ECCE Technology Advisor (Re-advert)

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Description

Vacancy for ECCE Technology Advisor

TEAM/PROGRAMME: USAID/LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity

LOCATION: Ethiopia Country Office, Addis Ababa

GRADE: TBD

TYPE OF CONTRACT: National

Child Safeguarding: 

Level 2:  The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The ECCE Technology Advisor is a member of the USAID/LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity team. The project is implemented by Save the Children Ethiopia Office and local partners targeting crisis- and drought-affected pre-primary school-age children in five regions of Ethiopia.

The ECCE Technology Advisor will provide technical leadership and expertise in integrating technology into Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) interventions, especially in emergency settings. They will support the Activity team and local implementing partners by adapting various ECCE lessons, messages, stories, and songs into accessible formats. This includes leading the production of interactive audiovisual and print materials for use in ECCE centers and at the community level.

She/he will also support in organizing and running the technology-based ECCE resource center in target centers of excellence and Teacher Education Colleges. The role involves producing various forms of content such as lesson cards, best practice videos, and other printed materials, tailored for target learning centers, village communities, and regional ECCE resource centers. The advisor will map and adapt existing ECCE content, transforming it into formats like recorded stories, dialogues, and play-based games for children.

In addition, they will offer technical support in creating play-based print materials that inspire children and parents and train technology experts from LIPs on utilizing digital lessons to facilitate engaging interactions with children at ECCE centers, in the community, and at home. They will also provide coaching and mentoring to LIP staff on using radio lessons to promote playful learning in ECCE centers and during parental group sessions.

The advisor will oversee the organization and operation of technology-based ECCE resource centers in designated centers of excellence and Teacher Education Colleges, ensuring these resources effectively support playful and interactive learning.

The ECCE Technology Advisor will also require strong skills in photography and content capture to document the implementation of ECCE interventions and highlight best practices. This includes capturing impactful visuals of program activities, learning environments, and community engagement. Additionally, the role involves coaching implementing partners on these content capture skills to enhance their ability to document their own activities and increase their visibility, ensuring that success stories and key moments are effectively shared with a broader audience.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Senior Community-Based Intervention Advisor

Budget Responsibilities: None

Role Dimensions:

The ECCE Technology Advisor will collaborate with various components of the project, including teacher education, social and behavior change communication (SBCC), gender and inclusion, and the communication team, to ensure that the Childhood Development Activity is effectively supported by technological innovations. These activities focus on play-based learning and holistic child development. The Advisor will ensure that multimedia materials, such as videos, audio-taped ECCE lessons, and print resources, are designed to address gender and disability considerations while promoting positive social norms.

She/he will support LIP staff in integrating audio-taped lessons into ECCE centers and during parental group sessions to enhance engagement with children. Working closely with the communication team, the Advisor will ensure that materials effectively influence audiences and encourage the expansion of ECCE services, particularly in conflict- and disaster-affected areas. In partnership with the MEAL team, the Advisor will conduct assessments to evaluate the impact of radio broadcasts, audio-taped lessons, and this includes analyzing results and adapting strategies to improve access and effectiveness. The role also involves supporting LIPs in monitoring the use of solar radios and ensuring that tailored messages, delivered in local languages, reach the intended audiences. She/he will lead the production of play-based radio lessons for young children, including radio dialogues, role plays, stories, songs, and dramas.

These resources will be used by ECCE facilitators and during Teacher Learning Circle sessions to create engaging and interactive learning experiences for children. Additionally, the Advisor will guide LIPs in capturing and documenting implementation activities and best practices, further enhancing the visibility and impact of ECCE interventions.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

A.  Technical Leadership:

• Lead the mapping of existing audio, video, and print resources on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) designed for play-based learning, including lessons, dramas, dialogues, key messages, and stories. Adapt these resources into audio and print formats suitable for use in conflict- and drought-affected areas.
• Develop and adapt teachers’ guides to support the effective use of audio dramas, stories, learning lessons, and print materials, ensuring they are used in an engaging and playful manner.
• Lead the establishment of ECCE resource centers within Teacher Education (TE) colleges and organize learning platforms for ECCE facilitators at target centers to access and benefit from these technology-based resources.
• Lead the production and adaptation of ECCE video lessons, print materials, and stories, tailored for use by ECCE facilitators and TE colleges.
• Use photography and videography to document key ECCE implementation processes, and best practices within ECCE interventions, ensuring a visual record that highlights the program’s impact and success.
• Develop engaging visual content, including story cards, lesson videos, posters, and banners, that communicate CDA messages effectively to various audiences.
• Support capacity-building efforts for local implementing partners on photography and design, empowering them to document their ECCE activities.
• Create guidelines to support local implementing partners (LIPs) in producing audio, video, drama, and print materials that promote positive behavior change.
• Lead the effective use of the developed messages by the target learning centers and respective communities using CDA solar radios or other available transmission alternatives
• Assist LIP staff in implementing guidelines for the use of audio and print productions, ensuring these resources promote playful learning within ECCE centers.
• Adapt or create graphics and visuals that effectively communicate specific skills or themes to target audiences.

B. Ensuring Program Quality (Design & Implementation):

• Lead the technical scoping and sequencing of tailored audio and print production on ECCE in the form of drama, stories, songs, and learning lessons.
• Provide capacity-building training to LIP staff on the use of audio and print productions to promote play in ECCE centers or at home.
• Support LIP staff to collaborate with Teacher Education Colleges to ensure the resource centers’ video and audio productions are used by target ECCE center’/preprimary school teachers
• Support LIP staff to ensure the adapted/developed audio and print production on ECCE in the form of drama, dialogues, stories and songs are used in ECCE centers and at parental group session using the solar radios
• Ensure the production of tailored key messages on different themes are aired through regional and national radio broadcasted to influence stakeholders in the expansion of ECCE in the conflict and disaster-affected areas
• Collaborate with MEAL team in the assessment and interpretation of the impact of audio, video and print material production in playful way in promoting playful learning using tailored messages and learning sessions.
• Coach and mentor LIP technology coordinators on the use of audio and print productions in promoting playful learning through dramatized messages, dialogues, stories and songs.
• Contribute inputs to the preparation of case stories, project lessons and technical briefs on ECCE audio and print, design, production use in promoting playful learning.
• Participate in SCI-Education sector community of practice on lessons and evidences of ECCE tailored audio, video and print production on playful learning.
• Facilitate and participate in joint field visits with LIP staff to provide on-site coaching and mentoring on the use of audiotaped lessons, dramas, dialogues, stories and songs promoting playful learning in the learning centers
• Collaborate with procurement team, facilitate the procurement of quality solar radio, audio recorder, memory sticks, video recorder, display and related equipment
• Lead technology based team to promote playful learning at ECCE center, parental engagement in the young children’s development and expansion of ELM at home and ECCE services in conflict and drought/disaster affected areas

C.  Networking & External Engagement:

• Work with regional and district ECCEiE actors (NGOs, CBOs, CSOs and community gate keepers) for the development of stories, dialogues, songs dramas and leveled learning lessons usable at ECCE center and community level
• Participate in regional ECCE technical working groups and district-level ECCEiE learning forums to demonstrate the role tailored locally customized audio and print production/adaptation in promoting playful learning
• Engage community leaders, CBOs and CSOs members on story narrations, inputs for dialogue and drama write-up and adaptation.
• Coordinate with technical colleagues from ECCEiE project and across Save the Children-Education, Child Protection and communication teams at the country office and field level to produce and adapt tailored ECCE messages for radiobroadcast.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
• Training in the production audio and video scripts, dramatic learning lessons, and localized children stories using technology.

The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor Degree in IT/Theatrical arts, Early Childhood Care and Education, Psychology, Language and literature, Journalism and related field.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 8 years’ experience in the production of audio, video and print materials in illustrative and playful ways, 1 year experience in preparation of audio, video and print ECCE learning materials that are interactive and triggering play among young children using technology.
• Extensive experience with photography, videography and content capture.
• Expert proficiency with technology tools for the purpose of graphic design, video editing and illustration development.
• Exposure in the preparation of play script write-up, song, drama, localized stories with moral values that nurture young children development in playful way
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s ECCE policy framework and current ECCE strategic plan
• Awareness of regional contexts particularly conflict affected areas of northern Ethiopia and disaster/drought affected areas of southern Ethiopia.
• Familiarity with ECCE and TE projects, and monitoring and assessment of the impact of technology based audio, video and print productions in promoting playful learning among ECCE children
• Experience in developing project activity action plan and work with teams in accomplishment of the plan
• Experience in mobilizing community to create a conducive environment for ECCE services at community level
• Experience in facilitating training, coaching mentoring, and working in team
• Strong English writing skills

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

•    Ensures all children’s access to quality education

•    Ensures all children’s wellbeing

•    Supports all children’s learning and development

Generic Competencies

•    Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities

•    Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children

•    Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery

•    Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and

Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

 

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