Under the overall authority of the Director of IIEP and the direct supervision of the Senior Education Programme Specialist, the incumbents participate in and contribute to the implementation of a variety of funded projects and activities that support the capacity of Ministries of Education to better plan and manage their education sectors.
The Education Programme Specialists provide support to the Senior Education Programme Specialist for governments on planning and management, while also contributing to research and analytical work, training programmes, and knowledge sharing activities.
Candidates should have experience in one or more of the following areas:
Education Sector Planning: Expertise in supporting evidence based, multi-stakeholder decision-making processes in Ministries of Education, using variety of planning and management tools and approaches.
Education Management Capacity Development: Expertise in design and management of integrated programs to support the management and planning capacity of Ministries of Education at the national and subnational levels.
Cost, Finance and Budget: Expertise in education cost and finance, including the analysis of budgets and use of simulation/costing models and development of education sector and sub-sector operational plans, medium term expenditure frameworks, cost/benefit analysis, public expenditure reviews and learning outcomes.
The incumbents will contribute to a portfolio of technical cooperation, training/capacity development, and research and development activities and projects. In particular, the incumbents will:
Participate in multiple projects that support governments in national planning and budgeting, and/or managing the implementation of reforms and learning outcomes in the educational sector.
Participate in or lead projects to deliver on expected results across all activities and ensuring appropriate planning, management and accountability for her/his delivery as well as may involve management and support of less junior staff or consultants in specific projects.
Provides quality assurance and technical guidance on IIEP’s core technical offer to countries in support of their planning and management capacity.
Work with the Research and Knowledge Mobilization team to identify priorities and promote a coherent approach to research and knowledge sharing in support of strengthened national capacity.
Participate with the Training team to deliver a strong training offer in their area of technical expertise, including by engaging in direct instruction within IIEP’s training programmes.
Provide support for regular consultation and coordination across IIEP’s Offices and with IIEP partners (Member States, Donors, external institutes, etc.) about IIEP’s country facing research, capacity development and technical cooperation activities.
Participate in the alignment of IIEP’s research, training, and capacity development activities.
Participate to IIEP’s specialized committees and ad-hoc workgroups to the benefit of IIEP strategic planning and programme implementation in their capacity as a member of middle management, including support to the M&E functions of IIEP.
Provide support in taking ownership of specific strategic objectives and quantified targets thematically, geographically, according to her/his portfolio and missions.
Required Qualifications:
Education:
Advanced University degree (Masters or equivalent degree) in the field of Statistics, Educational Planning and Management, International Development, Social Sciences or Economics, with a strong foundation in quantitative data analysis.
Work Experience:
A minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience in technical cooperation, in the analysis, diagnosis, planning and/or evaluation of education.
Expertise in either:
Education Sector Planning in supporting evidence based, multi-stakeholder decision-making processes in Ministries of Education, using a variety of planning and management tools and approaches;
Education Management Capacity Development in the design and management of integrated programs to support the management and planning capacity of Ministries of Education at national and subnational levels; AND/OR
Education cost and finance, including the analysis of budgets and use of simulation/costing models and development of education sector and sub-sector operational plans, medium term expenditure frameworks, cost/benefit analysis, public expenditure reviews and learning outcomes.
Experience in delivering support to national or sub national entities in design and formulation of medium-term expenditure frameworks, program, and performance-based budgeting frameworks.
Skills:
Demonstrable knowledge of the issues surrounding education in the context of developing. and/or emerging countries, or those related to educational planning and management.
Demonstrable knowledge of contemporary developments in the global education arena and of effective strategies for improving educational planning and management, including in crisis-affected contexts.
Proven ability to design, implement action research, training programmes and courses.
Proven competency and proficiency in quantitative analytical work.
Strong analytical and synthetic skills to undertake analytical and synthetic writing, including preparation of training materials and policy briefs.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly on mission in complex environments.
Ability to manage and coordinate project.
Ability to communicate with confidence and explain complex issues to senior audiences.
Excellent IT skills, including knowledge of MS Office Suite and statistical software (e.g. STATA, SPSS, etc.).
Languages:
Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written).
