of the ESARO-NYHQ Compact. Since the post will be located in the ESA regional office it will facilitate direct support to the four African countries participating in the initiative and enhance greater cross-sectoral collaboration on SRGBV at both regional and country levels. All four countries will participate in this three-year initiative to integrate best practice approaches to tackle SRGBV in Education Sector Plans and implementation.
Under the guidance of the Senior Education Advisor as the primary reporting officer and also working closely with the Regional Education Advisor ESARO, as the second reporting officer, the Education Specialist will coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SRGBV initiative so as to ensure delivery of the key expected results as agreed with the Global Partnership on Education - GPE.
Key Expected Results
Coordinate and Support the Knowledge and Evidence Management
Coordinating and supporting the delivery of activities in the Global and Regional Activities (GRA) Results Matrix. Work with country offices and the regional offices (WCARO, ESARO) to deliver Outcome No. 1: project countries are knowledgeable about the nature and incidence of SRGBV in schools; and the use of evidence based policies and strategies to address SRGBV.
End Result(s)

• Increased number of countries in ESAR and WCAR with an available national evidence base on effective strategies to address SRGBV;
• Increase the capacity of the Local Education Groups in the four countries to systematically address SRGBV and safe schools as part of the monitoring and development of education sector plans.

Support Institutional and Technical Capacity

• Support the four country offices and the two regional offices (WCARO, ESARO) to deliver Outcome No. 2: partners in project countries have increased capacity to design, implement and monitor SRGBV interventions and based on global best practice and country level learning, by coordinating and supporting delivery of activities in the GRA Results Matrix (see Annex).
• Manage the project budget successfully and report on annual budgets and personal travel budget to UNICEF and GPE.

End Result(s)

• Local interventions identified, supported, implemented and monitored systematically to establish good practice;
• Schools, teachers and children being reached by interventions;
• Communities of learning established in target intervention areas to facilitate peer to peer learning on gender dynamics, violence and education.
• Efficient monitoring and use of funds.

Project Management

• Work with relevant HQ level partners (including but not limited to Senior Advisor, Girls Education Results Manager, Education Specialist Global Partnership for Education, UNGEI, Child Protection), country programs and the regional offices (WCARO, ESARO) to deliver Outcome No. 3: Global and regional actors actively engage with the issue of SRGBV to improve multi-level and multi-sectoral action against SRGBV

End Result(s)

• Number of global fora and mechanisms facilitated to address SRGBV;
• Number of non-project GPE countries aware and using the tools and guidance developed.

Support the Gender and Education related work of the ESARO education section

• Under the guidance of the Regional Education Adviser (the secondary reporting officer) support the work of the education section on gender and UNGEI through the provision of high quality briefings;
• representing UNICEF at relevant internal and external meetings on SRGBV;
• providing inputs into the work of others on relevant issues, and ensuring priority messages on gender and education are effectively and consistently communicated.

End Result

• Contribute to the delivery of ESARO gender and education priorities.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

• Advanced degree in education, social sciences or related technical field.
• Five or more years of solid professional work experience at the national and international levels in education, programme management, monitoring and evaluation. Familiarity with school-related gender based violence, education sector planning, analysis, monitoring and evaluation and familiarity with GPE is of particular advantage.
• Fluent in English and in another UN language, preferably French

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Diversity and Inclusion: Treats all people with dignity and respect; shows respect and sensitivity towards cultural and religious differences; challenges prejudice, biases and intolerance in the workplace; encourages diversity wherever possible
• Integrity: Maintains high ethical standards; takes clear ethical stands, keeps promises; immediately addresses untrustworthy or dishonest behavior; resists political pressure in decision-making; does not abuse power or authority
• Commitment: Demonstrates commitment to the organization and UNICEF's mission; demonstrates the values of UNICEF in daily activities and behaviors; seeks out new challenges, assignments and responsibilities; promotes UNICEF's cause
• Core Competencies: Communication: Speaks fluently; expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly; makes presentations and undertakes public speaking with skill and confidence; responds quickly to the needs of an audience and to their reactions and feedback; projects credibility; structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience; presents information in a well-structured and logical way
• Working with people: Shows respect for the views and contributions of other team members; shows empathy; listens, supports and cares for others; consults others and shares information and expertise with them; builds team spirit and reconciles conflict; adapts to the team and fits in well
• Drive for Results: Sets high standards for quality and quantity; monitors and maintains quality and productivity; works in a systematic, methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves project goals; focuses on the needs and satisfaction of internal/external clients; accepts and tackles demanding goals with enthusiasm
• Managerial Competencies: Analyzing: Analyzes numerical data and all other sources of information, to break them into component parts, patterns and relationships; probes for further information or greater understanding of a problem; makes rational judgments from the available information and analysis; demonstrates an understanding of how one issue may be a part of a much larger system
• Leading and Supervising: Provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching; sets appropriate standards of behavior
• Formulating Strategies & Concepts: Works strategically to realize organizational goals; sets and develops strategies; identifies, develops positive and compelling visions of the organization's future potential; takes account of a wide range of issues across, and related to, the organization.
• Relating and Networking: Easily establishes good relationships with customers and staff; builds wide and effective networks of contacts inside and outside the organization; relates well to people at all levels; manages conflict; uses humor appropriately to enhance relationships with others
• Functional Competencies: Persuading and Influencing: Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating; makes effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others; promotes ideas on behalf of oneself or others; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage one's impression on others
• Deciding and Initiating Action: Takes responsibility for actions, projects and people; takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activity and introduces changes into work processes; makes quick, clear decisions which may include tough choices or considered risks
• Applying Technical Expertise: Applies specialist and detailed technical expertise; develops job knowledge and expertise (theoretical and practical) through continual professional development; demonstrates an understanding of different organizational departments and functions
• Learning and Researching : Rapidly learns new tasks and commits information to memory quickly; demonstrates an immediate understanding of newly presented information; gathers comprehensive information to support decision making; encourages an organizational learning approach (i.e. learns from successes and failures and seeks staff and customer feedback).
• Creating and Innovating: Produces new ideas, approaches, or insights; creates innovative ways of designing projects or outputs in own work area; produces a range of solutions to problems
• Planning and Organizing: Sets clearly defined objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organizes resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors performance against deadlines and milestones.
• Following Instructions & Procedures: Doesn't unnecessarily challenge authority; follows procedures and policies; keeps to schedules; complies with legal obligations and safety requirements of the role
• Adapting & Responding to Change: Adapts to changing circumstances; tolerates ambiguity; accepts new ideas and change initiatives; adapts interpersonal style to suit different people or situations; shows an interest in new experiences
• Coping with Pressure and Setbacks: Maintains a positive outlook at work; works productively in a pressurized environment; keeps emotions under control during difficult situations; handles criticism well and learns from it; balances the demands of a work life and a personal life
• Entrepreneurial Thinking: Keeps up to date with trends in own work area; identifies opportunities for advancing UNICEF's mission; maintains awareness of developments in the organizational structure and politics; demonstrates financial awareness and a concern for cost-effectiveness

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

More information and application details