National Consultancy for Ministry of Education Public Financing for Children (PF4C)
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential. We are committed to promoting the rights of every child, offering diverse opportunities for professional and personal development in a passionate and diverse culture.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this national consultancy is to support the UNICEF Iraq Country Office in generating evidence and strengthening capacity on Public Financing for Children (PF4C) within the education sector. The consultant will collaborate with the Ministries of Education and their General Directorates to enhance public finance management (PFM) practices, promoting more equitable, efficient, and child-centred investments, particularly in early childhood education. This role is crucial for realizing children's rights and improving their well-being by ensuring transparent and effective allocation of public resources, aligning with the Iraq National Education Strategy.
Responsibilities
Support the collection of education financing and expenditure data at national and sub-national levels to inform PF4C evidence generation, policy dialogue, advocacy, and capacity building. Serve as a key counterpart for the Ministry of Finance, particularly for budgetary data collection and engagement on public financing processes. Design and implement capacity strengthening activities for relevant Ministry of Education and General Directorate of Education staff through training, coaching, mentoring, and technical support on PF4C and education financing. Develop a PFM/PF4C framework for education. Facilitate UNICEF’s high-level advocacy for PFM grounded in principles of equity, efficiency, transparency, and accountability. Adopt a flexible and adaptive approach to remain responsive to evolving government processes, policy opportunities, and sector priorities. Ensure that the consultancy aligns with the priorities of the Iraq National Education Strategy 2022–2031, specifically Pillar 3 concerning governance, management, and finance.
Work Experience
At least five years of relevant professional experience, including experience within national financial institutions (preferably the Ministry of Finance) and experience in institutional capacity building (training, coaching, mentoring).
Skills
Public Finance Management (PFM) systems, Budget systems and cycles, Fiscal frameworks, Education sector financing, Data collection and analysis, Capacity building (training, coaching, mentoring), Policy dialogue and advocacy, Report writing, Presentation skills, Stakeholder engagement, Project management, Understanding of child rights