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Purpose for the job: The Planning and Monitoring Officer reports to the Chief of Field Office for supervision. The Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the planning, monitoring, reporting process preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative tasks to contribute to Reporting planning, implementation, oversight and reporting to ensure that reporting is carried out according to schedule and that results and recommendations are implemented and followed up.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Setting Standards for Programme performance planning and monitoring

• Provide technical support as necessary to the process of developing and monitoring Annual Work Plans, including reporting on progress of the equity and gender marker as outlined in the Programme Policy and Procedures Guidance
• Provide technical support as necessary in organizing and managing annual/mid-year/mid-term/end term regional programme reviews ensuring consistency with objectives and goals set out in the CPD and contribute to the Annual Management Plan.
• Monitor follow-up actions based on management decisions resulting from Country Office performance monitoring and reporting.
• Support the programme components to effectively monitor and report on the intersectoral programme results, cross sectoral programme component results and field office results to facilitate programme coherence and convergence where appropriate.
• Contribute to development of programme monitoring framework for the region including technical backstopping to the field team for convergent programming.
• Provide technical support to the field office programme sections to effectively monitor and report on the intersectoral programme results.
• Provide an oversight of field office programme budget management and grants utilisation by the programme sections and provide regular updates to the programme team to ensure timely and effective utilisation based on programme AWP.
• Manage field office partnership processes and documentation of agreements and prepare consistent reports on the status of partnership for programme implementation in the region.

2.  Support to the preparation of the integrated monitoring and reporting plan

• Participate in reporting planning discussions and support the development and completion of programme monitoring plans through review of annual workplans, collection, analysis and reporting of related information/data to facilitate integrated reporting planning and priority and goal setting.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout the reporting process by executing/administering a variety of technical, operational and administrative transactions, preparing related materials/documentations and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support reporting results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and assessing results.
• Prepare required documentations/materials/data to facilitate planning, implementation and reporting.
• Supervise the work of the Information Management Officer to ensure accuracy, timely and appropriate information and data produced for planning, decision making and sharing with partners as required.

3.  Support implementation of Reporting

• Draft and/or develop terms of reference for external consultants and initiate the recruitment process to ensure the timely selection and recruitment of evaluators. Manage the various processes of assessing and/or selecting consultant and reporting teams to facilitate the recruitment/selection process.
• Organize materials, briefings and all required administrative arrangements to ensure external consultants are provided appropriate and comprehensive information to start and continue effectively and efficiently the conduct of reporting.
• Keep abreast of reporting progress to proactively meet the monitors’ need for information or other related issues to ensure delivery of results as scheduled and allocated. Manage and supervise field office team of third party monitors in the region.
• Support the reporting budget preparation. Monitor and verify the use of resources for compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Collect and maintain roster of qualified monitors and firms, ensure continued update, verification and quality assessment of their suitability for reporting projects. Develop and maintain an effective system for dissemination of the roster for easy access.
• Prepare timely analytical documents highlighting critical areas for management progress monitoring, oversight and action.

4. Dissemination and follow up on reporting

• Consult stakeholders to seek clarification and/or validate findings from draft and final reports and reports on feedback to facilitate timely action.
• Upload/disseminate completed Reporting reports into Global Reporting Data base to allow global sharing and final quality review.
• Upload each approved management response in the tracking systems and monitor quarterly update and produce analytical reports for management action and decision on implementation of Reporting agreed actions/recommendations.
• Actively follow up with stakeholders on the implementation of reporting results. Provide appropriate technical support to facilitate implementation and/or report to relevant stakeholders to ensure time action to ensure the implementation of reporting results.

5. Networking and partnership building

• Provide technical and operational support to a wide range of stakeholders and monitoring on UNICEF policies, practices, standards and norms.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and regional stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate reporting and build their capacity for reporting planning, monitoring and implementation.
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency meetings/events on planning, monitoring and reporting to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDCF operational planning and preparation and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF position and strategies with the UNSDCF development and planning process.

6.  Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned from reporting for integration into broader knowledge development planning and management efforts.
• Research and report on best and cutting-edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems for reporting.
• Participate as resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

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

• University degree in economics, psychology, sociology, education or other social science field is required.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in social development analysis, planning and programming at the international, national and/or in a developing country is required.
• Relevant experience in statistics, programme/project planning, monitoring and reporting in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Fluency in English and local language of duty station (Dari/Pashto) is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

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.

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 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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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, 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). 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 cancelled.

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.

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.