Education officer -PlayMatters

Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to serious humanitarian crises around the world and helps victims to survive and rebuild their lives.

For over half a century, Tanzania has been a country of asylum, hosting one of the largest refugee populations in Africa.  Currently, the country hosts approximately 287,903 Burundian and Congolese refugees, many of whom arrived in 2015 as the crisis in Burundi increased. To date, refugees continue to co-exist with the host communities in Kigoma region expressing multiple reasons and needs. Within this context, IRC provides protection and basic assistance in the areas of Safety (comprises of Protection and Rule of Law, Women Protection and Empowerment, and Child Protection), Health (mental health and psychosocial support services and reproductive health), and Education.

 Job Overview: 

PlayMatters is a consortium project, led by the IRC and includes Plan International, War Child Holland, Behavioral Insights Team, and Innovations for Poverty Action in partnership with the LEGO Foundation. PlayMatters promotes an active teaching method that capitalizes on a child’s natural desire to engage in play, focusing on building skills so that teachers and communities to intentionally plan to deliver contextually and age-appropriate guided play experiences to achieve specific learning objectives.  PlayMatters promotes LtP experiences that promotes child-centered learning, allowing peer interactions that provides children aged 3-12+ with the platform to question, experiment, practice, and discover, developing critical skills that they need to thrive today and in future. In Tanzania PlayMatters are implementing 3 main objectives.

·  Outcome 1: Integrate Learning through Play into Teaching & Learning

·  Outcome 2: Increase Community Engagement in Learning through Play

·  Outcome 3: Strengthen & Integrate Learning through Play in Policy & Systems

IRC is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic PlayMatters Education Officer to carry out PlayMatters activities in refugee camps and host communities in Kigoma region. The PlayMatters Education Officer will be responsible for supporting the PlayMatters Senior Manager in ensuring that PlayMatters consortium and IRC staff identify, engage, and influence key education partners in Tanzania responsible for promoting learning outcomes for refugee and local children ages 3 to 12.  The PlayMatters Education Officer will work with a team of officers to ensure all project activities are carried out in a timely manner. The PlayMatters Education Officer will represent the PlayMatters in relevant camp-based stakeholder meetings and PlayMatters project coordination meetings.

Major Responsibilities

• Assist in implementation of Learn through Play (LtP) content piloting activities targeting educators, community leaders and caregivers in the refugee and host communities, including logistical arrangements, coordination with relevant stakeholders, and facilitation of all pilot activities.
• Support the development/adaptation of LtP content, such as workbooks, activity cards, etc., for educators, community leaders and caregivers in refugee and host communities through participatory and consultative processes, including participation and engagement in consortium-wide, multi-country content development committees (CDC);
• Support the delivery of Training of Trainers (ToTs) / trainings to educators, community leaders and caregivers in collaboration with district and ward education officers, community development officers, school administration, and consortium staff, using a cascade model.
• Provide technical support on LtP to target user groups (educators, community leaders and caregivers) through regular mentoring and coaching.
• Work closely with the M&E team to implement mechanisms and processes for data collection, data review and learning during piloting process so that user groups’ feedback can be utilized to continuously adapt LtP content.
• Assist in adaptation, development and roll-out of LtP monitoring tools.
• Engage with field level coordination leads, implementing partners, teachers, parents, and children through structured co-creation processes.
• Support and oversee the implementation of LtP activities in refugee and host community schools and facilitate exchange of learning and standard methodologies.
• Monitor project implementation, track progress and achievements and produce quality reports.
• Assist to develop meaningful procurement, activity, spending plans and stick to them to avoid any over and underspending.
• Support the PlayMatters Manager as a focal person in all matters related to PlayMatters project in the field.
• Work closely with HR and the Education Protection Officer to ensure all violations of the Teacher Code of Conduct and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are properly reported.
• Representation and Partnership
• Support coordination and participation in monthly camp-based Education Working Group meetings, providing minutes to the regional Education Working Group.
• Represent IRC Tanzania in meetings with regional project team and meetings with other consortium members.
• Ensure the PlayMatters project is integrated and coordinated with other IRC sectors.
• Ensure adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures and the IRC way.
• Report any violations of the IRC Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, The IRC Way, and Child Safeguarding Policy as per the IRC Tanzania reporting mechanism.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by your supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Senior Manager PlayMatters Project
• Position directly supervises: None
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: Education Team, PlayMatters regional leadership team, other consortium team ie Plan International IRC operation and finance departments.