District Lead, Literacy Field

Job Description

World Change Starts with Educated Children ® Position Overview: We work in collaboration with State Education Departments to bring reform by implementing large-scale system-led projects, with the goal of improving foundational learning (FLN) outcomes in students. Our team supports the State in designing and implementing an integrated program that encompasses multiple aspects of a reform process - ranging from designing effective classroom pedagogy to building salience and state capacity to deliver FLN at scale, while also strengthening governance and other critical enablers. Room to Read has partnered with the Education Department of Madhya Pradesh on a long-term engagement for system reform and a demonstration program in selected districts. The District Lead will support the state manager in the design of the program, execution, coordination with various stakeholders (government and non-profit partners) and delivering on a roadmap for building government capacity to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. The District Lead will report to the State Manager and will have Program Associates reporting to him/her. This position will involve frequent travel to field locations as well as regular interaction with state and district education officials, school administrators, teachers, and students. Roles & Responsibilities: The District Lead will be responsible for the intervention in their district and will have the following specific key roles and responsibilities: Program Understanding: Develop a thorough understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program design and Project Deliverables S/he has good awareness of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region. Develop a strong understanding of Govt’s education policies NEP 2020, NCF, FLN, SIQE, Mission Ankur etc. On-ground Implementation and Monitoring: Oversee the quality implementation of the project in the district and blocks, ensuring timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhering to the program and budget guidelines. Complete regular visits to program schools, observe classroom transactions, speak to teachers and headmasters and make suggestions for improving quality and utilization of these materials. Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on Mission Ankur and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of program. Provide required feedback from the insights collated in field to SO and CO for necessary changes in the pedagogy and material. Analyze various data and information emanating from the field, develop programmatic co- relations and flag off issues for a larger discussion. Track progress of implementation and expenditures through regular review meetings and field visits; flag off deviations and delays at the earliest. Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfil the objectives of the organization. Ensure effective utilization of program budget through proper planning and tracking of planned activities. Ensure that financial and procurement norms are adhered to, and efforts are made to reduce costs to the extent possible, without compromising on the quality. Track program progress on key indicators according to the M&E framework during monthly meetings and throughout the project timeline. Participate actively on social media in all Room to Read (RtR) campaigns. Stay updated regarding new programs/interventions of the like-minded organizations in district. Identify operational bottlenecks and weaknesses, wherever applicable and come up with solutions for the same in consultation with state manager. Support the State Manager in the execution of the Project by leading all technical tasks in the district focused on capacity building of stakeholders across all levels (District, Block, Cluster and Schools), support uptake of materials, and establish coordination with various stakeholders at the district level to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. Support the State Manager in strategic planning and advocacy, technical assistance, quality assurance, sustainability planning and future expansion decisions. Government Liaison and Technical Support: Serve as a technical resource at the district level and participate in technical assistance discussions. Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on foundational literacy as well as Numeracy and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of RtR literacy program. Represent Room to Read in different forums and advocate the importance of foundational literacy and need for libraries and quality children literature in schools. Interact with key stakeholders (government departments and officials such as CDEO/ADPC/DEEO/RPs/DIET etc.) on a day-to-day basis to ensure delivery of program objectives and explore opportunities for systemic integration. Conduct discussions with stakeholders at multiple levels across the districts reflecting on the insights collated via field visits, monitoring data and interactions to formulate the way forward for the month. Strengthen district’s capacity to achieve improved learning outcomes on foundational literacy and numeracy. Provide technical support to DIET across multiple areas; foundational literacy, library, research, assessment, trainings under the recommendation from NEP 2020 and NIPUN Bharat. Team Coordination and Capacity Building: Provide operational oversight to program associate/s and support them and Identify gaps in the operational capabilities and plan for their capacity building in discussion with the state manager as well as relevant team members. Manage performance evaluation, capacity building and coaching of Program Associate/s and Program Coordinator/s. Establish coordination with state program officer to share program updates, getting technical support as required in program and support in alignment of state level plans and priorities. Participate in Meeting/Workshops at State and INCO Level: Participate in IDTS workshops on material development, training module development and training of trainers. Attend review meetings at the state/national level and provide reflective feedback on program implementation and design issues. At the same time acts as the conduit for transferring innovative ideas and practices from the national level (or from other states) on to the field. Planning, Reporting and Documentation: Responsible for preparing regular (monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis, including program data) qualitative reports and documenting event reports, case studies and best practices. Responsible for high stake donor reporting, developing their annual, half yearly, quarterly and monthly work plan for implementation. Supervise and ensure all data entry and compilation on monthly, quarterly and yearly basis, including GSD, Dashboard data, maintaining high levels of data quality. Develop actionable insights through analyses of data collected via monitoring visits to further inform the project implementation. Responsible for preparing Implementation calendar, cash forecast, PRs budget outlook, AP&B and regular tracking of budget management. Assist in preparing all programmatic and financial reports as required. Qualifications: Required: Master’s degree in education / social sciences or equivalent preferred. Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in the education sector. Minimum 2 years of program management experience, preferably in education In-depth knowledge on foundational literacy, language and reading practices and approaches. Strong written and oral communication skills. Critical thinking and analytical skills. Good interpersonal skills and a team player. Prior experience of managing a large team. Proven track record of achieving results and managing large stake projects is preferred. Proven ability to work effectively with schools and communities. Ability to travel regularly to project sites in remote locations. Compensation: Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read is a child-safe organization. Location(s) India - Madhya Pradesh To be successful at Room to Read, you will also: Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization Be a proactive and innovative thinker who achieves results and creates positive change Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness Embrace diversity and a commitment to collaboration Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment Room to Read is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled About Room to Read: Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality through education. We are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls as they build life skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. We collaborate with governments and other partner organizations to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. Room to Read has benefited more than 45 million children and has worked in 24 countries and in more than 213,000 communities, providing additional support through remote solutions that facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.