Education Officer at Save the Children

Save the Children

Position: Education Officer

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: East Wolega Zone Guto Gida and Sibu Sire Woreda - Ethiopia

Posted date: 8 months ago

Deadline: Submition date is over

Child Safeguarding

Level IV - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Ethiopia and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – to transform their lives and the future we share.

Role

The education officer is responsible for the planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting of School Feeding Project for Children in Crisis Affected Communities in Ethiopia” (SFP-CCACE), GPE II which will create better access to, and quality education for the children in the target regions project in line with and agreed plan of action and budget, donor, SC and government policies, requirements and procedures. S/he is also responsible for stakeholder management, documentation, monitoring and reporting of the progress of the project activities in the assigned districts. S/he will also serve as the technical person concerning GPE II project at the field- office as roving to the target district which school feeding is implemented location, providing technical guidance and support as necessary including integrating the education project activities with other sectors such as WASH, child protection and school feeding activities. S/he will be responsible for documenting implementation lessons, best practices and innovations to inform the successful implementation of GPE project activities. support and monitor education officer at the district where school feeding is implemented, receive updates and report from officers and compile the update and report and update the project manager.

Background

Ethiopia is facing multiple emergencies threatening children’s survival, well-being, and participation. This usually results in Internally Displaced Children. Moreover, Ethiopia is hosting big number of the refugee population of which about 30% is children. The School Feeding Project for Children in Crisis Affected Communities in Ethiopia” (SFP-CCACE), will create better access to, and quality education for the children in the target regions

Some studies indicate that School Feeding has strong effects on access to education and can, when supported with other interventions, improve learning outcomes. School meals have a positive effect on enrolment (+8pp and +6pp for boys and girls respectively), attendance (+3pp and +0pp for boys and girls respectively) and dropout rates (-5pp and -6pp for boys and girls respectively). In this regard, the MOE 2020 Draft National School Feeding Policy objectives aims at:

• Enhancing children’s access to education, improving learning outcomes and internal efficiency of pre-primary and primary students;
• Reducing the gender disparity among boys and girl students;
• Increasing local farmers’ income and productivity and creating job opportunities for youth and women, by creating a link between school feeding and local agricultural production, and
• Establishing high-level leadership and an effective multi-sectoral coordination system for joint implementation of the school feeding program.

In relation to the draft policy, Children in Crisis Affected Communities in Ethiopia” (SFP-CCACE), GPE II aims at improving equitable access to quality, safe and inclusive pre-primary & primary education including students with disabilities (SWD), IDPs, and Host Communities in 3 targeted Woredas of in Oromia regions. Through the provision of school feeding and associated major activities such as delivery and organization of basic materials for school feeding, WASH & capacity building training, the project is planned to attain the outputs such as improving access and retention of pre and primary school children, especially girls, SwDs and IDPs; strengthening systems and capacity to improve the resilience of regional emergency response; and improving students achievements and other education quality issues. The project realizes these in partnership with MOE, REBs, WEOs, PTSAs, the community members and SCI.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning and Reporting:

• Prepare annual and quarter plans in line with the project design document and in collaboration with the woreda/zone education office and ensure timely submission of the project plan.
• Carry out close follow-up and monitoring, collect data, and prepare and submit project reports timely
• Ensure that project reports incorporate the impacts of school feeding on children’s enrolment, retention and overall academic performance
• Make sure that monitoring data is disaggregated by gender, IDPs, CWDs and host community children who participated in pre and primary education and benefitted from school feeding.
• Follow and support education officer at the implementing district.
• Collect weekly and monthly reports from the district education officer, compile them together, and report to the line manager.

Coordination and Management of project implementation

• Work closely and support education officers at the woreda level.
• Work in close collaboration and coordination with woreda education and zone education offices, school teachers, and PTAs in matters related to a safe return to school, student enrolment, school feeding, baseline assessment, project monitoring and evaluation
• Ensure that target children both boys and girls, CWDs and IDPs are equally participated in education services and school feeding program
• Strengthen inter-sectoral integration that education, Wash and school feeding activities are well integrated and implemented accordingly
• Responsible that the GPE project is implemented in ways responsive to children, teachers and the community
• Ensure project implementation is in accordance with Save the Children strategies, values and donor compliance
• Work with teachers, school principals and the WEO office to make target schools are child friendly and free from abuse and violence
• In close collaboration with the Project Manager and other support units (at the Field Office level) , WEO and other government stakeholders, facilitate on-time implementation of the project activities based on the action plan and ensure implementation quality
• Ensure active participation of children and other stakeholders in the project activities implementation

Supervision and Monitoring

• Supervise and support education officers in day-to-day implementation at the district level.
• In collaboration with the project manager and government stakeholders, maintain a strong supervision and monitoring system to measure achievement and progress toward the project objectives and expected outcomes and impacts
• Conduct joint monitoring and supervision with relevant stakeholders such as WEO to identify project progress, gaps and challenges and to take immediate and appropriate actions towards improving project implementation quality.
• Strengthen participatory and collaborative supervision and monitoring systems including active participation of children

Capacity Building

• Responsible to arrange and coordinate capacity building for relevant stakeholders such as teachers, WEO, PTAs and other community members on issues related to the safe learning environment, gender-sensitive approach, disability inclusion, child protection
• Arrange experience-sharing among schools and other stakeholders.
• Ensure that teachers have the required skills to deliver play-based interactive teaching, gender-sensitive and inclusive teaching and positive disciplining through training and coaching
• Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that WOE and parents are supported on distance/remote learning such as radio/TV and literacy and numeracy
• Perform any other activities based on line manager’s assignment

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling 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 himself/herself (and their team), takes responsibility for his/her own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares his/her personal vision for Save the Children engages and motivates others
• Future-orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, his/her team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, his/her 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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES:

• Minimum of Degree in Education and other social sciences
• Minimum of 4 years working experience preferable with NGOs especially in development and emergency education projects.
• Experience on school feeding programs is an advantage
• Team working and ability to work under pressure.
• Computer skills (Microsoft word and excel).
• Good communication skills – in English and local language.
• Good organisation and attention to detail
• Strong report writing skills
• Willingness and ability to work in hardship environment and meet tight deadlines.
• Cultural and gender sensitivity
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Visio), web conferencing applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Experience of coordinating activities across locations and with roving position
• Knowledge of child safeguarding and protection
• Knowledge of Afan Oromo language is mandatory

Date of issue: June 2023 Author/revised : Mekonnen Eshetu