Senior Project Officer – Education & Social Stability

Job Title Senior Project Officer – Education & Social Stability

Reports to Project Manager for Education  

Management Responsibility Consultants

Job location Beirut, Lebanon With regular travel within the country

Grade and level 3.2

Contract Duration  Until 31 Dec 2021 with the possibility for extension

Job Purpose

The post holder will be responsible setting up and overseeing the successful start-up  implementation of a project aimed at “Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon”. The project is implemented by a consortium of four partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and within MEHE’s Reaching All Children with Education: RACE-II (2017-2021) framework. International Alert is responsible for supporting and leading on the social stability and capitalisation components of the overall project which has 4 objectives:

Supporting student retention

Strengthening teacher capacity

Increasing access to school and enhancing social cohesion

Learning for capitalisation modelling.

International Alert is a leading peacebuilding NGO, with 30 years of experience in preventing violence. We have been working in Lebanon since 2009. Our thematic focus areas include peace education and non-violent education, youth participation, gender equality and addressing the underlying causes of conflict related to human rights abuses, gender inequality, social and economic exclusion and insecurity. Alert is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring a smooth start-up of the project and liaising with Consortium partners. S/he will ensure implementation of activities and keep the project oriented towards its intended results and ensuring compliance. In addition to managing Alert’s activities, the post holder will be ensuring a close coordination between the different partners, partners’ collaboration on joint activities such as the social stability, action research and advocacy, and be responsible for donor reporting and compliance with child safeguarding principles.

Critical to this role will be a sound understanding of social stability, social cohesion and conflict prevention within the context of working in the education sector. The post holder will report to the Projects Manager for Education and will work closely with the Senior Advisor, the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer, the Programmes Manager and the Senior Finance & Grants Compliance Officer based in Beirut, as well as colleagues based in Bekaa. S/he will supervise short-term consultants contracted for research and training delivery. This project sits within a portfolio of work on education and social stability and peace education in Lebanon. The post holder will coordinate with colleagues working on similar projects and share lessons learned and good practice.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Project start up and implementation

Work with the Projects Manager – Education to take the overall responsibility to manage, implement and coordinate activities of the project

Attend partnership management working group meetings and represent IA as the Social cohesion focal point within the project

With the Project Manager – Education attend meetings with MEHE and other project stakeholders

Maintain positive relationships and regularly update relevant authorities, local actors and partners.

Actively participate in adapting project implementation modalities according to the COVID-19 situation

Coordinate and manage the implementation of all Alert-led activities on the project, including the integration of social cohesion component within the education activities and the community based activities on preventing violence against children.

In collaboration with the Communications Officer, ensure that evidence and learning generated through the project are shared with key stakeholders and inform policy and programmes on education, child protection and social stability

In collaboration with the Sr. MEL Officer, ensure that a MEL system is in place, and monitoring data is collected by all partners, reviewed, analysed and informs project implementation

Prepare donor reports and project completion reports, including financial reports

Coordinate and follow-up with all partners on the delivery of project activities in accordance with agreed plans

Engage with relevant authorities and organisations to advance the objectives of the project and advocate for policy and programming supporting social cohesion.

2. Coordinate research design and social stability tools development and delivery of social stability activities

In collaboration with the Senior Advisor, lead on the collaborative design of the action research, its implementation, results validation and sharing of findings

In collaboration with the Projects Manager for Education, select and supervise consultants to conduct action research and context analysis

In collaboration with project partners the Projects Manager for Education and Senior Advisor develop tools for social cohesionaligned with the needs of the project, partners, school communities and within the framework of existing MEHE tools.

Conduct trainings and inductions on social cohesion tools.

3. Grants Management and Donor Liaison

Develop a detailed action plan and budget forecast and ensure activities are implemented in accordance with the agreed plans and budget

Receive monthly project financial data from Finance and Admin colleagues and review for variances to avoid overspending or under spending

Administer financial tasks related to project implementation, including preparation of money transfers, cash requests, processing of invoices and donor financial reporting

Coordinate with Programmes Manager on tracking partners’ implementations and spending in aligned with project plans and financial forecasts

Ensure the effective recording, documentation, and filing of project activities, internal and external project meetings

Produce narrative and financial reports to the donor

Maintain positive relations with the donor agency and provide regular updates, especially at critical junctions of the project implementation

Project design, monitoring and evaluation

Contribute and develop ideas for new projects, building upon the impact achieved by existing projects.

Together with the MEL Manager and Senior Advisor, set up a monitoring and evaluation plans, and ensure monitoring data is collected as planned.

Monitor project progress and impact and adjust indicators and activities if necessary.

Oversee project evaluations, ensuring appropriate management responses if necessary.

Disseminate findings of evaluations and ongoing monitoring and lessons learned internally and externally.

4. Contribute to Alert strategies and policies

Contribute to team-wide communications and knowledge management, and participate in organisation-wide events and discussions on related topics/projects

Contribute to the review and strengthening of organisational child safeguarding policies and processes.

Coordinate Alert’s and Partners’ safeguarding process for this project, including through a case management group, working closely with the Lebanon Country Management Team, Alert HQ Safeguarding Focal Point and partners to regularly monitor adherence to safeguarding procedures and process. In collaboration with the Senior Adviser and Country Director, liaise with the donor on safeguarding issues.

Represent Alert’s values and ideas and be a spokesperson for the organisation at relevant conferences, seminars and other meetings and online events

Contribute to organisation-wide learning and exchange on the use of dialogue as methodology for peacebuilding

Any other tasks as may be reasonably required

Travel requirements

This post is based in Beirut, Lebanon, with travel to across Lebanon.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Talents

At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work.  We believe all individuals are talented and success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles. For this role, the skills, qualifications and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for communicating with men and women with diverse backgrounds, and strive to reach understanding and build consensus. 

This is what we will be looking for above all else.

A degree or equivalent experience in a subject of relevance to peacebuilding, social cohesion in Lebanon.

Fluent in Arabic and English, and communicates clearly and effectively.

Knowledge of Lebanese education system and understanding of the impact of the Syria crisis on Lebanon.

Understanding of issues related to education and social stability.

Excellent inter-personal, communication and presentation skills.

Ability to influence and motivate others.

Ability to be a team player.              

Demonstrates the ability to take initiative.

Commitment to the mission and vision of International Alert.

Ability to work well with people of diverse backgrounds and in diverse roles.

Solution-oriented.

Demonstrates an understanding of the importance of safeguarding and child protection.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

At least 5 years successful experience of implementing or coordinating projects; field experience, including working directly with stakeholders in the regions, is an asset.

Experience conducting training with schools communities on social stability, social cohesion and conflict prevention and management.

Experience working and liaising with intuitional stakeholders, in particular MEHE.

Experience with action research, mentoring and coaching.

Knowledge and experience in the peacebuilding sector.

SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Annual Salary Competitive annual salary based on our salary scale for Lebanese nationals.

Benefits Private insurance and NSSF.

Leave entitlement 25 days per year plus Lebanese statutory holidays.

Notice period One month on either side.

Working hours 

Full time staff are expected to work a standard 35 hours/week, with some flexibility around start and finish times to be agreed with the line manager. All staff are required to work core hours 10am – 4pm.