Planning Officer- Local Education Group (LEG)
Organizational Context
UNICEF Syria is committed to reaching children and families by supporting integrated, multi-sectoral programming and ensuring equitable access to critical basic services. In coordination with partners, UNICEF focuses on accountability to affected populations, integrating gender, child safeguarding, and PSEA into its programs. The Ministry of Education is leading efforts to restore and transform the education system, aiming for safe, inclusive, and quality education for all, especially vulnerable groups, aligning with national priorities and SDG 4.
Job Purpose
This role supports the Ministry of Education in Syria to strengthen its capacity for education sector planning, policy development, performance monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making. The UN Volunteer Expert will work within the Local Education Group (LEG) Secretariat to develop, implement, and monitor education sector plans, enhance sector analysis and data use, and create planning tools. The objective is to ensure effective stakeholder engagement, partner coordination, and the integration of partner inputs into planning and implementation, ultimately supporting the LEG's functioning and advancing national education priorities in a complex recovery and reform environment.
Responsibilities
The UN Volunteer will support the Ministry of Education in Education Sector Planning and Policy Development by coordinating technical inputs for national education plans, developing planning products like roadmaps and results frameworks, and preparing policy briefs. The role includes ensuring equity, gender equality, disability inclusion, climate resilience, social cohesion, and conflict sensitivity in plans, and integrating emergency preparedness. In Sector Monitoring, Performance Review, and Adaptive Planning, the volunteer will develop monitoring frameworks, analyze data, prepare performance analyses, and coordinate sector reviews. For Education Financing and Resource Prioritization, responsibilities include analyzing education sector financing, providing inputs for investment cases and funding proposals, and assessing partner investment alignment. The role also involves Planning Systems and Institutional Capacity Strengthening through developing and institutionalizing planning tools, providing on-the-job coaching to Ministry staff, and documenting knowledge. Finally, the volunteer will collaborate with the Education Partnership and Coordination Consultant to prepare technical inputs for stakeholder consultations and reflect feedback in planning products.
Work Experience
Requires a minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in education sector planning, policy, or management at the national level. Experience supporting the development, implementation, or monitoring of national education strategies (e.g., ESPs, TEPs) and working directly with Ministries of Education is essential. Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and coordination with government, development partners, and civil society is necessary. Familiarity with education financing, including costing and budget analysis, is required. Fluency in Arabic and English is mandatory.
Skills
Key competencies include accountability, adaptability, flexibility, creativity, judgment, decision-making, planning, organizing, professionalism, and self-management. Expertise in economics, poverty reduction, livelihoods, education, finance, and accounting is also mentioned.