Associate Programme Specialist (Education Finance)

Associate Programme Specialist (Education Finance)

OVERVIEW

Post Number : IEP/PA 160/161/6SNIEP0094PA

Grade : P-2

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Multiple

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 26-FEB-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of contract: 1 year renewable with a six months probationary period. Extension of contract is subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

 Up to three (3) Associate Programme Specialist (Education Finance) positions are to be filled  (IEP/PA /160/161/6SNIEP0094PA). Duty Station: Paris & Dakar

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

As the only specialized organization with a mandate to support educational policy, planning and management, UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) plays a unique role within the United Nations system. IIEP was established in 1963 as an integral part of UNESCO. It supports ministries of education and their partners around the world in planning and managing education systems through four types of capacity development programmes: training, technical assistance, research and development, and knowledge sharing. The Institute launched its new Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2025) in November 2021. IIEP has offices in Paris, Dakar and Buenos Aires. To achieve its goals and objectives, IIEP relies on voluntary contributions from major donors and project funding.

Long Description

Under the overall authority of the IIEP Director, under the overall supervision of the Head of the Technical Cooperation Team and under the direct supervision of the Head of the Cost, Finance and Budget Unit, the Assistant Education Programme Specialists will be responsible for the implementation of a variety of funded projects and activities that support the capacity of Ministries of Education and other partners to better plan and manage education sectors.

All IIEP’s technical experts provide direct technical support to governments on planning and management, while also contributing to research and analytical work, training programmes, and knowledge sharing activities.  Candidates should have experience in supporting large and complex programs and projects to strengthen the planning and management capacities of ministries of education, in at least one of the following two areas:

1. Cost, Finance and Budget:  solid foundation in education finance and proven expertise in education cost and finance, including the analysis of budgets and use of simulation/costing models and development of operational plans, medium term expenditure frameworks, cost/benefit analysis, and public expenditure reviews (PER).

2. Public Financial Management (PFM) diagnosis: including knowledge of public financial management systems, processes, and international standards, as well as expertise in conducting PFM assessments using frameworks like PEFA (Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability), and PFM diagnostic tools specific to the education sector. A strong understanding of gender-responsive budgeting principles and methodologies and the ability to analyze budget structures, fiscal policies, and public expenditure patterns through a gender lens would be an added asset.

Long Description

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPOSIBILITIES

The incumbents will support the implementation of a portfolio of technical cooperation, research and development and training activities related to education financing, costing and budgeting. In particular, the incumbents will be responsible for:

• Support the implementation of a portfolio of projects in education planning and management with a focus on education financing, costing and budgeting.
• Support the integration of gender, equity, and climate change concerns into education sector programming, costing and budgeting.
• Support IIEP's Education Finance team to ensure alignment of IIEP's research and development, training and capacity development activities, and maintain a strong institutional focus on programme effectiveness, resource mobilization and strategic impact.
• Support IIEP's training team to provide a robust training offer in their area of technical expertise, including engaging in direct training as part of IIEP's training programmes.
• Contribute to public debates and network with actors and organizations involved in education financing.
• Work with the Research and Knowledge Mobilization team to identify priorities and promote a coherent approach to research and knowledge sharing in support of strengthened national capacity.
• Support regular consultation across IIEP’s Offices and with IIEP partners (Member States, Donors, external institutes, etc.) about IIEP’s country facing research, capacity development and technical cooperation activities.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

Communication (C)

Accountability (C)

Innovation (C)

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)

Planning and organizing (C)

Results focus (C)

Teamwork (C)

Professionalism (C)

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For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in economics, statistics, public policy, public finance, or related fields.

Professional experience

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience, of which preferably 1 year acquired at international level, in the field education financing and public financial management, including budget planning and reporting, education financing diagnostics, financial costing and simulation.
• Working experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise:
  1. Analyses of education costs, finances and budget, costing and projections.
  2. Public Financial Management (PFM) in Education.
• Experience in providing technical assistance in support of national or subnational entities in the analysis of education financing.
• Experience in the functioning of public administration and institutions including experience with PFM reforms in developing countries.
• Proven experience in analyzing sex-disaggregated data and using this data to inform budget decisions in line with gender equity in education goals, including the use of gender-responsive financial diagnostic tools, such as sex-disaggregated cost-effectiveness analysis, sex-disaggregated public expenditure review, and national education accounts from a gender lens.

Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated knowledge of issues related to education and education financing in the context of developing and/or emerging countries.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary developments in the field of global education and effective strategies to improve education planning and management, including in crisis-affected contexts.
• Proven ability to design and implement training programmes, courses and action research.
• Proven ability to design and implement.
• Strong analytical and synthetic skills and good ability to undertake analytical and synthetic writing, including preparation of training materials and policy briefs.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly on missions in complex environments.
• Ability to develop coalitions and partnerships with a wide range of relevant actors within and outside IIEP-UNESCO.
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Excel and statistical packages such as STATA, R, Python, etc.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to support the implementation of complex and multi-component projects.

Language

• Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Language

• Working knowledge of French (written and spoken).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 77, 283 USD.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.