Education in Emergencies Specialist Plan Liberia, based in Monrovia, Liberia
Duration: 4 months assignment (with possible extension);
Start date end of August/early September 2011
Background: Ivory Coast is considered a state that is a fragile and tense peace with people especially civilians living in fear while others are seeking refuge in neighboring countries including Liberia.
Liberia’s Inter Agency Contingency Plan dated October 2010 assumes up to 30,000 people entering its territory from Danade, Man, Touleplay, Grabo and Tabou in the Ivory Coast should there be an outbreak of violence. It sets out the principle that given Liberia’s post-conflict transition status, it is crucial that any eventual emergency response is balanced with the needs of maintaining stability in the country and supporting the people of Liberia to continue rebuilding their lives. Liberia’s contingency plan places very heavy emphasis on the separation of armed elements. It also elaborates on the protection of children entering the country without being properly accompanied. ICRC is the overall lead in the support for the separated and unaccompanied children while UNICEF leads the Education Cluster and the Child Protection sub-cluster.
To date it is estimated about 75,000 children of school age have crossed into Liberia from the Ivory Coast. These children are idle with high possibility of these children being recruited by armed opposing factions to be used to perpetuate the prolongation of civil conflict in the Ivory Coast.
In an effort to provide routine and improve the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in the face of the emergency, Plan Liberia proposes to provide holistic education and child protection services for children and youth between 0 to 24 years in selected communities in Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties.
Plan Liberia is seeking a short term Consultant to manage and provide technical support to an education in emergencies project for refugees from Ivory Coast. The Consultant will provide oversight of the project’s implementation, provide technical support to ensure quality programming, will support project staff and partners and represent Plan Liberia at key coordination meetings. This Consultancy is for 4 months with the possibility of extension.
Key responsibilities:
1. Management: – Management of the implementation of the Education in Emergencies program for refugees from Ivory Coast in Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties. – Support project staff including Plan staff, Ministry of Education staff seconded to Plan, and partner NGOs and communities.
Representation:
Represent Plan Liberia at key coordination meetings in Nimba, Grand Gedeh Counties and Monrovia.
Capacity Strengthening:
Strengthen capacity of key project staff of partner NGOs, communities and others in Plan Liberia on education in emergencies (ie. EiE face to face training, regular mentoring)
Provide training and capacity building support to project personnel as appropriate, and development and delivery of trainings as appropriate.
Teacher Training:
Support in the development of a teacher training in emergency curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Education Cluster members.
Mentor Plan, partner NGOs, communities and Ministry of Education staff as they deliver teacher training.
Early Childhood Care and Development:
Work closely with the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Development Unit for Early Childhood Care and Development aspect of the program
Donors and reporting:
Support the development of donor proposals
Support the writing and submitting of donor reports
Monitoring:
Regularly monitor the program through field visits
Lessons Learned:
Gather lessons learned for the project and put together case studies on the Liberia program.
Other tasks as required
Key working relationships:
• The Consultant will report to the Manager – Disaster Risk Management. The Consultant will liaise with the Program Support Manager on Education programme related issues
• The Consultant will have regular contact with the Global Education in Emergencies Specialist based in Washington DC.
• Monrovia based Plan staff: Learning Advisor, Child Rights, Protection Advisor, Grants Manager and Media/Communications Coordinator
• Ministry of Education’s ECD Unit in Monrovia
• Nimba and Grand Gedeh based staff: Plan Liberia project staff, partner agency, Country Education Office
Requirements:
• Good knowledge of Ivorian Education system who can provide pedagogic and technical support to teachers in our refugees schools in Nimba and Grand Gedeh to ensure that what they are teaching is with high standards;
• Capacity to develop training curricula, train and advise teachers
• Coordinate pedagogic activities in schools
• Proven international experience managing education in emergencies projects
• Experience with teacher training
• Experience in developing curriculum in the areas of teacher training (of primary school teachers), non-formal education for youth, early childhood care and development (ECCD)
• Experience with coordination and/or the Education/Child Protection clusters
• Knowledge of the INEE Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies
• Experience with developing monitoring and evaluation systems
• Experience with grant writing and donor reporting
• Clear communication, presentation style as well as good interpersonal skills are essential.
• Excellent written and spoken English and French skills
• Willingness to travel to remote field location
Apply and Send Applications to: Waro.Recruitment@plan-international.org