Output 4 Lead - PLANE Nigeria at DAI

Project Background

• Nigeria PLANE is a 7 year, £95m programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and represents one window of intervention in a broader package of investment intended to enable a more inclusive and effective basic education system. It seeks to do this through improvements made in teaching and learning with a focus on foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
• It has four primary outputs: (i) Teaching & Learning: Evidence-based teaching and learning approaches & materials in use, in better managed performance focused schools and teaching colleges; (ii) Governance of state systems: Improved planning, personnel management and public financial management practices; (iii) Governance of non-state systems: Improved management and performance of the non-state sector; and (iv) Use of Evidence and Communication: Effective generation, communication and use of evidence to inform citizen engagement and improve service delivery. PLANE will work in Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa, the SouthWest, SouthEast, and the federal capital territory.

Dutiesandresponsibilities

• The Output 4 Lead will be responsible for the following functions:

Team Management Responsibilities:

• Manage the Output 4 Team and corresponding coordination with other Output teams, advisors, and senior management, ensuring delivery, technical and strategic guidance, overall team performance.
• Lead cross-output initiatives including the Output 4 Team Meetings, setting the agenda, sharing lessons, and ensuring actions are clear and followed up.
• Engage with team members and consortium partners to develop an annual workplan and budget for PLANE’s Output 4 component (M&E, research, communications, and advocacy), ensure workplan deliverables are completed as scheduled and within budget and undertake regular workplan reviews.

Programme M&E and Reporting:

• Manage PLANE’s MEL systems and procedures ensuring high quality data ensuring all MEL activities are coordinated across the programme’s consortium to track progress against PLANE’s progress KPI and logframe targets
• Undertake regular reviews of the programme’s logframe, Theory of Change and VfM framework and engage with FCDO on proposed logframe amendments and annual targets
• Take lead in conducting annual VfM and cost-benefit analyses for PLANE programme
• Engage with PLANE’s external evaluators over the course of PLANE and facilitate PLANE’s Annual Review process and ensure there are effective feedback loops and learning platforms that inform PLANE’s approach and intervention planning
• Manage the compilation of PLANE’s quarterly and annual reports as well as any additional reports required by PLANE’s senior management team and FCDO and quality assure content and present findings.
• Coordinate with W2 and W3 to develop and finetune portfolio TOC, logframe and VfM frameworks.
• Develop, analyse and develop Power Bi enabled digital dashboard for PLANE.
• Host MEL Working Group meetings for effective MEL and coordination of programme interventions.

Advocacy, Research and Communications:

• Refine and oversee implementation of PLANE’s Communication strategy.
• Ensure effective coordination within the team, consortium partners and stakeholders on all communications, research and results products in partnership with other PLANE team members.
• Manage the development, conceptualisation, quality assurance, amplification, and dissemination of knowledge products. This includes highlighting key achievements of the programme, success stories, lessons learned and positive impacts of the programme to inform policy makers and create public awareness of the programmes objectives and calls for education reform. Mange the implementation of PLANE’s advocacy campaigns and coordinate technical inputs.
• Advise and oversee that accurate, relevant, and timely updates are published on PLANE-owned platforms, including social media posts and keeping the PLANE and campaign websites up to date with real-time data.
• Support advocacy events and engagements to equip stakeholders to act in line with PLANE’s objectives and ensure PLANE visibility during partner-led events when appropriate to do so.
• Lead on PLANE communication engagement with FCDO Comms Unit, DAI, and relevant stakeholders.

Government Capacity Building

• Oversee the programme’s capacity building of state partner’s M&E procedures and processes.
• Oversee the programme’s capacity building of state partner’s communication strategies and representation initiatives.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A Master’s degree, preferably in international development, social sciences or general management.
• At least 10 years of experience in the development sector, preferably with FCDO-funded programmes (Essential)
• Proven expertise of managing MEL systems, frameworks and processes on large complex programmes including VfM, Theory of Change and Logframe change management (Essential)
• Proven experience of producing and disseminating research, communication, and knowledge products (Essential)
• Proved experience of producing project reports and an ability to develop well written, cohesive reports (Essential)
• Professional experience in Africa, particularly Nigeria.
• Experience of developing and managing annual workplans and budgets
• Experience of working with government and donor counterparts.
• Proven experience with relationship building and team building skills.