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.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, results

Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries, even though it has made significant strides over the past two decades in reducing poverty, promoting a measure of economic growth, and demonstrating some degree of political stability until the political crisis happening in the second half of 2023.

However, despite these efforts, with the political crisis Niger has recently faced, the deprivations affecting children remain critical, a large majority of children and women remain excluded from health, education and protection systems. Those with access to services suffer from the poor quality of services offered. With one of the highest annual population growths in the world (3.9%), the sustainability of the results achieved in all sectors is a major challenge.

In addition, since 2011, Niger faces a difficult geopolitical context in the region with external threats (the Libyan civil war in 2011, the Malian crisis since 2012, and the intensification of Boko Haram activities in northern Nigeria since 2015) resulting in population movements, especially in Diffa region. This has affected government’s budget allocation towards security to the detriment of social sectors already largely under-funded. The country is also faces effects of climate change and prone to chronic food insecurity, malnutrition and recurrent natural crises (droughts, floods) and epidemics.

It is in this context that Niger has developed its Strategy for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth (SDDCI Niger 2035) and its first five-year economic and social development plan (PDES 2017-2021) considering the SDGs. To enhance progress achieved during the first PDES, while engaging to new strategic priorities, Niger has developed its second five-year economic development plan (PDES 2022-2026).

The UNICEF current programme of cooperation covers the period of 2023-2027, aligned to the UNSDCF and national development frameworks. UNICEF Niger will continue to work closely with the Government, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – both as a technical and financial partner – to put children’s issues at the centre of the humanitarian and development agendas. UNICEF will strengthen its upstream work through evidence-based advocacy with particular focus on designing, monitoring and evaluating pilot programmes for scale up at national level.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Representative, the Chief PME is responsible for the programme planning, monitoring and evaluation function, exercising an advisory role, providing guidance, coordination and leadership in policy and strategy development, in the oversight of the implementation of PM&E recommendations, as well as in the collaboration with the UN country team in support of the attachment of the SDGs.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Country office programme planning and development

To ensure that the UNICEF Country Office has useful, valid and reliable information on the situation of children, youth and women and the realization of their rights; and on Key Results for Children (KRC), the performance of UNICEF-supported programmes including their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability, and in emergency contexts, their coverage, coordination and coherence.

2. Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research (IMERP)

Ensure that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritised and realistic plan of monitoring, evaluation and research activities that will provide the most relevant gender-specific and strategic information to manage the Country Programme, including tracking and assessing UNICEF’s distinct contribution.

3. Situation Monitoring and Assessment

Ensure that the Country Office and national partners have timely and accurate and gender-specific measurement of change in conditions in the country or region, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country’s wider policy, economic or institutional context, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies.

4. Programme Performance Monitoring 

Ensure that the Country Office has quality information to assess progress towards expected results established in annual work plans.

5. Evaluation

Ensure that a well-prioritised and strategic selection of evaluations at programme or Country Office strategy level is managed in order that each evaluation is designed and carried out with quality process and products and that evaluation results are useful to the intended audience.

6. M&E Capacity Building

Ensure that the monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners – government and civil society – are strengthened enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead monitoring and evaluation processes.

7. Innovation, knowledge Management and Capacity Building

8. Coordination and Networking  

Ensure that the UNICEF office is effectively linked to wider UNICEF M&E developments in a way that both contributes to and benefits from organizational learning on effective M&E management.

9. Managerial leadership

• Establish the section’s annual work plan with the social policy team. Set priorities and targets and monitor work progress to ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
• Establish clear individual performance objectives, goals and timelines; and provide timely guidance to enable the team to perform their duties responsibly and efficiently. Plan and ensure timely performance management and assessment of the team.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  VA_Chief PME Niamey Niger_20240826.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• An Advanced university degree in social sciences, statistics, development planning, or other social science field is required.
• Professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities as follows:
• Eight years of relevant professional work experience.
• At least one instance of exposure to emergency programming, including preparedness planning.

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

Niamey is a non-family duty station with a “Rest & Recuperation” cycle every 8 weeks.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme preferred.

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

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, 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.

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.

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

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.