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For every child, Education

To learn more about UNICEF career and the work in Rwanda, please visit our website https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/RWA/ and UNICEF Careers | UNICEF Careers.

How can you make a difference? 

Context

The Ministry of Education plans to implement Resilience in Secondary Education in Rwanda (RISE Rwanda) programme. The programme aims to enable 1.1 million out-of-school youth (16–30-year-olds) to complete secondary education through nationally accredited and technology enabled flexible pathways over a ten-year period. Specific attention will be accorded to young persons who are underserved, including young women, persons with disabilities and refugees.

RISE Rwanda will be implemented in partnership with UNICEF and financial contribution from the Mastercard Foundation under its RISE Africa programme, a flagship under the foundation’s Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young people across Africa, including Rwanda, to secure dignified and fulfilling work. RISE Rwanda will contribute to Rwanda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP 2024-2029) and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2 2024-2029) which seek to empower youth, particularly young women with learning and job-relevant skills and education, to lay a solid foundation for attaining Rwanda’s vision of a knowledge-based, high-income economy with a competitive human capital by 2050.

The programme is designed to support flexible pathways to respond to the unique and diverse educational needs of underserved out-of-school youth. The targeted youth will also be supported to improve digital skills and English language proficiency in addition to vocational skills relevant for their context. Specifically, the programme will support youth who dropped out-of-school before successfully completing lower (Senior 1-3) or upper (Senior 4-6) secondary education, to acquire nationally accredited secondary education equivalency certificate that enables them to pursue further education in Rwanda or elsewhere across the world.  These groups of young people, particularly those who did not complete lower secondary education, may additionally need to improve basic education competencies in the core subject areas of math, science and social studies before commencing the secondary education equivalency curriculum.

The learning pathways and support mechanisms will be flexible, individualized, and adaptive to meet the diverse schedule and context of out-of-school youth, including the individual needs of youth with disabilities.  The average duration of participation in the programme is expected to vary from six months to one year, particularly for youth who did not complete lower secondary education.

Against the above background, UNICEF Rwanda is looking for a qualified individual to manage the programme. The successful candidate will be the RISE Programme Manager, who will lead planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programme results.

 

Purpose of the position

Under the direct supervision of Chief Education, the Education Specialist will provide technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of results under the RISE Rwanda programme, contributing to the achievement of UNICEF Rwanda education programme results. The specialist will work closely with the Education Section team, the Mastercard Foundation (the funding partner) and non-governmental implementing partners, under the overall strategic guidance of the Ministry of Education.  

 

Key Expected Results

• Lead the development of work plans and progress reports preparation for the RISE programmes, ensuring planned activities are completed according to the agreed schedules.
• Consolidating, reviewing and quality assuring work plans, monitoring and financial reports prepared by implementing partners, ensuring alignment with expected results of RISE Rwanda and compliance with policies and procedures.
• Ensuring funds requests and utilization are thoroughly reviewed, and expenditures are in line with the approved plans and budgets
• Ensuring timely completion and follow up of HACT assurance activities and actions related to the GPE grants  
• Leading programme implementation status updates, preparation and presentation to key RISE Rwanda programme stakeholders as well relevant education sector coordination platforms  
• Planning and ensuring successful completion of progress review of the RISE programme including studies needed to inform adaptive programming
• Coordination of meetings, workshops, and other events planned and undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, RISE Rwanda partners and sector stakeholders.
• Contribute to identification, synthesis, and sharing of lessons learned to support evidence informed programming and decisions.
• Ensuring regular monitoring visits, including joint visits with government and partners, to observe and document implementation status; and prepare and share relevant information with implementing partners and relevant officials for required action.
• Contributing to monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews with implementing partners and the government and preparing minutes/reports for follow up actions.

 

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in education, economics or related social sciences.
• At least five years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Demonstrated experience successfully managing large, multi-year programmes, preferably in education or other social sectors
• Experience working and collaborating with senior government officials and development at national and subnational levels is desirable.
• Experience in a UN system agency and funding development partners is considered an asset.

 

Work Experience:

• Knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies, including the application of the equity lens and human rights perspectives to programming.
• Ability to translate analytical findings and evidence into development programme and policy discussions around equity and learning with partners, including government, development partners, CSOs and academia in relevant areas.
• Education policy and sector capacity analysis, including understanding of the core education data sets and indicators; tools for analysis of equity; determinants of student access and learning; budget, costing, and financial management in education systems; political economy; education policy and strategic planning.
• Knowledge and understanding of programming for vulnerable youth, including youth with disability and refugee youth

 

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English required. Knowledge of French and Kinyarwanda will be considered as an asset.

Competencies of a Successful Candidate (Based on UNICEF professional competency profile)

Core Values:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Competencies:

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

 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. 

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

[CO/ HQ specific: visa residence requirements: i.e.: UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.