Budget Planning and Policy Reform Specialist at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International is a fast-growing, social impact company that specializes in the areas of education, economic growth, democratic transitions, and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this global development organization has a field presence is more than 25 countries and a strong client portfolio of that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. Since its founding in 1977 by four enterprising women, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. Creative Associates International has been working in Nigeria for more than a decade to support education programs in Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Budget Planning and Policy Reform Specialist

Job ID: 2022-2797
Location: Yola, Adamawa
Category: Education for Development

Program Description

• Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and in close partnership with federal partners and select Nigeria States (designated as legacy [Bauchi and Sokoto], launching and technical assistance), the five-year Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) project will support sustainable improvements in reading outcomes for first and second grade pupils.
• The goal of LEARN is to strengthen and scale early grade reading (EGR) best practice by ensuring that standards-based, context-appropriate assessment, materials, training, and administrative supports needed to improve literacy skills for P1-2 pupils are embedded within the federal policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks, and state and local authorities have the implementation protocols, capacity, and resources to carry out and sustain standards-based, data-driven EGR reform.
• The project objective is to instill ownership in and build capacity of school-community, local, state, and federal systems to establish a base for adequate, consistent data-driven funding, monitoring and performance that increase the equity, inclusion, and wellbeing necessary to achieve sustained EGR gains. LEARN will therefore be building on lessons learned from prior Nigeria reading programs to introduce a flexible, cost- efficient EGR intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.

Position Summary

• Work with state governments and other stakeholders to map and review existing education policy frameworks, especially focused on primary schooling access, instruction quality, and management.
• Support the development of a common web based EMIS using existing opensource software that can be customized by state and LGEAs to meet unique information needs. Provide ongoing technical support to ministries, departments, and agencies staff to review progress, troubleshoot problems, and support use of EMIS data.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Budget Planning and Policy Reform Specialist will report to Launching State Regional Advisor.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide support for interstate training for SMOE, SUBEB, and planners, analysts, and policymakers focused on gathering, analyzing, and using data from the EMIS, literacy assessments, evaluations, and research to make decisions and plan education improvement initiatives.
• Support planners and policymakers to use data for quality decision-making.
• Provide assistance in setting up systems to gather data for access to quality education at the state level. Facilitate a process with state governments and other stakeholders to map and review existing education policy frameworks, especially around systems, access, literacy instruction, and assessment.
• Work with FMOE, SMOEs, UBEC, NMEC, SUBEB, SAME, and MORA to provide support to sustain existing policy initiatives and facilitate the development and implementation of new policies, particularly in the areas of systems, access, literacy instruction, assessment, and accountability.
• Facilitate policy review meetings focused on literacy and access to track progress in implementing new policies, identify corrective actions to speed implementation, and develop tools to assess impact.
• Improve the capacity of government education officials to develop leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills to effectively implement policies and regulations about access and literacy.
• Provide coaching on various issues including data analysis and evidence-based decision making, monitoring, and staff mentoring.
• Support dissemination of new policies and opportunities for bottom-up feedback at all levels through state-level workshops involving government education officials, community meetings, paper publications, and ongoing media campaigns.

Qualifications
Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Undergraduate Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field preferred. Master’s Degree preferred.
• At least four years’ experience relevant to this position required, with at least two years in a leadership position responsible for developing budgets and financial frameworks, preferably in the field of education.
• At least one year of supervisory experience required if supervising staff.
• Demonstrated experience working with government agencies, actors, and stakeholders at the federal and state levels.
• Demonstrated expertise in federal and state system planning and budgeting.
• Demonstrated expertise in systems development and roll-out.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead workshops, trainings, and strategic planning sessions.
• Experience in developing and using monitoring and accountability systems.
• Knowledge in data management, analysis and report writing.
• Fluency in written and spoken English highly desired, advanced proficiency required.
• Proficiency in Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba fluency preferred.

Preferred Experience & Skills:

• Previous experience in similar role.
• Proven experience directly and indirectly supervising and managing staff and teams.
• Experience with a USAID-funded or other international organization implementing a program operating in insecure areas is desired.
• Strong ability to deploy and use various forms of tracking tools.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills are required.
• Excellent record keeping, and documentation skills are required.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.