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, hope

The Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) was established in 2019 to drive decision making and organizational learning, improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child. DAPM promotes the use of data and monitoring to achieve transformative impact on lives of children.

The Division is responsible for driving, shaping and guiding UNICEF’s evidence-informed analysis, strategic planning, programme monitoring and organizational performance management. As such, DAPM enables the organization to deliver on results in a more coherent manner, based on agile and contextualized programming process, and on data, evidence, and analysis, as well as the application of human-rights based and results-based management approaches.

Within DAPM, the Programme Effectiveness Team (PET) leads, regulates and coordinates the development and issuance of organization-wide procedures, policies, standards, guidance, and tools to strengthen programme effectiveness across all contexts, including programme planning, implementation, monitoring, organizational performance management, knowledge management and organizational learning, at all levels. It liaises with UN agencies, funds and programmes, specialized agencies, other technical organizations and the UN Development Coordination Office in the development and application of programme planning, monitoring, and reporting policies and procedures; and coordinates with the Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS), Programme Group and regional offices on provision of direct planning, monitoring and programme implementation support to countries responding to humanitarian contexts.

The primary role of SPCA is to ensure efficient, coordinated, timely and coherent corporate strategic planning and analysis. More specifically, the unit is responsible for, amongst others: a) Planning and coordination of the process for development, monitoring, review and reporting on Strategic Plan; b) Analysis of corporate performance on Strategic Plan results and approaches; c) Coordination of corporate planning, monitoring and analyses of performance with respect of OMP, ROMP, RR allocation; and d) Management and analysis of corporate results and resources alignment.

Purpose for the job

The Programme Specialist (Corporate Analysis) supports all corporate and organizational planning and reporting processes managed by SPCA.

The main purpose of the job is to ensure that these planning and reporting processes and the associated decision-making processes are informed by the highest standard of evidence-based analysis.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Chief of SPCA, the Programme Specialist works collaboratively with all UNICEF HQ divisions, Regional and Country Offices to ensure that the analytical outputs meet the organization’s most critical needs in reporting on its performance to the Global Management Team (GMT), the Executive Board, ECOSOC, the UN General Assembly, and the general public through various corporate reports. The Programme Specialist will also work with the Chief of SPCA to ensure that the analytical work undertaken by the unit and the Division meets the needs of senior management for decision-making on corporate strategy and performance.

Strategic Plan Performance Analysis

• In collaboration with other teams across UNICEF, systematically and predictably analyze and track Strategic Plan performance across UNICEF’s Goal Areas, change strategies and organizational enablers.
• Provide timely analysis to support corporate and organizational planning and reporting processes by analyzing UNICEF organizational performance data and data on the situation of children.
• Provide technical support and contribute to regular and evidence-based reviews (including the Global Effectiveness Review) enabling the senior leaderships to take stock of performance, alignment, and progress  – and to subsequently identify timely actions to address emerging challenges.

Corporate Resource Allocation and Funding Analysis

• In collaboration with the Office of the Executive Director and the Division of Financial and Administrative Management, provide advice and analysis to senior leadership on resource allocation within UNICEF and lead the management and calculation of country programme regular resource allocations every year.
• In collaboration with other teams across UNICEF, support the development and implementation of an approach for systematically and predictably analyze and track funding gaps and patterns in relation to the UNICEF Strategic Plan results.
• Coordinate the design of the Programme Implementation Database (PIDB) coding structure of the organization to align with the monitoring and reporting needs of the Strategic Plan results architecture and corresponding monitoring and reporting needs.
• Provide timely analysis to support corporate and organizational planning and reporting processes by developing evidence and analysis of the effects of different funding trends, modalities and patterns on Strategic Plan performance.

Analysis of lessons learned

• In collaboration with other teams across UNICEF to support senior management and broader corporate decision-making processes with timely and relevant analysis of UNICEF’s corporate and organizational performance linked with both the Strategic Plan and other lower-level management plans at office and divisional level (OMP/ROMP).
• Develop and maintain an ongoing record of lessons learned across the Strategic Plan areas.

Support to Executive Director’s Annual Report (EDAR), and annexes and other corporate reporting processes

• Support processes related to reporting on the Strategic Plan including analyze Strategic Plan indicators data to develop reporting values for the report and quality assuring the inputs of other UNICEF divisions.
• In collaboration with other members of SPCA on ensuring the timely submission of high-quality corporate reports, particularly the Executive Director’s Annual Report and its annexes (most notably the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review Annex and the Integrated Results and Resources Framework Annex), and the annual reports of HQ Divisions and Regional Offices.
• Provide support to the biennial World Fit for Children Report in close collaboration with Programme Group and the designated lead writer.

Support to Corporate Strategic Planning

• Provide support at key times to critical corporate strategic planning processes, such as the Mid-Term Review of the Strategic Plan and the development of a new Strategic Plan, including working on the theories of change, the results framework, and the lessons learned.
• Support other tasks as identified by Chief or senior management.

Additional Tasks

• Attend coordination/reference group meetings in supporting the annual and mid-term reviews.
• Participate and contribute to task teams within and across the division.
• Participate and contribute to the inter-agency coordination and processes to ensure harmonization.
• Support the work planning and annual reporting of the unit.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social sciences, political science, economics, statistics, or a related field is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in performance analysis, monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation is required.
• Experience in results-based management and monitoring and evaluation methodologies is required.
• Experience in working with systems and technology for data analysis is highly desirable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 include 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, 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

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

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 are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will 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.

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.

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