National Project Officer (Education for Health and Wellbeing) Re-advertisement (Windhoek, Namibia) contract

Post Number : 6NAED 0005PA

Grade : NO-C

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Windhoek

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) : 04-DEC-2024

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

1 year contract with the possibility of extension subject to the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

Only nationals of Namibia can apply for this position

The position falls under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Education, guidance from the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, support from the Senior Project Officer (Education for Health and Well-being), and the direct supervision of the Head of the UNESCO Windhoek Office. The incumbent will be responsible for the effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of UNESCO’s work on Education for Health and well-being through the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Project, and the Unified Budget, Results, and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) in Namibia. The incumbent will also take the lead in the implementation and monitoring of the O3 PLUS project for the realization of positive health, education, and gender equality outcomes for young people in Higher and Tertiary Institutions (HTEIs) in Namibia. S/he will be responsible for providing technical expertise on key themes including comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), sexual and reproductive health, inclusion, gender, and school-related gender-based violence, school health, and HIV. The incumbent will specifically be responsible for:

1.    Project and Technical support for the O3 Project
– Lead the implementation and monitoring of the O3 Project in Namibia 
– Identify opportunities for UNESCO engagement in policy development and programming on HIV, sexuality education, and other health issues (within the framework of the UNESCO Strategy on Health and Well-Being, national strategies, and the UNAIDS division of labour).
– Facilitate a process of strategic planning within UNESCO for engagement in these opportunities.
– Liaise with UNESCO structures, including the Section on Health and Education at UNESCO Headquarters and colleagues in the Regional Office for Southern Africa, and sub-region working on HIV and AIDS, in particular the Regional HIV and AIDS team for East and Southern Africa.
– Support UNESCO programming on health education, in collaboration with other staff working on HIV and Health Education, with particular emphasis on interventions supporting national efforts towards HIV prevention, scaling up sexuality education, gender, and school-related gender-based violence.  
– Facilitate the provision of technical support to the Ministry of Education, and other national partners especially in curriculum development.
– Support capacity-building interventions within the education sector, through the organization of meetings and workshops to develop comprehensive action on HIV and Health and to contribute to national responses.
– Contribute to advocacy efforts at the country level, in order to advance the use of the evidence and strengthen joint UN and national responses to HIV and AIDS.

2.    Project and technical support for the O3 PLUS project
– Oversee the implementation of the O3 PLUS project in higher and tertiary education institutions in Namibia.
– Facilitate the institutionalization of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services and prevention of / response to sexual and gender-based violence across the higher and tertiary education sector. 
– Lead the establishment of a knowledge-sharing platform, providing an opportunity for institutions to collaborate, network, share knowledge and provide collective suggestions on issues related to health and well-being, practice and programs and evidence-based research.
– Support operations research, monitoring & evaluation around CSE/SRH for young people in higher and tertiary education institutions to enhance evidence-based planning and implementation of programmes.
– Support and oversee the work of the O3 PLUS Coordinator.

3.    Scale up and strengthen the delivery of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)

– Support the capacity building of curriculum developers, teachers, and teacher educators, including teachers of learners with disabilities to deliver gender and social norms transformative CSE and school violence prevention, including through ICT-based solutions.
– Lead the development and dissemination of good quality teaching and learning digital and non-digital resources on gender and social norms transformative CSE and school violence prevention.  
– Grow and strengthen the CSE Community of Practice for teachers and other CSE practitioners in Namibia.
– Lead the establishment of CSE repository in Namibia. 

4.    Strengthen implementation of the program through evidence generated from monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning 
– Commission research on CSE and school violence to deepen evidence and support data-driven and evidence -based decision-making at legislative, policy and planning level.
– Strengthen the capacity of the education sector to report and use generated data for planning and decision-making.

5.    Planning, budgeting, M&E, and reporting
– Support strategic planning and budgeting for UNESCO engagement in HIV and SRHR programming in Namibia, in line with UNESCO’s commitments as a UNAIDS Cosponsor.
– Contribute to timely Project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting for the O3 and O3 PLUS Projects.
– Ensure timely narrative and financial reporting on elements from the national O3 and O3 PLUS Projects and budget portfolio falling under the incumbent’s responsibility, both within UNESCO and to external donors as appropriate.
– Support monitoring of the O3 and O3 PLUS Projects’ expenditure in line with the approved budget, in liaison with relevant Harare and HQ colleagues.
– Plan, commission and supervise various research pieces to inform the work on Education for Health and Well-being in Namibia.

6.    Representation and partner relations  
– Represent UNESCO in appropriate coordination forums, such as the UN Joint Teams on HIV and AIDS, interagency meetings, and thematic meetings. 
– Develop and maintain partner relations with the Ministry of Education, the UNESCO National Commission, national bodies, and development partners, including civil society organizations. Provide technical guidance and guidelines for further development of their capacities and activities. 
– Engage with local organisations, including the civil society in support. 
– Support UNESCO’s participation in regional structures and processes. 

7.    Resource mobilization: 
– Participate in resource mobilization efforts including proposal development from UNESCO and partners and provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education in accessing funding for the education sector response to HIV, gender-based violence and other health issues.

Education 
•    An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in education, social sciences, public health or a relevant field. 
 
Work Experience 
•    At least four years of relevant work experience, in areas related to sexual and reproductive health and education.
•    Experience in curriculum development and learning assessment.
•    Experience in monitoring and evaluation.

•    Experience in policy and strategy design, advocacy in the field related to sexual and reproductive health and sexuality education and or related fields.

•    Experience in partnerships and resource mobilization.

Skills and competencies  
•    A track record in resource mobilization and ability to manage budgets and report on implementation.  
•    Good understanding of the country, of the development work and of the education sector. 
•    Extensive knowledge, and high level of technical writing skills on HIV prevention, sexuality education and school related gender-based violence.
•    Ability to multitask, prioritize and deliver to deadline, as well as work under pressure. 
•    Excellent interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy. 
•    Excellent networking and high level representational and partnership building skills, involving a wide range of partners (including relevant Ministries, UNAIDS Co-sponsors, donors and civil society. 
•    Excellent strategic and analytical skills.  
•    Excellent communication skills. 
 
Languages 
•    Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written). 
•    Fluency in at least one of the local languages.

Education
•    Advanced university degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in the field of in education, social sciences, public health or a relevant field.
    
Work Experience
•    Experience within the UN system or similar international organizations, in the field of Education at country/regional level.
•    Experience in coordinating inter-institutional platforms on programs especially with government bodies.
•    Experience managing inter-sectoral initiatives. 
 
Skills and Competencies
•    Ability to take initiative, establish priorities, coordinate and monitor own work plan. Results oriented approach to completing assigned tasks.
•    Ability to work efficiently under pressure and in a multitasking manner, respecting tight deadlines and delivering on the standards required.
•    Good knowledge of the work and general functioning of UNESCO and the UN System.
 
Languages
•    Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).