Program Officer – Education 292 views0 applications

Responsibilities

Program Delivery and Implementation

• Lead project planning and implementation to ensure project outcome is delivered within the quality required by the program and set schedule, budgets and scope
• Provide a key co-ordination and leadership role, ensuring project management standards are followed and deadlines met
• Conduct regular performance review of the targets as set under our Volunteering for development and global results framework.
• Ensuring program identified risk are managed and SMT is well informed of such considerations
• Work closely with the Technical Advisor, to design and develop projects with sound project log frames and other project management products and ensure milestones are met and outcome and impact are achieved as planned
• Work closely with the Technical Advisor to support with business development and new project initiation plan, including identifying new potential areas of engagement, project outcome description, monitoring and Evaluation plan and tools
• Support the Technical Advisor in the development and delivery of the Signature Program through sound project implementation that ensure VSO’s core approaches are integrated in all education projects with a focus on Resilience, Social Inclusion and Gender and Social Accountability
• Closely work with the other project officers in the livelihoods and health sectors as appropriate, to ensure integration of activities contributing to community resilience

Partnership Management

• Responsible for the identification, establishment, development and maintenance of partnerships with project relevant stakeholders that are critical to execute the program effectively. This may include Regional and Federal Bureaus, CSOs and other implementing partners
• Build effective relationships with project partners and stakeholders, engaging them at each project stage, ensuring clear communications line with the appropriate content and tone
• Depending on the type and level of the partnership, draft and recommend the appropriate partnership agreement protocols, including an MoU, Grant agreement, and Contract Agreements, etc.
• Conduct partnership review meetings, workshops, and regular consultation meetings to strengthen partnership values and commitments, and to inform future planning including due consideration of sustainability
• Participate in international, regional and national forums for knowledge sharing and collaboration based on evidence emerging from project implementation.

Volunteer Management and Support

• Identify the program’s overall volunteer need including international, national and community volunteers under his/her portfolio
• Define the profile of each volunteer role and its technical input, and how it is incorporated within the program under his/her management through a robust Job Description
• Actively engage in volunteer recruitment process, particularly in candidate shortlisting and assessment for placement approval by closely working with resourcing team
• Provide technical support and advice to volunteers to identify and promote clear linkages between their work objectives and the program level objectives of the Education program
• Manage all volunteers under his/her program following VSO’s volunteer management guideline and using consultation/feedback received from partner institutions
• Ensuring value for money in volunteer mobilization and utilization with strong promotion of skill sharing and sustainability
• Maintain up to date record and documentation of visit outcomes and volunteer placement reviews in the system
• Provide the necessary information on time to VSO Ethiopia administrative staff to secure required operational/admin support to volunteers
• Ensuring commitments and agreements expressed with authorities and donors are met with regard to volunteer utilization

Reporting and Documentation

• Ensure quality project reporting through compilation and documentation of period reports showing progress and learning made in project delivery for both internal and external use
• Closely work with the Technical Advisor to capture key program implementation learnings into business development efforts of the team
• Compile appropriate information to inform sector Ministerial, Donor and other reporting requirements
• Work closely with the Technical Advisor on documentation of best practices for the purpose of knowledge generation and fundraising
• Participate in the Education community of practice to share learning and knowledge generated in the implementation of the education projects.

Budget Management

• The PO will be the budget holder for the project under his/her portfolio accountable for planning, implementing and monitoring of its budget
• Prepare annual, quarterly and monthly budget expenditure plans that are realistically aligned with program activities and targets; including a procurement plan to be shared with the operation team
• Work closely with the Finance team to ensure effective planning and utilisation of project budgets to achieve good value for money
• Ensure government and donor compliance requirements are fully met in relation to project financial expenditures, including the ChSA legal framework, and coordinate with finance team to its fulfilment
• Review monthly, quarterly and annual variance reports of projects under his/her portfolio and provide required justification and remedial action to all concerned

Job Requirements

Skill Qualification and Experience

Essential:

• Degree in Education Management, Social studies or similar field preferably with School level teaching experience at the start of career
• Minimum of five years’ work experience out of which at least three years shall be in INGO, donor environment, with excellent experience of designing and implementation of Education programmes
• Demonstrated program management and leadership experience beyond academic setting in Education interventions, Teacher Development programmes, School improvement programmes, girls education, etc., at regional and Federal level
•  Proven Knowledge and experience of Education quality improvement programmes with sound programmatic understanding of special needs education, pre-primary, primary education, its equity elements, including in emergency and pastoralist setting
• Proven experience in Project management which includes project designing, implementation, coordination, and evaluation, and project result and outcome reporting to donors.
•  Well informed of education policy and sector plans and its opportunities and challenges at Federal, Regional, and lower levels
• Proven experience in providing high level quality education technical support to Education actors including Regional Education Bureaus, Universities, and Colleges and Schools
•  Active participant in technical working groups and well informed of Education thematic areas including, but not limited to, special needs, education in emergency, and pre-primary education
• Very good understanding of the overall country’s Education Sector System functions and operation with good professional relationship with Government Federal and regional bureaus, Education sector development actors, academic institutions and other structures

Desired

•  Post Graduate Degree in Education Management or related field
• Experience of working in multi-cultural, international setting
•  Experience in successful business development and resource mobilisation
• Technical knowledge of M&E
• Programmatic understanding of VSO’s core approaches of Social Inclusion, Social Accountability and Resilience
• Significant level of understanding of the country context in VSOE target locations (more focus on emerging regions)