Somalia: Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Director

About the role: This is a 12 month contract with opportunity to extend. It is a new role with accompanied terms based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to south-central Somalia and Somaliland with a salary of Grade 5 €40,403 - €44,892

You will report to the Country Director and will manage the GPE Finance and Compliance Advisor, GPE M&E Advisor.

You will liaise closely with the Dublin-based Desk Officer and technical advisors. Your closest collaboration will be focused on Ministry of Education staff and GPE partners, as well as working closely with other external stakeholders.

We would like you to start as soon as possible.

Your purpose: Concern Worldwide has recently been selected as one of the global partnership for education (GPE) grant agents in Somalia. GPE provides financial and technical support to developing country partners to facilitate the development, implementation and monitoring of Education Sector Plans (ESPs) and Transitional Education Plans (TEPs). It works through three different grants that have specific purposes at different stages of the education sector plan and policy cycle, and which are transferred to the country level through grant agents (GA). The role of the in country GA is operational, and to disburse the GPE transferred funds to the implementing partners, generally the government, and provide fiduciary oversight and technical support as appropriate to the context and in line with the specific purpose of the grant. It is expected that the forthcoming GPE period will be 3 years beginning in January 2018. However, the remaining months in 2017 will be critical for planning, preparation and developing the overall strategy.

Key elements of this position will include coordinating closely with the other selected GA, as well as with the government and the education sector committee (ESC) to ensure that Concern Worldwide facilitates inclusion of the Somalia education sector analysis and provides provide technical support and oversight to the development of the Education Sector Plan proposal in line with GPE’s 2016-2020 strategy, the Somalia National Development Plan, while keeping in mind broader education strategies.

You will be responsible for:

Strategic and Technical Management:

· Provide technical support to ensure the government’s proposal for GPE financing is technically strong, achievable and in line with the broader sector dialogue

· Communicate and update HQ level technical advisors and senior leadership, and ensure regular strategic reflection and accountability to Concern Worldwide’s strategic goals and policies

· Participate in country-led dialogue mechanisms for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating as a member of the local education group. This includes supporting the government in taking a leading role and in providing information on progress.

· Offers technical resources and expertise as agreed during the grant selection and grant proposal development and as relevant to the specific country context for effective implementation of the relevant grant.

· Ensure that all grant activities are fully aligned with broader sector dialogue, priorities, and contextual circumstances and shaped by ongoing collaboration throughout the grant cycle with the government and the development partners within the forum of the local education group.

· Grant and program designs are relevant and technically strong and are built on realistic assessments of what is achievable in the timeframe proposed and on a solid understanding of the capacity of partners involved

· Grant activities are fully aligned with broader sector dialogue, priorities, and contextual circumstances and shaped by ongoing collaboration throughout the grant cycle with the government and the development partners within the forum of the local education group.

Support the government to ensure that grant objectives and expected results, as well as implementation is in line with technical priorities identified in the GPE process

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E):

Provide education technical support to the M&E coordinator to ensure education best practice is incorporated into all monitoring and evaluation guidelines, frameworks and indicators

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

· Minimum of Master’s degree, in education, or development administration or a relevant social science.

· Proven experience (at least 8 years) in senior programme management and leadership positions working with national governments, INGOs, NGOs, CBOs, other civil society groups.

· Understanding of the GPE process

· Experience designing large scale education sector interventions, particularly in complex or post-conflict environments

· Proficiency in supporting education sector reform through working closely with the government

· Documented experience in developing curriculum

· Knowledge of and experience in early grade reading assessment (EGRA) programming and tools

· Familiarity in implementation of psycho-social interventions in the education sector for students, teachers and other key stakeholders

· Strong coordination skills, both internal across programming sectors and support teams, and externally with implementing partners.

· Experience of working in or, ideally managing, a consortium model of working.

· Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior representatives of donor, INGO and Government structures

· Willingness to travel regularly to Mogadishu

· Thorough understanding of gender, equality and protection issues.

· Excellent written and spoken English language skills.

· Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication and organisation skills.

Desirable:

· An understanding of accountability as applied within humanitarian and development programming; familiarity with the Core Humanitarian Standard and its application.

· Experience in supporting the GPE process

· An understanding of programme participant protection policies and international humanitarian standards.

· An understanding and knowledge on resilience and how it relates to climate change, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian assistance.

· Experience of working in Somalia.

All applications should be submitted via https://jobs.concern.net/jobs/international/vacancy/325/Relief%20Web/detail

CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length.