Batch Recruitment – Planning & Monitoring Specialist, (NO-3), Sokoto #108788 & Kano #108783, Nigeria

The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the Field Officer to the Management Team and the wide range of stakeholders contribute to the successful results-based planning and monitoring of programmes that, in turn, result in improved country office and national stakeholders’ development planning, performance and achievement of concrete and sustainable results for children in Nigeria.
Effective planning, monitoring and reporting enhances UNICEF’s capacity and credibility in delivering highly effective programmes and concrete and sustainable results that directly improve services to mothers and children in the country

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.

For every child, dedication

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.  UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally – click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/.

Organizational Context and Purpose for the Job

 The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, 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.

Job organizational context

The UNICEF Country Programme in Nigeria the largest programme in the WCAR, and it continues to evolve and expand rapidly. Managing the Country Programme makes the planning, monitoring and evaluation needs more complex and demanding. These circumstances require strengthening the programme’s planning, monitoring and reporting function. This will ensure that the UNICEF Nigeria Country Office and national partners have useful, valid and reliable information on the situation of children and women and on the progress in realizing their rights as well as on the reduction of equity gaps within the country. It will also ensure a coordinated approach to the monitoring and reporting of the Country Programme implementation.

Guided by UNICEF’s Rights and Results-based Management standards, the Planning and Monitoring Specialist supports the planning process throughout the Field Office programme cycle, monitoring systems, surveys and analysis of key trends (e.g., MICS and MICS+), and reporting.

The incumbent ensures that the Field Office has useful, valid, and reliable information on the situation of children’s and women’s rights in the priority states; the performance of UNICEF-supported programmes, including their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability; and in emergency contexts, their coverage, coordination and coherence.

He/she assists in developing capacities of relevant stakeholders for monitoring, reporting and research, with special attention to the interest, concern and participation of government, community, and civil society stakeholders.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Chief Field Office, and a technical oversight of the Chief, Planning and Monitoring of the Country Office, the Planning and Monitoring Specialist is accountable for managing and implementing areas of responsibility under this post. The primary function of this post is to improve the planning, monitoring, analysis and reporting of UNICEF programme results in the Nigeria Country Office, with a particular focus on convergence and through the use of technology, towards the achievement of UNICEF’s organizational priorities and strategies at community, LGA, state and national levels. The post will improve the relevance, quality, availability and use of data and contextual information on children and women throughout UNICEF and externally. The post will support coordination and dissemination of country-level data on key social indicators, including through presentations, MICS, DevInfo and report summaries, and promote its use in corporate planning, policy formulation, programme design, advocacy and flagship publications.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Monitoring programme results and document lessons
2. Development of innovative ways to manage and disseminate data
3. Programme Development and Management
4. Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Capacity Development
5. Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the State, Community and Family Levels 
6. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration 
7. People management

1.  Monitoring programme results and document lessons

• Monitor and track results at the field level through innovative processes and tools, including the Programme Monitoring Sheets and new technologies.
• Develop and implement innovative tools and methodologies for tracking results.
• Coordinate with partners to ensure that monitoring systems are properly designed and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised across programmes to feed into programme performance monitoring.
• Build capacities within the office and field offices by using innovative structures, mechanisms, and tools to track results at the field level. Through close coordination with Chiefs of Field Offices to ensure that field monitoring approaches and associated tools capably support advancing the results agenda for children in Nigeria. 
• Collect, monitor, and analyse data, and support internal and external dissemination of results to inform NCO collaboration around key programme results, including inputs to management reports.
• Contribute to analysis of results and use of insights for improved planning and decision-making in the context of the UNICEF Nigeria CP 2023-2027 UN coherence efforts, and readily ascertain UNICEF’s contributions to supporting Nigeria achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

2. Development of innovative ways to manage and disseminate data and lessons learned

• Work with ITD/UNICEF, UN agencies, the private sector, and NGOs to identify bottlenecks and develop and implement new and innovative ways to collect, analyse, and disseminate data and results for evidence-based decision-making, including the use of a scorecard system at the LGA and/or State level.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of innovative systems for efficient processes.
• Build capacities within the office and partners as appropriate for collecting, analysing and disseminating data related to children and women and programme results.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful practices and experiences at the field office level and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention to different sections in the field offices to identify and document innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the FO/CO and partners to improve programme planning and implementation of field office work plans and the overall country programme.
  • Identify knowledge gaps within the field office and, through co-creation, develop plans for filling such knowledge to improve programme implementation. Ensure that knowledge products are tailored to audience needs, well disseminated and tracked for optimal knowledge use.

3.  Programme Development and Management

• Identify critical intervention points and measures by administering a consistent and transparent monitoring system; analyse country-level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing programmes and projects. Support knowledge management for improved data use.
• Draft changes to/or prepare programme work plans as required. Prepare program recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation, and new approaches, methods and practices.
• Establishes programme work plans, monitors compliance, and provides training, support, and guidance to the programme team to meet objectives. Identifies human resources requirements and ongoing staff development needs.
• Reviews and evaluates the technical, institutional and financial feasibility and constraints of programmes/projects in collaboration with the Government and other partners.
• Synthesize relevant programme reports on Key Performance Indicators required for management,donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, annual reports, etc.

4.  Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Approach Capacity Development

• Adopt rights-based programmes approach in consultation with relevant stakeholders in formulating programme goals and objectives and developing strategies and implementation frameworks. Formulate consistent and effective planning, design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of programmes and projects. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to the programming planning and design processes using a results-based management approach to programme planning and design.
• Engage relevant stakeholders to prepare and submit viable recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on programme, new initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.
• Conduct capacity gap assessments and Provide government authorities with technical support and guidance to plan and organize training programmes, with the aim of capacity building of relevant modules on rights and results based management and programme sustainability. 
• Ensure the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of partners, starting with a strategic approach to identifying these partners
• 5. Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the State, Community and Family Levels 
• Conduct policy analysis from a children’s and women’s rights perspective, and codesign and develop advocacy strategies develop advocacy strategies, and engage at the government, community and family levels for elevatingto elevate credibility in national and international policy debates. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through active advocacy and communication.

6. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration 

• Develop partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including those of the UN and national partners, in order toto improve the ability to collect and disseminate development data and information, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies. Linkage to the Regional Programme Knowledge Network to ensure the availability of current and accurate programme data. Collaborate with the Operations Section to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of programming endeavours and to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and accountability. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Advisers and HQ Officers for effective overall coordination on programmes. 
• Liaise with UNICEF colleagues to Plans, develops and implements sectoral programme(s) by collaborating with the government and other partners. Provide leadership in provision of technical advice, negotiation, advocacy, and promotion of area/country level goals, leading to agreement on practicable and priority actions to be supported by UNICEF programme and country level cooperation.

7. People Management:

• Supervise Implementing Partnership Officer (NOB) and Programme Associates (GS staff) in the current CP 2023-2027
• Ensure they have clear deliverables and performance indicators in line with their JDs.
• Provide the supervisees with the necessary guidance to perform optimally.
• Provide periodic feedback to supervisees to enable real time performance adjustments.
• Support learning and career advancement initiatives by the supervisees.

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

Education:

An advanced university degree in social sciences, statistics, planning development, planning or related social science field is required; or an additional five years of relevant experience in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• Eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme planning, and monitoring.
• Practical experience in emergency programming, including preparedness planning and active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme, is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

 For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

• The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
• Builds and maintains partnerships (II)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (II)
• Drive to achieve results (II)
• Innovates and embraces change (II)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (II)
• Thinks and acts strategically (II)
• Works collaboratively with others (II)
• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (II)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.