Current vacancies

Social policy specialist, NOC, Temporary appointment 365 days, #ALG  00128936, Algiers– Algeria, MENA

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.

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.

For every child, a childhood

www.unicef.org/algeria

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, youth, advocacy and partnership, social behavior change, and planning, monitoring and evaluation units and sections.

How can you make a difference?

KEY END-RESULTS

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action

• Supports the research project on ‘’measuring and analyzing data on multidimensional child and youth poverty, in partnership with the CNESE, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.
• Supports the follow-up of the research project on child and youth multidimensional poverty to translate data into policy decisions.
• 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 to reduce child poverty. 
• Analyzes the macroeconomic context 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 effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children

2. Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children

• Supports the dissemination, use and follow-up of data and analysis of child and adolescent social protection programmes undertaken in partnership with the CNESE, and promote development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children and adolescents, with special attention the most vulnerable.
• Contribute to the UN joint work in providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Finance and national institutions on the social protection reform by promoting strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of child-sensitive benefits and improving linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, and child protection.
• Supports the Ministry of Finance in producing analytical and simulation work on the integration of the child-lens in the Government subsidies reform by providing quality expertise, sharing good practices, and promoting a child-sensitive compensation response in the framework of social protection system.
• Undertakes improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes, and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.

3. Improving use of public financial resources for children

• Undertakes budget analysis and prepare budget briefs to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children.  Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.
• Supports sectorial programmes and social Ministries partners in producing public finance analytical work on prioritized areas to leverage adequate budget allocations for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive interventions.
• Supports the Ministry of Finance in measuring child-focused public expenditures and producing general and child-friendly citizen budgets in childhood sectors to improving budget transparency and enhancing visibility on the State efforts for children.
• Provides technical support to the CNESE and ONPPE in forecasting public expenditures for the National Plan of Action for children according to Programme-based budgeting approach.
• Undertakes and builds capacity of partners for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation.

4. Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on and monitor child-focused social services.

• Initiates and supports collaboration with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of population at local level.

5.   Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive social policy

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall. 
• Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral institutions, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, UN agencies and IFIs to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

6.   UNICEF Programme Management

• Manages and coordinates technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and governance ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with Governments counterparts, UNICEF programme sections, and cooperating Partners.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the social policy programme. Ensures that the social policy  programme enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support.

 Impact of Results

The strategic and effective advocacy, planning and formulation of social policy programs/projects and the achievement of sustainable results, contributes to achievement of goals and objectives to create a protective environment for children and thus ensure their survival, development and well-being in society. Achievements in social policy programs and projects in turn contribute to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

 Education:

              An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field. 

Experience:      

A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required.

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

Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements:           

Fluency in French and Arabic are required. Knowledge of English is a strong asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:

https://www.unicef.org/careers/get-prepared#Values

UUNICEF competencies required for this post are…

i) Core Competencies (For Staff with Supervisory Responsibilities) *

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
• Nutures, leads and manages people (1)

 During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Remarks:

This position is opened for Algerians only 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted