Education Specialist

UNICEF Ethiopia is implementing a 5-year country programme 2020-2025 which is fully aligned with the UNSDCF. UNICEF will work collaboratively within the UNSDCF on a joint strategy to strengthen national systems for data collection, analysis, monitoring and applying adjustments to promote equity. Evidence will be used to monitor the situation of children, tracking progress towards equity and scale, and to inform advocacy to adjust policies, strategies and budgets. Monitoring and corrective actions will be undertaken through UNICEF staff, partners and third-party monitoring, and through mechanisms for community feedback and accountability to affected populations.

Oromia Region faces conflict, displacement, and climate shocks, disrupting education services and leaving thousands of children out of school. The conflict situation in the four Wollega zones has persistently affected the education system in the area for the past several years. This has resulted in widespread of school damages and children being forced to drop from school. The recent data depicted that over 661 schools (491 partially damaged and 170 fully damaged) across 33 woredas (districts) in the four Wollega zones have been damaged due to the ongoing conflict over the past three years. This has led to 425,050 students being out of school last year. Education inherently requires close monitoring and support to resume services in difficult situations. However, the complexity of the emergencies and the vast geographic scope of the region have overburdened the limited regional office education staff, challenging their ability to reach and support the most affected areas, particularly in the four Wollega Zones.

To address this challenge, UNICEF Oromia Field Office seeks a dedicated Education Specialist based in Nekemte to strengthen EiE coordination, support implementation of learning interventions, and ensure monitoring of education services for crisis-affected children, assist the field office and government partners in ensuring a well-coordinated and designed EiE response for the affected children and adolescents in the Zones in particular.

The Education Specialist will support UNICEF and partners to deliver quality education in emergencies.

Key responsibilities include:

a) Coordination and Partnership: Participate in zonal Education Cluster and inter-agency coordination meetings; Facilitate collaboration with Education Bureaus and implementing partners; Promote integration of EiE with Child Protection, WASH, and SBC interventions.

b) Programme Implementation Support: Support establishment and rehabilitation of temporary learning spaces; Promote provision of teaching and learning materials; Support implementation of accelerated learning, adolescent life skill training and remedial programmes; ensure inclusion of girls and children with disabilities in EiE interventions.

c) Monitoring and Reporting:
• Collect and analyze data on school functionality, enrolment, and attendance; Contribute to monthly 5W mapping and activity Info (AI) for education actors; Prepare situation reports, dashboards, and partner activity summaries.
• The education officer monitors and provides technical support for the ongoing UNICEF-supported Education in Emergency responses in four Wollega zones, which is funded by various donors, including FCDO (4 woredas), ECW/FER (13 woredas), and STEP (8 woredas), and is being implemented in partnership with different CSO partners, including GGE, IoD, and Gurmuu.
• Monitor and verify the optimum/appropriate use of EiE program resources (financial, administrative, and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Ensure the EiE response in four Wollegas /zones/ woreda/IDP site/school level is in-line with the regional and national cluster plan.

d) Capacity Building:
• Train teachers and education officials and partner organizations on EiE standards and psychosocial support; provide support on the development of standardized tools and guidance for EiE interventions.
• Coordinate and co-lead subzonal education cluster coordination, participate and share EiE related updates on Subzonal intercluster coordination meeting.
• Provides technical support, coordinates, and follows up on the ongoing capacity building of teachers in four Wollega zones supported by UNICEF and funded by NORAD intitled “Capacity Building of Teachers and Instructional Leaders on the Implementation of the New Pre-primary and Primary Curricula,” implemented by REB in collaboration with three CTEs (College of Teacher Education) and ELIXER consultancy.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant zonal and woreda government counterparts, and partners operating in the four Wollegas through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results on education program.

e) Community Engagement and Advocacy: Promote back-to-school campaigns and community mobilization; Advocate for education as a priority in humanitarian response. He/She also participates and/or represents UNICEF in four Wollegas appropriate inter-agency discussions and planning on education in emergency and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues planning and preparation of Education in Emergency programs/projects ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated with UNICEF CPD

f) Additional tasks/ As required: accomplish/oversee any other EiE-related activities, in discussion with the Education Specialist at OFO.