Volunteer Job Pack Job Title Education Specialist Creating Child Friendly Schools Project (Blantyre) Job ID JOB0061445 Country Malawi Employer Ministry of Education Blantyre Teacher Training College (TTC) Duration 6 months Job purpose To facilitate the Child Friendly School methods (CFS) Project in TTC and primary schools, supporting all of VSO s work in Malawi in order to contribute to the strategic plan and optimize the contribution towards reducing poverty. Contents: 1. Job Description... 2 2. Personal considerations... 4 3. Background and contextual information... 5 Page 1 September 2014 Template
1. Job Description Responsibilities Key Performance Indicators Competencies Skills and Knowledge Project planning, implementation and Building and Sustaining working Essential review analyse and understand the relevant context and key stakeholders contribute to shaping project objectives, engage partners and relevant stakeholders to inform and influence decision making in the project. Identify relevant interventions to deliver desired outcomes within the 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. Background in Education or teacher training qualification. Primary level experience is preferred as most trainees and work will be at this level but secondary trained educationalists with very good experience in child centred methodology can be considered project plans. Ability to conduct needs assessment and Draft plans based on consultation and review, ensuring that resources are allocated appropriately. Ensure appropriate documentation is in place as per VSO process. Participate in the delivery of appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, determine the impact and ensure continuous development and learning takes place and that reporting is in line with VSO and donor requirements. Project Funding Management- Develop realistic project plans and quarterly budgets, ensuring compliance with VSO and donor requirements. Partnership development and maintenance Assess, negotiate, maintain and review Page 2 An overall map/understanding of the current CFS practices at TTC and primary schools. Plan of activities (work plan) designed to meet the identified needs. Training plans, training of TTC lecturers, support for student teacher training, training of in-service teachers, practical CFS guide for both TTC and primary school, sustainability plan, quarterly reports, monitoring and evaluation, establishment of teacher resource centres, training in resource centre management, monitoring and evaluation of lecturers and student teachers as well as participation in other required M&E activities, participate in development of M&E tools Annual Programme Review completed and shared (year 1 and 2 only) End of project report Evidence of lessons learnt from evaluation being used to adapt ongoing programmes and inform future programme development. Finance advances managed and liquidated in a timely manner with all required supporting documents eg receipts, signature sheets, etc as per VSO policy Efficient delivery of resources to meet the objectives of all sub-programme Area Plan and any overarching objectives. Dynamic, transparent and effective network exists between all key stakeholders (which Open Minded and Respectful A non-judgemental approach that values other people and culture. Seeking and Sharing Knowledge Recognition that learning is a twoway 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. deliver training Programmes At least two years experience in teacher support Programmes which includes experience of training, supporting or mentoring either trainee teachers or newly qualified teachers within your school. Experience of organization and administration for primary or secondary schools All applicants must possess strong written and spoken English language skills. Applicants may be required to take a VSO language test as part of the selection process. Good interpersonal skills Good resource mobilization skills Personal initiative and ability to work patiently and to adapt in the rural setting A commitment to serve the beneficiaries identified in the project Desirable Postgraduate qualification Knowledge of Fundraising, Proposal writing. The volunteers will be required to do training in resource mobilization.
Responsibilities Key Performance Indicators Competencies Skills and Knowledge relevant partnerships. Build and support networks between key stakeholders eg TTC, VSO, UNICEF, DEMs, etc, to strengthen project impact. fully supports the overall project Plan and is reflective of the project environment. Experience in school supervision and management Inclusive Education experience Basic Finance Management and Accounting skills Other Duties - Fulfill other appropriate level responsibilities as defined by the Programme manager and/or the Country Director from time to time Objectives will be confirmed in a three way discussion between the volunteer, employer and VSO in the first three months of the placement. Active participation in monitoring and evaluation of the programme is required Due to the nature of our volunteer placements, it is possible that the responsibilities of this role may differ in reality and therefore the postholder will need to be prepared to be flexible and adapt to their environment as necessary. Responsible to: The College Principal with matrix reporting to the Project Coordinator and Senior Programme Manager Page 3
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. 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 The standard and quality of local medical care and support available at this placement will depend on its location within the country. Health facilities are likely to be more poorly resourced in rural areas in terms of medical expertise, equipment, infrastructure and regular supplies of medication. However, this may not be the case in the capital city or in a larger town, where in some countries there may be a reasonable standard of medical care. The following gives you an indication of where the placement is in relation to the country office and how easy it would be to make the journey if you were ill. This placement is: in Blantyre which is a major city 4 hrs from the capital on mixed roads There is usually one flight and several buses each day to the capital There is a government hospital, private hospitals and several clinics so access to medical care and support is readily available 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. 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. Since the placement is within a major city with travel to primary schools, it is generally fine for volunteers wishing to come with partners or children but the cost of international schools also has to be taken into account and is usually a minimum of GBP1000. The main challenge is that sometimes volunteers are provided with shared accommodation so this has to be taken into consideration. Motorcycle requirements You will be required to ride a motorbike during your placement, this is not negotiable. A motorbike license will be essential and training will be provided if required. Page 4
Security information Residential security guards are generally required. VSO provides guard pay but it is the responsibility of the volunteer to identify, employ and pay the guard VSO provides in country training for all arriving volunteers to develop behaviour to reduce risk. The chart below reflects the types and numbers of security incidents experienced by over 40 volunteers over a 12 month period in 2014. 3. Background and contextual information VSO Malawi with funding from UNICEF is implementing the Creating Child Friendly Schools (CFS) project which aims at creating child friendly school environments in 240 primary schools in Malawi mainly through capacity building. This is a 24 month project working to enhance the capacity of teachers, working through Five Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) based in Karonga, Lilongwe, Kasungu, St. Joseph in Dedza and Blantyre. This project, utilizing international volunteers for development, was designed based on recommendations and learning s arising from previous VSO/UNICEF work in CFS evaluation, extensive consultation with key stakeholders (including UNICEF), communities, and literature reviews. The project s outputs include: 1. 200 tutors in 5 TTCs trained in CFS Methodology and Practice. 2. 2,880 student teachers trained in CFS methods Page 5
3. Establishment of Teacher Resource Centres in 5 TTCs. 4. 480 Teachers in selected primary schools where TTC students do teaching practice are well versed in CFS methods, allowing them to reinforce the training student teachers have received in the TTCs. Where CFS clusters are identified in geographic proximity to the TTCs, the training will take place in Cluster Schools, further strengthening the CFS model. The project s main activities include: Training of 200 tutors in Child Centred methodologies, guidelines for school improvement planning and development of teaching and learning materials. Training of 2,880 student teachers over 2 years in CFS methods Establishment of Teaching and Learning materials resource Centre in each of the 5 TTCs. Training 480 teachers in selected primary schools, done at Teacher Development Centres or at CFS Cluster Schools in 20 zones where TTC students do teaching practice in CFS methods Regular monitoring of student trainees to provide feedback and additional training as well as for in-service teachers. International Volunteers: Five Education Specialists will be placed at Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) working to build the capacity of Teacher Training College Tutors and Teacher Trainees in the use of child centred training methodologies. The volunteers will work alongside a tutor responsible for championing child friendly school approaches in the college including the Teaching Practice Committee and will be reporting to the Head of Department responsible for teaching methodologies (who is a member of the College Management Team). The volunteer will take responsibility for monitoring teacher trainees when deployed, provide support and will conduct in-classroom assessments of teaching practice. This project will result in: 200 College tutors trained in child centred methodologies guidelines for school improvement planning and development of teaching and learning materials, Teacher Resource Centres in 5 TTCs, 480 teachers from 20 zones where teachers do teaching practice being well versed in CFS methods. Placement objectives: To support Child Friendly School methods (CFS) capacity development for tutors and 576 pre service teachers at TTC To support Child Friendly School methods capacity development for 192 in-service teachers To support Child Friendly School methods implementation in 48 primary schools To support the establishment and management of TTC teaching and learning resource centre This is a replacement post for the final 6 months of the project. Further information on VSO s work in each of the countries we work in can be found on the VSO website. Page 6