UN Children's Fund Education Specialist Jobs in Kenya

UN Children's Fund Education Specialist Jobs in Kenya

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, education

Through the “promise renewed” commitment, and as part of efforts to strengthen organizational capacity to support quality education for all children, UNICEF has re-emphasized its focus on equity which is at the core of the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan.

Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration and Education for All (EFA), UNICEF works to ensure the right of all children to education.

One of the key outputs under Goal Area 2 “Every child learns” in the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan is “Countries have strengthened their education systems for gender-equitable learning outcomes” within which community participation in education is one of the five dimensions of an effective education system for learning outcomes.

In order to support progress towards the achievement of this output, UNICEF designed the “Data Must Speak” (DMS) initiative and successfully submitted funding proposals to the Global Partnership for Education and to Hewlett Foundation for its implementation.

The DMS initiative: i) provides direct field support and capacity building of Ministries of Education for the design and use of monitoring tools enhancing social accountability/community empowerment and equitable education systems/management; and ii) supports analysis, dissemination and use of data on the impact of community involvement on school resources and performance.

Started in 2014, the initiative is, in 2018, jointly implemented by Headquarters’ (HQ) and Regional Offices’ education teams in eight countries (incl. Madagascar, Namibia and Zambia and soon to join Angola).

There is an increased demand from Country Offices (COs) of the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) to be part of it.

While not all interested countries may join the initiative formally, reforms can be implemented to align the treatment they apply to data in alignment with DMS principles to ensure wider use and strengthened community participation.

To meet the increase in demand, the additional support of a data specialist is required.

Under the guidance of the Regional Education Advisor and direct supervision of the Education Specialist (RBM), the incumbent will be part of the Basic Education and Gender Equality unit of the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO).

The incumbent will also work in close collaboration with the System Strengthening, Innovation, Data and Evidence for Results (SIDER) team at UNICEF Headquarters Education as well as other colleagues of the Basic Education and Gender Equality unit of ESARO and other UNICEF regional offices.

She/he will have close collaboration with other sections of UNICEF ESARO, in particular the Communication for Development (C4D) unit, and with Country Offices, staff of other UN Agencies, and Government officials, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors ensuring successful UNICEF education programme implementation in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Responsibilities

The Education Specialist will