Special Education Resource Person (SERP) Assistant

VACANCY
Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) invites all qualified candidates to apply for the following position. SCA actively promotes and encourages Women and People with Disabilities to apply
Title of Position: Special Education Resource Person (SERP) Assistant
Job Number: HRM/TRMO 001-20
Duty Station: Kunduz Liaison Office
Number of Positions: One (Male/Female)
Status: The position is Field Project
Remuneration: The monthly salary is AFN 16,000. We count them equivalent to bachelor’s degree holders for the specialty in Sign language and/or Brail writing.
Non-monetary Benefits for Females: NIL
Announcement Date: 15 January, 2020
Closing Date: 25 January, 2020

SCA Background
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has been working in Afghanistan since 1982, presently managing development programmes concerning Health, Education, Rural Livelihoods and Community Governance, with a total annual budget of roughly USD 40 million. The total number of staff is around 5,500. During the last 10 years SCA has undertaken a change process moving from a primarily humanitarian service delivery approach towards more of a developmental role, putting increasing emphasis on capacity development, rights-based programming and outcome orientation. The mission of SCA is to empower individuals, communities and local organizations, primarily in rural areas and with particular focus on women, girls, boys and vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, so that they may participate fully in society and influence their own development. SCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment based on their skills, abilities and experience without regard to age (18-65 years), ethnicity, religion, marital status, gender, or physical disability.
Scope of work:
Education Programme is one of the largest SCA Programmes whose operational areas are present in 14 Provinces and 71 Districts of Afghanistan. Its operational bases are distributed in five SCA Regional Offices namely, Wardak Regional Management Office (WRMO), Jalalabad Regional Management Office (JRMO), Ghazni Regional Management Office (GRMO), Mazar Regional Management Office (MRMO), and Takhar Regional Management Office (TRMO) which includes Kunduz Liaison Office (KLO). Each Regional Office has an Education Project managed by Education Project Manager. The Programme works closely with the Government’s Ministry of Education at National, Provincial and District levels.
The main focus of Education Programme is Community Based Education (CBE) and Community Based Schools (CBS). Community Based Education is a general term that encompasses all forms of learning such as in primary education (Grades 1-9), coaching classes, Nomad education, and youth education all at community level. Community Based Schools are learning centres normally established right at the community level with a lot of community involvement. The purpose of CBE is to supplement the provision of education to children in the rural areas where the government has not been able to reach. The Education Programme strives to provide quality education services through systematic teacher training and delivery of school learning materials. The programme adopts a rights-based approach, gender equity and equality and promotion of girls’ education. Since January 2015, the Programme embraced inclusive education to create access to education for children with disabilities. This Job Description defines the line of duty in terms of general responsibilities and technical tasks for Special Education Resource Person (SERP) Assistant based at the Regions.
The Special Education Resource Person (SERP) Assistant is responsible for arranging and conducting trainings for the public school and CBE teachers, IERPs, and preparatory education teachers on special and inclusive education (Sign Language or Braille).
Qualifications & Requirements:
1. Minimum Qualification is grade 12 while graduates of Education faculties are preferable.
2. (1-4) years’ teaching experience to children with special needs depending on level of Education (4 years for grade 12 graduate, 3 years for grade 14 2 years for bachelor’s degree holder).
3. Having full command on Braille writing and Sign language (depending on their field of work).
4. Understand different teaching methodologies for teaching of children with Special Needs.
5. Computer skill at operator level, especially with MS Office packages.
6. Fluent in Dari, Pashto, and basic written and spoken English is an advantage.
7. Interpersonal and communication skills
8. Team worker, analytical, and troubleshooting skills
9. Experience of planning, reporting and basic budgeting (for children with special need)
10. Ability and willingness to travel to the project sites within Afghanistan and adjust to SCA environment.
11. Honest, proactive and well mannered.
12. To be Afghan National.

Responsibilities
General
1. Act according to SCA policies and regulations. SCA promotes transparency and accountability in all its programmes.
2. Keep herself /himself updated with issues related to SCA and the environment where SCA operates.
3. Promote positive team spirit and attitude and a strong focus on quality.
4. Develop good co-operation with SCA units, authorities, institutions and other NGOs.
5. Liaise with Disability Programme to make sure children with disabilities are transitioned from PERCs, VPECs and HBE to mainstream schools.
6. Make follow-up of children with disabilities in mainstream schools to find out about their progress and individual needs.
7. Plan together with IERPs, School Head Teacher and parents about Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for children with special needs.
8. Perform other duties as may be deemed appropriate by the direct Supervisor

Supervisory Tasks:
9. To oversee and guide the implementation of Inclusive Education daily activities in the project
10. To support and advise IERPs and PETs about Inclusive and Special Education in mainstream school and PEC.
11. Follow up of mainstreamed children with disability in mainstream school and CBE to determine their needs and problems.
12. To collect data of Education Programme activities at district level and report to IETO on monthly basis.
13. Observe mainstream school and CBE teachers teaching and provide them technical support.

Technical Tasks:
14. To provide special and inclusive education trainings (Sign Language or Braille) for mainstream school and CBE Teachers, Preparatory Education Teachers at Preparatory education centres in PEC, Inclusive Education Resource Persons, and SCA Education Programme Staff.
15. Collect, design, produce and update appropriate special and Inclusive education training materials in sign language or braille for all categories of trainees/students, however in coordination with Inclusive education training officer.
16. Provide technical support and on job training in special and inclusive education to PEC, IERP, mainstream school and CBE teachers.
17. Select appropriate and useful method of teaching/training at different level of children with special needs based on the children assessment.
18. Ensure the implementation and consideration of preparatory education Guidelines in designing of teaching materials, students’ classification and selection of teaching methodology.
19. Compile and keep copy of all training material, plans, schedules prepared and conducted within the project and provide to Inclusive Education Training Officer with accurate and up-to-date information in this regard on monthly basis.
20. Collect and disseminate good practice regarding special and Inclusive education on a local level.
21. Frequently monitor inclusive education activities (PECs and mainstream school) in the field, at least 70% of time should be in field.
22. Work in close collaboration and coordination with Preparatory Education and Rehabilitation Centres (PERCs) and Village Preparatory Education Centres (VPECs) in the Disability Programme for effective and efficient mainstreaming processes of children with disabilities into CBE and CBS.
23. In liaison with Inclusive Education Training Officer, identify and acquire equipment and materials that may be required for children with disabilities. Such equipment may include Taylor frames, styluses, Braille paper, low vision devices, hearing aids, Sign Language Dictionaries, charts, assortment of teaching, and white canes for orientation and mobility for visually impaired children among others.
24. Developing training materials using locally available resources and conducting workshops for the same activity to boost the repertoire of teaching and learning aids for children with disabilities.
Training Tasks:
Design and implement the special and Inclusive education training in the areas of braille or in sign language based on the TNA to PEC teachers, mainstream schools’ teachers, IERPs.

Application Procedures:
 Interested qualified candidates should submit a full CV (maximum four pages) with a cover letter explaining their motivation in applying for the job and highlighting their relevant skills and experience;
 To apply online please send your application / CV to vacancies.nermo@sca.org.af
 Subject Line Must be: (SERP Assistant/HRM-TRMO 001-20) otherwise your application may not be considered.
 Candidates may also submit applications by letter (hard copy) directly to the SCA HRM Unit in either Kabul, Ghazni, Kunduz, Wardak, Taloqan, Mazar-e-Sharif, Laghman or Jalalabad;
 Academic certificates or references need not to be submitted at this time. These will be requested if called for interview.
 Only short-listed candidates will be invited for written test and interview.

© Copyright 2015 Swedish Committee for Afghanistan