Community Based-ECE Technical Review Consultant - Beirut - FOR NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC opened a country office in Lebanon in mid-2012 and launched humanitarian assistance programming, operating throughout Lebanon, with the main office in Beirut and field offices in Qobayat, Zahle, Tripoli, Tyre and Mount Lebanon. IRC’s programs assist Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese in host communities across multiple sectors: education, early childhood development, livelihoods, protection, women's protection and empowerment and child protection in close coordination with the Lebanese Government and broader Humanitarian Community.

IRC is seeking for a consultant to be responsible for coordinating, to lead the reviewing discussions of the CB ECE curriculum and preparing for the national CB ECE workshop for MEHE/PMU, the CERD and all partner NGOS implementing CB ECE in Lebanon context. Syrian refugee children need to access ECE activities and to receive learning modules within a structured material, adapted teaching approaches and sessions built to encourage a genuine atmosphere of learning for these children.

It is crucial that the consultant collects, reviews and finalizes the various feedbacks and comments on the CB ECE modules in the curriculum and related SOP that addresses the needs of early age children while taking their needs and context into consideration. The consultant will need to use structured and creative techniques to convey learning to children who in many cases have never attended school. The curriculum will need to include content that is relatable to them and suitable for the environment in which they live in a constructive way.

The need is to coordinate partner NGOs comments and suggestions for the curriculum and the SOP and that will need to be adaptable to children needs. The consultant should explore the opportunities to include in the curriculum Social Emotional Learning exercises with focus on brain games and mindfulness activities.

Description of Requested Work

The IRC Lebanon Country Program is looking for a Technical Consultant to coordinate and lead the discussions and suggestions related to the revision of the CB ECE curriculum and materials for the Community Based Early Childhood Education program, in close collaboration with the MEHE/PMU department, CERD and NGO implementing partners.

The consultant hired will need strong skills and background in Early Childhood Education including developing content skills such as curriculum design and interactive content which promote creative and invigorating learning techniques. The consultant will need to conduct field consultations to North, Beqaa, South and Mount Lebanon areas to conduct needed education assessments with the teachers and children if needed aiming to collect more comments and to highlight successful practices.  He/she will also have a set of agreed meetings with MEHE/PMU, the CERD and partner NGOs.

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES:

1. Lead coordination with MEHE-PMU, CERD and NGO implementing partners on CB-ECE technical assessment.
2. Lead feedback collection process and analysis and validate with PMU/MEHE and partners.
3. Design, plan and facilitate National Workshop with key stakeholders in CB-ECE.
4. Develop a report with key findings, learning and recommendations for next steps.

DELIVERABLES AND PROPOSED TIMELINE

Phase

Key Deliverables 

Phase 1:

Weeks 1-4

• Lead coordination of assessment and feedback collection process with MEHE-PMU and CB-ECE implementing partners
• Roll out of feedback collection process and tools with CB-ECE implementing partners
• Conduct Key informant interviews with key stakeholders as indicated by MEHE-PMU and IRC

Phase 2:

Weeks 5-8

• Process and analysis of data collected to identify key areas of focus for revision process

Phase 3:

Weeks 9-11

• Design and preparation for National Workshop with key stakeholders
• Facilitations of a National workshop with key stakeholders

Phase 4:

Week 12

• Final report with analysis of learnings, recommendations and next steps for revision process.

PAYMENT

To be negotiated with consultant and detailed in the formal service contract.  Proposed payment schedule would include 25% of total payment upon successful completion of each phase, as outlined above.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Integrated Early Childhood Development Coordinator (Lebanon)

Indirectly Reports to: Senior Technical Advisor, Early Childhood Development (NYC)

Position directly supervises: N/A (may supervise the CB-ECE consultant, if hiring occurs during the time of consultancy)

Internal: Regional Ahlan Simsim team, HQ Ahlan Simsim team, other IRC programs and support departments.

External:  Relevant donors, NGOS, DPOs, universities, partners, ministries, stakeholders, and government agencies.

Position Requirements:

• Masters level qualification in Social Sciences, Education, Psychology, Human Development, Social Work, or related subject
• Proven experience in managing and/or technically supporting early childhood development, education or child protection programs
• Prior experience and excellent understanding of working in emergency settings or insecure environments
• Strong project management and reporting skills;
• Excellent Computer skills: MS Word, Excel, PTT, Outlook
• Strong written and oral communication skills, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment and effective in representation
• Excellent command of written and spoken English. Fluency in Arabic and French is an asset.

Working Environment:

• The consultant will based at IRC offices with meetings to be organized when planned at PMU/MEHE and possible visits to the field programs and/or other partner NGOs as requested for the CB ECE revision.