Vacancy: Education and Advocacy Manager

Job Description

Background

We are a multi-funded local development organization delivering development interventions in Northern Ghana. Our intervention areas include promoting access to quality education and health, youth skills development, livelihoods, local economic participation among others. We work with communities, development partners and relevant government agencies to improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups especially women and girls and the disabled by strengthening local structures to take local level actions to promote and ensure fairness. 

We are seeking a self-motivated individual committed to contributing to improving learning outcomes for deprived communities to join our team as the Education and Advocacy Manager The post will be based in Tamale, Northern Region and the holder reports to the Head of Programmes, Partnerships & Policy.

Role Summary

The position holder of the Education and Advocacy Manager will primarily be responsible for providng technical, operational leadership throughout the programming process for education programs/projects within our Strategic Plan. S/he will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of partnership education projects providing technical direction for projects including curricula, teacher professional development, community engagements etc in partnership with the Ghana Education Service and other education sector partners. S/he will lead the advocacy focus project for improving teaching and learning methodologies for improved learning outcomes. The post-holder will be based in Tamale.

• Be responsible for coordination and planning of project activities. S/he will ensure that the project activities are coherent and well-coordinated, including reporting and the supervision of other team members.


• Work with the Ghana Education Service at the appropriate levels and partner community schools to build involvement in and commitment to the school gardens within the school and communities'


• Establish and strengthen a Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms including data collection for performance measurement.


• Facilitate the capacity building of teachers on teaching methodologies.


• In collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, develop and implement learning assessment tools and practices, and teachers’ professional performance assessment tools and practices.


• Stay abreast of the latest developments in the education sector, and proactively identify trends and key issues/topics for advocacy actions


• Undertake public awareness raising campaign in project target areas for support for inclusive and participatory teaching and learning in schools


• Providing good quality information on case studies and interesting news stories relating to support project advocacy materials.


• Lead and support in developing advocacy strategies for the education projects


• In collaboration with relevant stakeholders’ design and undertake specific campaigns and advocacy interventions in cooperation with other CSOs to highlight the issues of basic education


• Enhance the media approach of the education interventions

• Timely delivery of quality project activities.


• Quality and timely periodic reporting (financial and narrative).


• An effective monitoring system to track performance of local partners.

Required Skills or Experience

• University degree in education or any relevant field and at least 3 years of relevant experience in managing projects


• Strong knowledge of the Education sector of Ghana


• Experience in policy analysis and rights-based programming 


• Experience in education policies and development at regional and national levels 


• Experience in collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders at the government, private sector and community level,


• Significant technical experience in youth empowerment or other relevant fields strongly desired.

• Strong negotiating, facilitating and influencing skills.


• Excellent coordination and representation skills


• Strong analytical and presentation skills.


• Good communication skills.


• Excellent report writing skills


• Strong team-building and motivational skills.


• Proficient in Microsoft applications and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, internet.

• Project Areas: The position holder will collaborate with other team members  (technical experts, Programmes, M&E and finance staff). (High level).


• There will be contact with community members, children and other stakeholders to develop and implement project activities (High)

• Partners (High)


• Maintains high contact with the Ghana Education Service (Medium level)


• Education sector CSOs – (High)

• High contact: the job responsibilities of this position require contact with children in project partner schools and it is expected that children shall be protected at all times.