Job Description

TITLE: Program Officer – Early Childhood Education (ECE)

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Education

LOCATION: Kismayo

GRADE: 4

CONTRACT LENGTH: 1 year with possibility of extension

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)

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:

The Program Officer-Early Childhood Education will be responsible for implementing the Early Childhood education interventions of the programme in collaboration with Programme team, stakeholders (Internal/external), partners under the guidance of the technical line manager. The Programme Officer will collaborate with programme assistants and other counterpart officers to ensure integrations and SCI program synergies.

The programme officer will oversee community structures on implementation and delivery to ensure effectively owned and managed programme support system and provide effective and regular professional support to the respective teams from different institutions within the programme targeted areas.

He/she will report on the progress of activities on weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to the line manager.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Jubaland Field Manager

Staff reporting to this post: N/A

Role Dimensions:

Save the Children operates across all zones in Somalia and currently has three main area offices and additional 11 field offices. Programmatically Somalia is a large Country Office with more than $110million annual budget and staff over 700 staff.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Operational Responsibilities

•       Prepare detailed action plans and ensure that Program is implemented in accordance with the work plans with the involvement of partners and concerned stakeholders at all levels

•       Liaise directly with community leaders, Ministry of Education officials and local authorities, as well as other agencies operating in targeted programme sites regularly to ensure coordination and effective implementation of activities

•       Work closely with targeted communities to solve and mediate any conflicts that may arise within the course of programme implementation.

•       Ensure timely procurement, development, distribution and utilization of respective programme supplies.

•       Identifying programme related training gaps, planning, implementation, ensuring quality of the training and write training reports.

•       Produce and implement monthly and quarterly plans in line with (Detailed implementation plan, procurement plans and phased budgets)

•       Assist the technical line manager in tracking project expenditures to ensure budgets are strictly adhered in line with SCI financial procedures

•       Provide field reports with regards to the programme implementation and challenges encountered to the respective line manager to ensure timely action is taken.

•       Support the collection and documentation of the needs, impact and success stories

•       Preparation of IEC materials in different accessible formats for accountability, visibility and communication, with the purpose of promoting and disseminating of messages

•       Support and ensure the implementation of cross cutting issues (Participation, gender, safeguarding, and disability inclusion) by identifying risks, concerns and mainstreaming to programme implementation.

•       Promote and advocate children’s rights, document and report child right gaps within the scope of the programme at community level

Technical & Thematic Responsibilities

•       The program officer will work with (DEOs), regional education officers (REO), other Ministry education Officials, ECE teachers, supervisors, caregivers and community Education committees to provide the relevant trainings (Teacher competencies, resource mobilization/management as well as sensitizations and coordination meetings)

•       Support in the Implementation of procedures and systems for teacher supervision, coaching, mentoring of ECE teachers and monitoring

•       Ensure that he or she has adequate understanding on Early Childhood Education, key government education policies and strategies, SCI Global Education strategy, international standards such as EiE minimum standards, SDG goals, Education for All goals and other working documents

•       Provide trainings on ECE Pedagogy skills, roles and responsibilities and other areas of interest to the ECE facilitators, Caregivers, supervisors and ministry of education officials.

•       Apply basic Key Child Protection, Child Rights Governance programming guidelines; Child protection Minimum Standards for Humanitarian setting, Case Management Guideline for Separated and unaccompanied Children, Child Friendly Space Guidelines, parenting without violence, Psychological First Aid and other guidelines recommended by the technical Manager.

•       Contribute and participate child focused outreach campaigns with duty bearers and key influential community leaders to upheld child rights realization environment including child participation, Policies and another guidelines development

REALM Responsibilities.

•       Facilitate and monitor implementation of community level activities

•       Ensure proper filling and documentation of relevant program documents.

•       Provide support to the REALM team to effectively implement thematic quality benchmark, IPTT, monitor ongoing programme activities and report progress

•       Work with REALM team in collecting information on needs assessment, baselines and post distribution monitoring ensuring the highest level of professional conduct by those collecting data to ensure data integrity.

•       Produce timely programme quarterly monitoring and supervision reports and ensure the documentation and dissemination to the concerned parties, using standards checklists, monitoring tools such as QBMs.

•       Support the line manager in addressing MEAL issues and update action plan trackers

•       Prepare field visit plans and supervision and use standard checklists in during the field trips

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.

•       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.

•       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.

•       develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.

•       willing to take disciplined risks.

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

Experiences and Qualifications

Qualifications

•       Bachelor’s degree/Diploma in education preferably Early Childhood Education.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

•       Minimum 2-3 years of Experience with an international NGO/UN/ Local NGO & Government in Somalia in implementing and coordinating humanitarian/development program activities Including Early Childhood Education

•       Excellent verbal and written communication and relationship building skills.

•       Experience in community mobilization/Education management/ teachers training/case management and relationship techniques,

•       Basic knowledge of project planning, implementation, and monitoring.

•       Good understanding in local language and culture practises.

•       Basic understanding of child right frameworks.

Desirable

•       Computer skills

•       Reporting skills

•       Education in emergency minimum standards

•       Knowledge on Early Childhood Education

•       Communication skills

•       Interpersonal skills

•       Psychological and first aid skills

•       Cash and voucher assistance

•       TOT skills

•       Humanitarian sphere standards and Core humanitarian standards (CHS)

•       SCI common approaches

•       Basic pedagogical skills on Early childhood Education

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.

Adult Safeguarding.

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy, all employees are also expected to carry out their duties in accordance with SCI protection from sexual exploitation abuse.

Health and Safety

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

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At SCI, we uphold the principle of equal rights and opportunities for all our employees. In our commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace and addressing gender gaps, we have implemented additional efforts aimed at supporting female qualified candidates: -

•       Maternity leave (6 months)

•       Annual Leave 30 working days

•       10% *gross salary. (female allowance)

1.5 flexible working hours for lactating mothers

Qualified persons with disabilities and qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Skills Required

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