Programme Officer (HACT and Capacity Building), NO-B, Temporary Appointment (364 days), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (For Ethiopian Nationals only), Post #131653

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Background:

Ethiopia has faced severe challenges due to climatic shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing conflicts, particularly in the northern regions in Afar, Amhara, and Tigray. These crises have caused extensive damage to infrastructure, significant loss of life, and massive displacement, disrupting the lives of millions. The collapse of essential services has severely impacted the physical and psychological well-being of the population, particularly young people. These youths have experienced forced labour, recruitment into armed groups, violence, exploitation, trauma, displacement, and separation from their families. Young women and persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected due to prevailing social norms and limited access to education and economic opportunities. 2

The conflict in Northern Ethiopia has led to the destruction of infrastructure, disruption of production, and displacement of more than 4.5 million people, resulting in considerable social trauma and economic crisis. In response to these challenges, UNICEF and the Mastercard Foundation have partnered to co-design and implement the Biqu Wetat (ብቁ ወጣት) Programme. This initiative aims to help young people pursue and sustain opportunities in education, skills development, entrepreneurship, and employment. The program is driven by the belief that equipping young people with knowledge, positive attitudes, and relevant skills, including social-emotional, soft, and technical skills through mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), can enable them to rebuild social connectedness, become more resilient, and unlock their potential to create positive and sustainable change in their communities.

The program will be implemented in the conflict-affected regions of Afar, Amhara, and Tigray, targeting 50 economically disadvantaged woredas selected through an iterative prioritization process. The program will focus on youth prioritizing the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women, and persons with disabilities. Building on its human rights mandate and commitment to the "leave no one behind" principle (LNOB), the program will ensure that all youth in the affected areas have access to program-supported opportunities and can fulfil their basic needs and rights, regardless of their background, location, gender, or disability.

How can you make a difference? 

• Support risk and quality assurance, technical support, and capacity-building on the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) framework and relevant UNICEF operational policies, guidelines and procedures and mainstreaming of risk-management to partners and local actors working with UNICEF to implement the Biqu Wetat (ብቁ ወጣት) Programme in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected regions of Afar, Amhara and Tigray.
• Conduct the rollout of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) framework process and lead the development of plans to implement HACT assurance activities (programme monitoring, financial spot checks, scheduled/special audits) in the Biqu Wetat (ብቁ ወጣት) programme.
• Review partner programmes and reports for compliance with UNICEF programme priorities as outlined in workplans, operational requirements and quality assurance of project documents with particular attention to assurance requirements and risk mitigation.
• Work closely with UNICEF Programme and Operations teams, government partners, communities, civial society organizations and groups to conduct assessment of partners’ implementation capacities, quality assurance, financial and management systems to inform capacity development support.
• In collaboration with UNICEF Programme and Operations teams Government partners, communities, civial society organizations and groups, co-design quality interventions to enhance the operational capacities, risk and quality assurance, financial accountability and management systems of local grassroots actors, third-party service providers and groups led by and