Senior Education Programme Specialist

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Director of IIEP and the Technical Cooperation Team lead, and under the direct supervision of the Policy, Planning and M&E (PPME) Cluster Lead, the incumbent contributes to the management and implementation of a variety of funded projects and activities that support the capacity of Ministries of Education to better plan and manage their education sector.

All IIEP’s technical experts provide direct technical support to governments on planning and management, while also contributing to research and analytical work, training programmes, and knowledge sharing activities. Candidates should have experience in managing large and complex programs and projects to support the planning and management capacity of ministries of education, including in crisis affected settings. More specifically, candidates should display proven expertise in the following areas:

1. Education Sector Analysis: Expertise in conducting and supporting various analyses for Education Sector Analysis including access, cost and financing, quality, system capacity management, and equity, including analysis related to gender, equity and refugees and internally displaced persons.
2. Education Sector Planning: Expertise in supporting evidence based, multi-stakeholder decision-making processes in Ministries of Education, using variety of planning and management tools and approaches (including, education sector plan, multiyear operation plan, Partnership Compact development, MEL framework, etc.).
3. Crisis sensitive planning and Education in Emergencies: Expertise in crisis sensitive planning including climate change, and experience and knowledge of planning mechanisms for education in emergencies and crisis-affected contexts.
4. Capacity Development for Education Sector Planning and Management: Expertise in design and management of integrated    programs (combining research, training, and technical support) to support the management and planning capacity of Ministries of Education at the national and subnational levels.

Long Description

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbents will lead technical cooperation and research and development activities and projects. In particular, the incumbents will:

• Lead country-facing projects to support governments in conducting education sector analyses and national and sub-national planning and management, and to deliver on expected results across these activities and ensuring appropriate quality assurance, planning, management, and accountability for their delivery.
• Support the PPME Cluster lead for the cluster management, quality assurance, cluster reporting and partnership, ensuring that programs and projects benefit from cutting innovation and technical advances in sector planning and management.
• Collaborate closely with the Data and Evidence cluster in the Technical Cooperation Team to implement innovative approaches in the analysis, planning, and management of the education sector.
• Work with the Training team to deliver a strong training offer in their area of technical expertise, including by engaging in direct instruction within IIEP’s training programs.
• Support regular consultation across IIEP’s Offices and with IIEP partners (Member States, Donors, external institutes, etc.) about IIEP’s country facing research, capacity development and technical cooperation activities.
• Contribute to IIEP’s specialized committees and ad-hoc workgroups to the benefit of IIEP strategic planning and programme implementation in their capacity as a member of middle management.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

•  Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of educational planning and management, education policy, education in emergency, international development, social sciences, economics or related fields, with a strong foundation in quantitative data analysis.

Work Experience

• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant experience in technical cooperation, in the analysis, diagnosis, planning and/or evaluation of education especially in crisis-affected settings.
• Experience in the Education Sector Analysis and Planning as a practitioner in supporting evidence based, multi-stakeholder decision-making processes in Ministries of Education, using variety of planning and management tools and approaches in an international organization, or national or international NGO.
• Experience in crisis-sensitive planning and education in emergencies (EiE), including development of Transitional Education Plan (TEP) to bridge the emergency response planning and mid-term/long-term planning. Strong knowledge of planning approaches and mechanisms in emergency settings. Conversant with EiE approach and landscape to help bridge the development and humanitarian nexus.
• Experience in design and management of capacity development programs to develop capacities for the management and planning of Ministries of Education at the national and subnational levels.
• Experience in leading and managing a team of experts and support staff with diverse backgrounds at national or international levels.

Long Description

Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrate knowledge of the issues surrounding education in the context of developing and crisis affected countries.
• Demonstrable knowledge of contemporary developments in the global education arena and of effective strategies for improving educational planning and management, including in crisis-affected contexts.
• Demonstrable knowledge of stakeholders and processes for planning and managing education in emergency settings.
• Proven competency and proficiency in quantitative and qualitative analytical work.
• Proven ability to design and implement training programmes and courses, including strong analytical and synthetic skills for preparation of training materials and policy briefs.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly on mission in complex environments.
• Ability to develop coalitions and partnerships with a wide range of relevant actors within and outside IIEP-UNESCO.
• Ability to think strategically and support IIEP’s leadership position in education planning and management.
• Ability to communicate with confidence and explain complex issues to senior audiences.
• Excellent IT skills, including knowledge of MS Office Suite and statistical software (e.g. STATA, R, SPSS).

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of French and English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Skills/Competencies

• Expertise in effective partnership with humanitarian stakeholders including UNHCR, Education Cannot Wait and UNICEF for improving educational planning and management, including in crisis-affected and low-income country contexts.

Languages

• Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish).