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.

How can you make a difference?

PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

Considering the growing scope of the partnership between UNICEF and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labours, and Social Welfare; Plan and Budget Organization; and Statistical Centre of Iran, the Social Policy Unit establishes this temporary appointment to support the Social Policy programme in the quality implementation of the workplans with the respective government partners.

Under the supervision of Social Policy Specialist and in close collaboration with the team of UNICEF office, its partners, and other relevant international agencies, the national officer will have the responsibility to contribute to the effective planning, management, and implementation of the responses to economic downturn in the country.

This mainly covers the Real-Time monitoring of the most vulnerable children, Support institutional and technical capacity on monitoring and evaluation of social programmes and policies, public financial management for children, and d) enhance coherence and expand existing social protection programmes to help protect vulnerable children. The social policy officer's role will be also to support the management, as well as monitoring the activities related to the different components of the programme, in collaboration with the other sections of the cooperation programme. So, s/he will have to accomplish the following tasks:

Support to programme development and planning:

• Research and analyze regional and national social protection trends. Collect, analyze, verify and synthesize information to facilitate programme development, design and preparation.
• Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effect of social welfare policies on the rights of children
• Provide assistance and facilitate the results-based planning through research, collection, analysis and reporting of related information for priority and goal setting.
• Provide technical support to the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.

Support programme monitoring and delivery of results:

• Provide technical supports to monitor the development of social protection policies, legislation and programmes and their compatibility with increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention to the most marginalized.
• Monitor and report on the social protection impact on child outcomes, and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual programme reviews with government and other counterparts.
• Supports the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.

Networking, partnership building, and support multi-sectoral programming:

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/share information on social policy issues to inform respective internal and external partners for higher-level cross-sectoral intervention and/or decision.
• Provide technical support to build capacity of partners on different aspects of public financial managements.
• Draft communication and information materials for the country office programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and support resource mobilization to ensure the use of child-sensitive budget and expenditure analysis, to plan and monitor public finance in social sectors.
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency meetings/events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues to respond to economic downturn adverse consequences on vulnerable groups.
• Work closely and collaboratively with other sectors to plan and implement multi-sectoral programme and projects and cover cross cutting issues; and to build capacity to undertake costing and cost effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.
• Provide technical support to undertake budget analysis to inform UNICEF's advocacy and technical assistance to the Planning and Budget Organization and the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare to improve equitable allocations for essential services for children.

Innovation, knowledge generating & management, and capacity building:

• Undertakes, and builds capacity of partners for, improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district level planning, budgeting and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation
• Provide technical support for the effective use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results. Research, benchmark and report on best and cutting-edge practices for creating a shock responsive system

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

• Education: Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, International Relations, Political Science, or other relevant disciplines.
• Experience: Minimum of four years of relevant professional work experience is required, particularly in the area of poverty and social protection analysis. Developing country work experience is considered a strong asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

Source:https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=521227