Associate National Project Officer Job Vacancy at UNESCO

Post Number : 6TZED 0009PA

Grade : NO-B

Parent Sector : Field Office

Duty Station: Dar-es-Salaam

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) : 22-FEB-2024

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

Only Nationals of Tanzania can apply for this post

Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is assisting the Ministry of Education of Tanzania in the implementation of an initiative on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Education with the view to improve the quality of education for all in the context of the SDG4 Education 2030.The incumbent will work under the overall authority of the Head of Office of the UNESCO Office in Dar es Salaam, the direct supervision of the National Professional Officer for Education, and in close cooperation with the ICT in Education Unit in UNESCO Headquarters. He/she will maintain regular contact with the government and non-governmental counterparts (e.g. KFIT country project team), other stakeholders, donors (notably the Korean Embassy) and UNESCO HQ. The incumbent will support the implementation of the UNESCO Korea-Funds-in-Trust (KFIT) project ‘ICT Transforming Education in Africa’, ensuring that activities are in line with the agreed work plan and budget. He/she will strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of Education and its agencies to lead and support ICT related activities and projects, identify and engage with key partners, and identify replicable best practices maximizing potential for scale-up, rollout and synergies with other initiatives. The incumbent will act as liaison between the HQ coordination team of the KFIT project and the national team, and will regularly engage with the UNESCO colleagues in charge of coordinating the KFIT project in the other beneficiary countries (Uganda and Namibia).

More specifically the incumbent will perform the following duties.

1. Provision of technical support and fostering of partnerships for project implementation:

• Provide technical advice and guidance for the implementation of KFIT project activities, including participation in the production of technical deliverables and policy studies, provision of input to various framework documents as required, and support to the implementation of training programmes.
• Maintain regular relations with national counterparts and key stakeholders (Ministries, regional and local authorities, etc.).
• Raise awareness of potential partners and seeking solutions to boost ICT in education initiatives in the country.
• Participate in and facilitate the establishment of strategic long-term engagements with strategic partners in the country.

2. Implementation of the detailed operational plan and coordination of the project in compliance with the project strategic objectives, outcomes, outputs and activities as outlined in the results framework:

• Ensure quality achievement of the KFIT project outputs in line with UNESCO qualitative standards and the KFIT results matrix.
• Support the design, as well as the periodic update and revision, of the detailed country project document, work plan and budget.
• Identify project implementation partners and providers of goods and services.
• Assist in the writing of terms of references for external vendors and in the recruitment of consultants, coordinators and interns.
• Monitor implementation of the contracts, assess the quality of services provided and request disbursement of funds.
• Plan, coordinate and organize network meetings, workshop and trainings to address specific needs and capacity gaps identified in the project.

3. Ensure the monitoring and evaluation of project implementation and the reporting on project activities:

• Contribute and monitor evaluation of project activities, report on progress and suggest updates of the project results framework.
• Regularly monitor the financial status of the project and ensure that budget execution rates are in line with agreed plans. Moreover, in case of contracting with partners where funds are to be granted for activities, ensure the Financial Reports along with original and appropriate justifications for funds granted are duly submitted on a timely basis to financially close related activities.
• Regularly conduct meetings to steer the project, preparing minutes of meetings and action plans with clear responsibility and timeframe.
• Conduct periodic project reviews with government counterparts and other partners recording the results of the review meetings in minutes and action plans.
• Prepare reports on project activities for UNESCO, the donor and partners.
• Provide content on major project achievements and steps in project implementation for UNESCO’s public information services to increase the visibility of UNESCO.
• Foster exchanges of information and experiences, and identify new strategies of action to improve delivery of services and to achieve the project requirements and objectives.

4. Ensure communication and visibility:

• Prepare and implementing the project communication and visibility plan.
• Prepare technical briefs and status updates on the project for wider dissemination, including inputs for the periodic project newsletter.
• Organize communication events (seminars and workshops) and liaising with local and international media.
• Act as liaison between the HQ coordination team of the KFIT project and the national team.

Communication (C)

Accountability (C)

Innovation (C)

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)

Planning and organizing (C)

Results focus (C)

Teamwork (C)

Professionalism (C)

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in Education, ICTs in Education, Science (STEM), Instructional design, Business, or Education Technology Management, or related areas. A combination of a first advanced degree with 4 years of experience in international development work and use of technology for education work may be substituted for the particular fields mentioned.

Work Experience

• At least two years of work experience in the field of education, preferably related to ICTs.
• Experience in supporting and coordinating project activities, preferably in large international organizations and with other international partner organizations.

Skills/Competencies

• Excellent knowledge of project implementation and monitoring skills.
• Strong skills in technical project management, event planning and presentation skills.
• Good written and oral communication skills, human relations and team building.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, including the ability to draft and concisely, paying close attention to quality of work and details.
• Ability to interact with people from different disciplines, and with varying degrees of technical experience.
• Ability to manage budgets and report on implementation.
• Understanding of national and international development issues.
• Basic understanding of set-up and administration of ICT services, networks and mobile services.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of Swahili and English (oral and written).

Work Experience

• Experience in the implementation of large-scale projects with technical components.
• Work experience in African Countries in Education, particularly in Uganda and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
• Experience with ICT hardware, mobile phones and web-based technologies in education, particularly designing or deploying tools

Skills/Competencies

• Expert knowledge or significant interest in one or more of these areas: (i) The use of technology in developing contexts particularly in Uganda; (ii) teacher training, particularly on the pedagogical use of ICT; (iii) m-learning and e-learning; (iv) ICT policy analysis and formulation; (v) educational audio-visual and multimedia materials in the classroom; and (vi) research-based education platforms in distance and assisted learning platforms to education.

Languages

• Knowledge of French.

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 TZS 104,531,851.

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

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.