Education Specialist

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Description

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Under the overall guidance and direction of the Regional Education Advisor, the Education Specialist (Digital Learning) as part of the MENARO education team, plays a key role in bringing innovation to the development, preparation and monitoring of digital/distance learning programs. The Specialist will manage the digital/distance learning portfolio in the MENA region, which includes supporting the implementation of the Learning Passport and identifying and amplifying other potential inclusive learning solutions for the region. The Specialist provides authoritative technical guidance and operational support throughout all stages of programming to facilitate Country Offices in the management and delivery of results on developing and identifying inclusive digital and hybrid learning solutions that support the continuation of learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children and in contexts of limited ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity to contribute to improving learning outcomes and to promote universal access to quality, equitable and inclusive primary/early childhood education, especially for children who are marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded in society. This includes providing technical assistance in assessing country office requirements, localizing the technology, curating content, and ensuring that it is contextualized and can be effectively used in respective country offices. 

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

• Programme development and planning
• Provide technical assistance and advice to colleagues in the education section on all aspects of programming and implementation to enable them to achieve performance objectives, in the field of digital and distance learning.
• Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.
• Aid in the development of country-level program implementation plans and activities, leveraging best practices and leading technical approaches, in coordination with Country Office teams, partners, and governments.
• Participate in strategic program discussions on the planning of inclusive education programs. Formulate, design, and prepare program proposals on digital learning, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Program and coherence/integration with the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.

Program management, monitoring and quality control of results:

• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress on digital learning and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results. Provide guidance on programmatic and technical data.
• Identify lessons learned on digital learning and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor digital learning programs/projects through field visits and surveys, and exchange information with stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.

Advisory services and technical support:

• Provide technical guidance and operational support to country office partners/donors on interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on digital learning and related issues to support program management, implementation, and delivery of results.
• Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts on digital learning with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely/appropriate support throughout the programming/projects process.
• Participate in education program meetings including program development and contingency planning to provide technical and operational information, advice, and support.
• Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic program materials on digital learning for management use, information and/or consideration.
• Support ongoing roll out of Learning Passport platforms in MENA within the contexts of Education, ADAP and Generation Unlimited (GenU) and participate in regular calls with the global Learning Passport team.
• Troubleshoot technical, platform-level hardware and software issues with country teams and in coordination with the global Learning Passport team and engineering resources.
• Provide technical advice to key government officials, NGOs, UN system and other country office partners on policies, strategies, best practices, and approaches on digital learning to support program development planning, implementation and delivery of results.

Advocacy, networking, and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant counterparts and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on digital learning.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for digital learning programs.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable digital learning program results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark and implement best practices in digital learning. Assess, institutionalize, and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programs and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on digital learning and related programs/projects.

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

 Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, economics, psychology, sociology or another relevant technical field (e.g. technology).

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Familiarity/background with emergencies is considered as an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Source:  https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/570508

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