Purpose of Assignment & Justification:

Adolescent and Youth Engagement can be defined as: “The rights-based inclusion of adolescents and youth in areas that affect their lives and their communities, including dialogue, decisions, mechanisms, processes, events, campaigns, actions and programmes – across all stages, from identification, analysis and design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.” Children’s and adolescents’ rights are the heart of UNICEF’s mandate and adolescent and youth engagement is central to UNICEF’s Strategic Plan from 2018-21. It recognises the whole spectrum of young people, including ‘young adults’ or youth over 18, who are beyond UNICEF’s primary focus, yet are our partners in development as powerful agents able to act in support of children’s rights. The UNICEF Strategic Plan identifies adolescent empowerment as a key result area under Goal 5 - “an equitable chance in life” and sets out relevant Change Strategies for how we will achieve our goals, a crucial one being “supporting young people and children as agents of change.

India has an adolescent population of 253 million which is one-fifth of the country’s population. Over the coming decades, young people will constitute the largest section of population in India, with an immense potential to benefit their societies socially, politically and economically. In order to realize this potential to the fullest, this cohort must be healthy, educated and equipped with life and leadership skills that would enable them to contribute to their communities and the country’s socio-economic growth in the future.

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

Major duties and responsibilities:

Support to programme/project development and planning:

• Support the preparation/design and conduct/update of situation analysis for the adolescent programmes/projects and/or sector to ensure that current comprehensive and evidence-based data on adolescent and youth engagement/participation issues are available to guide UNICEF's strategic policy advocacy, intervention and development efforts on adolescent rights and protection and to set programme priorities, strategies, design and implementation plans. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency and delivery.
• Participate in strategic programme discussion on the planning of adolescent and youth engagement programmes/projects. Formulate, design and prepare programmes/projects proposal for the sector, ensuring alignment with the overall UNICEF's Strategic Plans and Country Programme, and coherence/integration with Adolescent and Youth Engagement Strategic Framework and UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.
• Establish specific goals, objectives and strategies and implementation plans for the sector/s using results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations for programme review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results:

• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurement to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for adolescent and youth engagement programmes.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in programme and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum/appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organisational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular/mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of program progress.

Technical and operational support to programme implementation:

• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and country office partners/donors on interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on adolescent and youth engagement/participation and related issues to support programme management, implementation and delivery of results.
• Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely/appropriate support throughout the programming/projects process.
• Participate in adolescent programme meetings including programme development and contingency planning discussions on emergency preparedness in the country or other locations designated to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.

Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in child protection.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for adolescent and youth engagement/participation programmes and emergency interventions.
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) discussions and planning on adolescent and youth engagement/participation and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDF planning and preparation of programmes/projects ensuring organisational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNSDF process in development planning and agenda setting.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practice to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark and implement best practices in adolescent and youth engagement/participation management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders to promote sustainable results in adolescent and youth engagement/participation and related programmes/projects.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programmes/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

Qualifications:

Education:

• An Advanced University degree in social sciences and development sciences, public policy, human rights, psychology, sociology, communication,education, international law or related field (s).

Work Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in social development planning and management in adolescent development and/other related areas
• Working experience on adolescent programming, understanding of the cultural context with regards to adolescent/youth engagement and participation issues.
• Relevant experience in adolescent/youth related areas, program/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Experience of working with Government departments and understanding of government systems will be an advantage.

Technical Knowledge:

• Adolescent Development and Participation
• Project Cycle Management, with a focus on child rights-based approach
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Reporting and documentation
• Public Administration in India, with a focus on national and state level flagship schemes and programmes on children / adolescent / youth and social protection
• Facilitation and training

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Hindi is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

Source:https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=529713