Job Detail

About UNICEF

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 fulfil 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.

Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, advocacy and in operations. UNICEF's work is based on the need to address the impact of conflict and other phenomena affecting the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families and translate this commitment to children’s rights into action. UNICEF performs these tasks to give all children equal opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favouritism. This will ensure that every child has an equal chance in life. Moreover, UNICEF’s work accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in its Core Commitment for Children in the Humanitarian crisis.

In Afghanistan, more than forty years of conflict continue to undermine the rights of children to have access to their rights (Education, health, food, nutrition, protection etc) which adversely results in children and their families demonstrating Mental Health and Psychosocial disorders and challenge. The National Mental Health Survey and Assessment of Mental Health Services (2018)  showed that the population of Afghanistan is very much exposed to traumatic events: 66% have personally experienced at least one traumatic event, and 77% witnessed such an event, for a total of 85% who have either personally experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. This is a very high number which is considered a risk for PTSD[1].  Irrespective of this alarming level of risk of PTSD in the country, the multiple levels of emergencies ranging from the conflict, which intensified in 2021, the COVID Pandemic and climate-related (storms, flooding, winter, drought, earthquake etc) emergencies result in further Mental Health and Psychosocial challenge for the population, including children.  According to the 2018 National Mental Health Survey, 10 % of children were found to be impaired in their daily roles by a mental health problem as evaluated by their mother; 8% may qualify for a potential diagnosis[1]. 

Job Description

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Education Cluster Coordinator, the purpose of this post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent and effective response by partners in the sub national education cluster.

Duties & Responsibilities

The post holder has joint responsibility with the UNICEF, resourcing partners and all cluster participants at the national and sub-national level for the efficient management and functioning of the sub-national education cluster encompassing the following:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with education stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge
• Revitalize and maintain an appropriate humanitarian education coordination mechanism
• Build complementarity of partner actions, avoiding duplication and gaps
• Provide support to adequate resource mobilization and equitable allocation for the effective functioning of the sub cluster and its response.
• Promote effective and comprehensive integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including age, gender, and disabilities.
• Maintain flexibility within the sub cluster to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation.
• Effectively use and transfer information to, from and between cluster participants and other stakeholders.
• Interact with other clusters (including through inter-cluster coordination), humanitarian actors, government counterparts, and relevant authorities for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners.
• Be accountable to the affected population through effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms.
• Enhance and monitor performance of the core cluster functions, i.e.:

Supporting service delivery

• Provide a platform to ensure that service delivery is driven by the agreed strategic priorities
• Develop and/or contextualize mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery

Informing strategic decision-making for the humanitarian response

• Needs assessment and gap analysis (across other sectors and within the sector)
• Analysis to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues.
• Prioritization, grounded in response analysis

Planning and strategy development

• Develop context-specific sectoral plans, objectives and indicators that directly support the realization of the education cluster strategic priorities
• Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines
• Clarify funding requirements and prioritization and provide input into the fundraising processes (Flash Appeal, AHF, CERF, etc.)

Advocacy

• Identify advocacy concerns to contribute to education cluster messaging and action
• Undertaking advocacy activities on behalf of cluster participants and the affected population

Monitoring and reporting the implementation

• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts.
• Enhance programme data analysis for action at subnational level.
• Participate and keep record of reports on surveys and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss facts and concerns found from monitoring. Provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision-making.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral resources allocated to partners (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocation.

Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters

• Contribute to risk profiling and analysis and subsequent contingency plans with relevant, context-specific inputs.

Accountability to affected populations

• Promote information sharing, sensitization and community engagement
• Ensure effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms.

Skills Required

• Communication Skills
• English Fluency
• Management
• organizational and planning skills
• Excellent report-writing skills

Submission Guideline:

Remarks:

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is:a role with direct contact with children, works directly with children, is a safeguarding response role.Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Applicants are requested to apply through the provided link; https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/567015/subnational-education-cluster-coordinator-nob-temporary-appointment-364-days-kabul-central-region-afghanistan

Applications received via JOBS.AF online portal will not be given consideration.

Submission Email:

https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/567015/subnational-education-cluster-coordinator-nob-temporary-appointment-364-days-kabul-central-region-afghanistan