Social Policy Specialist Data and Evidence

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,

The UNICEF Programme in Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the triple threat of poverty the country’s children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

In response to the combination these threats involve the Programme supports national efforts to improve service delivery in the key areas of: child health and nutrition and HIV and AIDS, quality basic education, water, sanitation and hygiene education, child protection and social policy, advocacy and communication. https://youtu.be/ePgDIQ9RVYs.

How can you make a difference?

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Social Policy & Research, the incumbent is responsible for providing technical support to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) operational research and implementation of research results; (b) public policies to reduce child poverty; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of research and evaluation assignments; (d) the strengthening of national surveys to broaden indicator base and improve data and monitoring of situation of children; and (e) research and evaluation quality assurance, governance, decentralization and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.

Responsibilities and Tasks

• Technical Leadership in Research & Evaluation / Advisory Capacity and Policy Development

Research and Evaluation (R&E) policies, strategies, and approaches for the country are developed and advocated. UNICEF members are advised on R&E strategy and policies.

• Knowledge Management

Up-to-date technical expertise in maintained, expanded, and disseminated throughout the Organisation and partners, and shared with regional institutions/partners.

• R & E Capacity Building

National partners lead national R&E development, implementation and management processes due to continual, effective capacity building at a high quality standard in area of expertise due to strong technical leadership.

• Technical Leadership and Quality assurance

Provide technical supervision in the design, implementation, analysis, documentation and dissemination of critical operational research and evaluation studies in core UNICEF sectors.

• Representation

UNICEF is effectively represented and research programme goals and strategies are widely advocated with high level and senior government officials, multi-lateral agencies, bi-lateral agencies, NGOs, other UN Agencies, and donors.

• Communication, Networking and Partnership

Effective communication, partnerships, representation and networking are forged to develop harmonized programme interventions and expand programmes and networks.

• 7.  UNICEF Programme Management

Manages and coordinates technical support around child poverty, social protection, public finance and governance ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.

Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social planning project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...Knowledge management R&E capacity building

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following fields is required:  Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or other relevant technical field
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience is required
• Experience working in a developing country work is considered as a strong asset
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency is considered as a strong asset
• Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

TView our competency framework at

.