Economist/Learning Assessment Analyst

Economist/Learning Assessment Analyst

Assignment country: Nepal
Expected start date: 01/08/2024
Sustainable Development Goal: 4. Quality education
Volunteer category: International UN Volunteer Specialist
Host entity: UNICEF
Type: Onsite
Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Kathmandu

Details
Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

In all of its work, UNICEF takes a life-cycle based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation.

UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished: no child should suffer or die from a preventable illness. We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity.

We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Context

For over 75 years, UNICEF has been working tirelessly for child rights and for the well-being of every child. The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) is dedicated to advancing the rights of all children in South Asia, especially the most marginalized and disadvantaged. It supports eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Through its advisory and leadership roles, UNICEF ROSA is placed in a strategic position to influence policies, strategies, and programming at both national and sub-national levels across South Asia.

UNICEF vision for education is that ‘every child learns’, articulated in the 2019-2030 Education Strategy across three inter-related goals: (i) equitable access to learning opportunities; (ii) improved learning and skills for all; (iii) improved learning and protection for children in emergencies and transitions. UNICEF ROSA contributes to ensuring that girls and boys, especially the most disadvantaged, acquire the skills they need in an inclusive, equitable, safe, relevant and quality learning environment.

In particular, the Education team supports South Asia Country Offices (CO) on foundational learning, one of the 4 areas for acceleration for UNICEF in the region. Measuring learning and using the measurement both in the classroom (including for formative assessment for targeted instruction) and at system level, is critical for improving learning outcomes and improving foundational learning, in particular for the most vulnerable children.

This UNV position is to support COs capacity strengthening in learning assessment and its use. The position will contribute to inform the programming of governments, the international community in general, and UNICEF country offices in particular, on how to strengthen education systems and improve foundational learning in all settings.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Regional Education Advisor, the UNV Economist/Statistician – Learning Assessment/Psychometrics] will undertake the following tasks, for the South Asia region:

• Provide support to Country Offices and Ministries of education in South Asia for improving learning assessment systems and tools and facilitating their use (at national, sub-national and school levels) for education policy decision making, education system strengthening, gender equality and community empowerment, including in emergency settings.
• Support the analysis of the implementation and achievements of the 2022-2025 UNICEF Strategic Plan (Goal “Every child learns and acquires skills for the future”) and of the 2019-2030 global UNICEF Education Strategy, and related theories of change.
• Develop methodological notes and guidance
• Organize and update UNICEF’s SharePoint
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Eligibility criteria
Age: 18 – 80
Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Requirements
Required experience

• 3 years of experience in psychometrics, economics or statistics; experience in the field of learning assessment is an asset.
• Full proficiency in the use of statistical software
• Knowledge of education indicators, in particular on learning outcomes, is an asset
• Knowledge of VBA for Excel is an asset
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Sound security awareness;
• Have affinity with or interest in international development and education, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system. Experience of working with UNICEF, sister UN agencies and other partners is an asset

Area(s) of expertise: Economics and finance, Development programmes
Driving license: –

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in psychometrics, economics or statistics.

Competencies and values

Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

As the capital city, Kathmandu has a comfortable living environment with moderate climate conditions. Comfortable, inexpensive flats (furnished and unfurnished) are available. Imported and local food and clothing are abundantly available. Water is in somewhat short supply and not safe to drink without treatment. Public transport is readily available and generally reliable. It is important to note that navigating through regular traffic congestion is a common aspect of daily life, and the living costs are moderately high compared to other cities in Nepal. Kathmandu has a temperate climate with coldest temperature reaching just above zero at the night during the winter and mild but humid during the monsoon period, mid-June to end September.

As this is International UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.
The UNV will be based in Kathmandu and will be provided with a desk and workspace within the UNICEF ROSA premise.
https://www.unv.org/.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

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