Program Coordinator – Education & Positive Parenting (Nairobi/Kiambu) at World Vision Kenya

Purpose of position

The holder of this position will provide technical leadership for the USAID Tumikia Mtoto project on Education and Positive Parenting, evidence-based curricula and approaches, ensuring multisector roll-out in schools and at community level. S/he will lead in capacity strengthening of project and Local Implementing Partners (LIPs) staff to increase OVC enrolment, retention and transition of OVC and Adolescent Girls & Young Women (AGYW) in Pre School, Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education and ensure Tumikia Mtoto improves Early Childhood Development (ECD) services for OVC and their families and ensure LIPs provide appropriate referrals linking to ECD services.

Major Responsibilities

Technical Support 50%

• Coordinate the implementation, and monitoring of all positive parenting project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with project quality principles, standards, donor requirements.
• Work with the LIPS, the Ministry of Education and School Management Committees to ensure all children of school going age are enrolled, retained and transitioned through the education system
• Build the capacity of teachers in HIV sensitive case management to ensure coordinated support for CALHIVs on their adherence, pyscho social wellbeing and viral load retention.
• Provide technical support and monitor capacity building and technical support activities to ensure effective impact.
• Lead in the roll out of Families Matter! Sinovuyo Teens, adapt consolidated positive parenting modules for the 0-8 OVC and promote gender-transformative, positive parent/child relationships (especially for OVC and adolescents)
• Lead in the identification, adaptation and roll out of the various positive parenting curricula for different ages, stages and special populations (e.g., CLHIV and ALHIV, AGYW and children 0-8 years).
• Collaborate with project technical staff to include parenting-related benchmarks into LIP and County sustainability plans and household case plans
• Develop evidence based and behavior centered positive parenting interventions tools and materials.
• Ensure quality and minimum safeguarding standards are implemented and respected in all education sites, ensuring that all who work with children have signed and understood the Child and adult safeguarding Policy
• Organize and facilitate training of trainers (TOTs) for partner staff on evidence-based parenting curricula that have been contextually adapted which may be introduced within family clubs or other platforms.
• Ensure that partner staff have the knowledge and skills to successfully deliver positive parenting curricula
• Identify and deploy tools to monitor behaviour change and household dynamics resulting from the new parenting approaches for benchmarking
• Participate in the project design process and implementation, including but not limited to needs assessment & strategic planning
• Coordinate with other key national stakeholders on parenting for ECD, ensuring that the project approach and activities build on and strengthen ongoing efforts.
• Promote engagement in positive parent/child relationships.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting 25%

• Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools.
• Work with the MEL team to ensure availability of data collection and reporting tools
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of all education and positive parenting project activities per the Detailed Implementation Plan.
• Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and assisting LIPs in their efforts to collect and analyze project data per specified mechanisms and tools.
• Collect information on technical assistance needs of LIPs in relation to positive parenting.
• Monitor and report any challenges and/or gaps identified to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules
• Ensure timely preparation of periodic reports and project documents in line with the donor regulations and World Vision standards.
• Coordinate dissemination of all project deliverables (technical assistance, technical reports, training curricula) in accordance with World Vision Kenya (WVK), USAID, PEPFAR and GOK requirements.
• Ensure documentation of best practices and innovations for donor engagement
• Assist with identifying information for case studies and reports on promising practices.
• Coordinate in the dissemination of best practices in Education and positive parenting and the implementation of approaches/models among the partners.
• Work closely with the project team to assign realistic targets and budget to LIPs for all required and customized indicators.
• Participate in monthly, quarterly and annual reviews with program teams, LIPs and stakeholders
• Assist local implementing partners (LIPs) in their efforts to reflect on project experiences

Advocacy, Partnerships, Engagement & Networking 20%

• Serve as the primary point person to engage the Ministry of Education in policy, buy-in, support to reach OVC and AGYW in schools and identify out of school children.
• Link with related WVK projects and other key national stakeholders on education & positive parenting ensuring that the project approach and activities build on and strengthen ongoing efforts.
• Represent the project in meetings at county and cluster levels, Technical Working Groups, and other events as requested, to support forging relations with the GOK, LIPs, other stakeholders, and the community.
• Map out stakeholders at the county, sub county, ward level and to leverage on what the project will be providing and create synergy informed by a clear referral pathway.
• Conduct County government engagements to influence budgeting

Other 5%

• Perform any other duty as may be assigned by supervisor or designee from time to time
• Participate and contribute in committees and task forces as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Needs Education, Social Sciences, Gender, Psychology, Public Health or a related field.
• A Master’s degree or a post graduate training in a relevant field is an added advantage
• Minimum 6 years’ professional field experience in parenting and early childhood stimulation programming in an HIV/OVC context.
• Experience working with local partners in promotion of positive parenting and education for OVC and AGYW.
• Expertise in programming for OVC, DREAMS, positive parenting interventions, early childhood stimulation, and/or HIV service delivery.
• Experience working with and/or managing USAID OVC & DREAMS projects.
• Excellent understanding of GOK structures and systems.
• Experience in partnership strengthening with a focus on vulnerable populations especially orphans and vulnerable children, adolescent girls and young women, and ECD
• Experience in working with partnerships, including the national government, county governments, civil society, donors and local community’s structures;
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills