TITLE: Education Cluster Coordinator – South Sudan Country Office

TEAM/PROGRAMME: PDQ

LOCATION: Juba with substantial field visits

GRADE: TBC

CONTRACT LENGTH: Fixed Term -12 Months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The objective of a country-level Education Cluster is to ensure a coherent and effective education response by mobilizing groups of agencies, organizations and NGOs to respond in a strategic manner to a humanitarian crisis.

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.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director – Programme Development and Quality

Dimensions: The post holder will be positioned to work from the UNICEF Offices in Juba, with frequent field visits, and working closely and in collaboration with UNICEF and UNKEA counterparts (our Education Cluster Co-Lead), as well as all education partners

Number of direct reports: None

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Core cluster functions:

1. Supporting service delivery

• Education Cluster functions efficiently to ensure service delivery and monitors nation-wide response in order to support cluster members in delivering timely and efficient EiE response without duplications
• Cluster Members have clear guidance on Cluster’s objectives and workplan State-level coordination is supported through communicating regularly with subnational (state) education clusters and addressing their capacity needs.

2. Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the humanitarian response

• Needs assessments and gap analysis are conducted timely, including HNO and Education Cluster Needs Assessment(s)
• Identification of and informing HCT on critical needs in education
• Geographical and demographic prioritization as part of response plans

3. Planning and strategy development

• Develop sectoral plans, objectives and indicators directly support realization of the HC/HCT strategic priorities, including HRP and other intersectoral plans
• Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines, and developing new ones as needed
• Clarify funding requirements and provide feedback to HC’s overall humanitarian funding considerations (Flash Appeal, SSHF, CERF allocations)

4. Advocacy

• Identify and convey advocacy concerns to HCT, and undertake advocacy activities on behalf of cluster participants and the affected population when required

5. Monitoring and reporting the implementation of the cluster strategy and results; recommending corrective action where necessary

• Ensure 5Ws are collected timely, analyzed, and results are shared
• Ensure regular monitoring of education response activities and coordinate the measurement of the impact of emergency education programmes on the lives of children and youth; report progress towards Cluster indicators;
• Use data to inform the prioritisation of needs and available resources for response, identify gaps, map capacity, report and for advocacy purposes.

6. Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters whenever feasible and relevant.

• Emergency preparedness and response plans are developed and shared

7. Accountability to affected populations

• Ensure overall education response is accountable to affected populations and cluster members, localized, and integrated with other sectors, most importantly Child Protection, WASH, Health, and Nutrition
• Cluster Core Performance Monitoring (CCPM) results are shared and discussed with cluster membership and feedback is fed into cluster’s response plan (Strategy, ToR and other plans)
• Ensure that localization initiatives started in the country and within the cluster continue to be supported (localization task team, NNGO co-leadership, institutional capacity strengthening for national NGOs, etc…)

State Level emergency preparedness and response

• Track the development of the humanitarian situation in collaboration with humanitarian fora, particularly OCHA and inter-cluster coordination, and in regular communication with state-level coordinators
• Initiate, lead or support education in emergencies needs assessments at state level as required
• Lead mapping of education in emergencies capacity and gaps at national and state level to mobilise an effective education response

• Develop a systematic plan for strengthening coordination structures at a state level including:

• Formalising the role of state-level cluster focal points and necessary capacity building support is provided, including regular calls and check-ins, regular visits, and technical capacity building plans (EiE, cluster coordination, emergency response, etc…)
• Ensure that all states have practical contingency plans and preparedness actions that respond to specific risk scenarios they face

Others

• Work closely with the UNICEF and UNKEA Cluster Coordinators developing and following a joint work plan.

• Work closely with the IM and oversee the maintenance and upkeep of the Education Cluster information management system.

• Support State Cluster Focal Points to collect analyse and share information to make informed, evidence-based, strategic decisions on the educational needs of affected populations.

• Compile special reports, such as the occupation of schools.

• Maintain the Education Cluster website and online repository with regular updates and relevant documents.

• As the humanitarian and security situation in South Sudan develops, all coordination staff will need to adapt their roles to ensure that the Education Cluster fulfils its role. The generic accountabilities listed below are an indicative list of other areas of work that the Cluster Coordinator may need to assume.

Generic accountabilities

• Support the government in their emergency response by assuming joint overall responsibility with UNICEF and UNKEA counterpart 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, State or Local authorities, (I)NGOs, UNICEF and OCHA and ensure that linkages are made with other relevant education sector groups.

• Secure commitments from humanitarian actors responding to the emergency education response.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

BEHAVIOURS (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 their team to do the same.
• Widely shares Save the Children’s vision and values, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• 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 standard

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 South Sudan Humanitarian Funds (SSHF), Central Emergency Response Fund [CERF], Flash Appeals, as well as education-focused funds such as Education Cannot Wait).
• 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 South Sudan.
• Experience in Cluster Coordination.