Application Instructions:
Please email a CV, letter of interest and three references with contact information to [email protected] no later than Aug 19, 2017. Please write "District Focal Person-Dadu" in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and it will be done on rolling basis.
Note: Please do not re-apply if you have applied for the same position earlier.
Project Description
USAID is a development partner to the Government of Sindh and is currently supporting the Department of Education and Literacy with implementation of the Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP) in Dadu, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Sukkur districts and selected Karachi towns of Bin Qasim, Gaddap, Lyari, Kemari, and Orangi.The overarching goal of SBEP is “Increased and Sustained Student Enrollment in Primary, Middle and Secondary Schools in targeted geographical locations in Sindh”. The Sindh Reading Program (SRP) is a five-year initiative in the same geographic areas as the parent SBEP. SRP will support the SBEP goal based on lessons learned from USAID and the Government of Sindh’s legacy of early grade teaching and learning.
Over the life of project, SRP aims to:
- Improve teacher competencies for effective early grade reading and mathematics instruction
- Improve early grade reading and mathematics assessment practices
- Improve student access to supplementary reading and mathematics materials
- Enhance participation of parents and caregivers in support of early grade literacy and numeracy for out of school children.
SRP is expected to achieve an elaborate set of results including, but not limited to: 1) demonstrated literacy and improved reading skills at a functional level in over 400000 students in grades one and two; 2) enrollment of over 30,000 out of school children in non-formal education and literacy programs, and; 3) demonstrated improvement in reading instructions in, up to 15000, government teachers over the course of program’s life time starting from 2014 to 2018
SRP in its approach to improving teachers’ reading instructions is providing continuous on-the-job coaching support which also includes students’ performance monthly and annual assessments. This coaching support to teachers is set on the number of activities i.e. scripted lesson plans being delivered by teachers with the usage of supporting reading material – levelled Readers and Read Alouds - for children. Monthly ICT Tablet based monthly assessments are the integral part of this support to measure students’ performance over the time. DFP is expected to contribute in the effective implementation of lesson plans and following assessments’ activities undertaken with students and teachers.
I. Objective
This position of District Focal Person is for the Dadu district and DFP would be based in Dadu city at District Education Office. The District Focal Person (DFP) will be responsible for managing all technical and administrative dimensions of SRP activities at the district and local levels i.e. union council and local community (SMCs) and in schools/classrooms. She/ he will ensure that 1) SRP’s overall strategic approach is reflected in district-level activities, and 2) timely and quality implementation of work plans for the four SRP components is undertaken. The DFP is expected to engage and support SRP’s numerous external stakeholders and internal partners to enable successful implementation in the classrooms / schools leading to improved reading skills amongst students. The DFP will work closely with school cluster heads, lead teachers, and union council supervisors to build their capacity as instructional leaders and coaches within their respective union council clusters and schools setting.
Within the SRP team, the DFP will serve as a vital conduit of real-time information between the field and the technical leadership of the project that will guide strategic planning and decision-making. DFPs will directly report to an assigned Early Learning and Literacy Advisor (ELLAs), will consult and coordinate with the Lead ELLA- Karachi (Team Leader), and receive technical guidance from SRP component leaders and the M&E team to facilitate high quality implementation of education programming on a very large scale. The DFP is responsible to ensure that sub-contractor teams, field monitors, and other SRP personnel are supported in and able to undertake their roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. DFP will directly be supervising Academic Coordinators / Field Mentors and would be providing support Head Teachers and Grade 1 and Grade 2 teachers on the implementon of classroom based SRP interventions.
The DFP will work closely with District Education Officials (DEOs), Taluka Education Officers (TEOs), school cluster heads, and Lead Teachers (Head Teachers) to coordinate the trainings, mentoring, and capacity building of instructional leaders and coaches within their respective clusters and schools setting. She/he will help to establish and promote the functionality of various professional associations including SMCs, youth and volunteer groups, promoting gender-sensitive approaches in program activity design and implementation. The DFP will coordinate with government line departments, for example the Culture Department and local district administrators, to strengthen public libraries supported by SRP in targeted districts. The DFP will engage volunteer groups for promoting a culture of reading amongst parents and communities, and shall take efforts to connect reading spaces established in SRP-assisted schools with neighboring communities and public libraries.
The DFP will work within the formal education and non-formal education (NFE) systems and engage on a regular basis with education personnel from each system and in various education sites to provide support for implementation across four components’ activities by establishing close coordination with various teams in the field at district levels. DFP will provide support to SRP’s NFE partners as well on enrolling out-of-school children in coordination with district education officials and the USAID/Community Mobilization Program (CMP). The DFP will also help to ensure that opportunities for alignment and developing synergies between SRP and CMP/ and SRP and the Pakistan Reading Program (PRP) are identified and progressed. This task will help reduce transaction costs for stakeholders involved in the three programs, increase harmonization and contribute to sustainability of SRP (and CMP and PRP) benefits. The DFP will also establish contact and liaise with other relevant organizations and stakeholders undertaking education development in the target areas and will seek opportunities to learn from these and other activities in Pakistan and internationally.
The DFP will adhere to and act in accordance with the Chemonics professional code of ethics, ‘Living Our Values’, and will make the principles of the code a part of SRP’s culture and operating procedures.
II. Qualifications
- Minimum of a Masters’ degree in Education or Social Sciences.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a diverse and dispersed team of individuals and form cohesion and coherence around a common vision and implementation practices.
- At least 3-4 years of previous experience in the education sector in Sindh, particularly applied experience at the classroom and community levels.
- At least 5-8 years’ experience organizing field based activities across a wide geographic area.
- Successful track record of collaborating with government officials, including district, union council, and school education management personnel.
- Access to a network of stakeholders and the demonstrated ability to build networks and alliances with a range of stakeholders in districts.
- Certification in conflict/crisis sensitivity for education programming (including an understanding of the Do No Harm analytical approach to planning and implementation), or willingness to participate in training.
- Demonstrated understanding of social equity considerations, including integration of gender, disabilities, and socio-economic sensitivity, or willingness to participate in training.
- Demonstrated ability to act proactively to resolve issues and to identify and act on opportunities.
- Demonstrated excellent attention to detail and record-keeping.
- Proficiency (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in Sindhi, Urdu and English required with proficiency in other pertinent languages including Seraiki, Pashto and Balouchi strongly desired.
- Willingness to travel extensively within SRP working districts and geographically selected areas of Dadu.
Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affliliation, sexual orentation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors. Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.