The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society s most disadvantaged citizens addressing inequity not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The Education Officer will be based in the South Field Office (Basra) and will lead the coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of UNICEF s education programme in the southern region, under the technical guidance and support of the Education Section at the Country Office (CO). The Education Officer will report administratively to the Chief of Field Office (Basra), and technically to the Chief of Education or a designated Education Specialist (Level 4/3) at the Country Office, who will provide strategic direction, technical oversight, and quality assurance for programme implementation.

Under the supervision of the Chief Field Office, the Education Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for education programmes/projects within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results, preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, evaluating and reporting. Technically, the position focuses on three components: system building and strengthening the governance of the education system; expanding equitable access to quality learning opportunities through formal, nonformal and early childhood education; and improvement of learning, learning outcomes, and skills development.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• 1.Support to programme development and planning
• 2.Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• 3.Technical and operational support to programme implementation
• 4.Networking and partnership building
• 5.Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

1.Support to programme development and planning

• Contribute to the preparation and updating of the situation analysis for the development, design and management of education related programmes/projects.
• Research and report on development trends (economic, social, health etc.) and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results.
• Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives and strategies and results-based planning through research, collection, analysis and reporting of education and other related information for development planning and goal setting.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluation of results.
• Contribute to the programmatic component of humanitarian preparation and response; work at the intersection of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus; and coordinate organizational efforts to address climate change and environmental degradation, including through disaster risk reduction (DRR).
• Contribute to UNICEF`s engagement in peace building and social cohesion and ensure mainstreaming of conflict sensitivity, peace building and shock responsiveness into country programmes and sectors, including responsiveness to internal migration and displacement.

2.Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.

• Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues.
• Suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit reports to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decisions.
• Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.
• Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders.
• Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare draft inputs for programme/donor reporting.

3.Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Undertake field visits and surveys and share information with stakeholders to assess progress and refer to relevant officials for resolution.
• Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices on education related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.

Desired Candidate Profile

A university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field.

A minimum of two years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.

Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Knowledge of another official UN language (Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.