Accelerated Education Specialist at Norwegian Refugee Council

The purpose of the Accelerated Education (AE) Specialist is to provide leadership to support inter-agency efforts to develop a harmonised approach to AE in Kenya. Out of the more than 210,000 refugees of school age in camps in Kenya, 46 per cent are out of school and 47 per cent of those who are in school are overage.

There are also large unknown numbers of youth in communities who want to learn but who cannot enrol or for whom the formal education system is not a good fit. There are a number of actors providing AE opportunities in camps.

While the programmes have been entitled differently and, in some cases, the target group and relationship to the national system has varied, the overall aim has been similar in delivering condensed content within a shorter time frame in a safe space for over-age and out of school children and youth.

In May 2019 NRC co-hosted with UNHCR an AE workshop in Kenya in collaboration with the Accelerated Education Working Group (AEWG).

The workshop recommended the formation of a national technical working group (as a subsidiary of the Education Sector Working Group) to strengthen coordination among stakeholders, and take work forward around four key areas:

(1) Development of guidelines;

(2) Curriculum development and associated materials;

(3) Teacher training; and (4) AE management training.

The role of the AE Specialist is to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education (MoE), UNICEF, UNHCR and all education actors in Kenya towards a harmonised AE approach that is anchored in the national education system. This approach is intended to invest in the national education system, strengthening capacity in non-formal education in Kenya, for the benefit of refugee learners as well as Kenyan children and youth.

Additionally, the AE Specialist will provide technical support to NGOs AE programmes in Kenya in terms of technical development, strategic direction and quality assistance including mentoring, training and capacity building of staff on AE programme delivery.

Direct engagement with the AE programme will ensure that the Specialist’s national coordination role is grounded in field realities and also provides an opportunity to support direct implementation of emerging guidance and tools.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
• Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports
• Identify trends technical standards and donor priorities
• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within Education, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation
• Provide technical direction and project implementation support
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from Education implementation, and incorporate them in Education and staff development processes
• Provide systematic training and build capacity of technical staff
• Representation in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors
• Promote the rights of refugees/IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy
• Conduct a desk review/mapping and needs assessment related to current MoE policies and curriculums, with a particular focus on non-formal education provision in Kenya
• Co-chair the technical working group, with the Ministry of Education, and provide technical and material leadership and support related to AE
• Advocate to MoE, donors and other stakeholders for the expansion of AE programming in refugee hosting areas (and other non-formal education interventions as appropriate)
• Maintain comprehensive education data and information on AE programming in Kenya
• Support the MoE in collaboration with education partners and the AEWG with the development of AE guidelines, policies and curriculum development or other outputs as agreed by the WG
• Represent AE partners at relevant national, county and camp level coordination forums as appropriate
• Support the capacity building of MoE and other educations stakeholders on harmonised AE approaches
• Strengthen collaboration with global AEWG and regional learning through collaboration and coordination with other refugee hosting contexts in the region around AE
• Provide technical support and guidance to AE programme development and implementation in Kakuma and Dadaab

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/ recovery context
• Education expertise
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Valid driver’s license
• Bachelor Degree in Education or related field of study
• Relevant experience in education programming, specifically alternative education approaches for over age children and youth and AE specifically, including in emergency settings, especially protracted crisis is an advantage
• Experience and technical expertise in non-formal/alternative basic education approaches for disadvantaged children and youth, particularly AE
• Experience of leadership and coordination working with multiple stakeholders at sub national, national and international level
• Experience in information management of multiple stakeholders in complex settings
• Experience working with Ministries of Education at the national or sub-national levels, or other government counterparts
• Understanding of global/ international agreements/ commitments on refugee response/ education, for example, the Global Compact on Refugees and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework
• Understanding of the global perspective and related policies for out of school children and youth
• Familiar with the AEWG tools and guidance
• Understanding of key protection concerns in education and child safeguarding

Personal qualities

• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Influencing
• Initiate action and change
• Analysing

We can offer

Duty station: Nairobi

Contract period is for one year with possibility of extension.

Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s general directions, The candidate will observe NRC’s code of conduct and working hours for the NRC Office in Nairobi

Go to www.nrc.no to apply online.

Application deadline: 29/04/2020

*Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position*