Vacancy: Education Advisor - Advocacy And Social Accountability Mechanism

Company Profile

The Advocacy and Social Accountability (ASA) funding mechanism was approved for establishment by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in December 2017. GPE’s aim is to strengthen national education systems to deliver stronger outcomes in the areas of learning and early childhood development, equity, gender equality, and inclusion. GPE is the largest fund for education in the world and provides around $800million a year for education in developing country partners.

The goal of the ASA mechanism is to enhance civil society capacity to further GPE’s strategic objectives in learning, equity, and stronger systems by improving their participation, advocacy, and efforts to ensure transparency and increased effectiveness in national educational policy and implementation processes. As such it aims to support both the traditional education networks and civil society partners working in areas such as tax justice, citizens engagement in fiscal transparency and community mobilisation.

The ASA mechanism is comprised of three funding streams (Operational Components) to support work at local, national and transnational levels to (1) strengthen national civil society engagement in education planning, policy dialogue and monitoring; (2) strengthen civil society roles in promoting the transparency and accountability of national education sector policy and implementation and (3) create a stronger global and transnational enabling environment for national civil society advocacy and transparency efforts. Together, these objectives will help to amplify the voices of people in education policy debates, helping to better match citizen demand for an equitable quality education with responsive public policy solutions. The ASA mechanism has a target of supporting at least 100 civil society partners, in approximately 90 countries throughout the world, including Africa, Asia, Pacific, Latin America and MENA/Eastern Europe.

In January 2019, GPE selected Oxfam IBIS as Grant Agent for the ASA mechanism, subject to final board approval end March 2019. The programme is forecast to run for at least 5 years, with the inception phase commencing imminently. Oxfam IBIS’ Grant Agent role will be implemented primarily through a Global Management Unit (GMU) based in Copenhagen, and Regional Management Units (RMUs) in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each RMU will be led by an expert Program Manager that will provide oversight of day-to-day operations across countries in the region, including management of staff, provision of technical advice, and quality assurance of reporting across the entire region.

Job Description

What are we looking for

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated bi-lingual (English and French) Education Advisor for the Regional Management Unit in Ghana of this large-scale, complex funding mechanism. The candidate will be a senior professional with a proven track record and good understanding of Education policy issues and knowledge of the key actors in this field in the region.  

The candidate will have comprehensive knowledge and experience in programme cycle management ideally built on mature understanding of relevant issues derived from field experience enabling the successful delivery of the ASA mechanism, under operational oversight of the Global Management Unit. They will have experience of capacity development of partners and strategic planning. They will lead an adaptive programming approach which responds to rapidly changing political environments, delivering outputs that contribute to the ASA goal: enhanced civil society capacity to further GPE2020 goals in learning, equity, and stronger systems, by improving their participation, advocacy and efforts to ensure transparency and increased effectiveness in national educational policy and implementation processes.

Based in Accra, Ghana, the candidate will have strong leadership qualities to motivate and support partners across the region. They will have compelling communication and influencing skills. Regular travel within the region might be required, equivalent to approximately 12-14 weeks per annum in order to support and monitor the projects managed by the region.

Job purpose

The Education Adviser will be an integral part of the Regional Management Unit team based in Ghana which leads the Advocacy and Social Accountability (ASA) funding mechanism in the region.

The job purpose is to:

  

• Support selected regional ASA partners in the development and implementation of thematic and strategic advocacy and social accountability projects on education funded by the GPE/ASA mechanism;


• Be part of the technical teams responsible for the appraisal of projects submitted by partners in the region


• Ensure quality, alignment to key strategic objectives and overall programme standards;


• Support as a technical advisor the regional project portfolio;


• Lead knowledge development, learning and innovation regarding education in the region;


• Promote evidence-based influencing work through strengthened linkages between partners of the project and with different actors and levels.


• Ensure the promotion of gender equality in all parts of the work.


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• Core details


• Location is Accra, Ghana. Our package is competitive and depending on experience. The contract is for three years with the possibility for extension. The position is a full time role equivalent to 37 hrs./week. The role reports to the Regional Program Manger. The post may involve regional travel – approximately 12 – 14 weeks/year. The post will require a work permit for Ghana.


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• Key responsibilities and accountabilities 


• Advise the RMU colleagues and partners providing ongoing strategic, thematic and capacity development support to the educational projects implemented in the region under the GPE/ASA funding mechanism. This includes technical advice in relation to: 
  
  
  
  • Project planning and appraisal
  
  
  • Thematic competence
  
  
  • Advocacy, Influencing and Campaigning
  
  
  • Partnership approach, capacity development and innovation
  
  
  • Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
  
  
  
  


•  Contribute to development of approaches, tools and frameworks in support of the implementation and monitoring of the GPE/ASA Education strategies activities;


• Strengthening processes and platforms for networking and knowledge management across educational interventions and between partners and other relevant actors; hereunder support to documentation of results/lessons learnt and the utilization of this to improve best practice;


• Participating in grant management/reporting;


• Spearheading learning and innovation both on different educational topics e.g. ICT and education and through building partnerships with diverse actors.

Required Skills or Experience

• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in project cycle management ideally built on mature understanding of relevant issues derived from field experience;


• Documented experience from acting in an advisory capacity on education programming. Good understanding of Education policy issues and knowledge of the key actors in this field in the region;


• Documented experience from working with civil society strengthening and inclusive participation of youth, women and disadvantaged groups;


• Ability to engage, effectively coordinate with and influence both governmental institutions, donors and a spectrum of education actors (Government, local civil society, INGOs, UN agencies);


• Experience with piloting education models and approaches that target and involve the most marginalised and using evidence gathered to influence formal education policies;


• Familiarity with the SDGs/2030 agenda, familiarity with the work and agenda of the global campaign for education and the work of regional and national education coalitions;


• Robust experience with grant management and reporting from institutional and private donors;


• Proven collaboration, communication and networking skills ranging from staff and partners at different levels and from different contexts, to building relationship with donors, campaign teams and audiences;


• Commitment to and good knowledge of working with networks, coalitions and a partnership approach across the spectrum of GPE/ASA’s work including innovative approaches, communities of practice and capacity strengthening.


• Knowledge and experience from effective communication practice from a development/humanitarian project with skills to facilitation of ongoing exchange of information, peer-learning and ensuring coherence between activities and the messages of the project.


• Strong organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow through


• Knowledge of capacity building, learning and development activities and how to create a learning and sharing environment with a strong knowledge management basis


• Commitment to equal opportunity and gender policies. Demonstrated experience in integrating gender and diversity issues into programmes.


• Excellent communication skills orally and in writing. Working language skills in both, English and French, (knowledge of Portuguese will be an advantage);

 Key attributes 

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.


• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.


• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.