Dr. Neven Knezevic

Experience

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  Victoria University

  Mar 2001 - Jul 2002

  Lecturer/Subject Coordinator

  Lecturer/Subject Coordinator (2001-2002): Department of Asian and International Studies, Department of Asian and International Studies. Subject, Southeast Asian Politics: Comparative Studies in political legitimacy in Southeast Asia. March-June 2002.Duties: Development of classroom and lecture curriculum, mentoring of students, formative evaluations and summative evaluations of university students.Part-time Subject Tutor/Lecturer: Indonesian Culture and Politics, March to June 2002Part-time Subject Tutor: European History, March to June 2001. Show less

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  World Bank Group

  Jan 2004 - Aug 2004

  Independent Consultant

  • Completed final evaluation report, (CEP) Community Empowerment and Local Governance Project in Timor Leste. • Assessment of rural community-based development and livelihood activities implemented through the CEP.• Responsibilities included field data collection, piloting national survey implemented at district levels.• Training project facilitators to implement the national survey at district level.• Coordinated with World Bank staff, Government officials and community groups. • Presented evaluation findings and follow-up recommendations for strengthening local community-based services to support post-conflict recovery and sustainable peace-building. Show less

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  UNHCR/WRITENET

  Jul 2004 - Feb 2005

  Independent Analyst and Policy Adviser

  Timor Leste: Background Paper on Human Rights, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers. • Authored IDP Risk Assessment report. Overview of human rights situation in East Timor and issues of risk post-2002 for vulnerable returnee communities regarding sphere standards. • Post-conflict/conflict assessment and ongoing reasons for political and social instability and potential for renewed conflict.• Assessment of IDP needs and conditions in IDP camps in reference to international standards and ongoing protection issues.• Identified of ongoing child protection issues of children separated from their families during the exodus of Timorese refugees from East Timor to West Timor in 1999. Show less

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  Saferworld

  Oct 2005 - Oct 2005

  Independent Consultant

  • Collated available resources on best practices for security sector reform in post-conflict and transitional societies.

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  UNDP

  Jan 2006 - Jul 2006

  • Led emergency and recovery needs evaluation for tsunami and post-conflict about international standards.• Principal author of final report for Access to Justice in Aceh for conflict-affected and tsunami-affected communities.• Led all aspects of field office set-up for research team.• Finalized logistical and security arrangements for UNDP staff while conducting field work in district and village sites.• Developed and finalized assessment frameworks and tools and providing training and quality assurance for the work of research team members.• Conducted interviews/FGDs with police, ex-GAM, conflict-affected groups including widows and youth of combatant families.• Financial oversight and approval of expenditures in the field during the assessment period.• Completed an analysis of the implications of the MoU on the justice system and priority areas of support to strengthen the peace building and recovery process.• Provided recommendations for justice system reforms to address post-conflict and tsunami related justice grievances to support consolidating the peace process and address recovery needs of disaster-affected communities. • Gathered data for United Nations Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery (UNSFIR) project final evaluation.• Implemented a public perceptions survey with relevant stakeholders.• Completed final report and recommendations for the project's closure. Show less

  • Team Leader, Access to Justice Assessment Team

    Dec 2005 - Jul 2006

  • Peace and Development Specialist

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2006
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  UNDP

  Nov 2006 - Jun 2007

  Conflict and Development Programme Specialist

  • Provided on-call technical support to Head of Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) Peace Section.• Developed operational framework for harmonizing post-conflict recovery donor assistance activities in Aceh.• Analyzed recovery needs and make recommendations for filling post-conflict recovery gaps and strengthening government institutional and management and service delivery capacities in Aceh (local government in key sectors of education, health, employment, training, and policing and community development initiatives). • Developed a preliminary proposal for a peacebuilding monitoring and evaluation system able to track the peacebuilding impacts of projects in Aceh.• Supported review and finalization of Disaster Risk Reduction Law for Indonesia.• Compiled resources for CPR Knowledge Management Section relating to post-conflict needs assessments and program development including transition from emergency/conflict to early recovery and development phases. Show less

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  Internews Indonesia

  Sept 2007 - Sept 2007

  Independent Consultant

  Prepared final draft summary report for two-year media development project implemented by Internews and local partners• Collated project monitoring and evaluation files as part of the assessment• Identified project impacts on training beneficiaries• Conducted impact assessment to verify projects achievements

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  UN Migration Agency (IOM)

  Sept 2007 - Apr 2008

  Reports and Evaluations Specialist

  • Provided technical direction and primary analysis for reintegration and recovery in Aceh (livelihoods, impacts of conflict/tsunami, community security concerns, community stabilization, youth needs for employment, education and training, psycho-social trauma, programming responses).• Directly supervised a Data Analyst/Specialist, National Consultant(s), Database Assistants, Data Entry and Information Clerks/Data Encoders • Provided recommendations on new strategic interventions to fill reintegration and recovery gaps identified by the study for: ex-combatants and ex-political prisoners, IDPs and returnees, Gender/Women, Youth, Disabled Groups, children of ex-combatants and other vulnerable groups.• Provided technical support for the design and implementation of baseline data collection for IOM ICRS clients and target villages. Show less

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  GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE INDONESIAN JUDICIARY PROJECT (GGIJ). EU-funded project

  Jan 2008 - May 2008

  Consultant, Training Support for Indonesian Judges

  • Monitored senior Indonesian Judiciary personnel from the Supreme Court of Indonesia in their delivery of training to Junior Judges.• Represented the European Commission and the GGIJ project at training sessions.• Provided training support and guidance to senior Supreme Court Judges with the training and mentoring methods for building the technical skills and capacities of junior judges in the Indonesian judiciary.

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  IOM - UN Migration

  Jun 2008 - Nov 2008

  Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and Senior Researcher

  • Prepared regular progress reports for the government, the donor, and IOM as scheduled by the Post Conflict Recovery Programme (PCRP) Project Manager with analysis of evidence of progress towards planned outputs and results.• Designed baseline surveys for ICRS client screening for unemployed youth project including assessment of learning needs, facilities, and employment opportunities.• Conducted rapid evaluation of Badan Reintegrasi Aceh Damai (Aceh Reintegration Agency) capacity development needs for monitoring and evaluation of reintegration and recovery activities.• Finalized grant agreement between World Bank and IOM for multi-stakeholder review of the Aceh peace process exploring issues of conflict recovering, disaster recovery, livelihood and education needs, institutonal capacity development to increase quality of local government service delivery of key public services.• Mobilized donor resources to support Multi-Stakeholder Review (MSR) logistical set-up and operational needs.• Recruited, trained and managed staff working in the Multi Stakeholder Review team components managed by IOM.• Coordinated with United Nations Office of Resident Coordinator (UNORC) on linking Provincial result-based matrix with BRA monitoring systems.• Provided policy advice to the provincial government on reintegration and recovery activities.• Principal author of IOM’s meta-analysis report with policy recommendations to the Government of Indonesia (GoI), provincial government, donors and other stakeholders for future reintegration of ex-combatants. Show less

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  UNICEF

  Dec 2008 - Mar 2013

  • Managed AusAID and USAID-funded education programme(total value USD 10 million).• Supervision and technical guidance for Mainstreaming HIV Prevention through education sector .• Supervised and guided consultants and UNICEF staff (international and national).• Led design of Strategic Planning and Annual Work Plan Development incorporating achievement of Minimum Service Standards.• Developed tools to support pro-poor budgeting systems of District Education Offices.• Led engagement with local universities to develop self-instruction teacher training modules for Early Grade and Multi Grades, literacy and numeracy kits, and mentoring support guideline.• Led development of principal and school supervisor leadership handbooks.• Developed and implemented multi-year work plans with provincial and district education offices• Conducted bi-annual programme steering committee meetings with partners and donors• Mobilized funding from USAID (USD 3 million) and drafted new funding proposal for AusAID for 4 years.• Officer in Charge (OIC) for the Papua field office for six months. • Alternate Area Security Coordinator for UN agencies.• Member of provincial education sector working group• Studies to inform policy including a teacher absenteeism (design and principal author), baseline and end line surveys, partnership mapping (design and oversight), and technical oversight for HIV KAP study, guidance for a Youth Study.• Led design of school level surveys for funding needs to achieve Minimum Service Standards (MSS).• Designed and oversaw student personal costs survey• Field monitoring to identify required programmatic adjustments.• Redesigned programme monitoring framework to adhere to principles of RBM • Annual progress reporting to donors and donor liaison• Coordinated procurement and distribution of supply items• Certification of cash transfers and payments• Financial utilization reports.• Led the development of programme communication and advocacy strategy Show less • Acting Chair for Social Services Working for the United Nations Development Partnership Framework (UNPDF/ previously known as UNDAF)• Acting representative for UNICEF participation in national Education Sector Working Group meetings• Regular liaison with government partners at district, provincial and national levels in the Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Bappenas (National Development and Planning Agency) and Bappeda (Regional Planning and Development Agencies) and Dinas (Government Service Agencies at District Level), Bupati (Elected District Heads) and DPRD (Local Legislative Councils)• Coordination with donor agency (European Union) and partner agencies such as the World Bank, AusAID, Asia Development Bank and USAID.• Advocated with senior government officials from executive and legislative branches of local government and government agencies, providing advice on policy formulation to influence education sector strategic plans.• Produced annual workplans with national, provincial and district governments.• Managed staff at national level and coordinated staff at zonal level • Supervised and provided technical guidance for consultants in the areas of: Education finance for Minimum Service Standards, strategic planning, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation and school/community level trainingAuthorization of all programme expenditures• Financial utilization reports completed for annual and semi-annual donor reporting.• Led the development of video documentation of programme results for advocacy• Produced a good practice bulletin.• Oversaw annual surveys designed to monitor progress on programme performance indicators.• Progress and annual reporting to the donor (EU) and all donor liaison as required between UNICEF, the EU/EC and government partners.• Responsible for developing TORs, recruitment, managing individual and institutional contracts, developing joint work plans and quality assurance of deliverables. Show less

  • Education and Adolescent Development Specialist, Head of Zonal Programme

    Dec 2010 - Mar 2013

  • Education Programme Manager

    Dec 2008 - Dec 2010
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  UNICEF

  Sept 2013 - now

  • Regional Focal Point for the roll-out of the global Generation Unlimited Partnership for adolescents and young people in Eastern and Southern Africa covering 21 countries.• Collate data related to adolescent and young people in Eastern and Southern Africa to support the regional roll-out of the global Generation Unlimited partnership across the region.• Design and implement country office survey to identify programming gaps and opportunities for the new adolescent and young people agenda.• Provide technical support to Country Offices regarding adolescent and young people programming, particularly in relation to education and girls.• Support development of Country Office Investment Cases for the Generation Unlimited global partnership across Eastern and Southern African (cross-sectoral funding package approximately USD 500 million over three years).• Design and implement country office survey to identify programming gaps and opportunities for the disability programming for children and adolescents in Eastern and Southern Africa.• Provide technical support as required by the Deputy Regional Director and Regional Director for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office.• Support emerging initiatives for the adolescent and young people agenda programming and partnership opportunities.• Contribute to development of new UNICEF engagement strategy with the African Union (generate evidence and contribute to writing of strategy document)• Provide cross-sector support to Regional Education Advisor in Development programming responses for young people's employability and empowerment via education• Support development of programme interventions for joint UN programming as part of Great Lakes Regional Strategy to support peace and development, Pillar 4 co-led between UNICEF and UNFPA. Show less • Led UNICEF high-level technical engagement with ministries with several awards given to UNICEF Somalia education programme. • 4-fold increase in numbers of children accessing education via UNICEF programme interventions.• Completion sector plans for Somalia and UNICEF positioning as technical co-lead in Social Pillar working groups of the National Development Plan.• Annual work planning, mid-year reviews and end-of-year reporting completed• Provided technical leadership and management guidance for Education in Emergency responses as part of UNICEF’s pre-famine response.• Led Education programme Country Programme Management Plan (CPMP) revision to support transition of Somalia programme into Mogadishu and realignment of programme structure to align with new CP strategy.• Programme Quality Assurance and Achievement of KPIs, with KPIs consistently achieved.• Resource mobilization and donor relations with major accomplishments achieved mobilizing additional humanitarian and development funding. • New resource mobilization strategy for education finalized.• Support office management, acting as OIC Deputy Representative on several occasions.Major accomplishments: • Completion of Education Sector Analyses and Sector Plans for the Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland.• UNICEF’s EiE response in Somalia achieved a 4-fold increase of children supported accounting for nearly 70% of all cluster results during 2017 pre-famine response (reaching close to 180,000 children) with innovations around emergency cash-based assistance taken to scale. • Led education programme to a 300% increase of results over previous years. • Led the education CPMP/PBR process in 2017 to support the office transition into Somalia, and completion of the education strategy for the new Country Programme.• Secured funding for education, secured GPE funding for Puntland, and finalized funding proposal of $35 million now funded by Germany. Show less • Supported capacity development activities with education ministry partners in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Somalia. • Led partnership engagement with national universities in Kenya and South Sudan to initiate research projects to inform education sector policies• Co-led Regional Office technical engagement in developing partnership with UNESCO/IIEP to integrate Conflict Sensitivity and Disaster Risk Reduction into Education Sector plans. • Represented UNICEF in global technical working groups • Managed a regional study on ‘Resilience through education in Arid and Semi-arid Lands’, a regional study on ‘Education sector management, governance, equity and conflict’• Designed and supervised cross-country case studies• Conceived and coordinated the development of an integrated online data management platform to support real-time survey data gathering for programme results (situational and programme monitoring)• Provided technical support and quality assurance for ‘conflict analyses’ conducted in Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and South Sudan to inform conflict-sensitive and risk informed programme design. • Contributed to UNICEF global policy briefs and research reports for education and resilience strengthening.• Developed regional advocacy and stakeholder engagement strategy for a global pilot programme on education and peacebuilding • Technical support provided to six countries to strengthen performance monitoring systems • Qualitative monitoring conducted via regular country missions outlining areas of improvement and recommendations for corrective action • Annual progress reporting, financial reporting, and annual PBEA funding proposal submissions for Regional Office. • Quality assurance and technical support provided to six Country Offices for annual donor reporting.• Developing TORs, recruitment, managing individual and institutional contracts, developing work plans, monitoring progress and ensuring adherence to quality standards Show less

  • Chief of Education, Nepal

    Jul 2023 - now

  • Education in Emergency Specialist, NY Headquarters

    Jul 2019 - Jul 2023

  • Senior Education Specialist, East Africa Regional Office

    Mar 2018 - Jun 2019

  • Chief of Education, Somalia

    Jun 2016 - Mar 2018

  • Education and Peacebuilding Specialst

    Sept 2013 - Jun 2016