Planning & Monitoring Specialist at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Planning & Monitoring Specialist

Job no: 571979
Location: Sokoto
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Sokoto
Level: NO-3
Categories: Research, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Job Summary

• Under the overall guidance of the Chief Field Office, and a technical oversight of the Chief, Planning and Monitoring of the Country Office, the Planning and Monitoring Specialist is accountable for managing and implementing areas of responsibility under this post.
• The primary function of this post is to improve the planning, monitoring, analysis and reporting of UNICEF programme results in the Nigeria Country Office, with a particular focus on convergence and through the use of technology, towards the achievement of UNICEF's organizational priorities and strategies at community, LGA, state and national levels.
• The post will improve the relevance, quality, availability and use of data and contextual information on children and women throughout UNICEF and externally.
• The post will support coordination and dissemination of country-level data on key social indicators, including through presentations, MICS, DevInfo and report summaries, and promote its use in corporate planning, policy formulation, programme design, advocacy and flagship publications.

Responsibilities
Monitoring programme results and document lessons:

• Monitor and track results at the field level through innovative processes and tools, including the Programme Monitoring Sheets and new technologies.
• Develop and implement innovative tools and methodologies for tracking results.
• Coordinate with partners to ensure that monitoring systems are properly designed and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised across programmes to feed into programme performance monitoring.
• Build capacities within the office and field offices by using innovative structures, mechanisms, and tools to track results at the field level. Through close coordination with Chiefs of Field Offices to ensure that field monitoring approaches and associated tools capably support advancing the results agenda for children in Nigeria. 
• Collect, monitor, and analyse data, and support internal and external dissemination of results to inform NCO collaboration around key programme results, including inputs to management reports.
• Contribute to analysis of results and use of insights for improved planning and decision-making in the context of the UNICEF Nigeria CP 2023-2027 UN coherence efforts, and readily ascertain UNICEF's contributions to supporting Nigeria achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Development of innovative ways to manage and disseminate data and lessons learned:

• Work with ITD/UNICEF, UN agencies, the private sector, and NGOs to identify bottlenecks and develop and implement new and innovative ways to collect, analyse, and disseminate data and results for evidence-based decision-making, including the use of a scorecard system at the LGA and/or State level.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of innovative systems for efficient processes.
• Build capacities within the office and partners as appropriate for collecting, analysing and disseminating data related to children and women and programme results.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful practices and experiences at the field office level and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention to different sections in the field offices to identify and document innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the FO/CO and partners to improve programme planning and implementation of field office work plans and the overall country programme.
• Identify knowledge gaps within the field office and, through co-creation, develop plans for filling such knowledge to improve programme implementation. Ensure that knowledge products are tailored to audience needs, well disseminated and tracked for optimal knowledge use.

Programme Development and Management:

• Identify critical intervention points and measures by administering a consistent and transparent monitoring system; analyse country-level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing programmes and projects. Support knowledge management for improved data use.
• Draft changes to/or prepare programme work plans as required. Prepare program recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation, and new approaches, methods and practices.
• Establishes programme work plans, monitors compliance, and provides training, support, and guidance to the programme team to meet objectives. Identifies human resources requirements and ongoing staff development needs.
• Reviews and evaluates the technical, institutional and financial feasibility and constraints of programmes/projects in collaboration with the Government and other partners.
• Synthesize relevant programme reports on Key Performance Indicators required for management,donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, annual reports, etc.

Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Approach Capacity Development:

• Adopt rights-based programmes approach in consultation with relevant stakeholders in formulating programme goals and objectives and developing strategies and implementation frameworks. Formulate consistent and effective planning, design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of programmes and projects. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to the programming planning and design processes using a results-based management approach to programme planning and design.
• Engage relevant stakeholders to prepare and submit viable recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on programme, new initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.
• Conduct capacity gap assessments and Provide government authorities with technical support and guidance to plan and organize training programmes, with the aim of capacity building of relevant modules on rights and results based management and programme sustainability. 
• Ensure the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of partners, starting with a strategic approach to identifying these partners
• 5. Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the State, Community and Family Levels 
• Conduct policy analysis from a children's and women's rights perspective, and codesign and develop advocacy strategies develop advocacy strategies, and engage at the government, community and family levels for elevatingto elevate credibility in national and international policy debates. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through active advocacy and communication.

Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration:

• Develop partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including those of the UN and national partners, in order toto improve the ability to collect and disseminate development data and information, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies. Linkage to the Regional Programme Knowledge Network to ensure the availability of current and accurate programme data. Collaborate with the Operations Section to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of programming endeavours and to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and accountability. Maintain close collaboration with Regional Advisers and HQ Officers for effective overall coordination on programmes. 
• Liaise with UNICEF colleagues to Plans, develops and implements sectoral programme(s) by collaborating with the government and other partners. Provide leadership in provision of technical advice, negotiation, advocacy, and promotion of area/country level goals, leading to agreement on practicable and priority actions to be supported by UNICEF programme and country level cooperation.

People Management:

• Supervise Implementing Partnership Officer (NOB) and Programme Associates (GS staff) in the current CP 2023-2027
• Ensure they have clear deliverables and performance indicators in line with their JDs.
• Provide the supervisees with the necessary guidance to perform optimally.
• Provide periodic feedback to supervisees to enable real time performance adjustments.
• Support learning and career advancement initiatives by the supervisees.

Requirements
Education:

• An advanced university degree in social sciences, statistics, planning development, planning or related social science field is required; or an additional five years of relevant experience in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• Eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme planning, and monitoring.
• Practical experience in emergency programming, including preparedness planning and active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme, is an asset.

Application Closing Date
27th May, 2024. W. Central Africa Standard Time

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online