ECD Officer x 3 - Bekaa - FOR NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries around the world.

In response to the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in mid-2012, IRC opened a country office and launched humanitarian assistance programming. IRC operates 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, livelihoods, protection, women's protection and empowerment and child protection in close coordination with the Lebanese Government and broader Humanitarian Community.

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future academic success, health, prosperity and wellbeing. A large body of scientific evidence emphasizes the need for increased investment in early childhood, particularly for children experiencing conflict, crisis and displacement; these children are extremely vulnerable to the long-lasting effects that prolonged stress has on the developing brain.

In December 2017, Sesame Workshop and the IRC were awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change grant to make real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. With the extraordinary investment of $100 million, our partnership will transform the language, early reading, math, and social-emotional skills of a generation of children ages 0-8 affected by the Syrian war. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the next five years, the inclusive plan combines the depth of in-person services, reaching 1.5 million children, with the breadth of mass media, reaching 9.4 million children. For more information, please visit: http://refugee.sesameinternational.org/.  

Job Overview:

The ECD officer will be responsible for supervising part of the ECD field team (ECD assistant, ECD teachers, ECD facilitators, and ECD volunteers). The ECD officer will report directly to the area ECD manager, and will be responsible of all ECD activities in the Bekaa and the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation activities. The ECD officer will be based in Zahle but will be required to travel to field locations in the areas to implement the ECD program activities, services, and research components.

Major Responsibilities:

1. Coordinate the ECD activities according to strategy, proposals, budgets and plans
2. Ensure adherence to ECD guidelines, Ahlan simsim requirements and other donors
3. Involve and inform communities and community leaders about the activities
4. Break down the annual operational plans into weekly, monthly and quarterly implementation plans with the help of the ECD manager
5. Coordinate with relevant stockholders
6. Ensure that procurement, development and distribution of materials and equipment are timely and according to procedures
7. Supervise, train and develop team
8. Prepare periodic progress reports and other documents as required
9. Investigate and facilitate introduction of new technology, methods and approaches in order to improve the quality of the activities
10. Ensure that ECD related activities are implemented within IRC guidelines and reports any breaches/concerns to the line manager and/or focal point for proper action.

Specific responsibilities

• Participate in design and implementation of education assessments (i.e. teachers training needs, students’ participation, school management, parents/community involvement in education etc.…)
• Participate in design of training programs based on needs assessments
• Participate to development of training module, both in English and Arabic
• Explain the project aims and objectives to volunteers/ animators and beneficiaries through daily contact and the organization of regular visits and meetings.
• Create a safe classroom environment conducive to learning and appropriate to the physical, social, and emotional development of children and youth both inside and outside the community center
• Develop and maintain positive relations with refugee and host communities, local authorities and other local actors.
• Participate in development of communication tools (ex.: newsletters)
• Plan and prepare outreach work and conduct frequently outreach information and counseling sessions with identified communities.
• Organize awareness sessions for children and parents.
• Ensure that the projects implemented are realized in a timely manner and as per the objectives and activities in the project work plan.
• Ensure an integrative programming approach with other IRC Programs.
• Promote learning space activities and register children for relevant programs
• Monitor and maintain quality education programs
• Monitor and supervise transport for beneficiaries (including accompanying beneficiaries on transport)
• Help in designing forms, questionnaires and other templates as required.
• Maintain an up to date archive system (both in hardcopies and electronically).
• Report when required on activities and results to supervisors and relevant IRC staff.
• Collect and enter data for monitoring and evaluation processes e.g. data base, student daily attendance
• Carry out other Education administrative tasks as requested and agreed upon.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  ECD Manager
Position directly supervises:  ECD assistant, ECD teachers, ECD facilitators and ECD volunteers

Indirect Reporting: Integrated ECD Deputy Coordinator and IECD Coordindator
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Senior Quality, Training, and Capacity Building Officer, RMEAL team, IRC field teams

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor degree in social sciences, social work, public health, development, or any relevant related field
• At least 3 years of professional experience in the field of Education or ECD and/or community-level humanitarian work overseeing community-level programming (awareness sessions, parenting)
• At least 2 years of professional experience at management level
• Adhere program implementation to IRC policies at all times, including confidentiality and safe identification/referrals
• Demonstrated knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and planning
• Demonstrated knowledge of developing new community-level awareness raising and assessment tools
• Demonstrated experience in overseeing data collection and M&E activities
• Demonstrated capacity to lead a team (organize, plan and oversee)
• Demonstrated capacity to write clear reports
• Experience in working with communities (monitoring, training, needs assessment, and overseeing activities)
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, and capacity to maintain excellent working relationships with relevant stakeholders
• Demonstrated capacity to perform well under pressure with overlapping deadlines in a challenging environment
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English

Preferred:

• Working experience with an NGO/INGO
• Master degree in social sciences, development, public health, or any relevant related field.

Working Environment:  

The position is based in Zahle, and expected to travel extensively within the Bekaa area, and occasionally to Beirut. 

WOMEN OF ALL BACKGROUNDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY