VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (Local Agent Post Group I) Reference: NPL-VAC-TEMP

Transcription

1 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (Local Agent Post Group I) Reference: NPL-VAC-TEMP The Delegation of the European Union to Nepal is looking to recruit a Programme Manager for Education The Terms of Reference for the post and the application instruction details can be found on the delegation's website: The selected candidate will be offered a one year contract. Interested applicants should send their signed motivation letter and CV either by e- mail to DELEGATION-NEPAL-VACANCIES@eeas.europa.eu or by letter to: The Delegation of the European Union to Nepal To the attention of the Head of Administration Uttar Dhoka Sadak (P.O. Box 6754) Lainchaur, Kathmandu N.B. Applications must reach the EU Delegation by 25 October 2013 at 16:00 hrs at the very latest and should be clearly marked with "NPL-VAC-TEMP- 06/2013" (subject field of or envelope). Please see the page below for the terms of reference for the post

2 EDUCATION PROGRAMME MANAGER: TERMS OF REFERENCE BACKGROUND Relevant background The Education For All (EFA) programme (2005-9) enabled many more children to go to primary school (G1-G5) and increased equity in the sector, particularly for girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The School Sector Reform Programme (SSRP) ( ) has further extended access and aims to enhance quality at all levels of the school system. Whilst progress in the implementation of SSRP and EC Phase I ( ) support has been slower than expected in some areas, overall progress is on track. Despite an uncertain country context, peace is likely to be maintained and demand for education continues to grow. Key reforms introduced in SSRP include the restructuring of education into basic (G1-G8) and secondary (G9-G12) and introducing vocational/soft skills in selected secondary schools; implementing free and compulsory basic education; expansion of access to early childhood education; identification of out of school children and interventions to provide quality education in formal and non formal settings; introduction of norms and standards for quality through implementation of guidelines on minimum enabling conditions in schools; enhanced teacher management; increased representation of women and disadvantaged groups in the sector; continued decentralisation and strengthening of education financing and management. Current state of affairs in the relevant sector Nepal has made impressive progress in increasing access to education and inclusion as evidenced by the findings from the SSRP mid term evaluation report (2012). However, difficult challenges remain; dropout remains persistently high in the early years, notably at grade 1; 25% of students leave before reaching grade 5 (2009) and there is some evidence that some students are making a poor start in early years reading and number skills. At least 400,000 primary school age children (8%) are not in school and efforts to provide alternatives to formal schooling remain fragmented. Just half of students pass their secondary (G10) leaving exam. Though efforts are ongoing to build and retain capacity, sectoral governance, transparency and accountability and financial management remain weak. Many of the issues and challenges in implementation of the SSRP have their roots in the history, culture and current context in Nepal - political uncertainty, weak governance coupled with perceived impunity, poor PFM practices and inadequate monitoring capacity. Related programmes and other donor activities Nine pooling donors (Development Partners or DPs) and the GPE currently provide sector budget support to the GoN to support implementation of the SSRP. The Joint Financing Agreement (JFA) governs GoN/DP roles and responsibilities. There are two annual joint meetings and annual workplans and budgets are jointly developed and reviewed. Donor cooperation and ways of working in the education sector are increasingly looked upon as a model for other sectors. Progress in the education sector is followed at the EU Heads of Mission (HOM) and Education DP Meetings. The SSRP is fully aligned with EU development policies and the aid effectiveness agenda (Paris/Accra), with GoN firmly in the driving seat. In the EC Strategy Paper for Nepal, education was re-introduced as the most important focal sector. The EC is a major donor, contributing 25.0 M for EFA and 26.0 M to SSRP (50% contribution from DFID) in the first phase of support. A further 33.5 M for education, was approved by the DCI Committee in late Additionally the EU Delegation in Nepal supports four Non State Actor Projects in the Education Sector.

3 OBJECTIVE, PURPOSE Overall objective The Programme Manager will be responsible for monitoring and following up the progress and implementation of the SSRP. The Programme Manager will also be responsible for the follow up of a number of contracts implemented by NGO partners. Purpose This position will report to the EU Delegation Kathmandu Head of Operations and will be responsible for the monitoring of progress of government's Education School Sector Programme and may include monitoring and management activities linked to the four EU education projects in Nepal. The post holder will provide technical advice and analysis to support the preparation of reports, submissions and briefings and other official documentation. The post holder will be expected to attend and report on key sector donor meetings including scheduled and ad hoc events and to work effectively with Government colleagues and through Government systems. SCOPE OF THE WORK Description of the assignment To support the EU Delegation to effectively monitor implementation the EU Delegation programmes in the education sector, including namely the EU contribution to the School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP) programme. Specific activities Analyse documentation and reports to enable assessment of sector progress and prepare draft disbursement files, for EU Delegation to send to Brussels Assess sector and specific sub sector progress and performance on an ongoing basis. Support overall planning, formulation, implementation, management, monitoring and coordination aspects of any EU financed projects in the education sector. Liaise with government counterparts on all matters concerning the implementation of the SSRP program as well as engage with key sector partners in Nepal, development partners, I/NGOs, civil society members and local communities. This will include providing analysis for EU comments on government policies/strategies/plans etc Establish and maintain collegial and cooperative relationships with MoE/DoE/DP contacts. Plan for and attend education Development Partner's meetings and prepare minutes of meetings/ written feedback to the EPM Participate in field visits to supervise, coordinate and monitor field level activities of the SSRP program Access, review and assess education research reports and findings. Access, review, evaluate and report on trimesterly financial management reports and other financial documents including audit reports submitted by Department of Education to World Bank on behalf of the DPs

4 Plan and encourage discussion around SSRP results on (at least) key areas including Access and Equity, Quality and Teacher Management REQUIREMENTS Qualifications and skills Degree or Masters in Education or a closely related field Minimum of 5 years of experience in Education sector or closely related fields. Communication - Strong communication (spoken and written) skills and ability to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style and to vary delivery according to audience Excellent negotiation and representational skills, including experience at senior level representation in an international organization and / or diplomatic field. Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines. Ability to work effectively in a politically sensitive environment and exercise discretion, impartiality, diplomacy and neutrality. Resourcefulness, initiative-seeker, innovativeness and maturity of judgment. Commitment and shared belief in EU Delegation s mission and mandate, with the highest standards of EU Delegation s key values General and specific professional experience Experience of education systems and development, preferably basic education in a developing country context, is important Competence in understanding financial management and ability to interpret statistics and data Planning and Organization - excellent analytical and organizational skills required. Ability to plan own work, manage conflicting priorities, report on work progress and deliver outputs in a punctual manner. Coordination - Ability to effectively interact and coordinate with donors and senior government officials. Technological awareness - fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, PowerPoint or equivalent, , internal databases, filing, use of the internet for research etc. Written and Verbal Communications - Strong written and verbal communication skills in English including ability to write clearly in English including preparing briefings, analysis, report writing and summarising of longer reports

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