Education in Emergency Officer – UNHCR

The Organisation

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 it’s 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 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

ROLE PROFILE
 
Titre:                                   Education in Emergency Officer
Functional Area:                 Disaster Risk Management
Reports to:                         Project Coordinator
Location:                            Maroua           
Travel may be required:    Yes
Effective Date:                  April 2022    
Type of contract:               Service Contract
Grade:                               B1    
For:                                   National    
Duration:                           09 Months

 
Purpose: 

Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan aims to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively. Plan is committed to responding to children affected by emergencies in the countries of our operation.
Given the current humanitarian crisis in the Far-North Region of Cameroon Plan is engaged in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance, protection, education and psychosocial support. Its operations are implemented in key sectors of Child Protection, Education, WASH, NFIs, Livelihood and Food Assistance and in coordination with all other humanitarian institutions.
With a new funding from UNHCR, Plan International will implement in 2023, an education and protection project in Minawao. As part of this project, the successful candidate will be responsible for the technical design/review and effective implementation of the project’s emergency education activities at the field level. He/she will ensure the quality of the effective implementation of these activities.
 
Dimensions of Role:

This position is responsible for education in emergency activities effective implementation in the filed in accordance of Plan’s emergency education response in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The Education in Emergency Officer will provide effective capacities and technical guidance in management including the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education activities at the field levels. S/he will ensure, closely with Project Manager of “Education and Child Protection in the Far North of Cameroon and food security”” (UNHCR) project or other Emergency Response Team members, all Education activities in the targeted communities or schools, in the Refugee’s camp and in host communities located in the Mayo-Tsanaga Division. The EiE Officer will work directly with teachers and EiE Community Relays or project animators to ensure Education activities planned. S/He will participate in the technical co-ordination of UNHCR Project, support and advocacy with the local specific education group and other stakeholders and technical agencies relevant to the sector to ensure effective, proportioned and quality response of Plan.
The Education in Emergency Officer will be based at the area of Mokolo (Mayo-Tsanaga Division).
 
 
Key End Results and Typical Responsibilities
1.    Assessment
•    Contribute to the review, assess and update of the Education in the Far North.
•    In collaboration with school head teachers and Community Mobilisers, support to conduct issue specific or general needs assessments as necessary, and contribute to assessments in other sectors.
•    Organize and support the community partners involved in the recovery process.            
2.    Program Design
•    Participate in the data collection with Plan management for the writing of concept papers, proposals and budgets for education and child protection activities.
•    Contribute to ensure that issues of gender, protection, DRR, conflict sensitivity and Plan’s guidelines and international Child Education standards are considered in the data collected for the program design.
3.    Response Management and Implementation
•    Update inventory of ECCD, Primary and Secondary School materials and report on need for additional items;
•    Organize WASH and anti-COVID-19 sensitization campaigns with children in the refugee site;
•    Support the timely and quality implementation and monitoring of the projects in ECCD, Primary and Secondary Schools;
•    Organize and supervise sensitization campaign on education in the refugee and IDPs sites;
•    Conduct parenting session with groups of men and women on Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), Primary and Secondary School in the refugee and IDPs sites;
•    Organize and supervise school furniture and pedagogic kit distributions;
•    Collect and submit field information to EiE Coordinator and M&E coordinator on a weekly basis;
•    Organize in the field all capacities building activities of teachers and communities;
•    Support the set-up of children’s clubs in the refugee sites and in the host communities;
•    Give all support to the school management committee involved to the projects;
•    Contribute to ensure strong collaboration with Education actors in the field.
 
4.    Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
•    Make frequent field visits to all affected areas to monitor implementation of education activities, identify and report to Project Coordinator opportunities and constraints and any adjustments needed;  
•    Ensure EiE program of Plan Cameroon is respected and all concerns reported;
•    Ensure adequate reporting of Education activities as per donor and programme requirements.
 
5.    Information and Co-ordination
•    Contribute in the reporting of Education activities as per donor and programme requirements, particularly in the UNHCR Project implementation. Provide regular updates to Project manager on activities implementation.
•    Represent Plan at the weekly sectoral and other coordination meetings;
 
6.    Human Resources and Administration
•    Supervise and ensure strong coordination of the teachers and Community Mobilisers.
•    Participate in the training and briefing of teachers and Community Mobilisers and other key stakeholders on Education and/or related issues.
 
DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

Complexity of problems handled & the degree of investigation, analysis, & creative thinking required to solve them.
 
•    The job requires intense interventions on the field, in areas often at risk. This requires prudence, vigilance and respect for compliance with security instructionson the part of the staff.
•    Decisions may affect the lives of thousands of disasters affected children, millions of dollars, security of staff, and the profile of Plan across the humanitarian sector and across media.
•    Excellent and creative leadership skills will be utilized to correct implementation of education activities, in accordance with the standards and with possible resistance from colleagues as is often the case in emergency response work 
•    He/she should work under pressure and accept travels and stays in areas often austere.
 
Communications and Working Relationships
Key Internal Contacts
Education in Emergency Specialist, Project Coordinator, other members of the Emergency Response team, Plan staff.  
Key External Contacts
Other agencies and groups responding to the emergency, in particular those working in the emergency Education sector.
Reporting lines
Reports to the Project Coordinator.
 
Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:
 
Knowledge
•    Be a holder of a Bachelor degree in Education, social sciences or related field with good knowledge of Education Principles and INEE standards;
•    Minimum of one successful assignment in an emergency situation/context;
•    Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established international child protection standards is an asset.
•    Proven professional experience in education, child protection, humanitarian affairs, human rights, and related fields;
•    Practical and relevant experience of operating in emergency.
•    Be able to speak one of the local languages mostly the Haoussa, Kanouri and Mafa language.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•    Experience in the Far North of Cameroon is an asset.
 
Skills
•    Team player
•    Background in complex emergencies situation analysis, needs assessments and response planning and management;
•    Knowledge of international humanitarian standards (SPHERE, INEE,) and Red Cross Codes of Conduct;
•    Timely and effective delivery of project activities and other outputs (reports, etc.);
•    Proven capacity to facilitate trainings, coach staff and provide supportive supervision;
•    Commitment to child protection, gender equality and participation;
•    Demonstrate ability to assess best practice, document and disseminate lessons learned;
•    Excellent computer skills (Microsoft office including words, excel, power point, internet etc…);
•    Ability to network with grassroots structures;
•    Willingness to travel at short notice and be flexible to changing circumstances
•    Excellent computer skills (Microsoft office including words, excel, power point, internet etc.,);
•    Communication Skills: Well developed written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of PLAN.
 
Behaviours: 
•    Commitment and adherence to humanitarian values and standards,
•    Aware of own strengths, weaknesses and pro-active in using feedback and self-development
•    Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to PLAN’s core values and humanitarian principles
•    Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
•    Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner. Has a capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts.
•    Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive under pressure.
•    Preparedness to live and work in uncertain security environments.
 
Physical Environment and Demands:
May be “typical office environment”; note if heavy lifting, climbing, excess travel, etc.
•    Work intensively in the field: The EiE officer will spend at least 80% of his time on the field in the context of the implementation and monitoring of activities.
•    Periods of intense work at all times of day.
•    Working in multiple locations and on the move.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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
 

Location: Maroua

Closing Date: 06 March 2023

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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