Job Ref COPIII082213
Job Title Chief
of Party III
Job Type Full-time
Location Rwanda
Description
Project description
The Literacy, Language, and Learning Initiative (L3) helps
Rwanda’s Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) develop and implement new national
standards for literacy (in English and Kinyarwanda) and numeracy, aiming to
improve students’ reading and mathematics skills in grades 1 to 4, as well as
their English language proficiency. Working in collaboration with MINEDUC and
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), L3 works with
preservice and inservice facilitators to introduce proven reading and
mathematics teaching strategies and with community volunteers to support
struggling learners. The initiative also aims to improve the availability and
use of innovative reading and math instructional materials.
About EDC
Founded in 1958, EDC is an international nonprofit
organization that works to build bridges between educational research, policy,
and practice. EDC’s headquarters are located in Waltham, MA, USA. We also have
regional offices in New York City, NY, USA; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington, DC,
USA; Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya and numerous project offices around the
world.
Title: Chief of Party
Summary: The Chief of Party (COP) has overall
responsibility for leading and managing the project’s administrative,
programmatic, technical, and operational aspects in the field, and in
collaboration with Project Director and Technical Director, achieves
programmatic success in accordance with EDC, funder, and host country
requirements. The COP supervises project implementation and ensures the program
meets its administrative, programmatic, technical, and operational objectives,
and is fiscally compliant. The COP, in
close collaboration with the Technical Director and technical leaders, provides
guidance and leadership to the project personnel involved in designing and
producing early grade literacy and numeracy audio and print materials, and
integrating ICTs into teaching and learning, as well as gender inclusivity, and
community development and engagement strategies. The COP leads a team of local
and international staff, and represents EDC and the project in Rwanda. An
important role of the COP is to interface with the MINEDUC/Rwanda Education
Board (REB) officials and other government leaders, and USAID. The COP works as an effective negotiator and
mediator between the project, the MINEDUC, and USAID, and builds, facilitates,
and advances interactions with these stakeholders, program participants and
partners. This position is located in Kigali, Rwanda.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The person in this position is expected to articulate
clearly and courteously with officials at the highest levels of the host
country and USAID mission, and develops and maintains positive relationships
with clients, consultants, partners, co-workers, and funders. The job requires
adherence to EDC policies and procedures.
Management
•Establish and set a tone for efficient and effective office
and program implementation
•Lead the development of program implementation strategies,
priorities, systems and structures
•Establish and maintain a compliant and efficient
administrative and financial project operation with accountability to home
office
•Develop systems to monitor and safeguard budgets, financial
records, employee databases, and project information
•Determine project financial and human resource needs and
oversee efficient resource utilization
•Ensure proper procurement processes are in place and
followed
•Recruit staff and contractors according staffing plans,
priorities and project needs
•Develop proper HR processes and documentations including
JDs and staff assignments and performance regimes
•Ensure high staff morale, cohesion, and professionalism
•Monitor donor contractual obligations and agreements
including deliverables, indicators and reporting requirements
•Observe and implement donor regulatory compliance
directives and appropriate host country laws and policies
•Establish and maintain organization’s legal standing and
ensure the organization meets other host country requirements
•Develop project specific policies and procedures to improve
efficiency and quality in conjunction with home office
•Supervise the project Technical Director, the Deputy Chief
of Party, Finance and Administrative Manager, and Communications Officer
•Establish diplomacy and leadership to foster an atmosphere
of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation, in
support of EDC’s commitment to diversity
•Convey and maintain EDC’s organizational philosophy and
values
•Maintain routine communication, planning, and portfolio
reviews with EDC, MINEDUC, funding partners, and others as appropriate
Technical
•Oversee the implementation of project technical activities
•Lead and contribute to the development of project workplans
•Monitor and develop mechanism to gauge technical progress
and review strategies
•Develop and organize periodic project implementation and
progress reviews
•Produce monthly, quarterly and annual reports
•Ensure efficient monitoring and evaluation systems and
procedures are developed and adhered to
•Ensure that training and workshop procedures and manuals
are developed
•Ensure that efficient and appropriate distribution plans
are developed and followed
•Participate and lead education sector initiatives, forums,
committees and panels
•Provide, when necessary, technical lead in committees and
panels addressing early grades reading and numeracy
•Advise and communicate with the Director General and Deputy
Director Generals on the implementation of technical activities relating to
reading and math standards, continuous professional development, and the
provision of sector support
•Contribute actively to sector policy development including
participation in standing committees and providing reviews and inputs into
policy documents
•Employ adaptive implementation strategies that respond to
emerging needs
Relationships
•Establish active and responsive relationships with host
country, host country institutions, donors, partners, and sector stakeholders
•Establish excellent communications strategies with donor,
implementing partners, line ministry and media
•Organize monthly and quarterly debriefs/updates with
implementing partners and donor
•Disseminate project reports and information to line
ministry counterparts
•Encourage continuous dialogue between project and line
ministry counterparts
•Develop communication strategies and channel to showcase
project achievement and progress
•Represent EDC and the project in the host country,
interfacing with the ministry, or other government leaders, the funder, and
others.
Qualifications and
Requirements:
This position requires educational achievement; excellent
writing skills; demonstrable initiative, creativity, and flexibility; ability
to work independently and effectively in groups; and strong interpersonal &
organizational skills. Specific requirements:
•PhD or Master’s Degree in technical area related to
education, literacy, curriculum development, educational policy, instructional
design, teacher training and/or other relevant field of study
• A minimum of 10 years of directly relevant experience with
Master’s degree or 8 years of directly relevant experience with PhD, including
a minimum of 5 years supervisory/project management or program development
experience
• Proven technical expertise in several of the following
areas:
• Educational policy, capacity building, curriculum
development, teacher education, literacy, educational certification and
examinations systems, primary education, international reading and math
standards, interactive audio instruction development, design and administration
of student assessment tools, evaluation of instructional programs
• Previous USAID Chief of Party experience highly desired
including experience leading a literacy, teacher education, or early grade
education project
•Outstanding leadership skills, strong interpersonal and
organizational skills including proven ability to facilitate and foster
collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders
• Proven ability to work independently and effectively in
groups, monitor and improve performance
• Excellent analytical skills and aptitude for details
• Capacity to work in difficult conditions and function well
under pressure
• Proficiency in English required; proficiency in French
highly desired
• Extensive international experience in a developing country
required, experience in Rwanda specifically and sub-Saharan Africa in general
preferred.
Application and
contact details:
Only candidates who are being invited for an interview will
be contacted.
EDC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer
(M/F/D/V) and has Affirmative Action Plans for Women and Minorities and for
Disabled Workers and Veterans. EDC is a smoke-free workplace.
