Monday, April 20, 2015

Reaching the finish line!









Waaahooo! I made it! My master’s journey has come to an end, what a ride! Over the past 20 months I have been working tirelessly to become a Master in early childhood studies. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy and more than once I questioned my abilities to continue, through it all I endured and now I can say that it was the best decision I have made. The opportunities this degree will afford me will be vast and almost limitless.

 I was the first one in my family to complete a college degree, and remain the first to earn a Master’s degree, I only wish my grandfather was here to see it. I know that he will be smiling down from heaven and I know he will be proud of me.
I don’t know what the road ahead holds for me, but I do know that I will take what I learned and apply it in whatever context I can. My passion and tenacity for supporting the professionalism of early childhood will serve me well. I will remain an eager and willing advocate for children and families. 

I want to thank the instructors at Walden for their hard work and excellence of programming and also my fellow classmates for keeping me motivated, your inspiration and dedication to the field is amazing. 

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!


Saturday, April 11, 2015

International Job Opportunities



Our final job search was to focus on international agencies that work with children and families. The first one I came across was on with UNICEF. For 60 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
The position the struck me most was within the Child Protective Services field.  The title of the open position is for a Senior Adviser (Social Welfare and Justice Systems), P-5, New York. The position requires the following skills, degrees and considerations:
Purpose of the Position
Under the general guidance of the Associate Director, Child Protection, the incumbent will:

a)   Develop, implement, manage and monitor strategies to strengthen child protection systems across contexts (including humanitarian), with the aim of improving protection results for children in line with Outcome 6 of the 2014-2017 Strategic Plan. While the understanding is still evolving, child protection systems encompass a number of elements ranging from legal and policy frameworks, provision of services to the provision of human and financial resources. Well-functioning and resourced systems support improved prevention, early detection and response to violence, exploitation and abuse. Specific areas of work include establishing financial benchmarks and costing, support to those without adequate parental care, children in contact with the law, children who are migrating and those who are trafficked, and those requiring birth registration.

b)  Actively disseminate successful efforts and work closely with partners, donors, regional and country offices, to improve systems across contexts (including humanitarian) and advocacy and technical support such that protection of children and families is institutionalized in key financing and coordination mechanisms for children at global and regional level.

c)  Provide policy guidance and technical support at organizational level, to Regional and Country Offices in the following specific areas birth registration, children without adequate parental care, children in contact with the law, children who are migrating, financing and costing, and information management and strengthening systems in humanitarian and transition contexts. All of these areas take place across contexts, including humanitarian.

d)  Support program and administrative coordination in key areas within the Child Protection Section, other sections in Program Division, and other divisions other key actors.

Key Expected Results
1. Program Policy Formulation
Based on the 2014-2017 Strategic Plan and 2008 Child Protection strategy, assist in the formulation, refinement, adaptation and articulation of global strategies and approaches as they relate to child protection systems across contexts including humanitarian. Specific emphasis on deepening the understanding of child protection systems and their results, developing networks with academics and policy makers, promotion of child protection systems and strengthening attention to child protection within the agendas of the international community.

End Result(s):
Solid understanding, based on evidence, of the impact of child protection systems on children established throughout the organization, and UNICEF positioned as a leader in this field.

2. Technical Assistance/Support to Program Implementation
Provide technical support, either directly or through staff members or consultants, to regional offices, country offices, Child protection officers, Social Protection, Justice, HIV/AIDS, Alternative Care and other related networks within and beyond UNICEF, as well as, RMTs and country offices for situation analysis, strategy formulation, project and program development, assessment of program recommendations and program evaluation.

End Result(s):
Strengthened capacity at country and regional levels to effectively operationalize the child protection systems aspect of the child protection strategy.

3. Global Partnerships and Advocacy
Strengthen collaboration with key partners of UNICEF at the global level, including U.N. agencies, the World Bank, regional International Financial Institutions (IFIs) (e.g. IDB, AfDB, ADB), HCCH, NGOs, academic and for profit institutions, and work towards increasing understanding and common action around CP concerns, particularly in the area of CP systems.  Provide information to relevant media, research groups and similar agencies and NGOs in areas covered by the team. Membership in steering committees of related child protection actors, and contribution to the section on its promotion and mainstreaming of child protection.

End Result(s):
Partnerships bring about a mutually reinforcing understanding of child protection objectives, evidenced through use of multiple agency resources; key partners are engaged proactively on issues related to protecting children, and these partnerships and resources are leveraged to achieve greater results for children.

4. Knowledge Acquisition
Promote partnerships and develop models for collection and analysis of information with regard to child protection systems and related protection outcomes for children. Use evidence-base for developing policy positions, strengthening networks and fostering action at national, regional and global levels.

End Result(s):
Solid foundation of evidence and tools on social welfare and justice, that can contribute to robust policy making

5. Leveraging Resources and Financial Management
Provide inputs for the development of project proposals and take other actions to leverage funds for the areas of responsibility. Manage effectively those funds under the direct responsibility of the cluster.

End Result(s):
Funds will be leveraged for the team as well as the section as a whole, with the funds in the social welfare and justice systems team managed effectively and efficiently.

6. Team Leadership and Supervision
Provide supervision to team staff members, ensuring progress against annual work plan, fostering professional growth and attainment of results. This includes participation in the preparation of program reports and other documents required by Management, the Executive Board, donors, etc. It also includes participation in overall UNICEF strategy directions and engaging the team on the same.

End Result(s):
An effective and efficient team, demonstrated through the realization of activities in line with AWP and timely accomplishment of section tasks.

7.  Co-ordination of Scale Up
Contribute to the overall efforts of CP section across teams to contribute to scaling up of CP approaches at country and regional levels, particularly in relation to child protection systems.

End Result(s):
Technical advice to senior management will result in heightened advocacy around the work of child protection systems.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate
- Advanced university degree in social sciences, preferably with some specialized training in development studies, education, social welfare, community development, anthropology, or international humanitarian law.  Knowledge of economics would be an asset.*

- At least ten years of relevant experience in programming and advisory roles relevant to Child Protection, with at least 10 years international experience in developing countries, with UNICEF or other international development agencies, or NGOs.  Background/familiarity with emergency and security.

- Fluency in English and another UN language.

*A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Competencies of Successful Candidate
- Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.
- Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
- Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget.
- Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.
- Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential.
- Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
- Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders.
- Identifies urgent and potentially risky decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates organization-wide activities.
- Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities.

Another position of interest internationally is with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The mission of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. We work with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. We measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment. We analyze and compare data to predict future trends. We set international standards on a wide range of things, from agriculture and tax to the safety of chemicals.
We also look at issues that directly affect everyone’s daily life, like how much people pay in taxes and social security, and how much leisure time they can take. We compare how different countries’ school systems are readying their young people for modern life, and how different countries’ pension systems will look after their citizens in old age.

Drawing on facts and real-life experience, we recommend policies designed to improve the quality of people's lives. We work with business, through the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, and with labor, through the Trade Union Advisory Committee. We have active contacts as well with other civil society organizations. The common thread of our work is a shared commitment to market economies backed by democratic institutions and focused on the wellbeing of all citizens. Along the way, we also set out to make life harder for the terrorists, tax dodgers, crooked businessmen and others whose actions undermine a fair and open society.
A position within the OECD that I might be qualified for is: The Thomas J. Alexander Fellowship Program will support individuals in conducting quantitative, evidence-based research on education, particularly in emerging economies, and in linking that research to education policy and practice.

Fellows will be selected among individuals working at research institutions, government agencies or professional organizations. Candidates with a doctoral degree, who are familiar with quantitative research methods and the use of large-scale surveys, and who have published work in scientific journals are encouraged to apply. Selected fellows will be invited to work at the OECD headquarters in Paris, typically for six months. In exceptional cases, proposals of outstanding originality and promise --which do not fully meet the criteria for a fellowship and residency in Paris-- may be considered for an innovation award.

Research proposals will be selected on the basis of their originality, potential and scientific rigor. All policy-relevant topics will be considered, particularly those focusing on equality of opportunity.

The program, named after the former director of the OECD’s Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs department, will provide funding for one year, including time spent at OECD headquarters in Paris. Fellows will be expected to produce a publishable research paper or report at the end of their fellowship. Fellows will work in close collaboration with OECD analysts.

Main responsibilities

Analysis and drafting
  • Analyze policy issues related to education. For example, conducting statistical analysis of large OECD data sets, such as those from PISA, TALIS and PIAAC, identifying relevant policy issues and designing appropriate statistical analyses to develop tools to assist countries in implementing their education policies.
  • In collaboration with other fellows, colleagues and external experts, draft and edit substantive papers, including synthetic reports, country case studies and analytical papers, where needed.
Collaboration and representation
  • Help organize seminars, conferences and workshops in collaboration with the OECD and partners. Represent the Thomas J. Alexander Fellowship Program in relevant international and national fora and deliver presentations and papers.

Candidate’s profile
Academic background
  • An advanced university degree in education, psychology, social sciences, economics or a related field.

Professional background
  • Proven experience in public policy analysis in an academic setting, an international or national agency or research institute.
  • Proven experience in organizing projects in research and/or policy contexts.
  • Contacts within the education policy community would be an advantage, as would experience with education systems or developments in OECD countries and/or emerging countries.

Tools
  • Sound knowledge of and proven experience in the application of statistical techniques involving large assessments of skills and large-scale survey data.
  • Experience using statistical analysis software such as M-plus, R, STATA, SPSS or SAS would be an asset.

Languages
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in one of the two official languages of the OECD (English or French) and a very good working knowledge of the other language.
Research proposal

The proposal should address an important policy topic in education from a novel perspective. It should place the work within the current policy debate and briefly describe the potential contribution this research will make to the field of education and to policy making.

Data and methods
  • The proposal should provide a strong rationale for the use of OECD datasets, such as PISA, TALIS, PIAAC or other elements of the OECD knowledge base, to meet the proposed research objectives. It should describe, in detail, the data that will be used to develop the research project, including which variables (for example, particular PISA variables or combinations of them) will be used to measure the concepts defined in the conceptual framework, and which sample(s) will be the focus of the analysis (e.g. groups used, exclusions to sample).
  • The proposal should describe the methods and statistical procedures that will be used to develop the research project. The proposed methods should be clearly linked to the conceptual framework and research question(s).

Resources
  • The proposal should outline the resources needed to achieve the proposed research goals and the proposed timeline.
  • The aims of the research proposal should be achievable within the proposed time and the resources sought.
  • The proposal should describe the length, reasons and expected benefits of carrying out part of the research project at OECD headquarters in Paris.

Duration

The duration of the fellowship is 1 year. The fellowship is non-renewable.

The final international job vacancy was with is with UNESCO, United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, I am not quite sure what position other than general service staff. I wasn’t able to find a specific position that I would fit into. General service staff positions require:

General Service Staff
The functions in the General Service category include administrative, secretarial and clerical support as well as specialized technical functions such as printing, security and buildings maintenance.
General Service staff are recruited locally in Headquarters or in Field Offices/Institutes.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for competent, dynamic and flexible persons , who are proactive and responsive. We are looking for people with strong personal integrity, who are fair, impartial and respectful of cultural diversity.
General Service staff work to support activities in the fields of:
  • education,
  • sciences,  
  • culture,
  • communication and information, and
  • administration and management (including  human resources, finance and accounting, IT, etc. )
Do you have the right profile?
Education: graduates of a secondary, technical or vocational school and, as the case may be, secretarial, business or commercial qualifications. In certain cases, equivalent experience may be retained.
Languages: Fluent English or French (the two working languages of UNESCO) and a good working knowledge of the other language.



Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian is an additional asset. (which actually I have no experience)
Previous experience:
Junior level (G1/G3)  - one to three years of  experience
Middle level (G4/G5) - three to seven years of experience; and 
Senior level (G6/G7) - Eight years and above experience
Values: Integrity, professionalism, respect for diversity and a strong commitment to the UNESCO mission.

References
OECD. www.oecd.org
UNICEF. www.unicef.org
UNESCO. www.unesco.org