Deadline of this Job: 17 January 2023

Goal and Objective:  

• The overall objective of this assignment is to oversee the development and implementation of the regional strategy on MHPSS in line with the Strategic Plan and the Regional Office Management Plan and Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Collaboration for Children (ESAR C4C) to scale-up integrated and cross-sectoral MHPSS programming in both development and emergency settings. Under the supervision of the Child Protection Regional Advisor, the Consultant will support the continued efforts of the regional office and country offices to realise the goals and commitments on MHPSS expressed with the UNICEF Strategic Plan and sector specific frameworks pending the recruitment of a Programme Specialist (MHPSS) on TA.

Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered: 

• Enhanced capacity of COs to prevent and respond to exploitation, abuse, neglect, harmful practices (child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation) and violence against children in all settings through systems strengthening across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus and throughout the lifecycle of children.

Activities and Tasks:   

• The incumbent will coordinate cross-sectoral programming in order to help shape strategic programmatic response on MHPSS. The contractor will work with UNICEF country and regional level teams and with external partner organisations to shape and deliver the regional and global priorities. Through its work, the holder of the post should adopt a life-course approach to address 1) first and second decade differences and the nuances within each decade; 2) a rights-based gender-transformative approach and; 3) ensure that actions are informed by children, adolescents and young people agency.

Desired competencies, technical background, and experience

• Education:  Advanced university degree in one of the following fields: in social sciences; psychology; international development; public health or similar relevant discipline.

Experience

• At least 8 years of MHPSS programming, including in humanitarian contexts.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of health and social work systems, humanitarian principles, child safeguarding measures and established international standards on mental health and psychosocial support for children and adolescents.
• Strong coordination, organizational and facilitation skills whether face to face or remotely with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-sectoral programme design and knowledge management, preferably including remote coordination.
• Comfortable to work independently while coordinating closely with different

The Regional Education Adviser leads the work on ensuring technical support, quality assurance and oversight of the education programming in the 21 countries in eastern and southern Africa. It will entail supporting and guiding countries to collectively address the global learning crisis which is in an even more dire situation in the region where 90% of ten-year-olds cannot read and understand simple texts. As a flagship collaboration-for-children programme of the regional office, the regional education adviser will play a critical and transformative role in moving the needle on one of the highest priorities in the region for UNICEF. Since the contexts in the region varies immensely, programming will need to be flexible and adaptable so that to many types of contexts including in humanitarian situations which can be climate induced, result of conflict or disease outbreaks and pandemics.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Deputy Regional Director, the Regional Adviser serves as an authoritative and expert adviser to the Office of the Regional Director, the Regional Management Team, Country Offices and Government institutions/officials on innovative and cutting-edge strategies, policies, approaches, best practices and knowledge on education, learning and related issues such as inclusion. The incumbent leads regional office support to CO’s on programme development planning, implementation, management, resource mobilization, capacity building and knowledge management to advocate for innovative education transformative practices and translate these in concrete action to achieve concrete and sustainable results on strengthening the national education systems. Within the wider SDG context, the efforts should lead to improving learning outcomes and universal access to quality, equitable and inclusive primary/early childhood education and renewing involvement in secondary education especially, for children who are marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded in society, in line with UNICEF Strategic Plans, performance standards and accountability framework.

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

Policy Direction and Strategic Positioning

• Guide UNICEF's regional strategies as they relate to Education, Learning and Skills, in the context of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Advocate for ESAR (RO and COs) prioritization of transformative education system that further promote and realize their potential as a mean for transforming societies and economies both as a good in itself and as an accelerator of multiple Development Results.
• Initiate innovative approaches for enhanced support to sector-wide analysis, planning, implementation, and accountability, with a clear focus on feasibility, promoting learning and greater equity.
• Assist the global and lead regional efforts to elevate the learning agenda in relevant strategic fora, influencing policy discussions and agenda setting within and beyond traditional education networks
• Repositioning and progressively transition UNICEF's advocacy, knowledge-base and partnerships to addressing the breadth and depth of the global learning crisis, including by promoting sustainable and equitable financing for education services.
• Provide strategic advice to regional and country management to ensure impactful education programmes and sustained efforts for the agenda.

Support to Regional and Country Offices on Programme Design, Implementation, and Providing Oversight

• Support the adoption of tailored and efficient education operational models in offices across the region in all country contexts.
• Bring coherence, complementarity, and synergies between UNICEF’s education sectoral and cross-cutting areas, promoting alignment of resources and uptake of quality programming standards.
• Ensure clear and pragmatic programme guidance is available and followed (where required through ESAR’s specific interpretation of global guidance) to support UNICEF staff at all levels in particular focusing on:
• Children excluded on the basis of gender, children with disabilities, the poorest, ethnic and linguistic minorities, and children affected by emergencies.
• Expanding support for reaching children during their early years (3–5 years old) by increasing work on pre-primary education
• Prioritizing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy learning as major strategy
• Expanding support during adolescence (10–19 years old) by providing multiple learning pathways, particularly for adolescents, by introducing and scaling up innovative approaches
• The generation and use of data and evidence, particularly related to levels of learning, to generate a better understanding of the children being left behind, the viability of current system’s thinking and the effectiveness of education systems in meeting the learning needs of every child.

Partnerships and Inter-Sectoral Alliances

• Build network of academic/research institutions and think tanks in the region to strengthen to the knowledge base while contributing to innovation and capacity building.
• Ensure the education and inclusion teams are contributing to the thought leadership in learning and inclusion across the different sectors, with UN at large and as part of community addressing the learning crisis in the region
• Explore innovative partnerships, leveraging resources for education and learning which connect with other pertinent issues as climate crisis
• Work with wide range of stakeholders to forward Reimagine Education: high-impact technology for learning programmes and support and coordinate the five pillars of the global Reimagine Education programme (connectivity, world class digital learning solutions, affordable data, devices and youth engagement).
• Create new opportunities for and support regional resource mobilization, increase donors', private sector partners interest in quality transformative programmes and confidence in UNICEF's ability to deliver them.
• Strengthen UNICEF's leadership in delivering learning of education in humanitarian action, through interagency humanitarian mechanisms.

Management and Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide direction and managerial support to the ESA Regional Office Education and Inclusion team.
• Manage the sustainability of the RO Education and Inclusion team and meet timely budgetary requirements.
• Oversee and manage performance of direct report and ensure capacity development of the team to fulfill its roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure inclusive management and well-being of the Education and Inclusion team.
• Participate in the RO leadership team and contribute to CRITAS in the RO as in COs.
• Support the wider Regional Education and inclusion network through capacity building and other support.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field. 
• A minimum of twelve (12) years of professional experience in social development planning and management in education and related areas at the international level is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset