Associate Programme Officer

Organizational Context

The International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) is a specialized United Nations institute mandated to strengthen the capacity of UNESCO Member States in educational planning and management. IIEP-UNESCO Africa, based in Dakar, is recognized for its educational sector analyses and supports African countries in developing robust educational system development plans aligned with the 2030 Education Agenda. Through capacity-building, it contributes to diagnostic analyses, sectoral plans, and methodological tools for more relevant and sustainable educational policies. It also enhances the skills of professionals involved in defining, steering, managing, financing, and evaluating education and training systems across Africa.

Job Purpose

The International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) Africa is implementing a regional program focused on inclusive education planning, funded by the Italian government. This program aims to ensure that education systems in West Africa are inclusive, providing equal access and learning opportunities for all children and youth, including those with disabilities. The program operates across eight West African countries and involves four key components: Hybrid Training Program, Knowledge Sharing, Evidence Production, and Technical Support to Countries. To support this initiative, IIEP-UNESCO Africa seeks an Associate Programme Officer to assist in the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the program across all its components, with a particular focus on Guinea Bissau, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

Responsibilities

The Associate Programme Officer will support the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the regional program 'Planning for Inclusive Education'. Key responsibilities include assisting in the overall coordination and management of program activities, including the preparation and documentation of workshops, meetings, and online events. This involves supporting the follow-up of action points, technical preparation for field missions, and the creation of summary documents and presentations. The role also entails supporting risk anticipation, identification, and mitigation, and ensuring the quality of program outputs through established strategies. Additionally, the officer will contribute to the program's monitoring, evaluation, and capitalization approach, including updating operational and M&E plans, collecting and validating data for indicator tracking, and supporting data analysis and reporting. The position involves supporting specific program components, such as the training program on inclusive education planning and managing the community of practice on inclusive education sector planning. This includes assisting with event organization, content curation for the community platform, and supporting the implementation of components in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau, including technical support and quality review of deliverables.

Work Experience

A minimum of 3 years of experience in implementing or monitoring education programs, preferably related to inclusion or disability. Experience working with international organizations, in regional or multi-country projects, and in monitoring, evaluation, and capitalization is desirable. Familiarity with disability and inclusion themes is also beneficial.

Skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong analytical abilities, and the capacity to work effectively in diverse, multicultural environments. Requires rigor, organizational skills, the ability to work under pressure with attention to detail, and a proactive, autonomous approach. Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential. Familiarity with statistical analysis tools like Stata or SPSS is a plus.

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