Job Description

POSITION/DESIGNATION: Technical Specialist- ECE

GRADE/LEVEL: Grade E

PROJECT/UNIT: Indian Partnership for Early Learning

PROJECT DURATION: 5 years

POSITION DURATION: 3 years

REPORTS TO: TD- Foundational Learning

LOCATION: Delhi

TRAVEL: 30% of total time (state and district level)

ABOUT US

CARE is a not-for-profit organization working in India for over 68 years, focusing on alleviating poverty and social injustice. We do this through well-planned and comprehensive projects in health, education, livelihoods and disaster preparedness and response. Our overall goal is the empowerment of women and girls from poor and marginalized communities leading to improvement in their lives and livelihoods.

During FY 2018-19, CARE India directly reached out to 37.2 million people through 43 projects across 14 states, covering more than 80+ districts. We are part of the CARE International Confederation, working in 100 countries for a world where people live with dignity and security.

CARE India seeks a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. Our goal is to ensure that women and girls from the most marginalized communities are empowered, live in dignity and their households have secure and resilient lives. CARE India aims to accomplish this goal by working with 50 million people to help them have quality health, education, livelihoods and overcome the effects of disasters.

www.careindia.org | Regd. as CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development

PROJECT DETAILS

India Partnership for Early Learning (IPEL) is a USAID funded project that aims to ensure all children (girls and boys) from Early childhood education to early grades (grades 1&2) are positively impacted in four Indian states (Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, South Delhi Municipal Schools).

The ultimately goal of the project is all children (age 3-6) attending AWCs/Balvatika/preschools attain school readiness by age 6; and children (age 6-8) attending early grades (1-2) acquire reading fluency and comprehension, number recognition, two-digit addition and subtraction, express emotions safely, and express understanding of emotions of others verbally or through pictures by end of grade 2 in four intervention states.

The project approach will influence practices of both government run and private schools in intervention states to ensure every child of the state is positively impacted.

The project is designed to work very closely at national and state education/WCD department and its institutions to work, influence and advocate on the agenda of Early Childhood and Education and Foundational Learning and Numeracy (FLN).

IPEL project adopts a system strengthening approach using technical support model to work with state and national government.

For this, IPEL project will set up a central and state level Project Management Unit, having experts on foundational learning, to engage, influence, and technically guide department of education and its key institutions for effective delivery of foundational learning and numeracy program in the state.

The key technical area includes- Effective FLN content and materials for teachers and children, Robust and quality capacity building approach and review system, FLN vision, budget and financing,

Quality educational monitoring and learners’ assessment tracking system and Empowered community engagement in each of the state. It will work towards addressing issues and challenges faced by marginalized children and girls in the states to ensure every child in the state attend the school and acquire learning.

Since The IPEL project objectives and goals are aligned with national mission- NIPUN BHARAT, it will also contribute to larger goal of National Education Policy and state priorities. The project has formed a consortium of 4 organizations led by CARE to work with state government. This consortium will work closely with department of education/its institutions to ensure quality and effective delivery of Foundational Learning (FL) for both public and private schools.

JOB SUMMARY

Technical Specialist is a key position that will be located at Central Management Unit (Delhi). S/he will be technically accountable for guiding Early Childhood Education withing FLN program across multiple states through the state Project Management Unit (PMU) and work closely with Technical Director- Foundational Learning to position the project/program at national level and with the Ministry.

The position will lead and be accountable for facilitating curriculum, content and teacher development on early childhood education in each state. S/he will also support in designing learning assessment, monitoring and knowledge development for Early Childhood Education at the state.

The person will work closely with Consortium partner on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) to guide complete FLN framework, perspective. The person will support other function of FLN such as documentation. The person is required to liaison and network with experts and peer organizations on FLN/Numeracy to inform program practices and strategies.

The person will work with PMUs located in Bihar and Jharkhand and be accountable for working closely with South Delhi Municipal Cooperation (SDMC).

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide leadership for building vision and capacity building approach on Early Childhood Education and Learning Continuum

• Be responsible for building vision and perspective on early childhood education vis-à-vis learning continuum for the implementation states

• Technically support the PMU/state in drafting strategy for ECE initiatives for the project/intervention states

• Design and implement vision building initiatives on ECE and learning continuum both at national and state level

• Support in PMU in creating AWWs and Balvatika teachers’ professional development/ capacity building approach and system

• Lead and support in creation of online/offline materials/modules to sensitize and train AWCs/Preschool teachers

Lead development of Preschool Education Instruction Materials and Engagement Approach for teachers and parents

• Lead drafting of preschool education pedagogical approach in context of mother tongue-based education and learning continuum to support implementation approach in each of the states.

• Support state/department in drafting preschool education curriculum and materials (instruction materials, guides/handbooks) for AWCs and Balvatika to influence classroom practices

Lead Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Component – Approach, Curriculum and Content

• Develop Socio-Emotional Learning approach and curriculum for early grades.

• Conceptualize SEL training programs (schedule/modules/modalities) for teachers and educators

• Develop support materials/guidebook for parents/caregivers and teachers/educators with the support of PMU

• Support PMU in designing school/preschool education program guidelines to integrate SEL

Position and influence ECE and SEL discourse and agenda at national level

• Build relationship and participate in ECE and SEL discourse through committees set up by SCERT and NCERT/others to influence agenda

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with technical agencies and academia to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results.

• Support in drafting and implementing learning agenda on preschool education and Socio-emotional Learning

Others:

• Participate in project review and government meetings/workshops

• Represent the organization/project at external platforms on the agenda of ECE

• Undertake any other responsibility as assigned by supervisor

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Program Manager- ECE at state level and Technical Specialist- Numeracy (CMU)

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE

Essential

Post graduate degree in education/early childhood education or any other related field

Essential Experience

• Minimum of 7-10 years’ experience of development of Curriculum and teacher professional development around early childhood education and Socio-Emotional Learning

• Have experience of building perspectives around Foundational learning /Early Childhood Education at national level

• Prior experience of working with national and/or state governments on material development, curriculum, teacher Development

• Experience with two or more of the following specializations: School education, Early Childhood Education, Gender and Equity, Social Emotional Learning

• Also demonstrate understanding of National Education Policy of India and Current challenges and opportunities around foundational learning in India.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Communication skills:

able to articulate and communicate well to all stakeholders (both verbally and in writing) in a manner that meets the different needs of different audiences

Language skills:

able to read, write and speak in local language at an expert level

Research skills:

able to conduct primary and secondary research for identifying the newest trends and incorporate them in program / process approach

Team Management & Collaboration / People skills:

high social intelligence: able to engage and influence teams, create relationships of trust with stakeholders

adept at co-creation: naturally collaborative and solutions focused

conflict resolution: comfortable with negotiating and resolving conflict; seeking clarity and testing assumptions

able to reflect, empathetic, and a good listener

Strategic Thinking and Analysis:

big picture / critical thinker (able to think clearly and rationally and select the best method as appropriate) / connector (able to spot gaps, establish needs and opportunities)

Change Management:

resilient: able to deal well with ambiguity, uncertainty, and change

flexible: able to adapt well to shifting priorities

versatile: able to juggle different and conflicting priorities

Operational excellence (Project / Program / Process management):

able to incorporate feedback and continually work on project/process improvement

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Qualified and eligible candidates are requested to submit their resume at the provided below link

https://forms.gle/VHjweec9WqrSSFm89 by 25th December 2024.

Please note that only online applications will be accepted, and applications sent in any other means will not be considered.

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

About Company

CDRI promotes rapid development of resilient infrastructure to respond to the Sustainable Development Goals’ imperatives of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.

All Jobs posted by: The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)