Description
About Geneva Global Uganda
Geneva Global Uganda is an international nonprofit organization working to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children and youth through evidence-based, community-driven programming. Since 2016, Geneva Global Uganda has implemented the Speed School program, an accelerated learning initiative that supports out-of-school children to transition successfully into formal education. Working in partnership with government institutions, district authorities, schools, communities, and development partners, Geneva Global Uganda supports education access, community engagement, and systems strengthening across multiple regions of Uganda.
Geneva Global Uganda is part of Geneva Global, an international organization that partners with donors, foundations, governments, and communities to design, implement, and strengthen high-impact social development programs around the world.
Duties
The primary role of the Program Officer is to contribute to the technical management, development, and implementation of the education theory and practice elements of Geneva Global Uganda (GGU) programs and other initiatives in Uganda. This primarily entails the delivery of client-supported education programs and related activities managed by GGU.
Currently, GGU implements a multi-year education, community empowerment, and systems strengthening program in Uganda, called the Speed School Program. The focus of the program is to reduce the incidence of out-of-school children and facilitate their enrolment in primary school to complete at least a basic cycle of education.
Speed School is an accelerated education program which provides three levels of a condensed curriculum in 10 months to out-of-school children ranging in age from 10 to 18. The aim is to equip them to successfully continue their primary education in the formal system the following year. The other components are (1) Self Help Groups, which foster the economic and social empowerment of the mothers of the Speed School students to support their formal education better, and (2) training and support to formal primary school teachers and the broader system.
The Program Officer will be primarily responsible for accompanying the successful management and implementation of the Speed School program by the district and municipal offices in and around the catchment areas of the District. The position will report to the Uganda Program Manager Education, located in Kampala.
The specific responsibilities of the Program Officer will be the following:
Provide training and technical assistance to link-school leadership and agents associated with DEOs/MEOs connected to the Core Primary Teacher Colleges and UNITE in their implementation of the Speed School program:
- Support the GGU Program Managers for Education, Community Engagement, and Monitoring and Evaluation in the delivery of three Training of Trainers and Speed School facilitators annually
- Provide on-going training and support to link-school leadership in their continuous supervision and support of Speed School facilitators and parents groups, including routine reflection sessions and joint monitoring visits to schools
- Support link-school leadership in their introduction and adoption of the Speed School instructional methods by teachers in conventional primary classrooms and of the Community Engagement model by the CMCs
- Report regularly to the GGU Program Managers on the performance of the link-school leadership, of the Speed School facilitators, and the parents groups
- Introduce new elements to the link-school leadership to strengthen and deepen their support of the Speed School facilitators
- Identify and coordinate with other government units to help mobilize critical non-education support of Speed School classes and students and the mothers groups
- Support and enforce the routine collection and submission of data on the Speed School classes as guided by the Program Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation
Support continuous efforts to strengthen the design, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of program elements:
- Be continuously alert to opportunities to strengthen the Speed School model, methods, and materials as well as strategies and efforts to introduce and support these in practice
- Conduct regular (weekly or bi-weekly) meetings with link-school leadership to seek their thoughts and recommendations to improve the same
- Work closely with education officials on the design and implementation of training workshops and other continuous professional development activities for Speed School facilitators
- Work with education and other local officials to: monitor overall school operations, collect statistics and tracking forms, classroom size, and attendance and to gather other information relevant to the CMCs
- Work with education officials to establish active communities of practice among Speed School facilitators
Support GGU in all other aspects related to the overall successful management and operation of Speed School, including the following:
- Prepare and submit to GGU Program Director planning and budgetary requirements for the upcoming month
- Prepare and submit to GGU Program Director a monthly report of technical activities, expenditures, challenges and other issues confronted, Speed School facilitators, link school partners, and parents
- Participate in the annual reporting and planning led by the GGU Program Director
- Support the preparations for and conduct of any visits by external persons, including from the program’s funders, Geneva Global, and the Ministry of Education and Sports, among others
- And provide all other reasonable support as requested by the GGU Program Director
Other Tasks and Activities
In addition to the above, Geneva Global Uganda expects the Employee to demonstrate the following attitudes and values:
- Be diligent and transparent in rendering services to GGU
- Be attentive to detail and work methodically and accurately
- Possess and demonstrate good and positive communication skills, including internally and externally, orally and in writing, and in English and local languages
- Manifest professional presentation and conduct with grantees, partners clients and fellow employees and directors of GGU
- Exhibit prudent initiative and creativity in accordance with specific duties
- Work independently as well as part of a team
- Work effectively and calmly under pressure, committed to meeting deadlines and seeking appropriate help and guidance, when necessary
- Exercise good judgment, strong ethical behaviors, and careful stewardship in all activities and interactions associated with GGU
Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Development Studies, Social Work, Community Development, Community Education, or a related field is required. Additional training or certification in education, teacher development, community engagement, psychosocial support, safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation, or project management
- Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting or implementing education programming.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience supporting community engagement, community development, or livelihoods programming
- Minimum of 2 years of experience supporting monitoring, evaluation, reporting, or program learning activities
- Experience working in refugee and host community contexts
- Experience facilitating trainings, workshops, professional learning communities, or communities of practice
- Understanding of learner-centered, activity-based, and competency-based teaching and learning approaches
- Strong facilitation, coaching, mentoring, and support supervision skills
- Ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and report program data
- Proficiency using a computer for Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, email, and other standard office software
- Ability to use tablets and mobile data collection platforms effectively
