Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, February 06 2025, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Role purpose
TaRL Africa, VVOB, UNICEF and other partners have been supporting the Ministry of Education in Zambia to implement the Catch Up programme since 2016. The programme uses the TaRL approach and is now in nine of the ten provinces and over 5,500 schools. The Ministry has stated its intention to reach all remaining schools in the country. As well as scaling geographically, the Ministry is working to ensure that Catch Up is integrated into systems such as pre-service teacher training.
The Ministry has set the goal of implementing Catch Up with limited external support from 2026. The objective of the Program Associate will be to support that goal. The Ministry has developed its technical capacity in TaRL and has set up the Catch Up Coordinating Committee at national level to oversee delivery. The Program Associate will work with partners and Tarl Africa technical staff to deepen the capacity of the Ministry where necessary and to ensure key aspects of the Catch Up approach are integrated into Ministry systems. The role holder will also work with colleagues and partners to take any necessary steps so that the Coordinating Committee can fulfil its functions independently.
In addition, the TaRL approach will only succeed and be sustained if it fits into the wider framework of foundational literacy and numeracy in the country. The Program Associate will play a key role in identifying any alignment challenges and coordinating an effective response.
The position location is Lusaka, Zambia. The Program Associate will work closely with the TaRL Africa Government Liaison, who is the only other TaRL Africa member of staff based in Zambia. The Associate will also work closely with partners such as VVOB and UNICEF. The role holder will report to the Scale and Sustainability Senior Manager with a dotted line to the Government Liaison Officer.
The right candidate will be able to deliver to a high standard while acting proactively and often with little oversight. The person will be self-motivated and thrive in an environment where the day-to-day activities can be unpredictable, although there will be a plan that guides the overall direction of the work. The successful candidate will be comfortable interacting with a wide range of officials, for example, from planning with senior officials on the Catch Up Coordinating Committee to following up with secretaries on administrative tasks.

Major roles and responsibilities
The main responsibilities of this role are as described below. As the work evolves, we may need to make reasonable changes to these responsibilities from time to time.

Support the Ministry of Education to run Catch Up independently (70%)
• Support staff from the Ministry of Education, TaRL Africa, and partners to integrate Catch Up processes into government training, assessment, and monitoring systems. Coordinate staff from TaRL Africa, the Ministry, and partners to ensure plans are in place, are being tracked, and that any challenges are being addressed in a timely manner. This will include working with the Catch Up Coordinating Committee and its subcommittees to ensure Catch Up is aligned to key policies such as the new curriculum.
• Work closely with staff from TaRL Africa and partners to ensure that there are clear plans to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education in multiple dimensions, that progress against these plans is being tracked, and that any challenges are being addressed in a timely manner.
• Work with partners and the Ministry to identify areas where partner support can be reduced. Together with partners, review data from programme implementation and capacity assessments to agree areas where support is still needed and areas where support can be withdrawn. Work closely with partners and the Ministry to put in place a plan to reduce support gradually and to learn about whether the reduction in support has gone as intended. Share lessons from this work with other TaRL Africa country teams.
• Work with TaRL Africa colleagues and staff from the Ministry of Education and partners to integrate Catch Up implementation costs into government budgets. Work with TaRL Africa and partner technical teams to investigate programme implementation costs, finding key cost drivers and ways to reduce costs. Learn about the government budgeting process and advocate at different levels for Catch Up funds activities to be included in Ministry budgets. Ensure that government officials have the right information at the right time during the budgeting process.
• Working closely with the TaRL Africa Government Liaison Officer, build and maintain strong relationships with a network of government officials at different levels. Foster mutual understanding and trust through consistent interaction and collaboration. Find and build allies and champions for foundational learning and TaRL. Leverage these relationships to support TaRL Africa’s mission.
• Co-design and implement advocacy campaigns that support TaRL Africa’s influencing priorities. Set objectives, create action plans to influence policy decisions, organize meetings with policymakers, and conduct other advocacy efforts.
Build an understanding of the sector and use it to support TaRL Africa’s aims (30%)
• Stay informed about developments in education sector policy and programmes and provide regular updates to TaRL Africa staff. Support TaRL Africa to engage at an early stage to influence relevant policy changes. Participate in sector coordinating committees, attend local events and conferences, and learn about relevant programmes and organisations. Policy areas of interest will include but are not limited to early grade programmes, the rollout of the new curriculum, and the development of the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
• Build and maintain an understanding of the sector and use it to identify relevant stakeholders to influence, including donors. Proactively create strategies to improve our engagement with stakeholders and build effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Work closely with TaRL Africa staff and partners to consider how the TaRL approach fits with the other work in the sector to improve foundational literacy and numeracy. Engage with the wider foundational learning agenda that is being led by the Ministry of Education. Support work by partners and the Ministry of Education to align initiatives into an integrated foundational learning approach or strategy.

Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as education, public policy, international development, social sciences, business, or a related field. A Master’s degree would be an added advantage.
• Genuine interest in the education sector and in advancing the mission of TaRL Africa.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience working in Zambia in education, public policy, or advocacy, or in a role influencing government officials.
• Proven track record of engagement with government stakeholders at different levels.
• Detailed understanding of Zambian government policies and priorities, particularly related to education.
• Willing to travel occasionally within Zambia as the role demands.

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
• Accountability and Initiative: Take responsibility for tasks and issues, identify solutions proactively, and ensure timely delivery without constant oversight.
• Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal and networking skills to form alliances and maintain partnerships.
• Project Management: Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple initiatives and ensure sustainability plans are on track.
• Negotiation and Persuasion: Expertise in influencing decision-makers using both logical arguments and emotional appeals.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging with stakeholders, from government officials to community members.
• Financial and Data Analysis: Analyse data and costs, and apply insights to take informed decisions.

TaRL Africa Values
1. We put children’s learning first.
2. We are always learning, improving, and innovating.
3. We are locally rooted for high-quality delivery and sustainable impact.
4. We are kind, respectful ,and collaborative.
5. We are proactive, committed to integrity and doing our best each day.
TaRL Africa provides a nationally peer-benchmarked compensation package aligned with organisational salary scales, taking into account both qualifications and professional experience.

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months:

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
• TaRL Africa is an equal-opportunity employer committed to having a diverse workforce.
• To apply for this job please visit teachingattherightlevel.bamboohr.com.

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