National Project Officer

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Description

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Through different initiatives, programmes and projects, UNESCO focuses on supporting national institutions, and stakeholders, primarily the Ministry of Education (MoE) of Jordan to transform and strengthen their education systems to be more resilient and responsive to crisis, evidence-based, gender responsive, and of good quality. 

Within this support, UNESCO is implementing a Technical Assistance (TA) programme “Transforming Technical Vocational Education and Training in Jordan” funded by Canada and designed to contribute to the TVET system in Jordan, to respond to labour market demands and address youth unemployment and gender disparities. The programme will therefore support the MoE’s TVET reforms in line with their Education Strategic Plan (2018-2025), including the Strategy for Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Education and the recent Vocational Education Reform Strategic Plan (2022-2027). The programme complements the Canadian Government’s sovereign loan to the Government of Jordan supporting TVET reform and titled “Increasing Education Access and Quality to vocational education through strengthening ED Tech and maintenance”. 

The TA programme will support MoE’s TVET reforms through three key areas; namely Strengthening key institutional and policy elements of the national skills ecosystem for a better enabling institutional and policy environment; Enhancing skills development in priority sectors for young women and men through innovation in TVET; and Improving the perception of TVET while advancing gender inclusivity and equity for all students to become a more attractive pathway for young girls and boys. 

Main duties and responsibilities:

Under the overall authority of the Head of the UNESCO Jordan  Office, the guidance of the Head of the Education Unit and the direct supervision of the Project Officer (TVET portfolio), the National Project Officer will be responsible for assisting in the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the Programme “Transforming Technical Vocational Education and Training in Jordan”. 

Specifically, the National Project Officer will be responsible for the following tasks:

Project Management Support:

• Provide support for the programmatic implementation and coordination of the Technical Assistance programme to support MoE Jordan in implementing TVET reforms. 
• Ensure quality assurance of deliverables related to the TA programme. 
• Provide technical inputs and advice on different programme areas and activities linked to TVET and skills development, for instance the development of career guidance and private sector engagement models, the undertaking of different studies, the implementation of capacity development sessions, enhancing female participation in TVET, and an awareness campaign on TVET, among others. 
• Facilitate the work of experts and the organization of different consultations and workshops with stakeholders related to the programme. 
• Work closely with the implementing partners/experts to ensure quality and timely deliverables and achievement of targets. 
• Contribute to monitoring, reporting and evaluation of activities related to the programme, in line with UNESCO and donor established guidelines and procedures. This includes  monitoring challenges and risks, mapping mitigation strategies to address them in a timely manner, fostering exchange of information and lessons learnt/ success stories within the team and with stakeholders, recommending new strategies and actions to improve implementation, and disseminating programme results to donor, partners, and within UNESCO. 
• Provide support and technical advice on planning and implementation of other interventions and activities related to the TVET portfolio and under the SDG umbrella. 
• Work effectively with Finance, Procurement and Administrative colleagues to support project and contract implementation, timeliness of deliverables and reporting.
• Support the Head of the Education Unit and the TVET Project Officer in the preparation of donor and internal UNESCO progress and final reports. 
• Build synergies with other projects and activities of other development partners in the sector.

Visibility and Communication :

• Support developing and disseminating visibility materials (print, audiovisual, digital, and social media, and promotional items) related to the TVET portfolio and promoting UNESCO’s work in the area of TVET, youth, and skills development, in close consultation with the Head of the Education Unit, Project, and Communication Officer. 
• Support implementation of all communication and visibility activities foreseen under the programme and/ or linked to the education unit activities. 

Technical and Administrative Support:

• Provide technical inputs and support to the Ministry’s efforts in reforming TVET as well as to other key national TVET stakeholders, such as the Technical Vocational Skills Development Commission (TVSDC), Ministry of Labor, the Vocational Training Commission (VTC), among others.
• Support the contextualization of international practices and resources for the Jordanian context and the documentation of and sharing of good practices. 
• Draft minutes of meetings, briefing documents, official correspondence, concept notes, presentations, and web articles in both English and Arabic. 
• Take part in UNESCO team meetings to share the latest developments related to the programme and the sector.  
• Translate and review documents from English into Arabic and vice versa, as requested. 

Partnership and Coordination:

• Support in establishing good communication channels and networks with government and non-governmental counterparts, as well as with other major development partners in the field of TVET and skills development (EU, GIZ, ILO, USAID, the World Bank, etc.), for UNESCO’s strategic interventions in TVET and skills development.
• Support in regular coordination and contact and dialogue between different stakeholders and partners and national stakeholders such as the MoE, MoL, TVSDC, etc., as well as development partners and civil society organisations.
• Participate in relevant coordination and working groups as requested (e.g. MoE TVET Thematic Groupetc.) to ensure that UNESCO’s interventions are well coordinated with relevant entities and to inform the team of the latest developments in the sector.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (equivalent to Masters in education, international development, skills development, or other social sciences or international development cooperation fields.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in the field of education, preferably in the field of Technical Vocational Education and skills development.

Skills and Competencies:

• Professional working experience in the education sector in Jordan, preferably in the field of TVET and skills development, and familiarity with the relevant institutions, agencies, and organizations in the field of international development cooperation and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG4.
• Sound understanding of results-based management, monitoring, and evaluation principles.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationship (both within and outside the Organization).
• Excellent coordination, organization, and prioritization skills, and ability to manage multiple and simultaneous tasks, and to deliver results within a specified timetable.
• Ability to manage sub-contracted implementing partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong team working skills and ability to take initiative and be proactive.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.

Languages :

• Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken) mandatory.

 Source:  https://careers.unesco.org/job/Amman-National-Project-Officer-(TVET)/791611002/

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