Education Specialist – Learning Passport M & E (P-3), Programme Group Education, outposted in Florence (Temporary Appointment 364days) # 00127558 (Remote)

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.

The Education Strategy (2019-30) ‘Every Child Learns’ identifies innovation as one of six programmatic approaches that has the potential to disrupt the conventional pace of expansion of education inputs and enable the improvement of learning. The Learning Passport (LP) is the flagship Digital Learning Programme of UNICEF, developed as a partnership between UNICEF and Microsoft. The LP delivers digital learning experiences to children around the world, in both connected and unconnected environments with 6m+ learners across 35+ countries, each with specific content needs and support.

The scale of LP has created a surge in demand for technical assistance on programme monitoring and data analysis. The increased organizational focus on digital learning, specifically through the varying implementations of the LP, requires sustained technical capacity within the global team to meet the consistent and growing demands from implementing parties and the global LP user base. The global LP team wants to systemize evidence generation systems for the LP to understand what works, and under which conditions, as a priority activity that would accelerate the journey from the what to the how to improve learning outcomes.

Note: This role will be on a fully remote work modality.  The position will be based in Florence and no installation will be applicable and relevant entitlements will be adjusted based on lower of the two costs between the remote work location and the duty station.

For every child, Hope for all……

Under the guidance of the Education Specialist (LP Global Program Manager), the position will lead monitoring and evaluation of the programme, provide technical assistance for LP research, evidence generation, and policy, and support LP Country and Regional Offices with strategic planning and implementation reflecting UNICEF’s education priorities.

The position will focus on providing technical support in programme design and development of fit for purpose monitoring (including real time monitoring), and evidence generation methods. This requires design and implementation of LP’s M&E framework with countries, managing LP’s data system, analysis, and reporting, and using quasi-experimental and experimental methods to generate evidence for the programme.

The Specialist contributes to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework.

How can you make a difference?

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Provide technical support to LP country offices and implementing partners on programme design, monitoring, measurement, evaluation, and reporting aspects.
• Design and implement fit for purpose M&E systems for LP programmes at the global, regional, and country level to inform programme decisions and improve reporting.
• Develop, maintain, and improve LP and associated brand entitites’ information management system, databases, data quality assurance protocols and mechanisms with UNICEF central ICTD team.
• Manage key evidence generation components at the global, regional, and country level including:
• developing theories of change for the global programme and for country offices
• developing potential mixed methods evidence generation plans with country offices
• drafting data collection tools and code/ template for data analysis
• developing identification strategies for impact evaluations
• collaborate with UNICEF’s Office of Research on evidence generation plans.
• Manage global and country level measurement of results for the LP programme.
• Produce LP data and evidence products to expand learning from the programme, and disseminate recommendations and lessons learned to country and regional offices, partners and donors.

Support to programme planning, implementation and management

• Help supervisor set priorities, strategies, design, and implementation plans. Keep abreast of education trends to enhance programme management, efficiency, and delivery.
• Formulate, design and prepare LP programme proposals for the sector, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Programme and coherence with national education priorities, plans and competencies.
• Establish specific objectives, strategies, and implementation plans for LP global and country teams using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM).
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners in country and regional offices, and donors to support programme management, implementation, and delivery of results.

Technical and Operational Programme Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring frameworks and resources:

• Monitor LP implementations through field visits and surveys, and exchange information with stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, and work with COs to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Support country offices and partners in design and implementation of measurement frameworks/tools/procedures including:
• Assist in preparation of documentation for program review
• Development of monitoring and analytical tools to support LP implementation
• Administering quality assurance activities

Data protocols and analysis:

• Lead data analyses for LP at global and country levels, focusing on achievement of results.
• Provide data visualization, dashboards, and infographics for countries, implementing partners, web pages, donor reports and factsheets.
• Design, develop and maintain LP databases in partnership with UNICEF ICTD team. Collaborate with Microsoft’s engineering and data team for troubleshooting and developing improved data functionalities.
• Develop and improve LP’s information systems for monitoring and tracking user activity, including debugging and reconciling data with platform analytics.
• Maintain data safety and privacy documentation for the LP in collaboration with internal and external legal and data protection teams including establishing procedures and guardrails for safe and secure usage.
• Contribute to organizational thought leadership on improved data security and privacy safeguards for children for digital products and services.

Programme review and delivery of results

• Establish monitoring benchmarks and performance indicators to assess/strengthen programme performance, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
• Monitoring equitable LP access and reach for vulnerable groups.
• Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths, and weaknesses in programme management.
• Prepare communication and information materials for COs to promote awareness about the LP, establish partnerships and support resource mobilization.

Innovation, knowledge management, partnership and capacity building

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementations.
• Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained and good practices for development planning and timely interventions.
• Keep up to date with relevant research and new literature on digital and remote education interventions to measure learning outcomes and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Produce and support analytical pieces at global and country levels including case studies and evidence focused programme materials for advocacy and resource mobilization.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results for the Learning Passport including:
• Develop capacity for in-county partners in M&E for the LP.
• Undertake missions to establish measurement strategies and provide ad-hoc support in M&E, including delivering training in M&E
• Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely and appropriate support throughout the programming process.
• Participate and represent LP in edtech and data conferences to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and cooperation with industry experts

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

• Advanced University degree in economics, education, social sciences, statistics, public policy, international affairs or another relevant field is required.
• Significant coursework in economics and statistics highly preferred.
• A combined minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in relation to the key functions of the assignment including applied research, evidence and data-driven decision making is required.
• Experience in Educational Technology enterprise deployments is desired.
• Experience in research and M&E design and implementation in development or protracted conflict contexts desirable.
• Experience in interfacing with UNICEF Country Offices, Governments, and technical counterparts to achieve programmatic results is an asset.
• Proven analytical skills and knowledge of common statistics software packages (e.g., STATA, R) is desired.
• Proven use of data visualization software such as PowerBi, Tableau is required
• Knowledge of children’s data protection and safety guidelines, especially for digital education products and services is an asset.
• Experience in managing large rounds of data collection including experience developing digital data collection tools using common online / offline data collection packages (e.g., ODK, Kobo, Survey CTO) highly desirable.
• Experience in working with large digital education datasets and running queries in SQL.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills to work effectively with a team that is geographically dispersed.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Experience with the Learning Passport is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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 including 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 benefits to our staff, 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. 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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

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