UNICEF contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria with a mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
UNICEF’s Nigeria country programme:
Aims to accelerate the realization of the rights of all children and women to survival, development, protection and participation.
Promotes efforts to reduce infant, child and maternal mortality; expand access to quality basic education; and strengthen social and child protection systems.
Uses a rights-based and gender-sensitive approach
Plays a catalytic role in supporting federal, state and local governments in identifying key bottlenecks that hinder realization of the rights of disadvantaged children, supported by equity-focused, inclusive advocacy, planning, action and monitoring at all levels.
Supports adolescent development.
As a Chief Field Office based in Kano, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk-informed, solution-focused analysis, advice, and services, and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts.
The Chief Field Office based in Kano, Operations will be entrusted with the following five pillars, the core focus of all operations functions: Valuing People, Valuing Money, Valuing Risk Management, Valuing Systems and Structures, Valuing Partners.
Key Functions, Accountabilities And Related Duties/tasks
Summary of key functions/accountabilities
Effective management of UNICEF presence, staff and assets in the Area of Responsibility.
Effective knowledge management systems adopted and utilized to strengthen area/country programme management.
Situation Analysis prepared and updated; critical programme intervention points and measures identified; and programme work plans, recommendations and reports prepared.
Programme funds optimally used.
Programme monitoring and evaluations effectively conducted to improve programme performance, and programme status reports timely prepared. Gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to the country programme are provided as an integral part of programming.
Rights-based and results based programming approach fully incorporated into all phases of programme and project processes.
Commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners effectively gained and established.
Rights perspective and advocacy at the national, community and family levels incorporated in policy analysis for establishing and elevating UNICEF’s credibility in national and international policy debates.
Effective partnerships and collaboration achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme development/management/coordination, information sharing and networking.
The ability of the CFO to comprehensively and timely identify, assess, mitigate, monitor, review and report on the most significant risks that could potentially harm the organization, is a critical element of UNICEF’s risk and internal control performance management framework. Risk management skills are necessary to safeguard UNICEF’s reputation, resources, continuity of operations and reputation to fulfill our primary mission to save and protect children, globally.
Education
Minimum requirements:
An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international relations, public administration, government and public relations, public or social policy, sociology, social or community development, or another relevant technical field.
Experience
A minimum of ten years of professional work experience in programme management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, project administration or another relevant area is required.
Past experience of working in a similar role is highly desirable. Capability to strengthen the development side without neglecting the humanitarian demands required.
Strategic and innovative thinking, ability to take risks, hands-on programmatic experience, and excellent interpersonal and leadership skills required.
Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
Experience in humanitarian settings is strongly desired. Familiarity/ background with emergency is highly desirable.
Prior experience working with diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnership is highly desirable.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.