Specifically, the Social Policy Specialist (Public Finance Management) performs:

1. Public finance reforms:

• Analyzes macroeconomic context and its impact on children and provides support to budget transparency reforms.
• Participates in the revision of Chart of Accounts, updating/expanding financial management information systems, support to program-based budgeting, revision of inter-governmental fiscal transfer formulas, development of medium-term expenditure frameworks.
• Collaborates with, provides hands on support to and builds the capacity of decision-makers to improve policies, planning, budgeting and accountability processes.
• Participates in thematic working groups and actively contributes technical inputs to collaborative research.

2. Public finance analysis:

• Collects, analyses and presents financial data and information for influencing public finance management reforms and as input into the broader country programme, via preparing budget briefs, thematic spending analyses, public expenditure reviews, value for money analyses, benefit and expense incidence analysis, costing exercises, fiscal space analyses, financing studies, investment cases and others.
• Engages and establishes constructive dialogue and partnerships with international agencies and national bodies to ensure that the national public finance agenda remains child-sensitive and equity-oriented.

3. Public finance planning, budgeting and monitoring:

• Builds capacity of partners for improved social sector financing, budgeting and oversight processes at national and subnational levels, including via revising budget circulars, developing expenditure tracking and monitoring tools/templates, and providing training that support the integration of social sector financing issues into plans and budgets.
• Supports the identification of policy options for expanded financing and improved transparency of child-sensitive social interventions, which includes as appropriate domestic resource mobilization and innovative financing options.

4. Cross-cutting social policy areas:

• Establishes effective partnerships with the government, bilateral and multilateral donors, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies to support sustained and proactive commitment to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, achieve global UN agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen UNICEF’s leading positioning for their implementation as they relate to social policy.
• Analyzes national context, including key socio-economic trends, and their impact on social development, emerging issues and concerns. Uses evidence and data to help the country office predict, prepare for and mitigate risks and adjust programming course.
• Supports the correct and compelling use of data and evidence including on the situation of children, and coverage and impact of child-focused services, in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Assesses how specific vulnerabilities are tied to multifaceted aspects of poverty and the contribution social protection has on reducing exclusion, to mainstream inclusion, particularly as it relates to gender, disability and migration. Works towards gender-responsive-transformative, disability-inclusive and migrant-inclusive systems by integrating the inclusion lens into public finance reforms, policies and programmes.
• Develops approaches to identify social and behavioural change needs and undertakes interventions for the meaningful accountability to affected populations and community engagement.
• Monitors current technological trends, new modalities of working applicable to social policy and public finance versus current and emerging needs to assess their role and match their potential applicability to social policy for enhanced outcomes for children

Requirements:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Finance, Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant field.
• A minimum of five years of professional work experience in public finance reforms, public finance and social policy analyses and/or social spending processes is required.
• Experience in programme design and management and policy advocacy is required.
• Experience working in developing countries / contexts is considered as a strong asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with emergencies and humanitarian contexts is considered as a strong asset.
• Fluency in French is required. Knowledge of English or another official UN language is considered as an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others