Education Programme Coordinator Job at Save the Children

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Education Programme Coordinator

Job Location: Cross River
Job type: Full time

Description 

• Save the Children International Nigeria has been selected as Grant Agent for the GPE Accelerated funding to implement Refugee Education interventions over an 18-month period across states of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Cross-River and Taraba.
• As Grant Agent, we are strengthening collaboration with the government at Federal and States/LGA level and SC’s localization strategy in the development of a joint refugee/host community education programme to be implemented across the five refugees hosting states.
• The Education Programme Coordinator will provide operational and technical support to the project team under the leadership of the Programme Manager to implement all refugee and host communities’ education activities for the project. This includes, supporting in the development of the Detailed Implementation Plan, participating in stakeholders’ meetings, and contributing to narrative reporting in line with donor requirement.
• The job holder will also be working closely with stakeholders at the community, local government, and State level.
• Under the guidance of the Programme Manager and working closely with the project team members of implementing partners in Adamawa, Cross rivers, Taraba, Benue and Akwa Ibom States, the Education Programme Coordinator will ensure that the GPE funded project is implemented in a coordinated manner and in line with donor requirements, SCI standards, project agreement and commitments.
• The Education Programme Coordinator will be responsible for the Education component of the 5 refugees hosting states and ensure timely submission of regular narrative and financial reports.

Key Areas of Accountability
Project Coordination & Management:

• Oversees the coordination and implementation of the Education component for refugees and host communities across the five refugee hosting States in line with the design of the project, SCI standards and donor requirements.
• Ensure accurate project documentation, including collection of monitoring data and tracking of progress on output indicators; utilize data to contribute to reports as required.
• Facilitate relationships with refugees/host-communities and community leaders to ensure buy-in and Do No Harm
• Create and sustain positive working relationships with the implementing partners, government officials and other key stakeholders and work in collaboration with relevant education authorities to support the review of the relevant policies in the target states.
• Oversees the planning and coordinating of States and LGAs level engagement with education authorities and other key stakeholders including SCI Implementing partners,  NCFRMI, UNHCR and other education partners. 
• Monitor and ensure timely and quality reports are submitted as per the reporting requirements. SCI standards and donor guidance and templates.
• Working closely with the Programme Manager to ensure quality programme design, delivery, documentation and reporting of education activities in the respective States.

Operational Planning and implementation:

• In close coordination with Programme Manager, State Team Leads and Education Officers, provide support to ensure planning, implementation and monitoring project detail implementation plan, procurement plan, phased budget, MEAL Plan with documentation and reporting for all Education interventions in the five refugee hosting states.
• Oversee and provide technical solutions to speed up the implementation and budget performance of Education activities in line with the project plan and budget.
• Provision of regular operations and implementation updates to the Programme Manager on project progress and challenges to allow for timely interventions and corrective actions by management.
• Ensure the timely reviews and adjustments for the project operational and implementation plan and budget as may be required from time to time. 
• Effectively support the education projects staff and partners in developing weekly plans, in line with EIE best practices, and ensure compliance with the agreed work plans and that programme objectives and targets are being achieved in line with the funding proposal.
• Provide guidance to the Education Staff and partners through the planning processes to develop plans that are cost effective and in line with proposal.
• Maintain high standard of transparency and accountability during programme plan and expedite implementation while ensuring integrity and timeliness of project duration and meeting programme objectives, compliance with donors & Save the Children policies.
• Working closely with the programme Manager to ensure that partners are well guided, supported and their capacity built in community mobilization, advocacy and reporting.

Programme Technical Oversight and MEAL:
In liaison with Programme Manager, State Team Leads, Executive Directors of SCI implementing partner in Adamawa and Head of Education from PDQ to:

• Provide technical oversight, guidance and support to state project team and project stakeholders as per project design and donor agreement.
• Ensure that the project’s quality benchmarks (QBs) are implemented and monitored as per the programme design to meet the key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Prepare quality progress reports acceptable to the standards of SCI Nigeria and SC UK and meet the programme reporting KPI.
• Ensure the project is implemented as per project design and if necessary to change design, the Programme Manager, and relevant TA from PDQ should be taken into confidence and seek their inputs before project design change or operational modalities. 
• Support all the sector-based officers and MEAL Officer in MEAL aspects, which include assessments, baseline, and evaluation studies, putting in place a functional Activity Tracking Table.
• Collect and manage complaints and feedback in close coordination with MEAL team and state Team.
• 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 programmes/ projects monitoring, and evaluation systems are in place.
• Monitor programmes/ projects activities to ensure quality, timeliness, and adherence to both the donor and Save the Children policies and procedures. Effectively support in MEAL activities such as mapping exercises, surveys, needs assessments, baseline, midline and endline assessments and evaluation studies, and putting in place a functional activity tracking table.

Finance and Budget Management:

• Support in overseeing the budget performance to ensure that project implementation is on course as per the detailed implementation plan, procurement plan and phased budget. 
• Conduct project monitoring, suggest necessary revisions and prepare draft reports for corrective actions as it relates to education activities. 
• Support in the review of the budget variance analysis (BvA) is monitored and reported as per in time and with accurate information.

Internal and external engagements:

• Ensuring that the programme 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 (LGA, State and National).

Human Resources Management and Development:

• Working together with the Programme Manager to identify learning needs and develop specific plans to address the learning needs for education officers. 
• Coaching and mentoring the education officers through the provision of technical support and implementation of quality programmes.
• Participate in monthly/weekly project management meetings to enable adequate staff support.

Safeguarding:

• Ensure that  project delivery complies to the highest safeguarding standards in line with Save the Children’s policy 
• Work with the project safeguarding officer to ensure that all education activities have a safeguarding risk assessment and mitigation measure in place 
• Support the education officers to ensure that workers at learning centres under the project receive all the necessary training and comply to SCI safeguarding policies
• Ensure that appropriate safeguarding messages and orientation for all project participants is made available in learning centres
• Ensure safe programming in the planning, implementation, monitoring, training of teachers and construction/rehabilitation of classroom environment across the project period.
• Adhere to the Do no Harm principles across the entire steps within the Programme Management Cycle.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Social Sciences, Development Studies or any other related. 
• At least 5 years of experience in implementing education and/or integrated programmes and knowledge of any literacy and numeracy boost strategies that improves learners performance, including Teaching at The Right Level (TaRL), and teachers development towards improved quality of education.
• Knowledge on use of assessment tools such as ASER, is of added advantage.
• Experience of working within a Refugee or Conflict context is an added advantage.
• Ability to establish and maintain cordial 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.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Excellent time management and planning capacity.
• Experience of working on or supporting the implementation of ECDE interventions in refugee, humanitarian or development setting is an added advantage.
• Ability to coach, mentor and build the capacity of teachers in a refugee, humanitarian or development setting will be an added advantage.
• Experience of working with diverse group of stakeholders at the community, LG, State and National levels.
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
• Fluent English language skills (written and verbal) and Local language skills (Hausa, etc.).

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.