Education Specialist at Sightsavers Nigeria

Sightsavers is an international organisation that changes lives for the long term. We work in more than 30 countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and support people with visual impairments to live independently.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Education Specialist

Location: Kaduna, Nigeria
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
Contract: 2 years Fixed Term Contract
Reports to: Director of Programme Operations NCO with a functional line to the NCO Sightsavers Global Technical Lead Education Systems
Responsible for: Providing Technical support for the PLANE Window 1
Programme Job Holder: Vacant
Department: Operations, Planning and Finance
Specific Hours: 35 hour per week

About the Programme

PLANE Window 1 is a 7-year, £95m programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and represents one window of intervention in a broader package of investment intended to enable a more inclusive and effective basic education system in Nigeria.
It seeks to do this through improvements in teaching and learning with a focus on foundational skills; through unlocking governance bottlenecks for better education service delivery; through improvements in the regulation of the non-state sector and through embedding the use of data and evidence within the education system.
PLANE has four primary outputs:
- Teaching & learning: evidence-based teaching and learning approaches & materials in use, in better managed performance focused schools and teaching colleges.
- Governance of state systems: improved planning, personnel management and public financial management practices.
- Governance of non-state systems: improved management and performance of the non-state sector; and
- Use of evidence and communication: effective generation, communication and use of evidence to inform citizen engagement and improve service delivery.
PLANE will be implemented in 3 States(Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa) by a consortium of 10 partners led by DAI. Sightsavers is part of the consortium and responsible for providing technical assistance for disability inclusion across PLANE outputs and activities.

About the Role (Inclusive Education Specialist)

The Inclusive Education Specialist will work closely with the Sightsavers Global Technical Lead Education Systems to provide technical assistance on the PLANE Window 1 Programmeto ensure the PLANE Window 1 programme promotes an integrated approach to disability inclusion.
This includes the development and/or adaptation of approaches,interventions, tools and activities to ensure accessibility and participation of children with disabilities, lead implementation, support monitoring and evaluation, and ensure alignment between the delivery of the programme and the overall Sightsavers Education Strategy.
The Inclusive Education Specialist will work with the Programme Manager to ensure overall programme management.
The Education Specialist will also liaise with the Director of Programme Operations and provide technical support to the Programme Officers in the project implementation States.

This Resource will be required to Provide
Technical Support (70%):

Development and/or adaptation of approaches, interventions, tools and activities to ensure inclusion,accessibility and participation of children with disabilities within the PLANE programme.
Facilitate the formulation of technically sound education strategies/principles which ensure children have access to, stay in and complete primary school education in safe and inclusive environments.
Work closely and pro-actively with PLANE consortium partners who lead on the 4 programme output areas to ensure disability inclusion is embedded in all we do as outline in the PLANE GESI strategy.
Ensuring best practice is evidenced and implemented and that quality and effectiveness is demonstrated throughout the delivery of the Programme.
Ensuring education staff correctly use tools and through the strong analysis of project data, results, feedback and learning that the project is adapted and enhanced, to ensure project objectives are met.
Engaging closely with the States of Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa and Federal Ministry of Education, and other relevant actors in the education sector in Nigeria to ensure disability inclusion is understood and supported.
Providing hands-on support to the programme teams across all Programme implementation areas.
Building the technical skills of relevant programme Staff and beneficiaries,particularly in relation to developing high quality education project and programmes.
Contribute to consortium-wide efforts to promote GESI and support drafting of input for donor reporting as needed.
Supervise, liaise closely withand provide the necessary technical advice and support to education project Officers and the NCO Social Inclusion programme Manager in all matters pertaining to the effective management and implementation of activities within the program implementing area.
Provide thorough leadership and maintain strategic direction to the project on education-focused components, with a particular emphasis on ensuring project/programme objectives are met regarding improving access to quality education as expected bythe Donor.
Work closely with partners and technical teams to develop, review and update activity plans and flag key implementation issues.
Provide technical support to project and programme colleagues to ensure education project team have up-to-date and robust theories of change and reflect good practice, in line with trends in the wider education sector in Nigeria.
Stay up to date with key sectoral trends in inclusive education in Nigeria to ensure that the PLANE programme remains in line with best practices and innovative approaches are reflected, with a specific focus on Sightsavers’ SMILE project in Kaduna State, which is funded by FCDO.

Capacity Building (15%):

Provide technical support and/or capacity building on disability inclusion aspects to Programme staff to ensure effective approaches and good practices throughout the programme.
Organise and lead trainings, develop training and teaching and learning materials and provide on-going support throughout the programme to ensure good practice and project adaptations are fully cascaded to school-level staff and Government partners.
Building the technical skills of programme Staff, OPD and government partners and beneficiaries to develop high quality education programmes.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (10%):

Ensure that designs and re/designs take place to a high standard and quality following the MEL process.
Work with the PLANE programme’s MEL team to support agreement of indicators, data collection and analysis, and review of progress specifically as relates to disability inclusion. Advise as needed on use of disability disaggregated data within the programme.
Work with the Sightsavers MEL team to ensure that standard MEL tools are understood and utilised as appropriate, for Sightsavers led activities, in a timely and correct manner by the programme implementation team and programme beneficiaries.
Work with the Partners’ and Programme team to analyse information and data (e.g. project data, training reports, score-carding results, etc.) in order to identify core themes, key technical areas that need to be addressed, progress against the Theory of Change,as well as lessons learned.
Support production of donor and internal reports and learning pieces, where required.

Representation, Coordination and Communication (5%):

Participate in PLANE consortium technical coordination meetings and output-specific coordination and collaboration mechanisms.
Hold regular coordination meetings with programme teams, including the identifying ways to improve coordination and programme delivery.
Participate in inclusive education and education cluster coordination meetings at National level including those held/attended by the State/Federal Ministry of Education.

Knowledge (Education & Related Experience)
Education / Professional Background:

Experience or a Master’s Degree in Education or relevant discipline.
Significant experience of designing or providing technical advice to education programmes in Nigeria, ideally with a focus on disability inclusive education.
Experience supporting programme implementation, primarily through advising, coaching and influencing.
Experience of working in consortia, preferably in large-scale bilateral and multi-lateral donor funded education programmes.
Strong understanding of gender equality and social inclusion programming and meaningful engagement of key stakeholders including beneficiaries.
Knowledge of development challenges and contexts in Nigeria, particularly barriers to education, safeguarding and child protection.
Independent and self-driven with demonstrated experience working collaboratively and supportively without the need for close supervision

Skills:

Knowledge of the various donors’ strategic interests, priorities and requirements.
Proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications.
Excellent English oral and written communication skills.
Proven strategic relationship management skills, including negotiation skills.
Coaching, mentoring, training and facilitation skills.
High level of computer proficiency.
Experience working with people with disabilities and people from different cultures to embrace diversity and jointly deliver complex work tasks.
Good communication skills.

Core Behaviours:

Ability to maintain strategic vision and link with everyday work.
Clear and effective communication that builds relationship to influence others.
High degree of integrity.
Active listener.
Accountability and responsibility for own performance.
Promotes teamwork and cooperation.
Confident in taking initiative and exploring new opportunities.
Excellent people and interpersonal skills.
Ability to think and work proactively, creatively and strategically under pressure or when faced with competing demand.

General Accountability:

This role may bring the post holder in close collaboration with Children, Persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups during programme implementation, it is therefore important that the post holder fully understand sand commits tothe safeguarding policies of Sightsavers and the PLANE programme and the respective codes of conduct.
An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity for people with disability will be required of the Post holder.

Key Relationships (Internal):