Designation: Associate, Literacy Field
Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Position Overview:
The Associate, literacy field will support the Program officer in the design of the program, execution, coordination with various stakeholders (government and non-profit partners) and delivering on a roadmap for building government capacity to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. The Program Officer will report to the State Manager and will have Program Associates reporting to him/her. This position will involve frequent travel to field locations as well as regular interaction with education officials, school administrators, teachers, and students. We work in collaboration with State Education Departments to bring reform by implementing large-scale system-led projects, with the goal of improving foundational learning (FLN) outcomes in students. Our team supports the State in designing and implementing an integrated program that encompasses multiple aspects of a reform process - ranging from designing effective classroom pedagogy to building salience and state capacity to deliver FLN at scale, while also strengthening governance and other critical enablers. Room to Read has partnered with the Education Department of Madhya Pradesh on a long-term engagement for system reform and a demonstration program in selected districts.
Responsibilities:
The Program Associate will be responsible for the intervention in his / her district and will have the following specific key roles and responsibilities:
Program Understanding:
- Develop a thorough understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program design.
- S/he has good awareness of literacy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region.
- Develop a strong understanding of Govt’s education policies NEP 2020, NCF, FLN, SIQE etc.
On-ground Implementation and Monitoring:
- The Program Associate will support the Lead-literacy in the execution of the program by leading all technical tasks in the state focused on TLM review and creation, training of teachers and government officials at state/division/district and block/cluster levels, classroom instruction and coordination with various stakeholders at the district and block level to sustain the impact and interventions from the program.
- Oversee the quality implementation of the program’s key activities such as trainings, CLSS, mentoring and DPMU meeting’s in the district and blocks, ensuring timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhering to the program and budget guidelines.
- Make regular visits to district/block/clusters and schools, observe quality of the training/workshop/orientation/meeting and classroom transactions and provide feedback to the relevant stake holder.
- Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on Mission Ankur and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of program.
- Provide required feedback through super visor from the field to SO and CO for necessary changes in the pedagogy and material.
- Make regular visits to schools alone and with key government officials from cluster/block/district/state level, observe Classroom Instruction, Library Management, library activities, speak to teachers and headmasters.
- Analyze various data and information emanating from the field, develop programmatic co- relations and flag off issues for a larger discussion.
- Track progress of implementation and expenditures through regular review meetings and field visits; flag off deviations and delays at the earliest.
- Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfil the objectives of the organization.
- Overall Lead different online and offline trainings organized for teachers and CAC/BACs and review meeting. Also, play role of key facilitator for these trainings.
- Assist to prepare annual plan of action and budget for the program.
- Track program progress on key indicators according to the M&E framework during monthly meetings and throughout the project timeline.
- Participate actively on social media in all Room to Read (RtR) campaigns.
- Stay updated regarding new programs/interventions of the like-minded organizations in district.
- Identify operational bottlenecks and weaknesses, wherever applicable and come up with solutions for the same in consultation with super visor.
- Support to the Lead in strategic planning and advocacy, technical assistance, quality assurance, sustainability planning and future expansion decisions.
Government Liaison and Technical Support:
- Serve as a technical resource in the state and participate in technical assistance discussions with Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on foundational literacy and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of RtR literacy program.
- Represent Room to Read in different forums and advocate the importance of foundational literacy and need for libraries and quality children literature in schools.
- As per project need, Interact with key stakeholders (government departments and officials such as key officers of the department and DPC/APC/DEO/BEO/BRCC/BACs/RPs/DIET etc.) s to ensure delivery on program objectives and explore opportunities for systemic integration.
- Strengthening capacity of DPMU members to achieve improved learning outcomes on foundational literacy.
Participate in Meeting/Workshops at State and INCO Level:
- Participate in IDTS workshops on material development, training module development and training of trainers.
- Attend review meetings at the state/national level and provide reflective feedback on program implementation and design issues. At the same time acts as the conduit for transferring innovative ideas and practices from the national level (or from other states) on to the field.
- Participate in review meeting, training of trainer and any other required meetings or workshop at state/ INCO level.
Planning, Reporting and Documentation:
- Responsible for preparing regular (monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis, including program data) qualitative reports and documenting event reports, case studies and best practices.
- Responsible for high stake donor reporting, developing their annual, half yearly, quarterly and monthly work plan for implementation.
- Assist in preparing all programmatic and financial reports as required.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Master’s degree in education / social sciences or equivalent preferred.
- Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in the education sector.
- In-depth knowledge on foundational literacy, language and reading practices and approaches.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Critical thinking and analytical skills.
- Proven track record of achieving results.
- Proven ability to work effectively with schools and communities.
- Ability to travel regularly to project sites in remote locations.
Compensation:
Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education.
How to Apply: