Education Coordination Adviser - Beirut

ROLE PURPOSE:

In Lebanon, education coordination is run through UNICEF and Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). There is also an Education working group of INGOs under the Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum. Among NGOs specifically, Increased information sharing, collaborative programming, technical discussions and joint advocacy efforts are needed. Therefore Save the Children and Norwegian Refugee Council are proposing to co-host an Education Coordination Adviser who will specifically support NGOs (local and international) to better coordinate national-level efforts including collaborating on technical considerations to MEHE curricula, tools and teaching methods, as well as working together to promote advocacy points with multiple stakeholders. This would be complementary to existing education coordination and not form any parallel structures but rather work together with the UNICEF Education Lead, MEHE, and Colleagues in LHIF. The Education Coordination Adviser would lead the LHIF Education Working Group, support UNICEF in the coordination of the Education Core Group and support the existing linkage to MEHE in terms of sector coordination.  This position should contribute to making the humanitarian community in Lebanon better organised and more accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people eitherfrequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Save the Children - Program Development & Quality Director, with dotted line reporting to Norweigian Refugee Council - Programmes Director.

Role Dimensions: Role requires frequent and complex interactions with UN, government and civil society partners, and liaison with the multiple working groups. Requires excellent judgment, analytical and conceptual thinking; and ability to work in high pressure environments, with limited supervision.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Coordination:

- Assume overall responsibility for the leadership of the LHIF Education Working Group.

- Coordinate and collaborate with National Education Actors particularly on joint advocacy efforts pertaining to education issues in Lebanon.

- Support UNICEF in the coordination of the National Education Working Group.

- Work closely with other key stakeholders, including LHIF Country Coordinator, LHDF, MEHE, OCHA, UNICEF and all other NGO Education actors.

- Bring together International and National NGOs to ensure coordination and collaboration on education programming and advocacy.

- Lead and coordinate key advocacy efforts.

- Support NGOs to share lessons learned and promote inter-agency learning and innovations.

- Facilitate technical discussions on curricula, teaching methodologies and community engagement in non-formal education. 

- Support multi-sector and coordinate education specific needs assessments and utilise existing secondary data to inform sector response planning.

- Ensure that information is shared amongst members, and that information from other sectors is made available to members in order to improve planning, integration and implementation.

- Contribute to regular sitreps, and actively participate in inter-cluster co-ordination meetings.

- Ensure education is explicitly included and prioritized in all multi-sector assessments and reports.

- Ensure sector members are aware of relevant minimum standards, policies and guidelines with apply to all agencies.

- Establish an education sector feedback mechanism so that partners can quantitatively (and, ideally qualitatively) track the quality and effectiveness of the education response.

- Undertaking child-focused (and child-led) consultations on education priorities

- Ensure that child safeguarding is addressed by the Education actors.

Capacity Building:

- Where appropriate, ensure that capacity strengthening of country programme staff occurs in order to ensure on-going sustainability and quality of the response.

- Identify learning and training opportunities for Education group members and work in increasing both technical and institutional capacity in preparedness and response.

- Coordinate institutional and technical capacity strengthening of local organisations.

- Trainings and ongoing support relating to child safeguarding – supporting all education actors to develop and implement child safeguarding policies.

General:

- Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

- Display neutrality and act as the representative of all education cluster members.

- Develop and maintain a strong and positive relationship with UNICEF and MEHE.

- Develop and maintain a strong and positive relationship with colleagues at regional and global levels.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

- University degree, preferably at an advanced level, in a subject area relevant to education coordination management.

- Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications.

- Formal training in coordination is also desirable. 

- At least 5 years progressively responsible work experience with UN, government and/or NGO, including in a humanitarian context. Extensive work experience outside the humanitarian sector which is relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for humanitarian experience.

- Prior experience of working within a management role or coordination within a complex country programme in an emergency response or fragile state.

- Experience applying relevant interagency humanitarian frameworks and standards in education in emergencies (for example INEE Minimum Standards).

- Excellent communication skills, including ability to facilitate diverse groups.

- Politically and culturally sensitive with ability to act with of patience, tact and diplomacy.

- A high level of written and spoken English and Arabic is essential. 

- Demonstrable ability to work and represent views across different stakeholders taking part in the Education coordination.

- Written and verbal advocacy skills are required. 

- Excellent technical understanding of education in emergencies

- Knowledge of information management processes within the coordination systems.