UNICEF is seeking Senior Monitoring Specialist (Data and Research).

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children’s rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential to the benefit of a better world. To learn more about UNICEF, visit .

For Every Child, hope

Children in West and Central Africa have their rights violated on daily basis to an extreme extent. They die from malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. To learn more about UNICEF’s work in the region. The West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) is working to renew its efforts to advance children’s rights which have been impeded by economic and public health crises, and natural disasters. Though child mortality decreased and more children are in school, a high number live in poverty. To learn more about WCARO please visit:

Your mission at UNICEF
Under the guidance of the Regional Chief of Programme and Planning, the incumbent will be responsible for the coordination, planning, development and capacity building of the monitoring, and research functions in WCAR and overseeing the data collection, analysis, monitoring and research functions in the Regional Office. This includes advice to the 24 country offices on monitoring, research, data collection and analysis, contributing to global knowledge and experience and supporting advocacy and policy development based on sound evidence.

If you are a passionate and committed professional and want to make a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you through your application. * Strategic Representation

Provides overall leadership and coordination for the implementation and use of Research and Studies in the 24 country offices and in the Regional Office to contribute to Key Results for children for knowledge and advocacy on the situation of children in West and Central Africa and the impact of UNICEF interventions in coordination with UN agencies and other key partners. * Technical Support and capacity building

Support country offices to strengthen monitoring mechanisms, build national capacity for research and ensure the role of monitoring and research in country programme formulation and design as well as for the Mid Term Review exercise. This includes the coordination and management of technical assistance, links with academic institutions and regional and international networks. In collaboration with the regional chief of programme and planning and the Regional Evaluation Advisor guide and support Regional Office and Country Offices in building capacity to plan and conduct relevant Monitoring orientation/training sessions and staff learning/development activities with focus on results based management and budgeting/RBM-RBB, Management for Results/M4R) and workshops (including regional PM&E and DROPS regional network meetings). In close collaboration with the Regional Advisors and COs and drawing on external networks and technical resources, design and coordinate activities to achieve the results for Monitoring in WCAR, oversee the development of Monitoring approaches, research methodologies to high impact child survival and HIV/AIDS interventions, and education and protection interventions, emergencies. * Quality assurance and oversight

Advises the Regional Director and the Regional Management Team on the quality and conformity of studies and research activities in the Region with UNICEF policy and guidance and ensures mechanism for the review and quality control of studies and research products in the country offices and the Region. This includes quality assurance and oversight of MTRs, situation analyses and research as well as review of resources and capacity. * Knowledge Management

Provides guidance and ensure that the knowledge generated by, research and data collection and analysis exercises feeds into the Global Knowledge of the UN and UNICEF and also is shared and is accessible to country offices, regional partners, the media and other strategic partners to increase knowledge and understanding of the situation of children in West and Central Africa. * Regional Office Management

As part of the Planning, M&E section, establishes priorities and the work-plans for monitoring, research, data and analytics activities for monitoring in the Regional Office and support the ROMT with monitoring compliance and performance standards for the Regional Office Management Plan. Manages the work of the WCAR Evidence Generation and KM Committee, and major studies and research activities, and contributes to RMT meetings. * Strategic Partnerships

Develop strategic partnerships with the UN Regional structure, regional and sub-regional (AfrEA, AfDB, national research associations) networks and academic institutions, IFIs, donors and regional structures such as ECOWAS and ECCAS to facilitate and strengthen Monitoring, Research and data analyses practices and tools in order to benefit children in the region.

Job requirements
To qualify as a champion for every child you will need to have…Advanced university degree in any of the following: Statistics, Demography, Social Sciences, Economics, International Relations, Public Health, Education or other fields related to the work of UNICEF.

Ten years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in social development, management, monitoring, research, data related disciplines.

Fluency in French and English are required.

For every Child, you advocate and demonstrate

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

Functional Competencies: Leading and Supervising [ III]
Formulating Strategies and Concepts [III]
Analyzing [III]
Relating and Networking [III]
Applying Technical Expertise [III]
Planning and Organizing [III]
Networking [III]
Remarks:

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