Public Finance for Children Specialist

Organizational Context

UNICEF has a long-standing commitment to Iraq, working with government institutions since 1963 to improve child outcomes. Operating across four offices, UNICEF partners with UN agencies and NGOs to address the needs of vulnerable children and youth. The organization prioritizes child rights and empowers young people as agents of change. In Iraq, UNICEF's Social Policy Programme focuses on evidence generation, public finance reforms, and child-focused planning to ensure children are prioritized in public policies and resource allocation.

Job Purpose

This UNV assignment supports UNICEF Iraq's Public Finance for Children (PF4C) portfolio, aiming to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and transparency of public spending for children. The role involves providing technical, analytical, coordination, and operational support to strengthen child-focused public finance policies and investments. Key activities include public expenditure analysis, evidence-based budgeting, data generation on child poverty, and integrating child-sensitive approaches into public finance management systems. The UN Volunteer will collaborate with government institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to advance UNICEF's mandate and contribute to the realization of SDGs for children in Iraq.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, the UN Volunteer will support the Public Finance for Children programme by: Supporting Public Finance Analysis and Evidence Generation: Assisting in the planning, implementation, and dissemination of analytical products like Public Expenditure Reviews and Fiscal Space Analyses. This includes data collection, validation, literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and preparing technical inputs and reports to inform policy dialogue and resource allocation for children. Supporting the Implementation of UNICEF's PF4C Strategy: Contributing to the strategy's implementation and monitoring, engaging with government counterparts and partners to promote child-sensitive planning and budgeting, and tracking progress against strategic priorities. Supporting Coordination, Partnerships, and Knowledge Management: Facilitating internal and external coordination for PF4C activities, preparing meeting materials, and maintaining communication with various stakeholders. Supporting Programme Management and Resource Monitoring: Assisting in managing grants, tracking budget utilization and expenditures, and preparing programme reports. This also involves coordinating with operations, finance, and programme teams for timely activity implementation. Supporting Capacity Development and Advocacy: Assisting in organizing trainings and workshops to build government capacity in child-sensitive public finance and supporting advocacy efforts for increased public investments for children.

Work Experience

Requires 7 years of relevant experience in public management, budget allocations, or related programmes. Experience working with the UN or international development organizations is an asset. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, database management, and strong analytical, reporting, and interpersonal skills are essential. Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and adapt to challenging conditions is also necessary.

Skills

Key competencies include building partnerships, self-awareness, ethical awareness, innovation, driving results, managing ambiguity and complexity, strategic thinking, and collaborative work. Specific expertise areas are Economics and Finance, and Social Work. Values include care, respect, integrity, trust, accountability, and sustainability.

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