BACKGROUND:
The IRC Child and Youth Protection and Development (CYPD) Unit currently has programs in conflict and post conflict situations in over 20 countries around the globe. Our programming approach is one that promotes and supports the realization of the rights of children and young people. Programs include formal and non-formal education, life skills, vocational training and enterprise development for youth, as well as holistic support for children involved in the worst forms of child labor. All programs adopt an approach that is designed to promote the psychosocial well-being of conflict-affected children and young people and include expanding opportunities for participation.
SCOPE OF WORK:
The Technical Advisor for Youth & Livelihoods will take a lead role in providing technical support, guidance, and training to a number of IRC country programs, particularly in the Middle East and Horn and East Africa, to improve and develop IRC’s work with children and youth in conflict affected populations, both in the immediate emergency phase through to our post-conflict work. He/she will be responsible for enhancing the scope, impact and quality of IRC’s programs involving technical and vocational education and training, youth micro-enterprise development, life skills and youth participation. Improved design, monitoring, publication of strategies and tools, staff training and capacity building are considered key components in achieving these objectives.
By working closely with the country teams, through regular field visits and communication, the Technical Advisor will support the development of new proposals and planning for program growth to effectively address the needs of this sector of the population. He/she will also play a role in liaising with and influencing donors, in terms of recognizing and funding activities to address the needs of children and youth.
The Technical Advisor will work with staff from other sectors such as health economic recovery etc, to improve access and relevance of all services for young people.
The Technical Advisor will report to the Senior Technical Advisor for Youth and Livelihoods. The location for this position is NewYork/ Washington DC.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- PROVIDE ON-GOING DIRECT TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO YOUTH & LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS
- Be the primary provider of Technical Support and guidance for youth and livelihood programming in selected Field Programs (in 6-8 countries), in accordance with IRC’s Technical Support package, with a particular emphasis on design, monitoring and resource publications. This will be done through:
- Regular communication with the field through phone and email;
- Field visits, to monitor implementation, deliver technical support to field staff, conduct trainings, provide resources, make clear recommendations on ways to strengthen programs and share learning across programs.
- Writing and publishing resources for field programs in relation to design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Support HR in recruitment for positions in the field (international staff, interns and consultants): assist with developing job descriptions, conduct technical interviews and provide feedback.
- Be the primary provider of Technical Support and guidance for youth and livelihood programming in selected Field Programs (in 6-8 countries), in accordance with IRC’s Technical Support package, with a particular emphasis on design, monitoring and resource publications. This will be done through:
- DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND TOOLS:
- With the full participation of field programs, contribute to the development/ revision of best practice guides, manuals and other technical resources to improve the quality of IRC’s youth & livelihoods programs;
- Solicit feedback from field staff about their resource needs, and research and identify relevant support materials for field staff and expand the resource library and promote improved access to this material for field staff;
- Work with other technical units to support the development of guidance and resource materials, which ensure other sectors and cross cutting programs explicitly recognize children and youth and incorporate their participation.
- FUNDRAISING/ PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
- Lead the development of the business development strategy for Y&L in the Middle East, and contribute to business development in the Horn and East Africa, including, conducting stakeholder analysis and identifying potential partnership opportunities; developing sound technical designs proposals; identifying research and evaluation priorities;
- Supporting design of proposals and the development of good monitoring plans; directly engaging in the design and development of large RFAs, RFPs, IQCs and other proposals, and drafting, reviewing and edit other proposals on an on-going basis.
- REPRESENT IRC AT RELEVANT FORA
- Identify priority networks and external fora on Youth and Livelihoods issues.
- Represent IRC in selected internal IRC meetings and in selected interagency and donor meetings, workshops and conferences
- Regularly provide briefings on CYPD programs, emerging issues and political developments in our areas of operation, to a range of audiences, including IRC staff, donors, the media, UN agencies, inter-agency networks, and new recruits.
- CYPD TECHNICAL UNIT SUPPORT/ DEVELOPMENT
- Participate in CYPD TU strategic planning, special projects, meetings, communications material development, intra-net content development.
- Respond to requests for information about CYPD programs from IRC colleagues from various departments and field programs;
- Undertake special projects as requested.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Masters degree in Education, Economics, Social Work, Psychology, Anthropology, or another, related, social sciences field (International Affairs, etc.);
- 5 years related work experience;
- Proven technical expertise in delivering and managing youth and livelihoods programs, including some significant experience in implementing programs overseas, preferably in conflict or disaster affected environments;
- Proven technical expertise in one of more of the following areas: enterprise development, ICT, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, microfinance;
- Knowledge of youth development-focused work in both humanitarian and post-conflict settings;
- The ability to travel extensively to developing countries;
- the ability to draft and edit proposals;
- the ability to write and publish technical resources to support design and implementation of youth and livelihood programming;
To apply for this position please go online to http://www.theIRC.org, click “Jobs” and search for the position.
This book explores in detail the challenges facing Africa's youth in their transition from school to work, and proposes a strategy for meeting those challenges. It addresses the importance of investing in youth: not only because by 2010, youth will account for 28% of the population of Africa, but because labor is the most abundant asset in poor households in Africa, and improving the outcomes of labor is a key factor in moving out of poverty.
The book describes how Africa’s young people spend their time and presents a case for investing in youth in Africa, analyzing the two paths to working life for Africa’s youth: directly (without the benefit of education) and through school. It also presents new evidence on the effects of education on employment and income in selected countries, and examines youth unemployment and its determinants. The case studies conducted in selected African countries analyze policies and programs implemented on youth employment and suggest a policy framework to help African youth successfully transition to working life.
The book is available for purchase through multiple online outlets, including the World Bank. It can be read online through Google Books, or downloaded from the World Bank website as a PDF document through the link below.
This expert post from executive director Jeroo Billimoria explains why Aflatoun chose a campaign as the growth and expansion strategy for their social and financial education programme, and what the benefits of this approach have been to date.
Can children manage money? How can they best be taught the importance of saving money and other resources? These are questions Aflatoun is answering through its Campaign for Social and Financial Education. From its 2008 launch in Amsterdam by Princess Maxima of the Netherland, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, the campaign has pursued one key goal: to provide high quality social and financial education to 1 million children in 75 countries by the end of 2010.
Why did we utilize a campaign to expand and disseminate the Aflatoun programme? We did it to build a movement to convince people that primary school children can and should save. Aflatoun piloted its social and financial education programme in 10 countries to show that it worked in diverse contexts and that children participated and benefited from the programme. Now at the campaign’s midpoint, the Aflatoun programme is now reaching over 540,000 children in 26 countries.
As a methodology, the campaign has had the following benefits for Aflatoun:
First, it has created a movement of practitioners around child finance and child savings. It has increased connections among organizations working on the issue and created communities of practice at a regional level. As new partners join the Aflatoun programme, they are linked to others with whom they are able to share learning and resources.
Second, it has increased the effectiveness of Aflatoun’s advocacy. At a very local level, association with an international movement has improved our partners’ ability to raise funds and obtain permission to deliver the Aflatoun programme in schools. At a national level, the strength of Aflatoun’s international network was one of the factors contributing to the Egyptian government’s recent decision to integrate the Aflatoun programme into the national education system.
Finally, the campaign has drawn a broader array of organizations and stakeholders into Aflatoun activities. Banks, foundations, academics, charities and governments are all included in our movement. Having a variety of stakeholders increases the number and diversity of voices and perspectives brought to bear on our work, and demonstrates to us that simply running a programme is not enough to fully achieve Aflatoun’s vision. Rather, achieving social and financial empowerment for children requires structural changes in policy and practice that can only be achieved with the broad coalition of organizations that our campaign is fostering.
