Project Officer - Education at Save The Children

Reference No.: 2100033O

Grade: 4   
Contract Length: 1 year
TEAM/PROGRAMME: ECW-MYRP
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Reports to: Project Coordinator Education
Staff reporting to this post: Community Mobilization Assistants of respective State
Budget Responsibilities: Yes

Child Saveguarding

• Level 3: The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• Save the Children with NRC/Street Child and UNICEF is implementing Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Seed funding project of Education Cannot Wait – Multi Year Resilience Project (ECW-MYRP) in the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States of North eastern Nigeria. ECW MYRP is an innovative model for education in emergencies programming.
• The MYRP Theory of Change focuses on conflict-sensitive interventions, that move communities from emergency to recovery and towards development. The funding for MYRP is ensured that out of school children (OOSC) in priority areas have flexible, responsive routes into learning opportunities, that support their transition into further levels of education and that support their holistic wellbeing and development. The MYRP in line with ECW priorities focusses on interventions targeting 3-18 years especially refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities.
• The Project Officer Education will be responsible for the day to day implementation of ECW-MYRP in the respective State in the northeast Nigeria. The Education Officer provides both operations and technical assistance relating to Education in Emergencies project. The job holder provides coordination and engagement with relevant Education stakeholders including; SUBEBs, Local education Authorities (LEAs), State Ministries of Education and other relevant State Ministries. The job holder will also be working closely with community leaders, religious leaders as well as community member.
• Under the guidance of the Project Manager Education and the Project Coordinator Education, he/she will ensure that ECW-MYRP is implemented in a coordinated, harmonized and aligned manner, in line with donor requirements and commitments. The Project Officer Education will be responsible for sharing the progress reports and updates on timely manner from the field.

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Implement delegated portfolio of ECW Project in line with proposals, strategies and donor requirements, and ensure high technical quality
• Ensure that procurement and distribution of materials and equipment is timely and in line with SCI policies and procedures; ensure accuracy of portfolio inventory (assets, supplies, materials)
• Contribute to assessments (baseline, needs, market)
• Ensure accurate project documentation, including collection of monitoring data and tracking of progress on output indicators; utilize data to contribute to reports as requested by management
• Facilitate relationships with communities and community leaders to ensure buy-in and Do No Harm
• Supervise and manage the teachers, including facilitation of teacher training
• Provide support on youth/adolescent programming, including, life skills, basic literacy / numeracy, and alternative/accelerated education
• Support identification of needs, and development and facilitation of training programmes for teachers, PTAs, SBMCs
• Facilitate recruitment of volunteer teachers and learning facilitators in the project
• Contribute to proposal and strategy development through input on needs/gaps
• Any other task relevant to the position as requested by the line manager

Operational Planning and Implementation:

• Work closely with Project Coordinator Education, to ensure planning of day to day implementation, update on spending, implementation, monitoring, documentation and reporting for ECW-MYRP.
• Ensure timely implementation and budget performance in line with the projects plans and budgets.
• Effectively support the teachers and partners in proper service delivery are in line with ECW Project design and Save the Children International planning guidelines and ensure compliance with the agreed work plans and that programme objectives and targets are being realized in line with the funding proposals.
• Ensure that ECW Project implementation are to the desired standards and on time.
• Maintain high standard of transparency and accountability in the course of programme implementation while ensuring integrity and timeliness of activities implementation in meeting programme objectives, compliance with donors & Save the Children policies.
• Provision of regular operations and implementation updates on project progress and challenges to allow for timely interventions and corrective actions by management.

Program and Financial Reporting:

• Contribute in the preparation of timely and high quality progress and end of projects narrative and financial reports which are in accordance to the donor reporting schedule and formats.
• participate quarterly follow ups and progress review meetings to address key performance issues from the reports.

Internal and External Engagements:

• Ensuring that the program experience is represented and given recognition at stakeholder meetings, workshops, donor, networks and any other engagements.
• Develop and maintain regular channels of communication with partners and key stakeholders at all levels (Community, LGEA and State).

MEAL:

• Effectively manage projects design and study processes which include assessments, baseline and evaluation studies, putting in place a functional Activity Tracking Table.
• Ensure that the projects quality bench marks are followed.
• Collecting and managing complaints and feedback in close coordination with MEAL team and Projects Officers.
• Ensure regular monitoring of projects results, documentation of projects case studies, lessons learnt, significant changes and best practices and coordinating learning and reflection meetings/sessions
• Ensure an effective programs/ projects monitoring and evaluation systems is in place.
• Monitor programs / projects activities to ensure quality, timeliness and adherence to both Country Office and international Save the Children policies and procedures.

Human Resources Management and Development:

• Working together with the Project Coordinator Education and Project Team to identify learning and development needs of the Community Mobilization Assistant and other staff and develop specific plans to address the learning needs.
• Support implementation of the Save the Children performance management system, by supporting, supervising and reviewing performance of the Community Mobilization Assistant.
• Coaching and mentoring the Community Mobilization Assistant on the provision of technical support and implementation of quality programmes.
• Capacity building of Community Mobilization Assistant through trainings, coaching, performance management, implementation as well as in learning and reflection events
• Setting and managing staffing targets, performance and priorities for Community Mobilization Assistant
• Participate in monthly/weekly project management meetings to enable adequate staff support

Technical Oversight:

• In liaison with Project Coordinator Education and Humanitarian leadership team provide guidance and support to projects team, partners and stakeholders.

Behaviours (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children 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.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Qualifications 

• Minimum of a Bachelors’ Degree in Education.
• Experience in implementation of integrated programmes across different thematic areas such as education, child protection, child rights governance or disaster risk reduction is a must.

Experience and Skills

Essential:

• At least 3 years of accrued working experience in program implementation with a minimum of 1 years in a management level position in an international NGO and those applying partnership approaches is desirable.
• Experience of working with local partners and Local Government and State Authorities in Education, Child Rights Governance, Health, Nutrition, Education, or Child Protection is an added advantage.
• Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
• Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
• Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must.
• Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Excellent time management and planning capacity.
• Fluent English language skills (written and verbal) and Local language skills (Hausa, Kanuri or Fulfulde etc.).
• Prior work experience in community mobilization and advocacy in Northeast Nigeria.

Additional Job Responsibilities:

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.