Save the Children Education Cluster Coordinator Job in Kenya

Vacancy Announcement No. SCI/SOM/03/13
 

About us

For over 90 years, Save the Children has been making a difference in children’s lives in more than 120 countries. 

We are the world’s largest independent child rights organization. From emergency relief to long-term development, Save the Children secures a child’s right to health, education and protection.  

Save the Children is an equal opportunity organization dedicated to our core values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity.  

We are looking to recruit for this position to be based in Somalia/Somaliland Country Office (Nairobi) with frequent visits to project sites areas in Somalia/Somaliland as security permits.

Title: Education Cluster Coordinator - Somalia / Somaliland Country Office

Location:  Nairobi
 

Post Type: International
 

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose: Save the Children (SC) shares global responsibility for the Education Cluster Lead with UNICEF, as part of the UN humanitarian reform (http://education.humanitarianresponse.info/). 

The Education Cluster Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the coordination of emergency education activities in Somalia within the Cluster approach, in addition to supporting the principles of sector coordination led by the Ministry of Education by mobilizing and coordinating groups of agencies, organisations and NGOS to respond in a strategic manner to a humanitarian crisis.
 

The role of the Education Cluster Co-ordinator as set out in the IASC ‘Generic Terms of Reference for Sector Leads’ is to lead and facilitate this process through:

• Inclusion of key humanitarian partners;
• Establishment and maintenance of appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms;
• Coordination with national/local authorities, state institutions, local civil society and other relevant actors, with a particular focus on structures at state level;
• Ensuring appropriate participatory and community-based approaches;
• Ensuring appropriate attention to priority cross-cutting issues;
• Undertaking needs assessment and analysis;
• Coordinating sector-wide emergency preparedness and contingency planning;
• Undertaking planning and strategy development;
• Ensuring the application of appropriate standards;
• Ensuring monitoring and reporting;
• Undertaking advocacy and resource mobilization;
• Undertaking training and capacity building;
• Provision of assistance or services as a last resort subject to access, security and availability of funding.

However, the tasks of the Coordinator shall be performed within the framework set by SC and UNICEF Somalia and under the guidance of the SC Country Leadership Team for Somalia.
 

The Education Cluster Co-Coordinator will work impartially, serving the needs of all members of the Education Cluster and should work closely with the UN Humanitarian/Residence Coordinator as appropriate.
 

The Education Cluster Coordinator will work impartially, serving the needs of all members of the Education Cluster and should work closely with the UN Humanitarian/Residence Coordinator as appropriate.

Scope of Role:

Reports to: Director of Programme Design and Quality

Staff directly reporting to this post: Cluster Support Officer

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our dual mandate values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and frees up our people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent customer service for our members and donors.
• Support the government in their emergency response by assuming overall responsibility for co-ordination of the Education Cluster or supporting the government in doing this; 
• Work closely with other key members of the Education Cluster, including school officials, National, Provincial or Local Governments, (I)NGOs, UNICEF and OCHA and ensure that linkages are made with other relevant education sector groups; participate and report to Education Sector Committee meetings at Nairobi and field levels;
• Ensure that needs are identified and that Cluster activities address the identified needs, fill gaps and prevent overlap and duplication;
• Secure commitments from humanitarian actors responding to the emergency education response;
• Lead the strategic development of the Education Cluster including development of strategies, work plans, co-ordination of response activities and taking into account the cross-cutting issues; including the Consolidated Appeal Process Mid Year Review;
• Ensure that information is shared amongst cluster members and between sectors/clusters in order to improve planning, integration and implementation.  This includes contributing to regular OCHA situation reports, and taking an active part in OCHA co-ordination meetings;
• Support the capacity of sub-national clusters and ensure that clear and effective communication occurs between sub-national clusters and the national Cluster;
• Advocate and fundraise for education in emergencies as first wave response and ensure that education is explicitly included and prioritized in all multi-sector assessments, reports and appeals; manage the current process for CHF allocation and oversee the Cluster Review Committee process;
• Facilitate the joint development of relevant and contextualised minimum standards, policies and guidelines by education cluster members and build their capacity to apply these;
• Track and monitor cluster members fundraising for education specific interventions. Ensure that members are aware of funding opportunities and support their capacity to access these;
• Support sector wide contingency planning including support to the development and application of sector wide emergency preparedness plans and capacity building of Education Cluster members; lead the drafting of a multiyear strategy for the Education Cluster and implement, coordinate and monitor Cluster activities supporting DRR training for the Education Cluster.
• Supervise Education Cluster section staff incl. Deputy Cluster Coordinator (based in Galkayo/Mogadishu- pending on availability of slots) and Cluster Support Officer/IM staff based in Nairobi;
• Work with Education Sector assigned staff as well as MoE to promote the transition from Cluster to sector work;
• Carry out other high priority tasks as relevant.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• At least four years of senior-level experience in humanitarian response within the education sector
• At least one year of experience of responding in the first-phase of an emergency
• Masters Degree in Education, related field or an equivalent qualification
• Formal training in Cluster Coordination
• Excellent English communication skills, both verbal and written.

Competencies
 

Value based

• Commitment to the rights of children and youth to education in emergencies and recognition of the need for education in emergencies as a first-phase response
• Ability to put aside one’s own the organisational interests and work impartially serving all Cluster members on equal terms
• Demonstrates integrity and strives to wards the highest personal and professional standards

Facilitation and Coordination:

• Demonstrable ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
• Experience of high level coordination and chairing of meetings.

Communication:

• Effectively presents ideas in a clear, concise and convincing manner
• Listens to and acknowledges others’ perspectives and views

Decision Making Ability

• Identifies key issues in a complex situation and makes effective and realistic decisions based on logical inferences, experiences and implications

Humanitarian:

• Demonstrable understanding of international humanitarian response architecture, co-ordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action.
• Understanding of the humanitarian funding mechanisms including (for example, the Consolidated Appeals Process [CAP], Central Emergency Fund [CEF] and Flash Appeals).
• Understanding of humanitarian principles and ability to apply these

Advocacy:

• Excellent advocacy skills particularly in relation to advocating for education provision in humanitarian crises.

Planning and Strategising

• Ability to work and plan at strategic and operational level.
• Understanding of opportunities to provide integrated or cross-cutting humanitarian interventions with other sectors and clusters
• Able to identify and make the relevant links between emergency response, recovery, transition and development

Desirable:

• Experience in Somalia.
• Experience in Cluster Coordination.
• Education Cluster Coordinator training.

Child Safeguarding Policy:
 

Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of SCI must sign the Child Safeguarding - Declaration of Acceptance  Form] and comply with the SCI’s Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of SCI’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact.  This extends not only to children with whom SCI and its partners work directly, but also includes children whom staff are responsible for. Save the Children's Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.

How to apply

Interested candidates meeting the above qualifications are required to submit a mandatory cover letter quoting the Job Title and Vacancy Announcement No. SCI/SOM/03/13 on the subject line.  

The file name of the attachments must be the applicants name and sent to Somalia.vacancies@savethechildren.org. 

For more information please visit our website www.savethechildren.net/jobs or www.somaliangoconsortium.org

Applications close on 12th February 2013. 

We work with children, communities and governments all over the world and we believe in the right person for the job regardless of where you come from and how you identify yourself. We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to ensuring that only those who are suitable to work with children are considered for these posts. All successful applicants will therefore be required to complete a Police Check and must sign onto our Child Protection Policy and organizational Code of Conduct.

SCI is an equal opportunity employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.