Education Specialist

PLAN INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. (“PII”) is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners in both humanitarian and development settings.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian (dual mandate) non-profit organisation that believes in the power and potential of every child, but knows this is often supressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters and discrimination.

Working together with children, girls, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan International strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenge’s girls and vulnerable children face. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and now active in more than 75 countries, delivering humanitarian assistance and driving changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

Role purpose and Background

The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 7,710,924 refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe, and the estimated number of IDPs within Ukraine is 6,243,000. Plan International is responding to the crisis and working in partnership with civil society organisations in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Dimensions of the Role

The position will continue developing Plan International’s approach to Education across all response locations in Ukraine, in close collaboration with our local implementing partners. The role will also have a possible outreach to Plan International's programmes in Moldova, Romania and Poland when required.

The Education Specialist will ensure that Plan International is following high standards of programme quality, in line with the INEE Education in Emergencies Minimum Standards and other relevant standards. The post holder will represent Plan International in external fora, ensuring the organisation is seen as a leader in gender transformative education programming in Ukraine and where relevant also in Moldova, Romania and Poland.

Accountabilities

Programme Delivery

• Visiting partners, schools, non-formal education programmes, early learning centres and intervention sites, collecting feedback from partners and beneficiaries and ensuring any information is passed onto the programs team to refine/improve implementation. 
• Work with other Technical Specialists to ensure that the appropriate connections are made to ensure a holistic and inclusive education response, with the integration of MHPSS, child protection and CVA when relevant in education interventions
• Collecting and analysis data, conducting needs assessment for understanding a rapidly context
• Identification intervention gaps, risks and needs
• Support education research, technical reviews and other vetting of documentation as required.
• Providing support to policy and influencing activities at national, regional, and global level in close collaboration with Plan International and in-country teams. 
• Work with the BDM to submit high-quality concept notes and project proposals that are deemed worthy of donor funding.
• Producing high quality reports, including inputs into proposal reports to ensure they are of high quality and timely submitted to NOs/donors. 
• Working with MERL Specialist collecting, collating and analysing data to inform better, strategic education programming. 
• Lead on the contextualisation of Plan International’s education models and manuals to ensure they are fit for purpose and localised for the Ukrainian context. 

Partnerships

• Build and maintain education partnership processes, focusing on building strategic partnerships with organisations that have the ability to fulfil Plan International’s Global and Regional ECE Strategy.
• Support education partners with the implementation of activities as per the Detailed Implementation Plan, providing assistance and technical guidance as required. 
• Provide Education related trainings for implementing partners to help build capacity
• Support implementing partners to take part and contribute to the Education sub-working groups in their respective locations, including to fill out the 5W and any other relevant Education Working Group documentation
• Working with the Programme Quality Manager and Partnership Specialist  to scope additional Education partners and opportunities for collaboration as needed, with a special focus on national organisations with technical expertise on early childhood education, teacher professional development, disability inclusion and socio-emotional learning
• Working with the Partnership Coordinator, develop and action partnership capacity development plans relating to education. 

Coordination Mechanisms

• Supporting needs assessments (joint and / or multi-sectoral) as required
• Participate in relevant Task Teams and Cluster coordination, ensuring that necessary reporting on the 3W/5W is conducted
• Lead the development and implementation Plan International’s education programme framework, with a focus on nexus and longer-term development programming. 
• Coordinate with the global education network, and with programme colleagues from Moldova, Romania, Poland and looking for synergies and opportunities to develop and co-create cross-border projects. 
• Act and maintain as Plan International Ukraine’s focal point with the Ministry of Education and Science and official government channels. 

External Representation

• Representing Plan International, coordinate with the education working group and any relevant forums and working groups set up by national partners for the education response
• Represent Plan International with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, other Government executive bodies, local authorities and communities and decentralised education services at the national and local levels

Safeguarding and PSEA

• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

Key relationships

• Strategy and project planning: Response Director, Deputy Country Director  Programmes, Programme Quality Manager, Business Development Manager, Technical Leads (CPiE/MHPSS/CVA), Project Managers/Coordinators 
• Country operations: support staff (HR, Logistics, Finance, ICT, MERL) 
• Capacity building: Plan learning team, local partner team
• Advocacy and coordination: MoES, Education Working Groups and networks, Head of Policy and Advocacy 

Technical expertiSe, skills, and knowledge

Essential Knowledge 

• Significant experience of working in humanitarian crises and contexts, 
• Proven skills of inclusive quality education programmes incorporating child-centred teaching and learning to build psychosocial wellbeing and support.
• Knowledge of teacher training in crisis contexts (TiCC)
• Essential knowledge in Education programming (including EiE), early childhood development, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Social and emotional learning (SEL)
• Knowledge of partner capacity building and strong localisation skills. 
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian Education system, and experience working on educational reform.
• Knowledge and key relationships with education external actors, including those from civil society highly desirable. 

Essential Skills

• Background in education, humanitarian, development, or related field. Strong knowledge of Education in Emergencies, including INEE Minimum Standards, and integration of Child Protection in Education. 
• Training in gender equality and inclusion in the Education sector

Essential Behaviours 

• Strong communication skills and ability to adjust communication to different stakeholders. 
• Flexible to adjust to adjust to changing tasks and contexts. 
• Collaboration and willingness to support the Plan Int Ukraine team as to where needs are. 
• Impeccable organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural environment

Essential Experience 

• Experience working in complex humanitarian settings and/or working with IDP communities
• Experience working with education in emergencies, working with the Ministry highly desirable
• Experience with external representation and effective relationship building with government counterparts, CSO, NGOs, UN, and other partners. 
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian education system 
• Ability to work well under pressure and as part of a Team.