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. 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.    

Project Description

The goal of the five-year, USAID-funded Integrated Child and Youth Development (ICYD) Activity is for Ugandan children and youth, especially the most vulnerable, to receive the support and services necessary to lead resilient, healthy, and productive lives. The ICYD Activity is expected to achieve the following: 

1. Children and youth have improved learning outcomes;

2. Children and youth are safe and healthy in their community and learning environments; and 

3. Youth practice positive behaviors and are able to make informed decisions about their lives and relationships. 

This Activity will address the mutually reinforcing relationship between improving learning outcomes and improving wellbeing and employ a comprehensive approach that merges PEPFAR/Orphans and Vulnerable Children strategy’s strengths in acute vulnerability stabilization with education’s broad protective effects. 

The ICYD Activity works with Ministry of Education district staff and Primary Teachers’ Colleges to implement a set of school and community-based activities in early grade reading (EGR) and school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). Within this context, the Quality Improvement Manager will ensure that ICYD-supported Basic Education and Higher Education activities meet Ministry of Education and Sports’ teaching and learning standards. The Quality Improvement Manager will collaborate closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation Director and the Senior Advisor for Education in order to lead in assessing training programs for their quality, with regard to the relevance of training content and support materials, and the competencies of trainers.

Essential functions include (but not limited to):

• Work with USAID ICYD teams to ensure that supported activities meet Ministry of Education and Sports’ teaching and learning standards.
• Lead in assessing training programs for their quality, with regard to the relevance of training content and support materials and the competencies of trainers.
• Work with school inspectors to monitor both school and community-based instructional spaces to assess the suitability of the teaching environment, with regard to minimum standards in space, provision of instructional materials, and other key inputs.
• Support training, motivating, coaching teams, school administrators, school management committees, Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to ensure that standards are met.
• Support the review of school-based quality improvement processes in order to ensure that they align with expected standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Work with ICYD staff, school administrators, School Management Committees, and PTAs in ICYD-supported schools in adherence to the safety protocols for learners.
• In collaboration with the M&E team, interpret and use data for quality improvement in teaching and learning.
• Work closely with the M&E and technical staff to support the implementation of the School Performance Review Improvement Management System (SPRIMS) and support use of data to promote continuous quality improvement in supported schools.
• Contribute timely feedback from quality monitoring efforts to inform organizing, planning, and facilitating training and other ICYD activities.
• Actively participate in Collaborative, Learning and Adapting (CLA) processes in place within the project.
• Other related duties as assigned.

The candidate for the position of Quality Improvement Manager shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education

• Master’s in Education, Social Sciences or related discipline

Skills and Experience

• At least 5 years’ work experience in quality improvement/quality assurance preferably in the education sector.
• Ability to analyze data and create review processes.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A minimum of 5 to 6 years of progressively responsible technical experience on early grade reading programs in both English and Local Language/s.
• Recognized expertise in early grade reading in both English and Local Languages/Mother Tongue.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of teacher professional development.
• Experience developing materials for early grade reading in both English and Local Language/s; experience designing teacher training programs for pre-service and in-service highly desired.
• Experience in working with Ministry of Education and Sports officials, including Primary Teachers’ Colleges and Local Governments (Districts, Cities and Municipalities) in conducting early grade reading training.

Language

Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of additional Ugandan local languages is an extra advantage.

Job closing date: December 14, 2021

Applications submitted without a resume or CV will not be reviewed.

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.

EDC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring a highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits.

This announcement is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this notice are the sole responsibility of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.