ROLE PURPOSE:
To provide overall technical leadership in support for the education sector programming (Sponsorship and other education projects) in program design and implementation, as well as representation in education events and providing support to SMT in management decision making on education priorities.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Director of SPQI
Dotted line report to (Technical): Sponsorship Program Manager and Education Program Manager
Role Dimensions: The role is expected to foster relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including Company members, the Country Office Programme Development, Quality and Advocacy team, Education and Child Sponsorship program, NDB team, Regional Advisors, technical counterparts in other organisations, donors etc. The role is also expected to engage with internal technical working groups and communities of practice.
Primary Technical areas: Education
Primary Sub technical area: ECD, Basic Education, MTBMLE and inclusive education approaches
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
A. Technical Leadership:
1. Provide technical leadership for Education programming and advocacy for the Country Office, in particular in areas of early childhood education, basic education, MTBMLE and inclusive education approaches and any emerging education issues, for example education in emergencies.
2. Set the strategic approach in relation to the wider country strategy
3. Capacity build, mentor and build a supportive education community across the Country Office, in conjunction with other colleagues in Education and Child Sponsorship and other thematic sectors.
4. Actively engage with DSPQI, Sponsorship program TAs and Education Program Manager in shaping the education strategy, Child Sponsorship transition, ensuring the technical excellence as well as tracking CSP goals’ implementation and reporting.
B. Ensuring Programme Quality (Design & Implementation):
1. Work closely with new business development colleagues to identify and pursue funding opportunities that allow for both integration into broader programmes and standalone education projects; engage with technical partners, donors and colleagues across Company
2. Lead the technical scoping, planning, and design during new programme development, and ensure that we design and deliver high quality integrated/comprehensive education programmes for children with public education resources, building on global best practice. Ensure that gender, disability and resilience considerations are reflected in our programme design and implementation.
3. Work with Child Rights Governance colleagues to ensure that a rights based approach is reflected in our programme design and implementation (in line with our child rights programming approach), with a strong focus on child participation
4. Promote an Education Systems Strengthening approach as the overarching framework, that supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments and national bodies, local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability.
5. Provide oversight and guidance to the programme implementation teams to ensure that thematic programme components are technically sound, implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, acknowledged good practice (e.g. Company Common Approaches); and are likely to achieve scale, as well as equitable and sustainable results.
6. Promote and monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of education programmes at all levels.
7. Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) teams to carry out gender and power analysis, and conduct quality monitoring against international standards through participatory methodologies that promote gender equality and social justice (including child-friendly and gender sensitive/transformative methodologies).
8. Contribute towards the creation of an organisational learning culture that promotes the use of disaggregated data, evidence and analysis (including gender and power analysis) and understands its link to quality and accountable programming; Contribute to strengthening the use of equality-focused programme principles and good practice across themes and sectors.
9. Undertake field visits to project sites; work with implementation teams to understand impacts, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for learning and improvement.
10. Contribute to organisational learning on education ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the Country Office and our partners, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global education community in Company. Contribute to strengthening the use of education competencies within training and learning initiatives in the sector.
11. Support Humanitarian colleagues (as needed) to develop emergency preparedness plans, and conduct sectoral assessments (including gender analysis and disability situation analysis using SC assessment processes and tools) and to design and deliver emergency response and recovery programmes. Ensure synergies between cross-thematic humanitarian teams, data and programme design.
C. Networking & External Engagement:
1. In alignment with Country Office strategy and leadership, engage in strategic positioning with donors, partners and government in-country, and ensure that Company is a partner of choice in Education programming and advocacy.
2. Ensure that Company is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as education sector group (ESG) and other forum.
3. Represent the program to National and Local government representatives, donors, partner agencies, etc. as required.
4. Ensure the quality, clarity and consistency of technical components of internal and external reports (e.g. programme reports, sit-reps, internal updates), working closely with awards, programme implementation and communications colleagues as needed.
5. Leverage and liaise with technical colleagues from across Company, including technical working groups and centres of excellence, ensuring that learning from the Country Office is shared with others and global lessons brought back.
Specific Requirement: BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability
• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving results together with children and role modelling SCI values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
• Creates a managerial environment in-country to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding.
Ambition
• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for self and team, takes responsibility for own personal development and encourages team to do the same.
• Widely shares personal vision for Company, engages and motivates others.
• Future oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration