Early Childhood Development Officer

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded over 90 years ago, the IRC is a leading humanitarian and development organization with presence in more than 40 countries. Across contexts, the IRC is committed to delivering innovative, high-impact programs tailored to the needs of communities affected by crisis.

The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting refugees, vulnerable host communities, and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Currently, the IRC in Uganda has a presence across five sub-regions and six refugee settlements, implementing programming in the sectors of health, protection and rule of law (PRoL), women’s protection and empowerment (WPE), economic recovery and development (ERD), and education. IRC Uganda also implements cross-cutting programming focused on systems strengthening and accountability to affected persons.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has received a $10 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to implement a three-year project titled ‘Kulea Watoto’ – meaning ‘nurturing children.’ Kulea Watoto is an initiative aimed at improving early childhood development and transforming livelihoods of refugees and host communities in Uganda by providing nurturing care and early childhood learning opportunities, and to build their own skills to generate income for their families. The project will use a unique two-generation approach to reach out to young children under five years of age and their caregivers in Yumbe, Kyegegwa and Kampala districts, implemented in partnership with four local partners – the AfriChild Centre, Madrasa Early Childhood Program, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre and Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE). To achieve this, the project will offer learning sessions for parents and caregivers on responsive caregiving and provision of early learning opportunities, improved links to children’s services in local communities, livelihoods training, and start-up funding for promising business ideas, and more.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) and caregiving is a core organizational priority at the IRC with links to Health, Education, Child Protection, and Nutrition as detailed by the Nurturing care framework. Through Kulea Watoto program, IRC and the partners seek to meaningfully implement an integrated program that will strengthen the ECD service provision in the target locations/settlements.

To support these efforts, IRC’s ECD Kulea Watoto team is looking for ECD Officer to enable ECD activity implementation at field level in Kyaka II refugee settlement and surrounding host community. The desired candidate will have strong experience in implementing ECD activities and working in the refugee settlement and understand well the importance of early childhood development and responsive caregiving.

The position will report to the Kulea Watoto Project Manager – ECD and with strong links to the Kulea Watoto project team and implementing partners, collaborating with the IRC Play Matters project team, especially for technical execution and integration of ECD and livelihoods services for excellent outcomes. This role will focus on technical aspects of ECD implementation involving training, content development, daily and weekly implementation of activities, documentation, reporting and routine monitoring and or follow-up of activity implementation.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical implementation of project activities:

• Lead on daily and weekly basis the implementation of set activities in line with the approved workplan.
• Lead the development of training materials in line with approved curriculum on ECD.
• Support parents and caregivers (HH or group level) to provide responsive caregiving and early learning to children under the age of 5 years old.
• Support the development of ECCD improvement plans with ECCD providers/caregivers [individuals] and volunteers.
• Support the provision of essential materials to parent groups and ECCD providers
• Lead the training of parents and or caregivers (at HH or group level) on responsive caregiving and early learning.
• Support the linkage of target clients (parents/household groups) to ECCD services.
• Support actions leading to ECD Infrastructure improvements to support learning outcomes at the ECD Centres/childcare spaces.
• Support the establishment of supervised care groups in collaboration with implementing partners.
• Lead the training and support management committees of ECD schools.
• Support actions by Community ECD Groups (clustered groups).
• Lead the process and activities of seed fund disbursement for ECD local projects and ECCD services.
• Training of ECD Center Management Committees.
• Develop play and supervised care groups at ECD Centers.
• Deliver play and supervised care groups at ECD Centers.

Coordination, representation, and partner/stakeholder relationships:

• Ensure close collaboration with the field-based team members (Play matters project staff, KRC project staff) and consistency in protocols, information, and reporting systems in line with ECD and livelihoods integration.
• Lead coordination efforts at each project location/zonal level by ensuring weekly and monthly coordination meetings between Kulea Watoto ECD assistants and KRC field project staff.
• Work with partner staff and collaborate with them in client identification and selection, and delivery of project activities including integration of ECD and livelihoods, refining of technical approaches and alignment to ensure achievement of desired outcomes.
• Make referrals to the appropriate actors where necessary.
• Maintain respectful and constructive relations with partner organizations, local authorities, and humanitarian actors.
• Attend zonal and sector working group coordination meetings at the settlement and sub counties of operation whenever required and providing detailed reports as required.

Monitoring, reporting and communication responsibilities

• Monitoring ECCD performance/progress and documenting best practices, lessons learned and success stories in line with the agreed templates and formats.
• Prepare weekly and monthly program reports, and compile lessons learnt to inform continuous project implementation.
• Collect relevant data during project implementation and provide regular reports.
• Monitor client payment processes at participating Money Transfer Agents’ locations,
• Participate in the collection of data, during assessments and post-distribution surveys as and when required including design of required tools by providing technical input.
• Participate in the verification exercise, research or MEAL whenever needed.

Other duties

• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable implementation of the IRC programs.
• Raise Purchase requests as and when required.
• Participate in regular team meetings and supervision sessions.
• Ensure that all materials are ready for info sessions before the activity
• Work constructively within the team and take the initiative on new tasks.Promptly report concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for the ERD program.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promote a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to perform in their positions successfully.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood development, Education, social sciences, development studies or related field.
• Post graduate Diploma in Project planning and Management is desirable.

Other additional Requirements:

• Possession of a valid riding permit and at least 3 years field experience in riding a motorbike.
• At least 3 years’ experience of implementing Early Childhood Development Programme in humanitarian and development contexts.

Personal qualities:

• Works well in the refugee contexts and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Demonstrate ability to engage and build excellent working relationships with local partner organizations, create synergies while implementing the project is vital.
• Excellent facilitation training and mentorship skills.
• Demonstrate ability to mentor and supervise teams and collaborate with community structures.
• Good computer proficiency and MS – word, power point, excel, teams, outlook and other online apps.
• Inter-personal and communication skills.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity in our organization. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request reasonable accommodation.

Professional Standards

IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

NB:This advert will close on 20^th November 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a Rolling Basis.