BACKGROUND
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan has over 80 years’ experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners.
Plan International has been working in Tanzania since 1991. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future. We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights. We prioritise working with partners, and ensuring all of our work is evidence based.
Plan International Tanzania responds to the Burundian Emergency program in Kibondo and Kasulu since October 2015 due to Burundian refugees’ influx with special focus on Case Management, Psychosocial support activities and Education in Emergencies (EiE).
Purpose
Plan International is currently implementing a PlayMatters project in partnership with International Rescue Committee, War Child, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action. PlayMatters is a five-year project that reimagines childhood for refugees. It will bring play-based learning to 800,000 children across Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. It will redefine education and cultivate a generation of lifelong builders. PlayMatters is inspired by LEGO Foundation’s call to challenge the status quo, to offer children the quality education they dream of. Children are not gaining the skills they need, teachers are under-supported, and parents are overwhelmed. The systems built to serve them are failing them. PlayMatters proudly offers something different. It is delivered by a coalition with a track record of thinking and delivering differently. We bring three distinct characteristics:
- OUTCOMES. Everything we do is fuelled by the social, emotional, cognitive, physical, creative and resilience outcomes we seek. We know learning happens when children are at the center and teachers, parents and the system surrounding them embrace children’s agency and have not only skills and resources, but the motivation to drive change.
- RESEARCH AND LEARNING. Effective delivery requires both rigor and a big heart. With LEGO Foundation, PlayMatters will generate scientific evidence that can transform our understanding of play and learning for refugees in East Africa and around the world.
- THOUGHT LEADERSHIP. The LEGO Foundation Humanitarian Initiative offers an opportunity to deliver and comes with the responsibility to lead. Our consortium’s members have a record mobilizing other.
Dimensions of the Role
The Content and Material Development Officer will report to the Education in Emergency Specialist and work closely with the colleagues working on content development, regional content development team and other PlayMatters Project staff to develop/adapt content and test developed content and approaches for teachers, parents, community members and children. S/he will technically support and supervise field staff team testing developed contents to teachers, caregivers and communities and document findings for modifying developed contents based on the feedback from the users. S/he will lead training of stakeholders on integration of LtP at home and community settings and participate in meetings to share best practices and lesson learned.
Accountabilities
- Develop and adapt training content for educators, caregivers, community leaders and system actors in refugee and host communities through participatory and consultative process involving local and national system actors and other education stakeholders;
- Based on behavioral insights mapping and human centered design research, co-lead in the development of and lead localization of content for educators, caregivers, community leaders and system actors;
- Lead in conducting needs assessments for educators, caregivers, community leaders and system actors, to ensure that scope and sequence of the training is relevant and responsive to needs;
- Report and pilot samples of different content areas and delivery mechanisms for educators, caregivers, community leaders and system actors;
- Develop and lead implementation of rapid and iterative testing for developed content and approaches;
- Manage complex deliverables and multiple content development;
- Supervise the piloting and testing process of the Learning through Play guides, content, and curriculum in coordination with other consortium members in the refugee camps and host community;
- Engage government and humanitarian coordination leads, implementing partners, teachers, parents, and children through structured adaptation processes;
- Lead the delivery of trainings to ToTs education service providers and the government to conduct trainings with educators, parents/caregivers and community leaders;
- Ensure that educators, parents/caregivers, community leaders and system actors have ongoing technical support and opportunities to practice what they have learnt;
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to play coaches and community champions to integrate and mainstream Learning through Play in their teachings and support ways for parents/caregivers to integrate Learning through Play to day to day children activities.
- Support the monitoring of quality/fidelity of the trainings in collaboration with the MEAL staff at local level and insure all required data are collected to inform content revision;
- Update key messages and communications materials on play-based learning to reflect the Tanzanian context targeting refugees and host communities and update as the context evolves;
- Perform other duties as may be assigned by your supervisor.
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) 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
External – Close collaboration and strong working relationship with project consortium partners (International Rescue Committee, War Child, Behavioral Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.) Where needed the Content and Material Development Officer will also work with Regional PlayMatters technical team on technical matters, Government stakeholders and partner agencies working in education in emergency during the course of project implementation.
Internally – The Content and Material Development officer will report to the EiE Specialist whilst working closely with the EiE Coordinator, EiE officers as well as the PlayMatters team who will be working in content development and supporting implementation program activities at camp level and in the host community. S/HE will work closely with the MEAL, Communications and advocacy team, and Child Protection team and ensure that protection and inclusion is integrated in all Education activities and content that will be developed.
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
Essential
- At least hold a bachelor’s degree in Education, community studies, or social sciences from an accredited university.
- A postgraduate qualification in community studies or community education, with specialization in interdisciplinary area such as adult education will be added advantage.
- At least minimum of five (5) years’ experience implementing learning and education programme and material development in humanitarian context for caregivers and community structures (outside formal school).
- Experience of developing learning content for either school or home setting, including writing and adapting (contextualize) material.
- Experience of working in NGO setting and demonstratable strong background in developing contents, modules and guidelines for teachers and caregivers.
- Experience with Learning through Play approaches in education emergency responses programs will be considered a strong asset.
- Proven track record of and knowledge of engaging with government priorities, systems, and structure.
- Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain creative decisions in spoken and written format effectively in a multi-cultural environment with international and national colleagues and partners
- Strong eye for detail, a consistent style, and a willingness to share work with others for feedback.
- An ability to receive, interpret, and implement constructive feedback from diverse project stakeholders
- Work well under pressure, dealing with competing priorities, in a fast-paced team-oriented environment
- Detail-oriented and good multi-tasking abilities to meet multiple deadlines
- Strong team player, participation and flexibility throughout in an iterative design process with many diverse stakeholders across a large consortium and multiple content development teams
- Fluency in English and Swahili is required, additional of Kirundi or French language will be added advantage.
- Strong writing skills in English.
- Understanding of humanitarian crises and contexts in eastern Africa is a plus
Desirable
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work in a matrix environment
- Good written and oral communication skills, including working team environment
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Having organizational skills and the ability to multitask while working on projects with varying activities, objectives, and deliverables
- Good negotiation and influencing skills
- Sound judgment and decision-making in complex situations
- Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating in difficult working conditions
Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
- Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
- Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
- Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
- Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
- Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
- Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
- Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
- Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
- Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
Physical Environment
The job holder requires 40 % field work in the camps and host community and 60 % office-based environments.
Level of contact with children
High interaction with children
