Community Learning Specialist (Early Grades) – Education Pathways to Peace

Community Learning Specialist (Early Grades) – Education Pathways to Peace

Company Overview:

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.  

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com 

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process. 

Project Overview and Role:

About the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) Program
Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways) is a Philippines-Australia partnership supporting quality inclusive kindergarten to grade 3 education for all children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

The program focuses on early years education as the foundation for life-long learning and development. By engaging and collaborating with a wide range of education stakeholders, promoting peace in education reform, and addressing inequity and disparity in education delivery, the program also contributes to peacebuilding in the region. 

Delivered through the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), activities are directed towards strengthening education policies and institutions, ensuring accessible and inclusive education for all children, providing an integrated education system and curriculum, and improving teacher quality and development.  

Pathways is implemented by Palladium in consortium with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Orient Integrated Development Consultants Inc (OIDCI). The program’s base of operations is in Cotabato City and covers all five provinces of BARMM.

About the position  

Part of Pathways
priorities under its Annual Workplan 5 (AWP5) is to respond to the K-3 learning
challenges as brought about by the COVID19 in the Bangsamoro region. The importance of engaging
communities in addressing barriers to education has come to the forefront as
the MBHTE recognize the value of working with parents and communities, and
sharing responsibility for, and ownership of education systems.

This has become particularly relevant where face-to-face classes are
restricted, and children’s learning is left to the parents and at home
settings. Anchored on the teaching learning materials for K-3 that will be
developed under a separate piece of work with the MBHTE and Pathways, this post
is expected to support the MBHTE particularly the Basic Education and Madaris
Education sub-sectors plan
out and develop the home and community learning session guides focus on strengthening K-3
learners foundational skills on literacy and numeracy, for use by
parents/community members at home, and learning facilitators at community
setting. 

Child Protection: Level 2
The responsibilities of the consultant/s may involve direct contact and working with children or young people.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

The key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

1. Assist the Pathways Curriculum Learning and Delivery Adviser, and other early grade consultants review and enhance the K-3 instructional scope and sequence on literacy and numeracy, incorporating peace education and Bangsamoro history, values and identity; 
2. Work with the Basic Education and Madaris Education sub-sectors and its relevant technical working groups (TWGs) to map out existing home and community literacy and numeracy interventions and programs for K-3 and propose recommendations as to which can be scaled up and incorporated as part of the MBHTE’s literacy and numeracy program, particularly on community action and engagement component; 
3. Anchored on the developed/planned K-3 teaching learning materials and results of scope #2, develop the home and community learning session guides and its operational guidelines focus on strengthening K-3 learners foundational skills on literacy and numeracy, for use by parents/community members at home, and learning facilitators at community setting; and incorporate assessment strategies as part of the session guides; 
4. Develop the capacity development program and modules to implement the home and community learning guides, and provide technical assistance to the Pathways service provider in its implementation; 
5. Provide recommendations as to the performance assessment and M&E framework, plan, and tools; and 
6. Provide regular updates and reports through the monthly contract management mechanisms organized by Pathways program and the MBHTE;

Major outputs from these responsibilities include the milestones indicated below with accompanying payments: 

Required Qualifications:

The Community Learning Specialist (Early Grades) may
bring his/her own team composed of experts who can assist in undertaking the
responsibilities and achieving the outputs. A majority of the team must be
familiar with the BARMM, and are residents of BARMM or its surrounding regions.

The Community Learning Specialist (Early Grades) will
serve as the Lead and should possess the following qualifications, experience,
skills and competencies:

• Qualifications in education, social sciences, public policy, economics or related field is desirable; 
• Professional experience working on basic education; preferably in early grades, with specific reference to implementation of programs to support early grades literacy and numeracy outcomes; 
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills in English; 
• Ability to meet deadlines, deliver high quality work and flexibility to adapt to changing context;
  Effective time management and organizational skills; 
• Knowledge and experience with the Pathways program and MBHTE will be considered an asset.

The team must submit a technical and financial (fully costed) proposal that presents the conceptual framework and approach for undertaking this TA, including a workplan with M&E and risk management components. The technical proposal must not exceed 25 pages inclusive of annexures. The fully costed financial proposal must provide assumptions for costing.  Deadline for submission is 28 November 2021.