TaRL Adviser at Save The Children

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: TaRL Adviser

Job ID: 210003SR
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Reports to: Education Sector Manager and Field Manager (Matrix Reporting).
Staff reporting to this post: None
Budget Responsibilities: Yes

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3 – The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose:

• The purpose of this role is to coordinate Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) activities within Save the Children International implementation areas in Nigeria.
• Under the guidance of the Education Sector Manager and the Field Manager, he/she will ensure communication within Save the Children International Nigeria, consortium partners, and related government institutions on TaRL activities.
• The post holder will provide technical assistance on designing a context-specific TaRL programme approach, focusing on learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy.
• The advisor will provide overall leadership and technical support in mentoring, monitoring, and documentation of lessons learnt, support for assessments, training of mentors and teachers, and knowledge management.
• He/she will be responsible for coordinating baseline, midline and endline assessments, response analysis, design, and capacity building of Save the Children International Staff, its implementing partners, and government line ministries.

Areas of Accountability
In collaboration with the Education Sector Manager, head of education, Field Managers, Programme Manager, Project Coordinators, Project Officers and States Government Quality Assurance Unit:

• Coordinate the implementation of the TaRL approach to remedial literacy and numeracy education.
• Provide targeted program design, technical support, materials development, adaptation and revisions, field testing, assessment and monitoring/evaluation support, and oversight to achieving Country Office EiE strategic objectives:
  • Support Save the Children Nigeria programme staff to integrate the TaRL approach in upcoming programs and projects, ensuring that they are aligned with the Save the Children education sector strategy 2021 and SCI Nigeria Country Strategy of 2020. This includes contextualizing education outcomes, theories of change, and selecting interventions based on best available evidence;
• Conduct and coordinate technical training based on pilot learning outcomes and ongoing improvement in TaRL implementation for country program staff, including on outcomes, theories of change, evidence and indicators;
• Responsive to staff and partners’ technical support, based on sound educational context gap analysis in literacy and numeracy
• Support selection of indicators for country programs based on available and emerging indicator testing;
• Review and develop facilitation materials together with Education Project staff and other partners implementing TaRL, such as UNICEF, Plan International, Street Child and TaRL Africa
• Review technical quality of proposals, including providing input on budgets required for project delivery, technical activities, ensuring alignment to SCI’s education and cross-sectoral outcomes;
• Help analyze data to inform periodic review and course correction to ensure that SCI’s programs are based on evidence and generating innovative approaches towards learning outcomes;
• Share TaRL cross-context learning with country program staff and with SCI Global EiE sector
• Teacher professional development (pre-service and in-service) on TaRL and learning outcomes

Coordination and Collaboration:

• Engage with government via outreach in support of literacy and numeracy remediation approaches, especially in relation to implementation, scale up and sustainability;
• Help define approach to teaming / partnering with other organizations;
• Present SCI’s research findings across contexts and relevant conferences;
• Support in documenting lessons learnt and best practices of the project
• With support from MEAL team design a monitoring tacking data collection tools to ensure monitoring and tracking of learning achievements of children as per project indicators.
• Ensure key data from assessments could be used as a baseline for program evaluation.  If additional baseline data is required to evaluate children’s learning outcomes, then work with appropriate colleagues to collect this additional information.
• Support in designing appropriate education interventions based on the outcomes of assessments and the context.  Inclusion of quality issues in education and learning outcomes is really important.
• Ensure that issues of learning achievements, gender, protection and conflict sensitivity education are factored into the program design.
• Provide regular updates to Education Sector Manager, Head of Education, Programme Managers and Field Managers, and the rest of the CO on innovative programme approaches adopted on education, track progress, priorities and constraints, as well as scale up with sustainability.

Finance and Budget Management:

• Support budget performance to ensure that projects are on course as per detailed implementation plans and phased budgets.
• In coordination with the Education Sector Manager, Project Manager Education and Field Manager, conduct project monitoring, suggest necessary revisions and prepare draft reports for corrective actions.
• Ensure that the budget variance analysis is monitored and reported on time and with accurate information.

Program / Project Narrative and Financial Reporting:

• Work in close collaboration with the Education Sector Manager, Project Manager of Education in the review, and guide project teams in preparation of timely and high quality progress and end of project narrative reports, in accordance with the donor reporting schedule and formats.
• Review financial reports of TaRL componenet, ensuring that donor guidelines have been followed and high standards met.
• The project deadlines met in reporting and keep a track record of reporting (Narrative and Financial).
• Organize and facilitate quarterly follow-ups and progress review meetings to address key performance issues from the TaRL Component of the reports.
• Review overall Budget Vs Actual expenditure analysis and variance explanations for TaRL component.

Internal and External Engagements:

• Ensure that Save the Children and the Education project are represented and given recognition at stakeholder meetings, workshops, donor, networks the EiE-WG and any other engagements.
• Develop and maintain regular channels of communication with partners and key stakeholders at all levels (Community, LGA and State).
• Participates and give update of the TaRL activities in EiE –WG meetings at the state level.

MEAL:

• Effectively manage project design and study processes which include assessments, baseline and evaluation studies, putting in place a functional Activity Tracking Table.
• Ensure that the projects quality benchmarks are followed up.
• Coordinate with project staff to ensure timely submission of MOV to MEAL for tracking of indictor progress on regular basics
• Collect and manage complaints and feedback in close coordination with CRM and MEAL teams for ECG project and Cuppy Foundation Project.
• Ensure regular monitoring of project results, documentation of projects case studies, lessons learnt, significant changes and best practices and coordinating learning and reflection meetings/sessions
• Ensure an effective programs/ projects monitoring and evaluation systems is in place.
• Monitor programs/ projects activities to ensure quality, timeliness and adherence to both Country Office and Save the Children policies and procedures.

Human Resources Management and Development:

• Work together with the Education Sector Manager, Field Manager and the HoE to identify learning and development needs of the project teams and develop specific plans to address the learning needs.
• Coach and mentor the Education team on the provision of technical support and implementation of TaRL activities
• Regularly provide feedback to team mate on their performance and support. in areas of difficulties
• Capacity building of Education team and master trainers through trainings, coaching, implementation as well as in learning and reflection events
• Participate in monthly/weekly project management meetings to enable adequate staff support

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future-oriented, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Provide timely responses concerning queries linked with relevant projects or programmes.
• Report to the head of Education;
• Provide support to SCI International Nigeria’s programme delivery and resource mobilization.
• Work with other members of the programme units to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency.

Academic Background ( Experience & Person Specifications)

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Education, Social Science, Social Work, Psychology, or related field
• Minimum of 5 years relevant working experience in TaRL or similar remedial learning outcome approach
• Experience working in emergency settings at least 2 years.
• Good knowledge and understanding of DO NO HARM principles and established international child protection standards (especially UNCRC)
• Experience with participatory approaches to education, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or other related area.
• Previous experience directly providing services to children at risk and victims of abuse, exploitation and violence

Desirable:

• Experience working with IDPs, refugees and other vulnerable populations
• Exposure of local context, culture and languages of Nigeria will be an assist.
• Understanding of the National and State Ministries of Education (MoEs) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) ways of working

Application Closing Date
11th June, 2021.