Birth Registration Officer at UNICEF Tanzania

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights and well-being of every child. UNICEF supports governments and communities to improve child survival, health, nutrition, education, protection, and social inclusion, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

In Tanzania, UNICEF supports the Government to strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems and ensure that every child has a legal identity. Since 2012, UNICEF has partnered with the Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA) to expand access to birth registration through the Simplified Birth Registration System (SBRS), contributing to an increase in birth registration coverage from 10% in 2013 to 68% in 2023. UNICEF is now supporting the rollout of a fully digital and integrated CRVS system through the e-RITA platform, while helping address registration backlogs and strengthen linkages between birth registration, education systems, and national identification processes.

The Birth Registration Officer will be based in Mwanza or Tanga, Tanzania and will support implementation of birth registration and digital identity initiatives at regional and district levels. The role focuses on technical assistance, coordination, monitoring, capacity building, and strengthening access to legal identity services for children and vulnerable populations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Programme Planning & Implementation

• Support planning and implementation of birth registration and CRVS programme activities in the assigned region.
• Contribute to implementation of UNICEF-supported child protection and legal identity initiatives.
• Support coordination of activities with government institutions and implementing partners.

2. Technical Support for Digital Registration Systems

• Provide technical support to Local Government Authorities (LGAs) for the rollout of the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (eCRVS) system.
• Support digitization of birth registration backlogs and development of archiving systems for paper-based records.
• Assist government counterparts in strengthening digital registration and identity management processes.

3. Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise regularly with RITA, the National Identification Authority (NIDA), education authorities, district administrations, and PMO-RALG representatives.
• Support efforts to ensure children aged 0–17 years obtain birth certificates and linked Jamii identification numbers.
• Represent UNICEF in coordination meetings with local government and key stakeholders.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Field Support

• Support development of monitoring and evaluation tools with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and gender.
• Conduct field visits to monitor implementation progress, identify bottlenecks, and provide technical guidance.
• Monitor implementation of school connectivity and registration initiatives.
• Support data collection, analysis, reporting, and documentation of programme results.

5. Knowledge Management & Communication

• Work closely with UNICEF Child Protection and Innovation teams to develop reports, case studies, blog articles, and knowledge products.
• Document lessons learned, innovative approaches, and good practices related to birth registration and digital identity systems.
• Contribute content highlighting programme achievements and field experiences.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in International development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science fields.

Experience

Minimum 7 years relevant experience, including:

• Social development planning and programme management
• Child protection programming
• Birth registration and civil registration systems
• Education or legal identity programmes
• Experience working with government institutions and local authorities
• Experience in both development and humanitarian settings is an asset
• Strong reporting, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and community-based environment

Languages

• English: Fluent (required)
• Swahili: Fluent (Desirable)

Duty Stations:

Mwanza

Tanga

Volunteer Living Allowance:

UN Volunteers serve full-time in their professional expertise, supported by a benefits package, including a monthly living allowance to ensure a secure standard of living at their duty stations. These allowances are not intended as compensation, reward, or salary for the volunteer's service.