Purpose:
In the capacity of Chief Social Policy, you will be accountable for senior level leadership and managerial support of the Organization in a broad range of social policy areas. You will be accountable for overall leadership and managerial guidance on programme policy direction and new initiatives. You will be accountable for programme coordination, and management of all phases of programme formulation, planning, design, implementation and administration. You will be accountable for effective engagement in social policy dialogue with the Government for programme development, advocating for increased public resource allocation and budgeting towards the social sector and sustainable decentralization of social services and local capacity building in support of the goal of universal coverage of essential social services and the creation of a protective environment for children. You will oversee quality data collection and analysis to fill information gaps and to strengthen capacity for advocacy for children’s rights, and to support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the World Fit for Children (WFFC) agenda.
Qualification:
Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, International Finance, public relations, media, communication, or other relevant disciplines. Ten years of relevant work experience. Developing country work experience. Background/familiarity with Emergency. Fluency in English and Portuguese. Knowledge of Spanish is an asset.
Key Expected Results:
- Managerial Guidance, Policy Advice and Coordination
Provides overall leadership and managerial guidance to senior level programme teams on policy direction, work plans and control mechanisms, and by monitoring compliance and performance standards in accordance with the Country Programme Recommendation and the Country Programme Management Plan. Coordinates with partners at HQ, Regional and Country levels and provides managerial and technical advice and support to the Organization in the development of programme policy and strategy to address priority issues in the area of social policy. In collaboration with local and regional partners, provides support and oversight both for specific technical projects regarding the NPAs or sectoral activities, and for participation in the country programming process. Determines specific needs for support on social policy issues either directly through country visits or through assistance from national or regional consultants.
- Social policy dialogue and programme development
Participates in social policy dialogue and development with the Government, engages in and establishes constructive dialogue and partnerships between international and local stakeholders to support the development of social policies and programmes contributing to the progressive realization of children’s rights and strengthening of implementation and monitoring mechanisms at all levels of society, and ensures that the services reach out in innovative, effective ways to those most vulnerable pockets of children and families that have been previously left out.
Promotes the advocacy for juvenile justice reform, supports child rights-based reviews of national, provincial and local legislation, in close consultation with community-level structures and supports the health and education sectors and the social welfare system for children.
- Monitoring state budget resources Monitors and updates current information on state budgeting and spending patterns for social programmes and decentralization status of social services on an on-going basis to support advocacy for greater public resources and budget allocation for social development, the prioritization of resource allocation for children, and universal coverage of essential services for children, to ensure that they reflect the best interest of children.
- Sustainable decentralization and capacity building Where the national decentralization process is taking place, collaborates with the central and local authorities to assist in planning, policy discussion and service delivery closely responding to the needs of local communities.
Provides on-going support in making decentralization sustainable through adequate local support while keeping decentralized services both accessible and effective.
Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen community-based capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring of social policy and programmes.
Develops programme plans of action for children at provincial and district/municipality levels; strengthens coordination between sectors and between different levels of government structures for policy implementation.
- Data collection, analysis and results-based approach
Oversees and collects systematically qualitative data for the sound and up-to-date assessment of the situation of children and women to provide the base-lines for result-based decisions on interventions and evaluations. Develops information systems for monitoring child rights indicators, with emphasis on community and child participation.
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.
Analyzes the macroeconomic context of social policy programmes 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 effect of social welfare policies on the rights of children 6. Advocacy and communication
Promotes and raises awareness on children’s rights with both the general public and with policy makers, effective information dissemination, mass media campaign, special events, and other means, to ensure local buy-in, commitment, and continued relevance of UNICEF programming. - Partnerships 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 Millennium Development Goals and the World Fit for Children (WFFC) agenda.
Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family. - UNICEF Programme Management
Ensure the achievement of programme and project goals by effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the social policy programme.
Ensures that the social planning project 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.
Competencies: Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking
Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment
Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget
Has good leadership and supervisory skills; co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear
Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources
Identifies urgent and potentially risky decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates organization-wide activities
Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments
Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities
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. If you want a challenging career while improving the lives of children around the world UNICEF, the leading children’s rights organization, would like to hear from you.
In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Visit us at www.unicef.org/about/employ to register in our new e-Recruitment system and apply to this and other vacancies, quoting E-VN-2012-000237. Applications must be received by 29 February 2012. Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.
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