Education Sector Lead

Job Title: Education Sector Lead (Leave Coverage)

LOCATION: Remote/Home based. Relocation to Myanmar Country Office, Yangon, will depend on security situation.

CONTRACT LENGTH: 6 months (13 September 2021 – 14 March 2022)

ROLE PURPOSE: The Education Sector Lead provides strategic leadership to Myanmar Country Education Programmes consisting of both Early Childhood Care and Development and Basic Education programs. The Sector Lead plays a lead role in setting strategic direction for the education sector, designing new programs and projects, and identifying and pursing strategic partnerships. S/he is responsible for ensuring program quality and donor accountability for a range of projects, and directly supervises Head of Education, advisors and technical specialists, other project directors, and implementation teams. S/he plays a senior representational and advocacy role with the Government of Myanmar, Donors, and key national and international stakeholders, and works on a regular basis with SC members and internal stakeholders to maximize program delivery. The Sector Lead also ensures that program learning, research and evaluation findings are channelled towards advocacy, continuous improvements, and new program design. During this period, the Education Sector Lead will need to provide particular attention to the launching of the Global Partnership for Education Accelerated Funding program (SCI and UNICEF are each Grant Agents), the national research for the situation of education in Myanmar, and the ongoing emergencies that will require leadership in adapting and ensuring the quality of our programming as the context continues to change.

 

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to : Program Director

Dimensions: The position will be responsible for strategic direction and oversight for the Education Programme in the Myanmar Country Office.

Staff directly reporting to this post : 4 direct reports: Head of Program – Education; Basic Education Advisor; Education in Emergencies Advisor; Research, Evidence, and Learning (REL) Manager

Staff indirectly reporting to this post: technical specialists within program teams

 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategic Direction, Program Design and Development

• Take lead role in formulating CO’s vision for long term programming in Education in Myanmar aligning with country strategic plans for 2021-2022.
• Introduce innovative ideas and approaches to support children’s education in Myanmar; Identify needs and opportunities for potential programs, through situation analyses/feasibility studies, networking, and leveraging research and evaluation findings from both internal and external sources. 
• Work with Save the Children staff to develop funding strategies and proposals to expand the Education portfolio in line with strategic priorities and technical best practice from a range of sources. This will involve continuously developing concepts and innovations and packaging them for a range of donors, both for proactive and reactive fundraising efforts.
• Continuously assess staffing patterns and competencies to ensure that right staff are in place to support sector needs and development
• Identify and pursue opportunities for synergistic, inter-sectoral programs to address the holistic needs of children, especially the most deprived. Ensure the integration of Early Childhood Care and Development across sectors and education program areas.

Programme Management:

• Direct line management and supervision of Head of Program – Education, Education Advisors, and REL manager, and ongoing support, guidance and leadership to managers and staff working on those programmes.
• Ensure that Save the Children complies with donor and SCI regulations on all projects, including submission of high quality and timely reports.
• Lead in the development of a planning cycle for the Education sector, including annual, quarterly and monthly planning and work plan follow up.
• Ensure that all programs have an effective Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) practices throughout the program cycle.
• Ensure effective financial oversight of project and thematic budgets, maintaining timely expenditure in line with agreed priorities and donor guidelines.
• Build the capacity of staff in programme management, technical excellence and policy analysis and influencing related to Education
• Build and nurture effective teamwork within education sector both at central and field levels and ensure a cohesive workplace environment for optimum staff retention.
• Supervise team and provide necessary guidance to ensure that program targets are met.

Programme Quality:

• Encourage and facilitate development and implementation of a Strategic Learning Agenda for Education sector for systematic and a coordinated approach to evidence generation and learning
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to develop and implement an effective MEAL framework for the Education programme, support programme implementation teams in developing and implementing project specific MEAL frameworks
• Oversee monitoring and accountability systems (i.e IPTT and FRM) provide information in the appropriate form and at the right time (in different levels) to allow for effective decision making and risk mitigation
• Ensure that interventions are evaluated using appropriate methods, including process and impact evaluations, and that evidence is rigorously maintained, documented and disseminated internally and externally, to contribute to improvements in programme quality and advocacy efforts.
• Identify internal and external capacity building opportunities and resources to provide high quality technical assistance to Education projects, supporting technical staff, partner agencies and others to build knowledge and technical competence.
• Integrate programme learning across the Education sector, ensuring coherence of technical approaches across programmes, identifying best practice, and ensuring inter-sectoral complementarity.
• Ensure that regular field based project review meetings take place and are attended by the relevant staff;   Ensure that monitoring systems provide information in the appropriate form and at the right time (in different levels) to allow for effective decision making
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure gender equity, child participation and beneficiary accountability in all Education programmes.
• Ensure that interventions are evaluated using appropriate methods, including process and impact evaluations, and that evidence is rigorously maintained, documented and disseminated internally and externally, to contribute to improvements in programme quality and advocacy efforts.
• Support teams to identify and carry out operational research related to education.
• Ensure that Save the Children’s regional and global experience is reflected in our Education program
• Share CO’s experience and organizational learning with COs as well as with relevant organizations over the globe

Policy and Advocacy:  

• Coordinate closely with the Policy, Research, and Evidence sector on policy and advocacy work relating to education
• Lead on policy and advocacy for the education sector, ensuring that education technical interventions are designed to inform relevant policy concerns. Develop policy briefs and position papers, ensuring the inclusion of technical input from the relevant project managers.
• Lead in networking and articulating Save the Children’s position, policy and strategy in national forums and meetings.  Engage in key debates related to national education sector policies and programs, in coordination with technical colleagues and other relevant staff.
• Identify appropriate strategic partnerships for joint advocacy initiatives on education issues

Human Resource Management and Development

• Provide leadership to ensure a team structure that fits for purpose.
• Establish, build and nurture effective teamwork within the sector and ensure a cohesive workplace environment for optimum staff retention.
• Supervise team and provide necessary guidance to ensure that program targets are met.
• Create opportunities for staff development in coordination with HR.

Representation and Networking:

• Identify partnerships/collaborations and build strong networks with other NGOs, CSOs, donors, UN agencies and academic institutions and the private sector working on education to collaborate on programs, joint learning, analysis and advocacy initiatives
• Ensure that the country office has effective representation on national, regional and international networks and fora related to education, and that we participate in conferences/meetings that will enhance our reputation and programming
• Actively participate in technical coordination meetings to ensure synergies with other agencies in our development work and emergency responses
• Maintain excellent relationships with donors, both in terms of strategic positioning and program delivery
• Ensure that CO has effective and appropriate representation on national, regional and international Education related forum and participates/contributes to conferences, workshops and meetings that will enhance our programs.
• Represent CO on the Regional and Global meetings on education, both internal and external.

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Responsibility to create and maintain a managerial and operational environment where the Child Safeguarding Policy is effectively implemented.
• Ensure that your staff is providing all beneficiaries of your programme with ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information in relevant languages about Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

EssentiaL :

• Master’s Degree in relevant field;
• At least 7 years of working experience in relevant field including at least 5 years in senior management position.
• Strong leadership abilities, including experience overseeing consortia and large projects.
• Excellent understanding of key issues and strategies in state of the art Education in Emergencies, Early Childhood Development and Basic Education programs, including formal and non-formal Education theories
• Excellent skills on process facilitation and coordination with high standard.    
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills
• Strong analytical capacity and proficient understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Good presentation skills including policy briefing
• Good supportive supervision skills,
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Desirable:

• Experience working in complex political crisis or conflict contexts
• Additional professional certificates: Certificate or diploma in Education.
• Advanced knowledge about the Education policy and context in Myanmar