For every child, Protection

Somalia is prone to frequent and recurrent Climatic shocks, including flooding and drought. For a majority of communities in the country that depend on agricultural or pastoralist livelihoods, this can have a direct and detrimental impact on food and nutrition security.

These shocks can lead to loss of household income, and to negative coping strategies that may change patterns of food acquisition and consumption or erode productive assets and human capital – for example, as children are pulled out of school and households suffer reduced economic access to clean water and health services. Shocks can also have an impact on food systems, constraining market availability of food items and driving up prices and reducing labour opportunities in both urban and rural areas.

Investing in climate resilient livelihoods and climate resilient programme is not only an important defence against these recurrent food security threats in Somalia but is also essential to empower vulnerable populations to break the cycle of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.

Since 2018, the Joint Resilient Action Strategy (JRA) is being implemented by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It is intended to insulate households from the immediate impact of the frequent shocks in Somalia and the associated household food and cash income deficits and negative coping strategies, which undermine development gains and represent a critical barrier to enabling households to build resilience. The ultimate objective of the JRA is to reduce the humanitarian caseload.

How can you make a difference?

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Act as the technical coordination and resilience expert focal point for the Joint Resilience Programme, KFW funded and implemented jointly by UNICEF, and WFP.
2. As a technical expert, provide timely and effective expert advice, guidance and input on programme strategy, planning, implementation, situation analysis and evaluation and human resources. Work across UNICEF and WFP sections on implementation of integrated solutions throughout the programme cycle. Provide technical and operational support through all stages of programming to ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of the programme.
3. Coordinate with PME and Sections for them to provide e quality of resilience and climate change programming through collection of evidence and data to organize them to highlight resilience challenges, best practices, and identification of new opportunities. Ensure gender and protection lens is mainstreamed through praxis.  
4. Undertake regular on-site monitoring of JRP activities. Ensure that all target villages are visited regularly and undertake direct supervision. Also coordinate with M & E focal point to provide technical support when required.
5. Build and maintain strategic broader partnerships on resilience and ensure coordination of our work across sectors and with relevant partners/Authorities. Follow up on recommendations from technical specialists on implementation progress, challenges, best practices, and identification of new opportunities are shared and discussed.
6. Organize and report on partner and stakeholder coordination, conflict sensitivity, Aid Diversion, and community engagement. Operate as a focal point for linkage of JRP programmes with other programmes such as JPLG and Baxnaano. Play a key role in facilitating cross sectoral coordination among cooperating partners (Health, nutrition, education, livelihoods, safety nets) and other key government stakeholders of the project.
7. Support knowledge management, compilation, and review of cross sectorial field data and through coordination of field evaluation. Document lessons learnt to advice on course correction of interventions as and when needed. Support internal follow up on technical feedback and specific request from donor.
8. Prepare accurate and timely reporting and learning, contributing to a knowledge base that informs decision making for WFP, UNICEF, and other stakeholders for continuous improvement.
9. Organize JRP technical working groups at FMS/district level and other review meetings and evaluation exercises in consultation with Resilience Specialist, Programme Managers, other UN agencies and government partners.
10. Follow up JRP activity workplans, budgets and monitoring data; provide the necessary information and analysis for donor reports; coordinate project activities with UNICEF and WFP where necessary including joint monitoring field missions; provide joint training and recommendations to the Cooperating Partners; and facilitate the link and exchange with the line ministries at technical level.
11. Carry out other related duties as required by the Resilience Specialist in support of the programme.

Results/expected outputs.

As an active team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and WFP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

• Joint resilience programme is successfully implemented, and financial resources are adequately utilized in line with project workplans and donor requirements.
• Ensure efficient, regular, and documented coordination and follow up on agreed actions with partners of the Joint resilience Programme inside and outside UNICEF.
• Build efficient relationship with authorities to ensure agreed workplan is implemented.
• Contribute to UNICEF and WFP cross sectoral resilience and peace building and climate change programmes strategy and Humanitarian Development Nexus.
• Emergency and Programme UNICEF WFP team supported in shaping resilience absorption and adaptation programming.
• Ensure that risk mitigation measures are put in place through a keen eye for any possibility of diversion, recommend immediate course correction as needed.
• Effective follow up recommendation with respective technical sections.
• Donor reporting deadline are timely and coordinated with the sections.
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.

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

• A first University Degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Community Development or another relevant field.
• A minimum of [two years] of relevant professional experience is requires.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Strong grants and project management skills, including reporting.
• Experience working with a KFW grant is an asset.
• Experience in proposal development is an asset.
• Understanding of the socio-political context of Somalia would be an advantage.
• Strong Coordination Skills and communication skills, including an ability to build rapport with individuals and groups and maintain an effective network of individuals across organizational departments, agencies, and governments.
• 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, 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’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [female candidates] are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. 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.