Capacity Building and Transition Manager – Guatemala – USAID BEQT Activity

  • Full-time

Company Description

EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity, with a focus on vulnerable and under-served populations.  Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.   

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Job Description

Project Description 

The goal of the five-year, $30 million, USAID-funded Basic Education Quality and Transition Activity is to improve foundational reading, writing, math, and social and emotional skills acquisition for children and youth through the formal education system and to increase the transition rate of students from primary to lower secondary education in targeted rural municipalities of Guatemala. The Activity is planned to be an initial award with a follow-on transition award to a local subrecipient(s), and as such aims to strengthen the organizational and technical capacities of local subrecipient(s) to manage funds from USAID or other donors and to sustain key components of the Activity. A key objective of BEQT is to build capacity of new and underutilized local subrecipient partner(s) to eventually become qualified lead implementers in a transition award, capable of implementing and sustaining key components of BEQT. 

BEQT will implement solutions to the development challenge in three municipalities each in Baja Verapaz, Huehuetenango, El Quiché, and San Marcos and must advance the following Activity Results: 

  • Result 1: Reading, writing, math, SEL outcomes for all learners in primary school and primero básico in target areas improved 
  • Result 2: Rate of student transition from the final grade of primary school to primero básico for all learners in target areas increased 
  • Result 3: Local subrecipient(s) capacity to implement and sustain key components of the Activity strengthened 

Position Description 

The Capacity Building and Transition Manager will establish and lead system strengthening and institutional development for the Activity, with a focus supporting the Transition sub-recipient to successfully sustain components of BEQT. Collaboratively with the transition sub-recipient(s) the manager will assess and ensure response to the capacity needs, with a focus on reading, writing, math, social-emotional learning, and other areas. Specifically, the Manager will: 

  • Collaboratively work with sub-recipient(s) to establish explicit criteria that the local subrecipient(s) would need to meet to qualify for the follow-on BEQT transition award.  
  • Conduct an initial organizational capacity assessment to identify strengths and areas for improvement of local subrecipient. 
  • Utilize findings of assessments to develop in a participatory way a detailed training plan with steps and milestones for the subrecipient(s) to improve and develop the capacities needed to qualify for a transition award.  
  • Provide and coordinate training/coaching and ongoing organizational and technical capacity support to local subrecipient(s) to ultimately prepare for a Non-U.S. Organization Pre-award Survey (NUPAS) or a similar detailed analysis.  
  • Build the technical capacity of local subrecipient(s) to monitor and provide support to school management systems for student enrollment, attendance, transition, and learning of all learners in target areas.  
  • Build the technical capacity of local subrecipient(s) to strengthen family and community support to improve foundational skills and transition for all learners in target areas.  
  • Measure and monitor change using performance metrics every 6 months using an organizational capacity assessment tool.  

Reporting and Organizational Relationships:  

The Capacity Building and Transition Manager is a full-time position reporting to the Chief of Party, and is based in Guatemala City, Guatemala and will travel up to 50% of the time to project implementation areas.  

Please Note: This position is not eligible for relocation or posting allowances and the salary will be paid in Guatemalan quetzal.

The candidate for the position of Capacity Building and Transition Manager shall have at a minimum the following qualifications: 

Qualifications

Education:  

Master’s degree in one or more of the following: public administration, organizational development, project management, education, social work, or another related area. In circumstances where a candidate possesses exceptional relevant experience but lacks a graduate degree, relevant post-education experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree. 

Skills and Experience:  

  • At least eight (8) years experience in organizational capacity development (a minimum of 10 years’ experience is required with a bachelor’s degree), preferably in the social service sector of Guatemala.  
  • Demonstrated experience in participatory design and delivery of plans for improving capacity and performance, including targeted technical assistance, coaching and mentoring, and partnerships, within the context of project planning, implementation, M&E and specific technical interventions; 
  • In-depth understanding key functional areas for this transition subrecipient award:  Monitoring and providing support to school management systems for student enrollment, attendance, transition, and learning of all learners in target areas; and strengthening family and community support to improve foundational skills and transition for all learners in target areas improved.  
  • Proven ability to work in partnership with organizations as peer to collaboratively support capacity building; 
  • Broad knowledge of Government of Guatemala structures involved in primary education and lower secondary education in the Western Highlands. 
  • Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, NUPAS preferred; 
  • Experience with United States Government transition awards is desired. 
  • Familiarity with the people and characteristics of the Activity area, the Western Highlands of Guatemala desired.  

Language:  

Fluency in Spanish, and advanced business proficiency in English are required. 

Additional Information

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.