AVU Senior OER Officer Job Career in Kenya

Senior OER Officer

Terms of Reference

1.Introduction

The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.

A Charter, establishing the AVU as an Intergovernmental Organization, has been signed so far by eight (8) African Governments - Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania Mozambique, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The AVU has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.

The AVU Business Plan 2009-2014 has two main thrusts:

(a) Educational and support services provided on a fee basis; and

(b) Not-for-profit development services.

The, Not-for-profit development services, aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions (PIs) with an objective of increasing access to quality education through the following activities:

• updating and developing content;
• Open Educational Resources (OER) Development;
• AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP);
• set up/upgrade ODeL centers;
• developing professional networks through Communities of Practices;
• Research and Development; and
• Quality Evaluation and Benchmarking.

Some of the Not-for-profit development services were delivered from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries.

The AfDB is funding a second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will extend its benefits to more countries.

The overall objective of the AVU Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and training opportunities in 22 African countries.

The project has the following activities:

1. Establishment of new Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centres and/or upgrading of exiting AVU Learning Centres as well as Internet connectivity provision at AVU Partner Institutions;
2. Development and/or improvement, and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); Teacher Education, Computer Science, and Peace and Conflict Resolution;
3. Gender Mainstreaming
4. Research and Development;
5. Promotion and development of Open Education Resources (OERs); and
6. Enhancement of AVU Capacity .

The AVU Multinational project II will be implemented in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in the following 22 countries: nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; four (4) Lusophone African Countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique; and eight (9) Anglophone African Countries: Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania.

To successfully implement these project activities the AVU wishes to engage a Senior OER Officer to undertake all OER-related activities of the AVU and the project.

The AVU developed an Open Educational Resource (OER) Repository that serves as an online interactive platform for tertiary-level African educators to make their own educational resources available to others, discuss and comment on them, and collaborate in developing them further.

Currently, the portal is host to 219 modules of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT Basic Skills, and ICT Integration in Education as well as Education Professional courses. The resources are in three languages: Portuguese, French and English.

These modules were developed in Phase I of the AVU Multinational Teacher Education Program.

The AVU OER Repository will also host future resources developed by the AVU and its partners. The AVU’s OER platform is built on DSpace, an open-source Repository Management System.

2.Scope of Work

The Senior OER Officer will work with a team of academics, instructional designers, web developers, and graphic designers. The Officer will report to Rector or such other person that may be designated and will be responsible for :

• Leading the review and improvement of AVU OER policies, standards and practices according to OER best practices
• Lead the implementation and management of AVU Digital Library
• Provide OER policy briefs to AVU members states and Partner Institutions
• Improving and expanding of AVU interactive OER@AVU portal http://oer@avu.org
• Managing AVU OER communities as well as individual contributions
• Managing the collaboration between AVU and various OERs and OCW initiatives
• Improving the use of OERs in accredited programs within AVU network and providing guidance in the effective use of OERs for accredited self-learning within the AVU network
• Provide Instructional Designers, Subject Matter Experts and the Information Technology teams with guidance for the review of the AVU existing OER collection (219 textbooks , and 91 videos) , as well as for the new OERs (textbooks, videos, learning objects) to be developed during the Phase II of the AVU Multinational Project II
• Conduct, in various African countries, sensitization and promotion campaigns as well as training workshops on the AVU OER collection
• Raise funds and manage the OER budget
• Participate in the AVU Research agenda

3.Expected Deliverables

• An approved framework on AVU OER Policies and Standards and Practices
• Policy briefs, sanitization and promotion campaigns, and trainings and workshops delivered
• Digital library implemented and managed
• An improved and expanded OER Portal with world class standards
• An updated OER collection framework that has been restructured and organized according to OER best practices.
• Well managed communities and contributions
• A well coordinated improvement of existing collection and development of new OER modules in Phase II of the project
• Relationship with AVU OER and OCW partners managed effectively
• Periodic reports
• Publishable Reports on all processes and procedures related to AVU OER activities.

4. Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in Education or a related field, preferably with a focus on educational technologies, educational management, curriculum studies, OERs, Open Distance and
• Prior work experience with an OER project that involved regular interaction with an OER repository
• Track record of successful involvement in issues related to OERs licensing, policies, development and practices
• Experience in promoting OERs and in training in the use of OERs
• Experience in successfully completing similar assignments
• Excellent knowledge of ICT applications, ICT skills
• Knowledge in instructional design will be an asset
• Strong communication skills in English
• Bilingualism (English French or English Portuguese) is an asset
• Open, cooperative team player

5.Modalities Of Work

The officer will work full time dedicating 8 hours in a day for 5 days a week.

6.Duration

2 years renewable

7.Reporting

The officer will work under the coordination of the Manager, Academic Programs or such other person as the client may designate from time to time in writing.

8.Payment

The salary will be commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate

The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is an equal opportunity employer.

The successful candidate will be appointed on a 2 year contract (renewable).

Application must include a cover letter and detailed curriculum vitae with: a telephone number; email and residential addresses; and names with contact addresses of three professional references.

Applications should be sent to job@avu.org and must have Senior OER Officer as the email subject.

In case of any inquiries, these should be sent to avuhr@avu.org.

The successful candidate will be based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The closing date for this application is March 29th 2012 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3).

Note: ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.