Office Performance Assessment Specialist

UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive and fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines, we support child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, HIV prevention and treatment for mothers and babies, and the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Non-political and impartial, we are never neutral when it comes to defending children’s rights and safeguarding their lives and futures.

The UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO), based in Dakar, provides guidance and technical assistance to 24 Country Offices to ensure strategic and impactful programming for children. With the transition to a new structure, and to support it, WCARO is recruiting a national UN Volunteer to assist the Planning, Monitoring, Data and Research (PMDR) section in strengthening performance monitoring mechanisms and ensuring timely tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) across the region. This role will support both Country Offices and the Regional Office in improving systematic use of results-based management and strengthening office accountability. It will also contribute to strengthening WCARO engagement in the ongoing inter-agency (UNCT, etc.) and UN reforms discussions, including integrated planning, inter-agency coordination, roll-out of UN@80 components, etc.

Under the direct guidance Programme and Planning Manager, the international UNV Office Performance Assessment Specialist will support the assessment of annual workplan implementation with a focus on measuring Country and Regional Office Performance. This position therefore contributes to providing strategic guidance and technical support to Regional and Country Offices on corporate planning, risk management, reporting as well as ensuring alignment with the Regional Plans and UNICEF’s global and regional priorities.

To do so, the International UN Volunteer (IUNV) will need to work under the Programme and Planning Manager and in close collaboration with the RO sections (Operations, Partnership and Communication, Emergency, etc.), HQ (including the newly established GOESE and COEs), and country offices to ensure a standardized approach to performance monitoring across offices. The IUNV’s work will include contributing to the definition of standards and measures (KPIs, other metrics, etc.) that adequately helps regularly assess Country and Regional Office Performance and their uptake by all Country Offices, hence supporting strengthened accountability of Country and Regional Offices. Through regular regional performance reviews, Country Office performance trend analyses, and other similar activities, the IUNV will support the Programme and Planning Manager to identify systemic bottlenecks, propose corrective actions, and identify accelerators for increased programme and operations performance.

Performance Monitoring
• Monitor and track KPIs for WCARO and 24 Country Offices using corporate tools (e.g., RAM, Scorecards, etc.).
• Support the preparation of presentations on the status of KPIs for WCARO’s management team and RMT members, and manage tools such as the RMT tracker, the ROMT tracker, etc.,
• Support the identification of performance issues and prepare alert messages for regional and country office management.
• Support the implementation of SOPs for office performance management, including KPIs (programme and operations).
• Support Country Offices to update missing information/data points, validation, and reporting of performance indicators.
• Contribute to the adjustment of office performance indicators as needed.
• Support the regional management in tracking technical requests submitted by Country Offices to the Centers of Excellence, ensuring that timely and appropriate technical support is provided to all relevant Country Offices, and provide monthly or quarterly updates to management on the status and progress of these requests.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to RO sections and country offices to ensure the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of reported information, and conduct quality assurance work. Document lessons learned and good practices; facilitate experience sharing across WCARO and Country Offices.

UN Reform Support
• Assist in organizing and documenting meetings of regional UN platforms (e.g., Regional Collaborative Platforms, Issue-Based Coalitions, etc.).
• Support the collection and consolidation of data/relevant information from Country Offices for regional UN reform reporting.
• Support gathering and compilation of CO–level information on UN@80 initiative to inform the regional management
• Draft summary briefs, presentations and other documents on UN reform activities for internal and external audiences, as needed.
• Help compile lessons learned and best practices from UN reform initiatives for knowledge sharing.

Expected Outputs
• Regular updates to management on regional and country office performance (KPI report, etc.) including corrective actions to take and or alert messages.
• Improved mechanisms for office performance management and increased accountability
• Strengthened regional engagement in inter-agency work and UN reform discussions.
• Timely reporting and systematic tracking of actions agreed in different Sr level management meetings (ROMT, SMT, CMG, RMT, etc.).
• Any other related tasks as may be required by the Regional Director.

Furthermore, IUN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work.