Education Officer School Clustering & Continuous Professional Development

Under the supervision of the Education Manager, the Education Officer will provide professional technical, operational and management support throughout the planning and implementation process of UNICEF Sindh Technical Assistance programme for Education Department of Government of Sindh. The post will support Component 3 Clustering Policy and Continuous Professional Development Implementation in the program, providing technical support to Education department on review and improvement in school clustering model, expanding the cluster policy implementation in terms of cluster based academic and administrative activities as well as development and implementation of continuous professional development model, involving relevant units/wings of education and local Government departments. The post will also be responsible for the work planning and supporting periodic annual and quarterly reviews of the programme.

The post will contribute to achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework

Support to program planning:

• Support the preparation, design and updating of the technical assistance plans in consultations with Government counter parts to ensure the plans are responsive to Government needs and are aligned to broader design of the program based on the current and comprehensive data and information available.
• Provide technical and operational support for annual and quarterly Technical Assistance program reviews by executing/administering a variety of technical, program, operational and administrative transactions, preparing related materials/documentations and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support results-based program planning.
• Contribute to the development and rollout of content-based learning cycle modules, training materials and training of teachers in collaboration with technical contractors, Government counterparts and development partners.
• Help supervisor set priorities, strategies and implementation plans of the programme. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance program management, efficiency and delivery.

Technical and operational support to program implementation:

• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts and other country and field office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices on education and related issues to support program implementation, operations and delivery of results.
• Conduct regular field visits and surveys and/or exchange information with partners/stakeholders at provincial levels to assess progress and provide technical support, take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.

Program management, monitoring and delivery of results :

• Work closely and collaboratively with Country and Field Office education staff, and other internal and external colleagues and partners in the province, to discuss operational and implementation issues related to continuous professional development, provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in related monitoring, reporting and evaluation exercises and reviews with other education staff and government counterparts to assess the current plans, and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of sector management.
• Monitor and report on the use of program resources (financial, administrative and other assets), in collaboration with other staff members, verify compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Support in preparing regular/mandated program/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of progress.

Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and other stakeholders, through active technical assistance in related meetings, record keeping, and sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate coordination in successful implementation of the continuous professional development model.
• Participate in related meetings/events to collaborate with partners/colleagues. Integrate and harmonize UNICEF position and strategies with the development and planning process as appropriate.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Contribute to identifying, capturing, synthesizing and sharing lessons learned for knowledge development and capacity development of stakeholders.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the development of sound plans, including implementation and progress of continuous professional development for teachers.
• Organize, implement and participate as resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of cluster based, supervisory, district and regional level officials in continuous professional development implementation, management and monitoring.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A University Degree in education, public policy, economics, sociology or other social science field is required.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required.
• Relevant experience in education and related areas, in school improvement, dealing with decentralized service delivery in education program/project development and management is an asset.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of supporting teachers’ professional development initiatives.
• Good ability to support development of relevant teaching and learning materials. Previous experience is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/571136