Research Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work to translate that commitment into practical action, especially for the most disadvantaged children.
In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada.
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria. All 14 Pacific island countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations.

Context

The UNICEF Multi-Country Office in the Pacific has embarked into the first year of its 2023-2027 country programme, with an expanded focus on evidence generation, data collection, research and publication on child rights issues across the Pacific. Much of the work of UNICEF across the 14 Pacific countries it supports, requires quality data and evidence on the situation of child rights, including knowledge generation on bottlenecks and challenges to achieving child rights, lessons learnt and good practices that could be replicated or shared across Pacific countries.
Having a consistent and high-quality internal system and a dedicated focal point to coordinate a UNICEF Pacific research agenda, by working with Field Offices and Programme sections, as well as with UNICEF global divisions, such as OGIP, Innocenti and Evaluations Office, will enhance knowledge and documentation on child rights issues that emerge from the Pacific region.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the individual will:
• Facilitate research on quality assurance processes at the Country Office (CO) level in accordance with the UNICEF Policy on Research. Ensure that the Standard Operating Procedures outline the quality assurance process for research and that checklists, guidance, and other tools are available to research project managers from all sectors.
• Technically support UNICEF programme specialists and programme partners to formulate Terms of Reference for high quality research projects.
• Review the Terms of Reference for upcoming major research projects and drafts of research reports. Assist with the peer review process of major research projects and coordinate feedback to Supervisor/CMT/stakeholders to ensure quality and compliance with the UNICEF Policy on Research and country office research priorities.
• Produce summaries of research and evidence on critical themes relevant for development and humanitarian programmes implemented by the UNICEF Pacific office.
• Assist with the recruitment and selection of appropriately qualified research consultants, ensuring that the selection process is in compliance with UNICEF standards for performance, accountability, transparency and ethics.
• Support the establishment of a research programme for young students in the Pacific by way of setting up a pilot internship/research scholarship programme that enables UNICEF to generate interest on child rights issues in the Pacific.
• Assist research project managers from all sectors with the development of a multi-method communication plan to disseminate research findings to intended audiences via user-friendly methods.
• As part of Country Office Reporting, upload completed research reports to EISI to allow global sharing.
• Ensure all research follows the ethical principles and standards outlined in the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis.
• Any other related tasks as required by the Supervisor.