Education Program Specialist Consultant, USAID/DRC 161 views0 applications

Dexis Consulting Group is currently seeking an Education Program Specialist Consultant to support USAID/DRC’s education program in: education sector policy, primary school education, linguistics, girls’ education, teaching, curriculum reform, community empowerment, and working with local NGOs to support education. This is a one-year consultancy.

The incumbent will serve as the Education Program Specialist under the supervision of the Education Office Director, with reporting, communication, staff training, and other responsibilities. S/he will help to guide USAID/DRC’s participation and technical contributions to the education sector. S/he will coordinate a team of professionals in the development of sector approaches as required, including with other USAID offices. S/he will be an important internal resource to members of the Education Office, and ensuring the achievements of the portfolio are passionately and regularly shared and communicated widely. S/he will conduct outreach to local institutions and local NGOs alongside senior staff and will assist new project managers to complete project management duties.

Responsibilities

Project Management, Monitoring, and Reporting:

The incumbent will contribute to management priorities of USAID/DRC’s Education Team and program.

As appropriate, s/he may review and work with team members on implementation plans and monitoring. S/he may join regular partner meetings with the partner technical staff to learn about performance and provide feedback to the team. S/he may conduct regular field visits and document successes and any deficiencies observed. In addition s/he may strengthen collaboration with other donors working in the technical areas addressed by project(s). S/he will assist team members as needed for production of annual reports and internal reporting. At times, s/he will conduct analysis of technical reports and identify program implications and opportunities for consideration by the Education Team. S/he will also identify and produce program success stories and other means of outreach to wide audiences.

Working with the Education Team and implementing partners, the incumbent contributes to the development of monitoring plans and contributions to the CDCS process. The incumbent will reinforce opportunities for synergy among other offices to improve the quality of programs and achieve stronger results.

Advisory and Technical Services:

The Education Advisor will play a role in shaping USAID’s education program, leveraging the deep knowledge and expertise of existing staff and his/her own knowledge. S/he will prepare documents, financial management tools, and reports using Google or MS Office software (Word, EXCEL, and PowerPoint). S/he will gather, organize, interpret, and present actionable information for diverse audiences.

Working with local institutions and local NGOs:

The incumbent will communicate USAID’s goals to local NGOs, members of civil society organizations, and local institutions alongside the Director. When opportunities arise, s/he will work to build the organizational knowledge and skills of the aforementioned organizations so that they can better contribute to the development goals of the DRC. S/he will join office staff in sub-sector donor coordination groups, such as the Education Cluster.

Communication/Public Relations:

The incumbent will join senior team members at Office and U.S. Embassy events, conferences, and workshops. S/he will coordinate and arrange logistics for events such as VIP visits, internal workshops, etc. S/he will proactively identify the most pressing and relative education events occurring and prioritize these for the team, so that team members can influence dialogue. S/he will work alongside team members to identify key talking points and draft one-page policy memos. S/he will proactively produce creative communication tools and contributions for social media. S/he will plan and organize a limited number of public events.

Staff Development:

The incumbent will build the leadership and management capacity of team members, as needed, using new technologies and best practices. S/he will work with team members to identify training needs and grow our skills in areas of interest and including Google suite functions, leadership, English writing, and time management.

Deliverables will include:

• Weekly conversations and task prioritization meetings with the Director. Shifting to biweekly after 45 days.
• Monthly 1-2 page summative reports to the Education Office with achievements, recommendations, next steps. Shifting to bimonthly after 45 days.
• Site visits every quarter, time permitting, alongside new AOR/CORs.

Qualifications

1. This opportunity is available to American citizens and U.S. green card holders who have the right (work permit equivalent) to work in the DRC. Candidates must be resident in Kinshasa. Priority may be given to individuals who are associated with the U.S. Government community in Kinshasa.
2. Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, international development, and/or a related field is required. Master’s degree is an advantage
3. Prior Experience:
4. S/he should have at least three years of experience overseas and – preferably – five years experience in project management, development, or the formal or non-formal education sectors (preferably). This experience and knowledge is needed in order to effectively review and advise on USAID-funded projects and advise the Education Team and Team Leaders and Mission stakeholders. The incumbent will have at least three years of progressive responsibility at junior and middle levels in program/project management with a track record of key accomplishments in working with a range of partners. Experience may include program management and evaluation as well as organizational planning and analysis. The position requires a combination of managerial, technical, and analytical abilities combined with the ability to work effectively with a variety of resources, programs, and people. A “can do” and flexible attitude is required.
5. S/he should have knowledge of developing country education systems, including sub-Saharan and DRC examples preferably. Preferably, the s/he should have technical background in one of the following: education policy, primary school instruction, early childhood education, girls’ education, teaching, curriculum development, community development, NGO organizational capacity developments, and/or project management.
6. Language Proficiency: Must be fluent in English and have proven ability to communicate quickly, clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. S/he should ideally have an approximate FSI 2/2 or equivalent level in French and demonstrated willingness to improve their skills. S/he must be articulate and have strong report writing skills.
7. S/he must be free to travel (approximately two weeks per quarter) outside Kinshasa and be willing and able to adapt and perform effectively in challenging situations.
8. S/he must be able to operate with minimum supervision and show leadership in advising other team members regarding key issues, effective approaches, and appropriate strategies.
9. S/he should possess all the resources to work fully functionally both at-home and embedded in USAID. That includes WiFi, laptop, smart phone, etc. Office space will be available at USAID. Long-term entry to USAID will be arranged.
10. USAID cannot obtain work permits from the GDRC. As a result, s/he must already be granted the right to work in the DRC for the period of performance stated.