Short description
The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is seeking a Head of
Policy to lead on policy development, research and evidence-based advocacy. The
Head of Policy will playa central role in ensuring that the GCE movement has a
substantial impact on global education policy-making, and that GCE members have
such an impact regionally and nationally.
Introduction
The Global Campaign for Education (GCE), founded in 1999, is
a global civil society movement working to end the education crisis. GCE
members brings together civil society organisations, NGOs, teacher unions,
child rights activists, parents' associations, young people and community
organisations, who work together in coalition in nearly 100 countries. GCE
promotes education as a basic human right, and mobilises the public to put
pressure on governments and the international community to fulfil their
promises to provide free, compulsory, high quality public education for all.
GCE is driven by the conviction that quality education for
all is achievable, and that civil society and citizen action to put pressure on
governments and hold them to account is critical to creating and maintaining
the necessary political will. The costs of inaction on the continuing global
education crisis are immense; we believe that in an increasingly
knowledge-based economy, denial of the right to education is an injustice that
will translate into growing inequality, poverty and deprivation. The Global
Campaign for Education commits itself to achieve its mission with objectivity,
transparency and accountability and to follow democratic norms and processes in
all its plans and actions. See www.campaignforeducation.org.
Job purpose
To support GCE and its members to be a credible and informed
influence on national and international education policy, through leading and
supporting research, policy development and evidence-based advocacy aimed at
ensuring that governments and the global community fulfil their commitments to
deliver the right to education and achieve the Education For All goals.
Reporting to: GCE
Global Co-ordinator
Line reports: CSEF
Networks and Learning Manager
Key relationships: CSEF
Head of Programme, GCE Head of Communications, GCE members.
Location: GCE
Global Headquarters - Johannesburg.
Contract Length: Permanent
Salary: R545,610
plus benefits (health, pension, relocation where necessary)
Duties and responsibilities:
·Act as a member
of GCE's senior management team, contributing to overall strategic
planning, campaign development and operational planning.
·Lead development
of GeE policy and advocacy strategies, in line with GCE's strategic plan,
including planning and design of research, reports and advocacy interventions.
·Have
responsibility for developing and promoting evidence-based policy positions in
accordance with existing policy positions and resolutions, and in consultation
and dialogue with GCE membership.
·Develop the
content (through writing or commissioning) of GeE research reports, policy
reports and policy briefings. This includes products to be used in global
advocacy, as well is in national advocacy by CSEF-supported and other
coalitions. Produce key talking points on all GCE policy positions, for use by
Board, staff and members.
·Manage the
Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF) Networks and Learning Manager, who is
focused on coordinating and providing capacity support and learning among GCE
partners and CSEF coalitions, mostly in low-income countries, supported through
the CSEF.
·Support the
development of tools, training modules and other resources that support
CSEFsupported coalitions to analyse the national education scenario from a
critical perspective and to influence national education policy, planning and
implementation.
·Within the
framework of the CSEF capacity-building plan, work with the Networks and
Learning Manager and individual coalitions (1 to 3 per year) to support
specific policy and advocacy activities (eg support on strategy, research,
reports, etc)
·Support
international-regional-national collaboration around themes identified
through participatory processes that link to coalitions' own advocacy
objectives and strategies (e.g. teachers, financing, quality), including
through the CSEF.
·Monitor developments
in education policy and provide regular updates to support members to
engage with major policy issues, including:
·Education
financing, including taxation and capital flight and privatisation
·Quality
education, including trained teachers, and issues around the learning agenda
·Non-discrimination
·Education policy
frameworks (national, regional and global), including the post-2015 framework,
and implementation of the right to education.
·Global, regional
and national education policy processes and the role of different actors (GPE,
bilateral donors, IFls, private sector etc)
·The status of
the implementation of the right to education, across GCE member countries.
·Have
responsibility for responding to external policy developments and
opportunities relating to GCE's Strategic Plan 2011-2014.
·Maintain an
overview of current education research, including that published by GCE
members, and share information.
·Support GeE
representation to high-level international meetings and deliver
high-quality briefing materials for GCE representatives and GCE members that
attend. Represent GCE at international meetings and in media interviews upon
request.
·Support to civil
society representatives on the GPE Board, both in their engagement at Board
meetings and in their outreach to the civil society constituency.
Key competencies
Essential
·A commitment to
GCE's core values, principles and mission to promote the right to education.
·At least 5
years' experience of evidence-based international development policy, of which
at least three years has been on issues related to education.
·Extensive
experience of working with activists and advocates from Africa, Asia Pacific,
Latin America and the Caribbean and/or the Middle East, and an understanding of
grassroots civil society activism.
·Well-developed
skills in advocacy and lobbying, and experience of developing successful
advocacy strategies.
·Experience of
managing and producing high-quality research and advocacy publications,
including across multiple countries.
·Experience of writing
and presenting briefings for external policy audiences such as education
ministries and donor forums.
·Fluency in
written and spoken English, and competency in one or more of GCE's other
official
languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese)
·Excellent
interpersonal skills over email, by phone and in person
·Ability to work
across different cultures, and with colleagues in different locations.
·Ability to work
to tight deadlines and to prioritise a complex workload.
·Ability to travel
frequently (up to 8 times per year).
·Experience of
managing staff.
Desirable
·Skills in
statistical analysis.
·Well-developed
network of contacts in the field of global education policy.
·Experience of
providing capacity development support to grassroots activists.
·Experience of
working in global networks or coalitions.
·Experience of
working with GCE member coalitions.
Application guidelines
Please note that ONLY applications sent in accordance
with these instructions will be considered.
1.Please send
applications to jobs@campaignforeducation.org.
2.The title of your
email should include your name, the word 'application' and the name of the post
you are applying for (e.g. 'Obama application Head of Policy')
3.You should attach:
·your
CV / resume;
·a
cover letter explaining your suitability for the position;
·details
of two referees (we will not contact them without your permission).
4.Please indicate in
your email where you saw the post advertised.
We will notify shortlisted candidates within three weeks
of the closing date; please do not call in the meantime, as we cannot
respond to individual requests about this post.
Closing Date: 7 October 2013
