Job pack: Skill Development Advisor

Transcription

1 Job pack: Skill Development Advisor Country Pakistan Employer Plan International Pakistan Plan has worked in Pakistan since 1997, supporting around 1.6 million children in 4,945 communities across the country to access their rights to education, basic health care and nutrition, livelihoods, clean water, sanitation and protection. Plan Pakistan also works to engage children in all matters that affect them. Plan Pakistan has four Programme Units based in Districts Chakwal, Vehari and Thatta and Islamabad. Flood Response Units are operating in Multan, Thatta and Sukkur. Plan Pakistan strives to reach out to as many children, youth and women as possible with programmes such as developing an enabling environment for good governance; safe and healthy motherhood, child health and survival; easy access to quality education; water and sanitation; community capacitybuilding for self-reliance; income generation to improve standards of living, creating awareness and capacity building on child rights with an emphasis on child protection, birth registration and children s participation; and disaster risk management which includes disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response. Gender Equity is a cross-cutting theme in all of Plan s programmes. VSO has entered into a partnership with Plan Pakistan to provide technical expertise in support of two of their partners; Institute of Rural Management (IRM) and BEDARI (see end of document for partner details), in line with VSO Pakistan s programme direction of working to empower youth and to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable youth and women. The volunteer placement will be supervised by Plan Pakistan in collaboration with VSO and the volunteer will report to Plan Pakistan s Project Manager Youth Economic Empowerment Project, and in all aspects will work in close collaboration with the project s Team Leader from IRM. The project is based in Chakwal District on the outskirts of Islamabad but all significant training will take place in Islamabad. VSO is currently hoping to recruit a second VSO volunteer, also supporting the same project but with a focus on garment production and marketing. It is expected that common links and cooperation between the two volunteers will add value to this project. Page 1

2 Duration 6 months Job purpose In supporting the implementation of Plan Pakistan s project in Chakwal, this job is aimed at developing and strengthening the interpersonal skills of youth living in rural areas through a planned system of training identified master trainers and the development of appropriate training materials. Contents: 1. Job Description Personal considerations Background and contextual information... 5 Page 2

3 1. Job Description Responsibilities Key Performance Indicators Competencies Skills and Knowledge Please see section 3 below for how this placement fits into the Plan YEE project. VSO volunteer job responsibilities to equip the master trainers (trainees) with appropriate skills are: 1. Together with the Plan Project Manager Youth Economic Empowerment Project, and the IRM Team Leader; design and carry out a Training Needs Assessment with the identified master trainers on life, communications and personal development skills. 2. As a result of the TNA, together with the Team Leader, develop and implement appropriate training procedures and modules. 3. Conduct training of master trainers (TOT) in two batches of 15, on life, communication and personal development skills including; introduction to modern training techniques such as classroom training, demonstrations, on-the-job training and supervision techniques, meetings management and face to face coaching etc. TNA conducted of the 30 youth identified and selected for training. One consultation meeting with the Project Manager and Team Leader to agree and finalize training needs and contents in line with projects objectives. A training plan and timeline is developed and agreed. # number of trainings are carried out Trainees own training and communication skills have been improved. Trainees training techniques and classroom management have improved. Building and Sustaining working relationships The social skills to build and actively maintain working relationships that foster teamwork and collaboration with others for the benefit of a common goal. Open Minded and Respectful A non-judgemental approach that values other people and culture. Seeking and Sharing Knowledge Recognition that learning is a two-way and continuous process. Facilitating Positive Change The ability to analyse problems and develop lasting solutions in line with VSO approaches. Adaptability A flexible approach and the ability to adapt behaviour to different situations. Resilience The self-confidence to work with a variety of situations, diverse people and ambiguity. A minimum of Master s degree in Social Work/Social Science or related field Minimum of 8 years of experience in leadership, management and policy development level particularly regarding professional Skill development. Experience working with youth and on issues related to youth s skill development Excellent knowledge and skills in applying knowledge and experience regarding planning management. Proven experiences in developing systems, and procedures in skill development programme, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Experience in developing leadership and management training materials and deliver trainings. Proven and practical knowledge to share experience and learning. Excellent communication skills with good command of both spoken and written English Page 3

4 Responsibilities Key Performance Indicators Competencies Skills and Knowledge 4. All the above should be carried out alongside the Team Leader whose own capacity is likely to be limited. A key aspect of this job is to determine the Team Leader s own needs in terms of them supervising the work of the master trainers throughout the 3 years of the project. (VSO will find out more about this aspect before the volunteer arrives). The Team Leader has the ability and confidence to lead training and is taking a more proactive role in conducting training sessions. The Team Leader s supervision skills have improved and is providing quality feedback to the master trainers 5. Given the length of the project, the number of expected trainees and the limited time given to the volunteer placement, the development of a training manual, guidelines and materials will be very important. Of equal importance is that all materials produced are owned by the local team and so developing these materials in a participatory way is essential and should include staff and trainees in all of the following; design, drafting, testing and validating and publication and once adopted, the supervision and feedback of its use by the trainers. It is important that the Team Leader is a key member of the materials production team. A Training Manual on life skills has been developed and can be fully articulated by the Team Leader and master trainers Other supporting materials have been developed according to the expressed needs of Plan, the Project Manager and Team Leader, IRM and the trainees. Master Trainers are actively using the manual and materials and are being supervised in their use by the Team Leader. Responsible to: The VSO Skill Development Advisor will report to Project Manager Youth Economic Empowerment Project, and work in close collaboration with the IRM Team Leader and project staff in Chakwal. Page 4

5 2. Personal considerations In addition to the job description, the following information should be used when considering whether a placement is suitable for you. Personal health considerations If you have a significant current or past medical condition and/or you have general concerns about staying healthy as a volunteer, please use this information to assess whether this placement will be suitable for you. All volunteers require medical clearance from a VSO medical adviser before they are able to take up a placement with VSO. Occasionally, VSO may consider that this placement is too great a risk for you in terms of your personal health and you would be advised to consider a different placement. If you wish to discuss your personal circumstances or health concerns in confidence with VSO s medical team before you apply for this placement please contact medical@vsoint.org. For further guidance about medical assessment and volunteering with a medical condition please see the frequently asked questions on VSO website. Access to medical care and support There are various public and private medical facilities available in Islamabad. VSO Pakistan refers its employees and volunteers to Shifa International Hospital Ltd which is located in sector H-8/4. It is a well equipped hospital and is considered to be one of the best hospitals in Pakistan. It is on VSO s medical panel and all volunteers will be registered with Shifa. Shifa now has branches in F-11 and G- 10 sectors. There are also government hospitals which provide good health service the prominent among which are Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) at sector G-8/3 and Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic) at sector G-6/1. In cases of emergency for any reason, including medical evacuations, VSO Pakistan has a detailed emergency system in place that will ensure volunteers are removed to a place of safety or transferred to an appropriate medical facility as soon as is possible. VSO is supported by the AXA insurance and medical repatriation scheme. Accompanying partner or family: If you have a partner or children who are planning to accompany you to your placement, please use this section to assess whether this placement will be suitable for you. Unaccompanied Duty Station: The volunteer will be based in Islamabad with frequent travel to Chakwal. Islamabad is a capital of Pakistan where lifestyle and living conditions are considerably better than some other small cities of Pakistan. Chakwal is located 90 km south-east of the Islamabad and falls in Punjab province of Pakistan. At the present time, due to security restrictions, it will not be possible for the volunteer to stay overnight in Chakwal When in the Plan Islamabad office, the volunteer will be provided with a work station and a computer. There will be access to the internet and s during office hours which are flexible around a 37 hour week. Page 5

6 The Team Leader will normally be based in Chakwal which is where the needs assessments and all the master trainers trainings will take place. The project office in Chakwal is well equipped with a generator for back up when there is a power cut and has all the usual amenities including internet access. Transport requirements Plan Pakistan will provide transport facilities for official travel to the field office in Chakwal. However daily travel from accommodation to office and back, in Islamabad, will be done through private taxi hire which will be paid by the host organization. Islamabad is a metropolitan city and taxi is easily accessible. The cheaper public transport vans that travel throughout the city are not recommended to international volunteers. More reliable taxi services like metrocab are also available but cost more than regular taxis. The Government has just opened a Metro Bus service in Islamabad but it is only along one 23km route and may not be convenient to volunteers. Due to the security context of Pakistan international volunteers are advised to travel by Taxi. VSO Pakistan has increased its volunteer allowance in Dec 14 in consideration of this. Caution will be required when travelling around Islamabad in the evening and whilst currently there is no curfew in place, VSO Pakistan may introduce one should the security situation require it. Until then all night time travel should be by taxi or with friends. Security information Being the capital of the country, Islamabad is host to the key government offices and ministries plus the diplomatic missions. Islamabad is also the hub of the development sector activities as almost all of the UN and other donor agencies, INGOs, and big national NGOS, have their offices there. Pakistan is often only featured in the international media when violent clashes between political, religious or ethnic groups have taken place. The impression that Pakistan is a violent Islamic fundamentalist society is a misleading one, and many volunteers commented that they felt safer in Pakistan than they did in their own country. But the security context of the country keeps on changing, there have been various acts in 2014/15 in different cities of Pakistan. Though Islamabad is a safe city, duty of care and adherence to security policies and protocols is expected from the volunteer. Usually foreigners are expected to be adopt a low-profile especially in outdoor activities and respect the local customs particularly as far as dress is concerned. According to VSO Pakistan security guidelines, Islamabad is a recommended area for placements. In Islamabad VSO will take care of security details for the volunteers. Volunteers are kept regularly informed about the security situation in Pakistan and are discouraged to travel to the areas and locations that are not considered safe. Volunteers are also expected to keep themselves updated on local news through newspaper or news channels. The partner, Plan Pakistan has a Security Unit which will also keep the volunteer updated if there are any serious concerns. Travelling to Chakwal or any other field stations will be subject to security clearance and approvals, mutually agreed between Plan Pakistan and VSO. Please go through the Security Plan for Pakistan on the Pakistan page of the VSO Learning Hub. Accommodation Accommodation in Islamabad is varied and for the volunteer can range from basic to well furnished depending on cost and whether or not it is supplied by the employer. As a minimum, the volunteer can expect an unfurnished room in a shared apartment or house with shared bathroom with a shower, kitchen and lounge area. In this case, VSO will provide a bed with mattress, sheets and mosquito net, a chair and table to work and eat from and a wardrobe or cupboard to keep clothes in. A fridge will be provided along with a range of kitchen utensils, crockery and an electric kettle. Page 6

7 In general however, provided volunteer accommodation is of a better standard than that and although there is a strong likelihood that it will be shared, it will likely be better furnished and often has TV, easy chairs and washing machine. In most cases, internet access is not provided but can be connected via an evo internet stick. Mobile phone coverage is generally good. Power supply is often cut, usually for an hour here and there. Fresh food supplies are generally good but seasonal with a range of fruit and vegetables always available. Buying from the local shops and markets is more cost effective than the supermarkets although the occasional treat from the well-stocked shelves is hard to resist. Whilst there are many restaurants and cafes throughout Islamabad, it would be expensive to use them regularly. Cooking and eating at home is probably the best way of ensuring a balanced diet especially for vegetarians. Eating at home sharing a home-delivered pizza with friends is popular with volunteers! 3. Background and contextual information This placement is part of the Youth Economic Empowerment (YEE) project (1st January 2015 till 31 December 2017 ), implemented by Plan Pakistan with the financial support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Finland and Plan International Finland. The project aims at Youth Economic Empowerment through Creating Access to Quality Market-Driven Technical Vocational & Education Training (TVET) and Business Development in District Chakwal". Primarily, this job is aimed at developing the training skills of 30 previously identified master trainers. Once trained the master trainers will be deployed within Chakwal District in a systematic approach to equipping the youth of the area with life skills, confidence and an increased ability to communicate and articulate their views and opinions. The master trainers have been selected from a group of 290 trainees (98 of whom are male) undergoing basic technical and vocational training with IRM. It is intended that the master trainers, once trained, will be deployed, under the supervision of the team leader, to implement further trainings for an estimated 760 young people over 3 years. Core objectives of Plan Pakistan s Youth Economic Empowerment (YEE) project: Overall objective: Youth from the targeted areas, particularly young women, are socially and economically empowered to improve their position in society. Specific objectives of the project: 1. Youth have access to youth friendly micro finance schemes, quality and market driven vocational and technical training. Life skills, social empowerment training and enterprise development will assist in the pursuit of economic occupations on a self-employment or paid employment basis which is integral to this project. 2. Youth, particularly young women from the targeted areas, increase their levels of economic work (self or paid employment) in traditional and non-traditional occupations. 3. Local communities and parents recognize and encourage youth, particularly young women, to become socially and economically active members of society. 4. By the end of year 3, Plan has a documented and tested a multi-stakeholder (e.g. private/public actors) intervention strategy for YEE that is culturally appropriate, applicable, promotes gender equality and is locally owned with particular focus on young women. Page 7

8 The YEE project is being implemented by Plan Pakistan in partnership with the Institute of Rural Management (IRM) and BEDARI. Plan Pakistan is responsible for the social mobilization aspect of the project while IRM is looking after the technical trainings and strengthening of public and private sector technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Chakwal District. BEDARI is responsible for the component of providing financial support to the trained youth for selfemployment and enterprise development. Project Partners: Institute of Rural Management (IRM): IRM is the implementing partner with Plan International for Youth Economic Empowerment project in Chakwal and has successfully provided initial basic training to 290 youth (192 girls, 98 boys) and strengthened 6 TVET institutes in Chakwal District. IRM was also responsible for developing IEC material (information, education and communication) and its dissemination. The objective of producing the IEC material development is to make youth aware of available training choices and employment opportunities available to them. The volunteer will be working in collaboration with IRM BEDARI: Youth are generally excluded from accessing microfinance loans or savings products as Micro Finance Institutions stigmatize them as high-risk borrowers. Generally youth can only access loans through parents on whose name loans are sanctioned and who provides the requisite collateral. Even with the high demand for credit amongst youth, they lack requisite vocational and technical skills, business acumen and financial training to prove their worthiness to the financial institutions. To counter this trend, Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) developed a youth friendly loan product in collaboration with Plan Pakistan. Plan Pakistan has engaged BEDARI to trial this youth friendly loan product in Chakwal District to see the viability of the designed product. Page 8