State Reform Facilitator- PLANE

Project Background:

Nigeria PLANE is a 7 year, £95m programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and represents one window of intervention in a broader package of investment intended to enable a more inclusive and effective basic education system. It seeks to do this through improvements made in teaching and learning with a focus on foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

It has four primary outputs: (i) Teaching & Learning: Evidence-based teaching and learning approaches & materials in use, in better managed performance focused schools and teaching colleges; (ii) Governance of state systems: Improved planning, personnel management and public financial management practices; (iii) Governance of non-state systems: Improved management and performance of the non-state sector; and (iv) Use of Evidence and Communication: Effective generation, communication and use of evidence to inform citizen engagement and improve service delivery. PLANE will work in Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa, the South West, South East, and the federal capital territory.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The State Reform Facilitator will report to the State Team Lead and provide strategic leadership for the state-level engagement activities and effective management of reform research, design, implementation and monitoring for evidence-based policy approaches to education within state governments. In addition, he/she will;

• Maintaining strategic relationships with state government counterparts and other relevant stakeholders, including, civil society, other reform programmes and development partners;
• Taking overall responsibility for the operation and delivery of state activities;
• Managing work planning and budgeting of state activities;
• Ensuring efficient and effective use of resources while achieving the best value for money in the commissioning of activities;
• Facilitating and delivering governance reform activities whilst ensuring governance reforms are owned and delivered by the state government under their own agenda;
• Using a rapidly learning, flexible, responsive and adaptive approach to facilitating state governance reform.
• Facilitating possible issue-based approaches to resolving specific service delivery problems with a connection to governance as models for governance reform and improved service delivery.
• Facilitating a reform outreach, knowledge management, and knowledge market approach to supporting governance reform within Nigeria;
• Working with the knowledge management unit and ensuring cross-learning within the states, through the identification of existing networks, and the development of new peer learning platforms and locally developed tools
• Implementing work plans and budgets;
• Coordinating reform advisors, reform facilitators and short-term advisory support;
• Reporting to and liaising with to senior management serving as the primary focal point for state work.
• Contribute to engagement with stakeholders, as appropriate.
• Use evidence on private schools relating to regulation and accountability, Public-private partnership and financial inclusion to engage state government on non-state reforms.
• To identify areas for potential engagement in business environment reforms in the non-state school’s sub-sector
• Develop an activity plan and results chain for each intervention and review such documents on a periodic (at least quarterly) basis.
• Provide a written progress report to the State Team Leader monthly and contribute to the quarterly programme reports to FCDO.
• Conduct Public Private Dialogue with policymakers to address reform on low-cost private schools and Tsangaya schools serving low-income households, and address core needs of schools.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• 4 – 6 years of experience in policy development and a strong track record of delivering results on complex multi-component programmes;
• A minimum of a university degree
• Experience in leading successful reform interventions and evidence of good working relations with relevant Federal government agencies;
• An ability to manage relationships and a sound understanding of institutional change in complex environments;
• Extensive experience in Nigeria specifically working at the State level;
• Cultural sensitivity and a good understanding of the education challenges of Nigeria and its dynamics;
• Experience in management of diverse teams and effective performance management;
• An excellent understanding of financial and technical delivery, monitoring and evaluation of programme impact and reporting against results;
• Excellent communication skills and ability to develop high-quality written materials.
• Experience working in Nigeria specifically in Northern Nigeria
• Previous experience of conducting and commissioning research
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills
• 5 years of experience of managing change in the public sector and a strong track record of delivering results on