Child Safeguarding:

Level 2:  The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: The Research and Knowledge Management Advisor is a member of the USAID/LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity team. The project is implemented by Save the Children Ethiopia Office and local partners in both the conflict-affected regions of the North and the drought-affected regions of the South. The Activity is targeting pre-school children ages 4 – 6 years in five regions of Ethiopia. 

The Research and Knowledge Management Advisor will design and implement effective knowledge management and learning strategy, managing knowledge and leading knowledge sharing events. He/she undertakes assessments, synthesizes evidence from existing research on pre-primary education, gender, play-based approaches to preprimary education, inclusion and conflict sensitivity. She/he collaborates with the MEAL team in tracking the achievement of intermediate outcomes of the project. S/he will lead the development/adaptation of tools for implementing action research, case studies and for compiling success stories, project lessons and evidence of promising practices. S/he leads the annual IDELA assessments in the target pre-primary education centers in collaboration with the MEAL advisor and MEAL coordinators. S/he will organize project level knowledge sharing events for project staff, local implementing partners and other relevant stakeholders. The RKMA provides training to local implementing partners on techniques of doing action research, case study write up and knowledge management strategy.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor

Staff reporting to this post: None

Budget Responsibilities: None

Role Dimensions:

The Research and Knowledge Management Advisor work closely with the Childhood Development Activity Technical Team in conducting assessments, interpretation of data, assessment report writing, and case and success stories writing. She/he collaborates with the ECCE technology team in integrating documented evidences on pre-primary education in the preparation of print, audio and video materials in the form of drama, dialogue and songs. She/he collaborates with SCI education sector and ACCM teams using existing and/or SCI initiated forums to organize learning events to disseminate evidences on the implementation of pre-primary education in emergencies. She/he documents knowledge and evidences, and shares through assessment briefs, brochures and posters.  

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Leadership and Management

• Lead the development/adaptation of knowledge management and learning strategy for childhood development activity/pre-primary education project

• Develop/adapt tools for conducting assessments, case study preparation, success stories, and project lesson write up

• Revise and adapt IDELA tools for conflict and emergency affected children

• Conduct IDELA assessments in collaboration with project’s technical and MEAL teams as well as with local implementing partners

• Synthesize evidences from recent research results on pre-primary education, play-based approaches to preprimary education, gender, inclusion and conflict sensitivity

• Document knowledge and evidences on preprimary education and disseminate evidences in the form of assessment briefs, brochures and posters

• Build the capacity of technical staff and local implementing partners on action research and knowledge management and learning strategy

• System Design and Roll-Out

• Prepare research/assessment evidences for project planning, project performance improvement and ease of decision making

• Synthesize research, assessments, case studies, project success stories and lessons to be used for advocacy in the expansion of preprimary education in an emergency context

• Document knowledge and project evidences and share results through existing or project initiated platforms

• Organize sessions for project and local implementing partners that assessment findings, project evidences and learnings are integrated in project planning and implementation.

• Support MEAL and local implementing partner teams to follow ethical standards in the collection of data in any assessments

• Develop user friendly online and offline platforms for storing and displaying research findings, case studies, success stories quarterly reports, promising practices and lessons of the project around pre-primary education, play-based pre-primary education approaches.

• System Management

• Undertake the planning and managing action research, assessments, synthesis of recent research studies and evaluations on preprimary education in emergencies

• Develop TOR for action research and assessments in collaboration with technical team

• Review inception report for assessments and research undertakings of the childhood development activities.

• Provide training to local implementing partners and project staff on how to use KOBO TOOL BOX for writing assessment questions on the KOBO TOOL BOX and collecting data and editing data using KOBO TOOL BOX

• Ensure assessments, action research, case studies, success stories and project lessons are presented in education sector community of practice sessions.

• Communication and Reporting

• Prepare evidences and learning of the Childhood Development Activity in the form of assessment briefs, brochures and booklets to share with SCI program teams, USAID, LEGO Foundation and other relevant stakeholders

• Participate in the regional ECCE technical working groups and education cluster and share learning evidences on the Childhood Development Activity

• Make the online and offline Childhood Development Activity Knowledge hub (storage of assessment reports, case studies, manuals, reports…) accessible to project and local implementing staff.

• Participate in the preparation of ECCEiE project success stories, case studies and project lessons for CAR and donor reporting.

• Support the development of quarterly and annual reports.

Other

• Collaborate with MEAL team on MEAL Automation and ensure project lessons are incorporated into the MEAL data base regularly.

• Other duties as requested by Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

• Holds partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for himself/herself, takes responsibility for his/her own personal development and encourages his/her team to do the same

• Widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with his/her team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

• The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviours that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in any of the following fields: Education Measurement and Evaluation, Early Childhood Education and Development, Education Psychology, Economics, Development Studies, Demography/Population Studies. MA/Med degree in similar fields are preferred

• Training in research and knowledge management, and early childhood care and education program

Experience and Skills: 

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience working in research, assessment, measurement and evaluation, evidence and learning generation of education or related projects

• Minimum of 3 years’ coordination experience on data collection, data set tabulation/collation, analysis and research results preparation.

• Considerable experience in both quantitative and qualitative research techniques including use of Kobo Toolbox, Access, SPSS, and STATA and qualitative data analysis tools and producing assessment/research reports

• Understanding of emergency/humanitarian contexts with particular reference to conflicts and disasters

• Demonstrated experience of research result dissemination for different stakeholders (government, donors, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs…)

• Ability and willingness to travel to conflict and disaster affected locations and able to work under pressure to deliver results with flexible working hours

• Experience in developing online and offline knowledge hub ((storage of assessment report, case stories, manuals, reports…) and making them accessible to others

• Experience and knowledge of evidence generation and learning on what works (and doesn’t work) for children, including designing/commissioning, implementing and applying: needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and research results

• Direct experience of working with communities in participatory approaches in both development and emergency contexts

• Experience in providing training on action research, data collection, analysis, research report write-up and knowledge management & learning strategy

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Skilled at communicating and influencing across relevant teams and departments

• Ability to work independently and as part of teams/groups.

• Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivated.

• Strong result orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets

Generic Competencies

• Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.

• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well with persons of different cultures

• Proficiency in a national language required

• Proficient in speaking and writing English

• Commitment to Save the Children values

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of her/his level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and

Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK