Regional Chief of Programme and Planning (Monitoring and Knowledge Management), P-5, EAP Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand #15523 (fixed-term appointment)

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, a vision.

East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) region is home to 580 million children (27 percent of the global child population). Estimates show that by 2030, this will increase to 657 million or 30% of the global child population. By 2030, EAP will have the largest population in the world and reach urbanization levels of over 70 percent.

The 28 countries covered by EAPRO represent a mixture of diverse High Income, Upper Middle Income, Middle and Low-Income Countries, and Fragile States. The positive correlation among the region’s high number of fast-growing, technology-driven economies, largest working-age population, and largest number of urban dwellers contributed significantly to the reduction of poverty and extreme poverty for more than 900 million people over the last decade. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty in the region stopped declining for the first time in 20 years, and 32 million people were prevented from escaping from poverty as a result, while pushing millions more who were previously not poor into poverty. COVID-19 has also exacerbated the stark and persistent inequities faced by children. The drivers of the region’s economic growth and success are also at the heart of the high and increasing inequities that children face. UNICEF EAPRO estimates that there are 30 million children living in extreme poverty and that over 100 million children are left behind in rural areas by young parents who work in urban, largely informal sector jobs. The Asia-Pacific region is among the world’s most vulnerable regions to natural disasters, including those related to climate change, which impacts children and adolescents most heavily in the region.

UNICEF EAP is committed to supporting governments and other duty-bearers to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for children. To this end, the region has been implementing the Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP 2022 – 2025) aligned to the UNICEF Strategic Plan Goal Areas, Enablers and Change Strategies, and the four core functions of the Regional Office (enhancing programming excellence; generating, promoting and leveraging public goods; application of normative rights-based approaches; strengthening organizational management effectiveness and efficiency), allowing for the more robust application of a rights and results-based management approach and gender-transformative programming approach.

How can you make a difference?

Provides technical leadership, management advice, and programme support throughout the region and facilitates application and adaptation of UNICEF policies and strategies. Provides UNICEF programmes with leadership including advice, vision, oversight, knowledge management, articulate policies and strategies, coordination of programme strategy and implementation, capacity building, support for planning, monitoring and knowledge management, representation, and strategic partnership creation.

Also oversees EAPRO’s support to COs at key programming milestones and strengthening availability and quality of data for children. Reinforces UNICEF’s commitment to culture change as they relate to Results-based Management and Results-based Budgeting across the region with a focus on demonstrating results across the Goal Areas. Leads technical expertise to COs in their efforts to collect, analyse and use data, including implementing the UNICEF Data for Children Strategy in countries. These include the following:

• Support Country Programme Development, Monitoring and Review
• Support Country Office End Year Summary Narrative Reports and Regional Office Annual Report
• Support the Regional UNSDCF process through the regional peer support group
• In collaboration with the Public Partnership Team, support UN Coherence and Inter-Agency Coordination
• Support Data for children strategy and SDG monitoring;
• Coordinate the development and monitoring of the Regional Office Management Plan in alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan;
• Development of global and regional programme guidance.
• Coordinate meetings; Regional Management Team, Deputy Representations Programmed and Operations (DROPs), Programme Planning and Monitoring Network

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social sciences, or other relevant disciplines of the specialized technical areas.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in all aspects of programme management, and/or advisory support, in the technical area or programme sector resulting in recognized expertise in the technical area.
• Extensive experience at the country level in programme planning, monitoring, and reporting is the most desirable asset.
• 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 (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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:

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

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.