Education officer – Alternative learning and Skills Development

Contract

This is a UNV National Expert contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Expert contracts.

The national volunteer will use his/her technical skills and experience in managing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting the progress of education programs/ projects, particularly in the areas of alternative education programming, skills development and adolescent girls’ education to help support the strengthening of the quality learning and skills development component of the UNICEF Zimbabwe country Programme.

The National Volunteer will be contributing to the following defined priority: By 2026, all children and adolescents, particularly the disadvantaged, and those under humanitarian emergencies, benefit from access to equitable quality learning opportunities in an efficient, effective, and resilient education system.

The volunteer will work closely with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary, NGO partners and donors to ensure that MoPSE priorities on alternative learning (especially for girls) and skills development are promoted, scaled up, best practices are documented for replication. The focus of alternative learning platforms and skills development is well established within Generation unlimited agenda and within the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Education Officer (Alternative learning and Skills Development) will facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete results in education, support research on out of school children to inform better programming for alternative learning, support government in the promotion of alternative learning, promote skills development for out of school adolescents especially girls and in fostering integration and linkages with child protection, nutrition, WASH and adolescent participation programmes to help achieve Results for Adolescents, one of UNICEFs five regional priorities for East and Southern Africa.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Chief of Education or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Education Officer (Alternative learning and Skills Development) will:

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: • Support to program development and planning • Program management, coordination, and delivery of results • Programme Delivery, Evaluation and Reporting • Networking and partnership building • Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Support to program development and planning for pre-primary, primary, secondary education and skills development • Support the planning and implementation of UNICEF assisted programmes by working with Government, partners to effectively implement programmes in the areas of equity and inclusion in education programming with a focus on improving access to quality learning and skills development especially for girls • Contribute to the preparation and updating of the situation analysis for the development, design, and management of education-related programmes/projects focusing on girls’ education and alternative learning pathways. • Support in the design of program interventions and component work planning around areas of girls’ education and alternative learning pathways • Research and report on out of school children in Zimbabwe to inform programming • Prepare technical reports on alternative education and adolescent skills development and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information Program management, coordination, and delivery of results • Research and report on development trends and data for use in program development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results for out of school children (especially girls) in Zimbabwe. This includes but is not limited to the following: (i) post-primary learning opportunities including secondary education, non-formal learning, and alternative learning pathways for out of school adolescents; (ii) adolescent and youth leadership and civic participation and (iii) equality and the inclusion of vulnerable adolescents within education interventions (adolescents with disabilities, street children, orphans and adolescents that have come into contact with the law). • Submit/prepare proposals, program/project reports to donors and other partners to raise resources for alternative education and skills development, especially for girls’ education and keep donors informed on program progress and critical issues. • Identify training needs for the purpose of capacity building and sustainability of programme/projects.

Programme Delivery, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting • Undertake field visits to monitor programmes, as well as conduct periodic programme reviews with Government and partners. • Propose and/or undertake action on operational procedures affecting project implementation and management. • Support program reviews and annual reviews with government, other UN agencies and other national stakeholders to assess programs/projects in order to ensure alignment of project objectives to national, regional and global priorities relating to girls’ education and skills development • Contribute to the preparation and update of programme knowledge management documents and key sector analysis for girls’ education and adolescent skills development components.

Networking and partnership building • Proactively build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, donors, and academia through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on education programmes. • Participate in internal pillar coordination and planning meetings relating to adolescent girls, inter-agency UN meetings and major youth sector events to increase opportunities for sharing of learning and joint programming for girls and skills development.

• Professionalism: • Integrity: • Teamwork and respect for diversity: • Commitment to continuous learning: • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Education, Psychology, Sociology, or another relevant technical field. • A minimum of two years of professional experience in programme planning, management, and/or research in education is required. • Demonstrated knowledge of development programming, ideally in education sector is required, • Experience in adolescent girl’s education and/or alternative learning and/or skills development for adolescents an asset • Proven ability to effectively cooperate with partners and stakeholders • Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner. • Demonstrated ability to work with people of various professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds. • Excellent organization skills, attention to detail, and ability to contribute to a team environment. • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English required. • Excellent interpersonal and networking skills • Knowledge of a local language would be an added advantage

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.