Saturday, August 23, 2014

TIME WELL SPENT

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                Nelson Mandela.


This has been a worthwhile journey, full of fun and learning. I have become a better early childhood educator through the great learning opportunities that this program offered to me and there is no doubt that my career will be more fulfilling as a result. It was Isaac Newton that said “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I want to thank all giants, beginning from Dr. Darragh and all of you my colleagues for making it possible for me to see further by allowing me the use of your ‘shoulders’ in this course.
There are many things I have learned in this course. These include but not limited to: For effectiveness and relevancy in the field, an early childhood educator should be a continuous learner; All children, in order to be successful should be well fed and provided with nutritious meals in the early years of their lives; and An essential part of my job as an early childhood educator is to advocate for the well-being of children.

Taken from this course, my long term goal is to be  a caring early childhood educator who inspires and advocates for the well-being of children in words and deeds.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Job/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The three international organizations that work for positive social, economic, and educational change for children and families and that appealed to me are United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF); International Early Childhood Education Association (IECEA); and FHI360
These organizations appealed to me for a number of reasons and chief of which is that of being concerned with issues that affects and promotes the well-being of the child. For example the UNICEF is passionate and committed to the promotion of equal rights for children and supports their participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities. The International Early Childhood Education Association, an organization of experts from many countries is equally committed and seeks to strengthen way of cooperation and collaboration internationally for the sake and purpose of providing quality and standard education for the child. The vision of IECEA is that all children regardless of their races and places enjoy a standardized and high quality early childhood education. FHI 360 is an international non-profit human development organization that is made up of experts in the field of health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology. While the vision of FHI 360 is a world in which all individuals and communities have the opportunity to reach their highest potential, the mission statement states that it seek to improve lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions for human development.
The following are the job opportunities that interest me:
1.Capacity Building Technical Director (Education Sector), Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Position Description:
The Capacity Building Technical Advisor (CBTA) will provide technical guidance to the local government and communities to protect and provide for the most vulnerable, including OVC, PLHIV and adolescent girls in Cote d’Ivoire in support of a USAID-funded, 5-year, multi-million dollar program in West Africa.   Availability of the position is contingent upon issuance of an award of a USAID Request for Proposal (RFP), and selection of final applicant is subject to USAID approval.
The CBTA will provide in country direction for all capacity building development program activities to ensure timely implementation of project deliverables.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Train community service providers in OVC best practices, needs assessment and group facilitation
  • Provide support to strengthen all structures and programs of the GoCI Social Centers – including
Early Childhood Development Centers, Specialized Education Centers, Legal Units and Support Groups
  • Provide technical assistance in documenting and scaling up best practices
  • Provide technical support and coordinate the development of relevant tools for the most vulnerable; share tools with other stakeholders and the GoCI to strengthen community system
  • Strengthen SOPs and training materials for OVC service delivery and quality improvement
  • Assist civil society organizations to protect and provide for OVC in line with national standards
  • Develop training materials, capacity building for OVC staff and data management system
  • Strengthen capacity of Legal Units to address GBV
  • Work with local partners and USAID to develop a capacity development plan based on an assessment of GBV and needs
  • Provide technical guidance and coordinate the integration of OVC support into other care and support programs, especially ECD and Specialized Education services
Anticipated % of Travel: More than 25%
Qualifications:

  • At least 10 years of experience in designing and implementing operations and research projects in Africa targeting the most vulnerable including OVC, PLHIV and adolescent girls
  • MA/MS in Social Science/Education/Gender
  • Demonstrated experience in OVC program quality improvement working in partnership with CSOs and Government entities at all levels
  • Demonstrated leadership, strategic planning, and technical skills in programming for orphans and vulnerable children with a focus on PLHIV
  • Demonstrated experience in the design and use of training curricula
  • Solid skills in data analysis, synthesis, reporting and presentation
  • Skills in research design, research methods, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and management
  • Excellent organizational, writing, communication and negotiation skills
  • Experience managing analysis, synthesis, documentation and dissemination of lessons for a range of stakeholders
  • Fluency in speaking, reading and writing both English and French
2. Child Protection Specialist, Bamako, Mali.
Major duties/responsibilities

·         Provide the UNICEF Chief of Protection with technical advice on the MRM in order to support UNICEF’s co-lead role of the MRM Country Task Force.
·         In close collaboration with the MINUSMA Child Protection Section, co-chair monthly meetings of the MRM Technical Working Group, and follow-up on recommended actions.
·         In close collaboration with the MINUSMA Child Protection Section, draft MRM reporting requirements including the quarterly Global Horizontal Notes (GHNs), the Mali chapter of the UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, and the country-specific UN Secretary-General’s Report on Children and Armed Conflict.
·         In close collaboration with the MINUSMA Child Protection Section, establish and manage the MRM database.
·         Work closely with the Protection, Education and Health clusters, and the Child Protection and GBV sub-clusters, to coordinate the gathering of MRM-related information by NGO partners and to strengthen the response to grave violations.
·         Conduct trainings and capacity building of UNICEF field staff and NGO partners on gathering MRM-related information, analyzing trends, and on prevention and response to grave violations.
·         Ensure coordination between the MRM and all other programs within the UNICEF Protection Section, particularly child protection in emergencies.
·         Contribute to UNICEF’s advocacy strategy on child protection and children’s rights, as it relates to the MRM.
·         Work closely with the UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) and the UNICEF country offices in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, to roll-out a regional MRM approach.
·         Liaise closely with the MRM Specialists at UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO), UNICEF HQ, the Office of the SRSG CAAC, and the DPKO Child Protection Focal Point on the MRM in Mali.

Qualification:
• Advanced university degree, preferably in the social sciences, international relations, law or other relevant field.
• Five years of professional work experience at national and international levels in child protection, including child protection in emergencies.
• Previous professional experience in human rights and/or child rights monitoring and reporting
• Advanced technical knowledge of the MRM, including on the specific role of UNICEF within the MRM.
• Strong analytical and communication skills (both written and oral)
• Fluency in French and English.
• Knowledge of the Malian context will be an asset.
Competencies:

• Core Values
- Commitment 
- Diversity and Inclusion 
- Integrity    
            
• Core Competencies
Communication [ II ] 
Working with People [ II ]      
Drive for Results [ II ]  
 
• Functional Competencies
- Leading and Supervising [ I ]                      
- Formulating Strategies and Concepts  [ II ]
- Analyzing [ III ] 
- Relating and Networking [ II ]
- Deciding and Initiating Action [ II ]
- Applying Technical Expertise [ III ]


References:
Academy for Educational Development. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aed.org
United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF). (n.d). http://www.unicef.org/