Associate Project Officer ( Education)

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Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

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

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

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

As the only specialized organization with the mandate to support educational policy, planning and management, the UNESCO 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 to plan and manage education systems through four types of capacity development programs: training, technical assistance, research and development, and knowledge sharing. The Institute launched its new Medium-Term Strategy ) in November 2025. IIEP has offices in Paris, Dakar, and Buenos Aires. IIEP draws on voluntary contributions from core donors and project funding to achieve its goals and objectives.

Under the overall authority of the Director of IIEP and the direct supervision of a Senior Education Specialist, and within the framework of the Institute’s Medium-Term Strategy, the incumbent will support implementation of a variety of country facing technical cooperation projects in educational planning and management, and to contribute to analytical work, training programmes, and knowledge sharing activities.

Candidates should have expertise in two of the following three areas:

• Supporting education sector planning, including education sector analysis and the development of multi-year-costed plans and MEL frameworks
• Development and implementation of complex capacity development programs to support ministries of education.
• Planning for Early Childhood Education.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent will have the following duties and responsibilities:

Support member states (MS) in the development, implementation, and monitoring of education sector analysis, plans, policies.

• Support the development of education sector, sub sector (in particular Early Childhood Education) and thematic diagnoses and analysis.
• Support the development and implementation of education sector plans including operational plans and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Support the development of education policies.
• Support the discussion with Ministries of Education (MoE) officials within the framework of educational policy tradeoffs and the development of national strategy documents (i.e., education policy documents, simulations models, education sector plans, action plans, etc.)
• Support the development of management and monitoring tools and the preparation of joint sector reviews or mid-term reviews

Assist in the development and implementation of training initiatives to support the professional development of education stakeholders, including officials in charge of education and training, in the areas of education planning and management

• Contribute to the design of new training courses and capacity development programmes in educational planning and management and related topics, including Early Childhood Education
• Support the development of training materials including readers, activities and assessments.
• Support the implementation/facilitation, monitoring and evaluation of training activities educational planning and management

Long Description

Contribute to the production and dissemination of knowledge on education sector planning, analysis and management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education sector reforms:

• Contribute to the development of methodological guides and tools on education planning, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and drafting of pieces of research on education analysis, planning, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Contribute to the update of IIEP’s website and interactive space for documentation and exchanges around education and training policies (digital bibliography, statistics, policy documents, etc.)

Assist in the management of IIEP’s technical cooperation portfolio

• Support project & related contract development and drafting, implementation, reporting and monitoring and evaluation

COMPETENCIES - Core (C)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in education, social sciences, international development, or related areas

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience in areas related to educational planning, of which preferably 1 year acquired at international level.
• Experience in the development of education sector analyses
• Experience in the development of education sector plans, including costed multi-operational plans and MEL framework
• Expertise in educational planning for the early childhood education sub-sector
• Experience in developing and implementing tailor-made training programs targeting professionals working in education administrations, in areas related to educational planning.
• Experience in evidence-based educational research, policy reviews or data analysis.

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Excellent analytical skills and knowledge and understanding of global education-related issues, in the context of the Sustainable Development Agenda, Our Common Agenda and other major multilateral frameworks.
• Ability to draft high-quality, clear and concise analyses, studies and reports.
• Ability to draft concept notes and project proposals.
• Excellent coordination, negotiation and presentation skills and ability to communicate effectively in a multicultural environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to maintain effective working relations within a multicultural environment and team.
• Demonstrated capacity to work under tight deadlines.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent level ( verbal and written) of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Expertise in education data management and analysis, including EMIS and assessment data.

LANGUAGES

• Working knowledge of French.
• Knowledge of another UNESCO official language.

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 67 723 USD.

Note: This description excludes application-process details and ATS metadata to focus on the role responsibilities, qualifications, and benefits.