Social Policy Manager (Social Protection), NOD, Fixed Term, Dhaka, Bangladesh #127963 (For Bangladeshi Nationals only)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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For every child, a future

How can you make a difference?

Under the general guidance of the supervisor, the incumbent is responsible for advising the Chief, Social Policy on the design, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity, and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization, and accountability measures to increase public participation and the quality, equity, and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Improving data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action:

• Supports the Chief in managing 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.
• Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling up specific social protection initiatives to reduce child poverty. 
• 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 effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children.

2. Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children:

• Develops social protection policies, legislation, and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention to the most marginalized.  Identifies, generates, and presents evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.
• Promotes strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works, and social care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.
• Undertakes improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes, and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.

3. Improving the use of public financial resources for child-sensitive social protection:

• Undertakes budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, and social protection implementing ministries to improve equitable allocations for social protection services for children.  Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake costing and cost-effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused social protection investments.
• Identifies policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.
• Undertakes and builds the 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.

4. Strengthening capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on, and monitor child-focused social protection services:

• Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation, and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery more closely respond to the needs of local communities.
• Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of essential social protection services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability.
• Support capacity building of the Country Office and partners in the area of universal shock responsive social protection through enhancing understanding of social protection concepts, strengthening the use of analysis to inform strategy, enhancing Country Office capacity for social protection policy engagement

5. Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for child-sensitive and shock-responsive social protection:

• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child-focused social protection – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall. 
• Establishes effective partnerships with the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to social protection for children, the Convention of the Rights of the Child and to achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Establish and sustain constructive dialogue and partnerships between international and local social protection stakeholders, to provide effective protective environment for the most vulnerable children. Identifies other critical partners, promotes awareness and builds capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within the UN family.

6. UNICEF Programme Management:

• Manages and coordinates technical support around shock-responsive social protection ensuring it is well planned, monitored, and implemented in a timely fashion so as to adequately support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into the overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.
• Supports and contributes to effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social protection project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research, and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the shock-responsive social protection and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.
• Establish and supervise humanitarian cash transfer(HCT) work plans and monitor progress and compliance. Monitor the overall allocation and disbursement of programme funds, making sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored, and liquidated. Support developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for HCT, with a focus on children and their caretaker’s needs, to scale up (top up additional incentive and/or include additional households) existing social protection schemes to the affected population including supporting consultations with national government, local authorities, and relevant partners.

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

• At least a master’s degree in Economics/ Development Study/Social Sciences/ Statistics/ or a related field especially advanced academic certificate/diploma courses on International Humanitarian Action /Social policy/Social Protection is required
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional work experience is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.
• Understanding of poverty dynamics, social protection principles, and their application to current national economic and development issues; demonstrated experience in policy and poverty analysis
• Previous experience in managing social protection/policy programmes with the UN or other international organizations will be an added advantage
• Strong knowledge of social protection policy debates and evidence is required; demonstrated knowledge and experiences in working on systems-based approaches to social protection (including linkages with social services)
• Knowledge about and experience coordinating with government-owned social assistance programmes
• Background and/or familiarity with emergency particularly experience of use of cash in emergencies.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and facilitation.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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, or is a safeguarding response role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

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

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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. 

[CO/ HQ specific: visa residence requirements: i.e.: UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.