Language Mapping Consultant at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International is a fast-growing, social impact company that specializes in the areas of education, economic growth, democratic transitions, and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this global development organization has a field presence is more than 25 countries and a strong client portfolio of that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. Since its founding in 1977 by four enterprising women, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. Creative Associates International has been working in Nigeria for more than a decade to support education programs in Nigeria.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and in close partnership with federal partners and select Nigeria States (designated as legacy [Bauchi and Sokoto], launching and technical assistance), the five-year Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) project will support sustainable improvements in reading outcomes for first and second grade pupils. The goal of LEARN is to strengthen and scale early grade reading (EGR) best practice by ensuring that standards-based, context-appropriate assessment, materials, training, and administrative supports needed to improve literacy skills for P1-2 pupils are embedded within the federal policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks, and state and local authorities have the implementation protocols, capacity, and resources to carry out and sustain standards-based, data-driven EGR reform. The project objective is to instill ownership in and build capacity of school-community, local, state, and federal systems to establish a base for adequate, consistent data-driven funding, monitoring and performance that increase the equity, inclusion, and wellbeing necessary to achieve sustained EGR gains. LEARN will therefore be building on lessons learned from prior Nigeria reading programs to introduce a flexible, cost- efficient EGR intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.

POSITION SUMMARY

The consultant will identify the mother tongue, or first languages (L1) spoken by pupils in the target communities to determine instructional methods and tools that are needed to address pupil needs whose first language is not Hausa or other network language of instruction (e.g., Igbo, Yoruba, or English). The study detail the procedures/requirement of approving a particular language as language of instruction within the Nigeria education system; and be able to use those requirements and do thorough eligibility analysis which will help the project, stakeholders and decision makers that will use the result of the language mapping to understand what it takes to have a language used for instruction within the Nigeria's multilingual setting; empower project, stakeholders and decision makers to understand the rationale and (or) politics of language of instruction; determine other languages that qualified (meet required criteria) to be used as language of instruction so that it inform further policy discussion/engagement to approved as language of instructional thereby increased number of languages used for instruction and by extension increases education access and inclusivity.
The consultant will use appropriate methodologies such as secondary census data, triangulated with primary data collection through a representative sample of communities to ascertain the degree of proficiency dominance of language that children have in each language they speak and understand. This activity will be held in LEARN’s launching state(s).

REPORTING & SUPERVISION

The Language Mapping Consultant reports to the Chief of Party.
Core and Supporting Questions

• Through the language mapping exercise, the consultant will seek to address the following questions.
• What predominant local languages are used in various communities in the selected states?
• What are the main determinants for a language to qualify as a language of instruction?
• What local languages are commonly used by children between 5 and 13 years of age in each of the selected communities?
• What other languages can be considered to meet the criteria of a language of instruction in the immediate environment?
•  What dialectical differences interfere with the standard form?
• Do these languages have written orthography and are they part of the nine network languages recognized by NERDC?

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct comprehensive literature review of language mapping exercises conducted prior to this assignment if any.
• Develop tools that will generate data necessary to respond to the above study questions.
• Map out communities in each of the selected states.
• Administer the tools developed to a representative sample of the communities mapped out.
•  Analyze and report the data to achieve the stated requirements.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Result/Deliverable (Total LOE -26 days (100%)

• Milestone plan and notional calendar prior to start of assessment 1day
• Inception report detailing the study framework: research questions, methodology, and instruments development, mapped-out communities 4 days
• Data collection 10 days
• Oral PowerPoint presentation upon completion of field work and delivery of annotated outline for report/Validation of the findings 3days
• Draft language mapping report 5 days
• Final language mapping report 3 days

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in languages or related field.
• First degree in languages/linguistics/stylistics.
• At least 3 years research experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Previous work experience in research methodologies.
• Evidence of experience conducting language mapping or language related exercises.
• Previous experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably Nigeria.
• Fluency in English Language.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Excellent capacity building skills, with demonstrated experience in effective training, coaching and facilitation.
• Good organization skills and ability to maintain and foster relationships with teams and stakeholders
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• Ability to work under short deadlines and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Attention to detail and the ability to function well in a team.