Closing date: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Expected start date: 02/19/2024
Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Nairobi
Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF’s activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
Context
UNICEF Kenya Country Office (KCO) embarked on a new Government of Kenya-UNICEF Country Programme in July 2022. The Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) section in UNICEF Kenya Country Office provides strategic guidance to the CO on programme design/planning, contribution management, performance monitoring, situation monitoring (evaluations), capacity development, quality assurance and knowledge management. PME team consists of the Chief PME (Head of section), Evaluation Specialist, Planning and Monitoring Officer, Partnership Officer, and a Programme Associate. The PME section is managing the “Evaluation” function within the office and thus entails strengthening the evaluation systems and processes and working with the Government and other UN agencies to strengthen the national evaluation capacities in Kenya. There is a heightened requirement to meet the high standard of quality for all the evaluation commissioned/undertaken by the office. In addition, there is increasing need of not only undertaking other evidence generation activities which are largely cross-sectoral but also to promote the section’s knowledge management effort through some review or meta-analysis of the existing and completed outputs by focusing on their utilisation. UNICEF-KCO is the lead agency for coordinating the work related with Devolution, Nutrition, WASH and Child Protection clusters within the current UNSDCF in addition to contributing to all other strategic priorities. This requires technical and coordination support both within office as well as with the other participating/contributing UN agencies. The objective of hiring the National UNV thus is to provide technical support to PME and the CO on (a) strengthening the evaluation systems and processes within the office and working with the Government and other relevant UN agencies to strengthen the national evaluation capacities in Kenya, (b) support/facilitate other evidence generation activities manged by the PME section, and (c) support additional activities relating to quality assurance, Results Based Management and planning and monitoring including coordination of UNSDCF related works within the office, other UN Agencies and Government partners.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of Chief Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
Coordination of the Evaluation work within and outside the organization: the UNV will extend technical support and contribute significantly to “Evaluation” work being undertaken by the KCO which entails strengthening the evaluation systems and processes within the office and working with the Government and the Evaluation Society or similar public organisation to strengthen the national evaluation capacities in Kenya.
National Evaluation Capacity Development (NECD): The UNV will support to coordinate and facilitate organising trainings and other capacity building initiatives to promote the evaluation agenda with the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (MED), Government of Kenya and other relevant public organisations and UN agencies. This will involve engagement with the ongoing work on rolling out the county level M&E policy and the Kenya Evaluation Guideline (KEG) within the devolution agenda.
Data Analytical and Knowledge Management function: The UNV will provide facilitative support in reviewing and quality assuring other evidence generation activities undertaken by the PME section. This can include undertaking meta-analysis of relevant evidence generation products the office has generated focusing on the findings and their usage for programme improvement.
Support additional activities relating to quality assurance, Results Based Management and planning and monitoring including coordination of UNSDCF related functions.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in Results Based Management & specifically in the design and use of Evaluations, strategic planning, and monitoring. This should include demonstrable experience in succinct and results-focused report writing and experience in humanitarian programming.
Management/coordination of socio-economic development programme/project or other relevant programmes; experience with statistical skill is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;
Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;
Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
Desirable: Sound security awareness;
Have affinity with or interest in working for children, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.
Area(s) of expertise
Development programmes, Crisis and emergency response, Economics and finance
Driving license
–
Languages
English,
Level: Fluent,Required
Kiswahili,
Level: Basic, Desirable
Required education level
Master degree or equivalent in programme management, Monitoring and Evaluation, social sciences, or related fields or equivalent in combination with relevant training and/or professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Competencies and values
Accountability
Adaptability and flexibility
Creativity
Judgement and decision-making
Planning and organising
Professionalism
Self-management
Drive to achieve results for impact
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya is a lower-middle-income country with an estimated population of 47.6 million people, the majority living in rural areas. Some 21.9 million people – 46 per cent of the population – are under the age of 18 years. The country’s GNI per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $2,170 in 2022. In 2021, the overall poverty rate was 38.6 per cent indicating 19.1 million individuals were poor. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). The normal “lean season” is in June and July. Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services are available locally at cost. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that is serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”
Inclusivity statemen
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Reasonable accommodation
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.
To apply for this job please visit app.unv.org.