Social Policy Specialist (PF4C), P4, FT WCARO Dakar, Senegal# 71030

The purpose of this position is to support the acceleration of UNICEF regional and country level efforts in the area of public finance for children (PF4C), including in terms of enhancing the PFM capacity of staff across the Regional Office and in Country Offices in the West and Central Africa region. The Social Policy Specialist (PF4C) will provide oversight, quality assurance and technical support to the PF4C work carried out by UNICEF Country Offices and support their efforts to leverage greater, more effective, transparent, and equitable domestic public investments in children and ensure results in the areas of health, education, HIV, nutrition, child protection, social inclusion, and WASH. Further, the position entails providing staff capacity development, knowledge management, and strategic partnership support to UNICEF WCAR engagements related to budgets and public financial management, to improve the enabling environment and remove PFM related barriers to achieving results for children.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, hope

How can you make a difference? 

The Social Policy Specialist reports to the Regional Adviser Social Policy for general guidance and direction.

The role requires strong collaboration with a range of Regional Office and Country Office teams, governments and civil society partners, regional institutes such as ECOWAS, the African Union, research institutes, development partners and International Financial Institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. 1. Advisory services and technical support:
2.  Result: Regional and Country Offices expand, lead and deliver high quality standard programmes in the area of PF4C

• Provide technical leadership for the scaling up of UNICEF's PF4C work in the WCAR region in line with the strategic direction of the regional Social Policy programme. Provide technical support, quality assurance and oversight to assure high quality in all aspects of PF4C programme activities conducted by Country Offices and the Regional Office. This includes the provision of guidance to COs on the development of budget briefs, engagement on budget transparency, assessing and improving the impact of spending, strengthening budget processes, addressing national financing challenges, and increasing investments in child-focused services, as required. Support and set standards for Country Office and Regional Office sector teams to regularly keep track of budget information with regards to sector budget allocations, sector spending levels, and financing needs.
• Provide specialized technical expertise to national partners in the area of PFM, with a focus on strengthening PFM systems for the monitoring of allocation and expenditures in key sectors for children (education, health, HIV, nutrition, child protection, social inclusion, and WASH).
• Support country programme development, monitoring and evaluation in the area of PF4C. Develop an initiative to support Country Offices, where relevant, with PF4C capacity development and curriculum strengthening programmes for national counterparts.
• Support sectors costing their plans and developing investment cases.

1. Knowledge generation and management

Result: Up-to-date technical expertise is maintained, expanded, and disseminated throughout the region, and shared with regional/national institutions/partners.

• Serve as regional focal point of technical expertise for PF4C. Monitor developments in technical areas, as well as political and social developments, at the national and regional levels. Contribute to the regional Social Policy knowledge management function by analysing and disseminating available national budget data, information systems, and trends to evaluate cost and impact on SDGs, capturing determinants of the trends and their implications for country programming. Monitor the access of countries in the region to international financing facilities, and trends in financing for development.
• Synthesize best practices in PF4C from ongoing programmes/projects and disseminate among Country Offices and partners in the region and, where relevant, through facilitation of exchange visits, study tours, workshops, and training. Document investment cases for leveraging resources for PF4C. Compile evidence on the investments of countries in the region in key sectors for children and develop relevant knowledge products for advocacy use by the Regional Office.
• Create alliances with research institutions, development partners, and civil society organisations on evidence generation and knowledge management regarding Public Finance for Children.
• Monitor the macroeconomic outlook, as well as demographic and poverty trends for the region.

1. Capacity Building

Result: Country Office and Regional Office staff have the capacity to manage PF4C programmes and engage governments and other partners in PF4C advocacy efforts

• Provide technical inputs for capacity development efforts of UNICEF staff in country offices, across all programme sections. Provide technical guidance on the design, content and delivery of staff training courses or workshops on PF4C.
• Develop initiatives to promote the engagement of Country Office and Regional Office senior management in national and regional PF4C initiatives, including on budget advocacy and on collaboration with International Financial Institutions.

1. Communication, Networking and Partnership

Result: Effective communication, partnerships, representation, and networking are forged to develop harmonized PF4C programme interventions and expand programmes and networks

• Enhance UNICEF’s regional technical leadership role by forging internal and external partnerships in the development of programme interventions, through representation in regional fora with partners and stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain collaboration with the Communication and C4D Advisors to develop innovative strategies for increasing social accountability and demand of citizens across the region for greater investments in children.
• Build strategic alliances with various international and regional partners, national associations, entrepreneurs, academics, religious organizations, and NGOs active in PFM/PF4C. Contribute to a better integration of donors into consultative processes and networking. Expand strategic engagement and partnerships with UN Agencies and International Financial Institutions.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Finance, or other relevant disciplines. A first university degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree

• Work Experience:
• Minimum of eight years of progressive, professional work experience related to budgeting, public financial management, and sector financing, in the applied, national and international, social development settings.
• Hands-on experience with PFM issues required.
• Experience in budget analysis, costing and developing investment cases in key sectors for children such as health, education, water and sanitation, social protection, nutrition an asset.
• Experience in designing and implementing Public Expenditure Reviews and Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys an asset.
•  
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

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. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

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.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Special Notice on UNICEF office relocation:

UNICEF and other UN Agencies will be moving soon to the new United Nations House in Diamniadio, 30 kilometers from downtown Dakar. The name of the duty station for this position will remain Dakar, Senegal.