UNICEF is seeking for Education Sector Coordinator, P-4, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, with frequent travel to Yobe and Adamawa States and Abuja (364 days) #10775

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, a champion

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria is seeking the interest of a qualified and energetic Education Sector Coordinator to provide overall coordination for the Education Sector in Nigeria for the North-East emergency.

In the course of 2014 and early 2015, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and The Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) commonly known as Boko Haram intensified its attacks on the civilian population in Nigeria, with tactics developing from hit-and-run to take-and-hold attacks in which they managed to establish and maintain control over large swaths of territory. While in late 2015 and 2016 the Nigerian Armed Forces took back most JAS/ISWAP controlled areas, the fighting caused additional mass displacement especially in Borno State. In 2017, focus has been on the scale up of the response and 2018 has been on improving programme quality.

In Nigeria, humanitarian organisations – both UN and non-UN have functioned under the cluster approach since the Level 3 (L3) emergency was declared. The cluster approach ensures clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies by clarifying the division of labour among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response. It aims to make the international humanitarian community better organised and more accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners.

This post will thus function under this approach, with clear responsibilities for coordination as designated by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Humanitarian Coordinator and on behalf of UNICEF as the Education Sector lead. The post will also function in close collaboration with the Save the Children Sector Co-Coordinator and the Federal Government of Nigeria (GON) and State governments of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe (BAY) who have responsibility for the overall quality of education delivery in Nigeria.

The post is expected to synergize the work of the Education Sector Partners (UN Agencies, NGO, Civil Society Organisations etc.) supporting humanitarian actions in Nigeria, working closely with other clusters within the IASC closely with all cluster members other IASC Clusters working within the Nigeria Inter Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) within its mandate to together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies in Nigeria.

 

How can you make a difference?

The overall objective of the post is ensure effective coordination amongst education actors engaged in responding to the humanitarian crisis in North East Nigeria;  to scale up the education in emergencies response so as to cover more areas and reach more children with education services; to enhance the quality of services delivered; to improve the quality of information and data on the education sub sector achievements; to ensure the sector is able to effectively convey messaging and conduct advocacy on education issues and the sub sector’s impact and to ensure a robust articulation of education in the Humanitarian Response Plan. The post may be called to support other humanitarian initiatives within wider Nigeria.

The Education Sector Coordinator is expected to provide the following:

• Support country level leadership and facilitate coordination of humanitarian Education actors;
• Provide strategic guidance in the planning and implementation of the education sector response and its technical components, in line with the Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plans and international humanitarian standards;
• Act as an interface between the humanitarian education partners and duty bearers to ensure education related needs of the affected population are properly covered; and
• Ensure prioritisation, evidence- based actions and gap filling to enhance and accountable, predictable and effective education response to the affected population.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

The post holder has joint responsibility with the Sector Co-Coordinator (Save the Children Nigeria) to coordinate and support partners at the national and sub-national levels for the efficient management and functioning of the education in emergencies response, encompassing the following:

• Maintain an appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanism and strengthen pre-existing coordination systems to increase predictability and accountability;
• Build complementarity of partner actions, avoiding duplication and addressing gaps in education programming;
• Lead and harmonise education-specific and multi-sector needs assessments, and secondary data reviews;
• Responsible for the analysis of sector data to inform decision-making and sharing of important information with key stakeholders;
• Lead on the development and implementation of an overall strategy for the Education Sector, as well as area-specific response plans as necessary;
• Ensuring vital Information Management (IM) tasks and functions are carried out by the Sector IM colleagues, to support the information needs of Sector partners’ and OCHA, including monthly Dashboards, google mapping of 5W data, full reporting on Activity Info, updating the Sector website, maintaining updated contact list, etc.;
• Oversee the appropriate training of partners, including on collection of data related to attacks on education, fundraising for education, teacher training topics, how to manage a temporary learning space, etc.;
• Ensure adequate resources are mobilized and are equitably allocated for the effective functioning of the Education Sector and its response;
• Maintain flexibility within the Sector to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation;
• Interact with other Sectors (including through inter-sector coordination fora), humanitarian actors, donors and government counterparts for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners;
• Be accountable to the affected population through effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms;
• Monitor performance of the core sector functions; and
• Ensure effective communication, reporting, engagement and coordination between the national sector coordinator and sector focal points.

The post holder is accountable to:

• UNICEF’s Representative through the Emergency Manager in Maiduguri, who will in turn ensure that the post holder is provided with all necessary support and guidance;
• Education Sector participants, who will in turn ensure that they deliver on their agreed minimum commitments;
• Education Sector Coordination Team members, who will in turn support the post holder in line with their terms of reference;
• Inter-sector coordination bodies established by the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT)/UNOCHA; and
• Affected populations through agreed mechanisms.

Impact of results

An efficient and effective Education Sector will improve UNICEF Nigeria in achieving its goals, by:

• Working as a platform to ensure Education in Emergencies (EiE) service delivery, driven by the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and other strategic priorities;
• Identifying and finding solutions for emerging gaps, duplication, operational obstacles and cross-cutting issues;
• Formulating priorities based on analysis;
• Measuring UNICEF’s performance against the Sector strategy, agreed targets and results
• Building capacity of national and international partners in EiE response and contingency planning, many of whom are implementing partners of UNICEF
• Identifying concerns that contribute to Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and HCT messaging and action, and undertaking advocacy on behalf of the Sector partners, including UNICEF.

 

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

• Education: Advanced university degree, in a subject area relevant to Education in Emergencies or humanitarian programming. Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for an advanced degree. Formal training in Sector coordination an advantage. Educational background in information management and data analysis considered a strong advantage.
• Work Experience: 8 years progressively responsible humanitarian work experience with UN and/or NGO, including inter-agency coordination of an Education in Emergencies response. Experience in information management and data analysis considered a strong advantage.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the local language is an advantage.

 

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.

The functional competencies required for this post are:

• Leading and supervising – (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts – (II)
• Analysing – (III)
• Relating and networking – (II)
• Persuading and influencing – (II)
• Deciding and initiating action – (II)
• Applying Technical Expertise – (III)

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

 

Remarks:

* Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

* The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receiving an offer.

* Please note that Maiduguri is a non-family duty station.

Apply here