OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) supports the implementation of the Balochistan Partnership Compact (2024-2028), which prioritizes policy reforms, increased investment, and gender-responsive actions to ensure equitable and quality learning opportunities for all children. This support is provided through the System Transformation Grant (STG), System Capacity Grant (SCG), and the Girls’ Education Accelerator Grant (GEA). The STG is managed by UNICEF and the World Bank as Grant Agents (GAs), while UNESCO serves as the GA for the SCG, focusing on strengthening educational policies, promoting gender equality, building institutional capacities, and ensuring equitable access to Early Childhood Education (ECE) and primary education. This strategic approach aims to achieve sustainable development and improved learning outcomes for all children by 2028, aligning with the vision of the Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP) and addressing key capacity gaps in the education system. The SCG programme specifically targets enhanced access to quality learning at the ECE and primary levels through:

a. Comprehensive policy development.
b. Gender-responsive institutional policies.
c. Professional development of education personnel.
d. Strengthened education sector coordination.
e. Establishment of an integrated Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) framework.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall authority of the Officer-in-Charge/Head of Office of UNESCO in Pakistan, direct supervision of the Head of Education and the close daily operational coordination with the National Education Coordination Officer (Balochistan), the National Education Project Officer plays a key role in the SCG Programme planning, implementation, and monitoring, ensuring alignment with objectives, timelines, and education sector plans. The role involves managing contracts and finances, ensuring compliance with GPE guidelines and UNESCO procedures, and addressing risks proactively to prevent delays or inefficiencies. By producing quality reports, the officer ensures transparency and accountability while supporting evidence-based decision-making.

More specifically, the National Education Project Officer will be responsible for the following functions:

More specifically, the National Education Project Officer will be responsible for the following functions:
Programme Planning and Implementation:

1. Developing periodic updating detailed work plans and timelines for SCG Programme activities at the provincial level, ensuring alignment with the overarching Partnership Compact and Education Sector Plan.
2. Working closely with the UNESCO Education team, National Education Coordination Officer (Balochistan), Admin/Finance team, and MEAL team to ensure the timely planning, implementation of activities, resource disbursement, monitoring, and availability of logistics to support programme execution.
3. Facilitating the prioritization of activities, allocating resources efficiently, and addressing logistical needs of the programme team.
4. Preparing a variety of procurement-related documents, contracts, communications, guidelines, instructions, etc.
5. Maintaining a tracking system and database to monitor adherence to contractual/ partnership agreements, performance requirements and respect of delivery schedules; recommending amendments and extensions of contracts/ partnerships, as necessary; advising parties on contractual rights and obligations; and generating necessary periodic and ad-hoc reports as required, documenting lessons learned and recommendations.

Contract and Financial Management
6. Drafting, reviewing, and finalizing contracts, partnership agreements, and amendments in compliance with GPE and UNESCO administrative procedures, ensuring they align with project objectives, timelines, and budgets.
7. Monitoring contract execution to ensure adherence to agreed deliverables, timelines, and budgets, tracking compliance with UNESCO regulations and reporting discrepancies for corrective actions.
8. Preparing, monitoring, and managing budgets, ensuring financial resources are allocated appropriately, expenditures align with approved plans, and any deviations are addressed promptly.
9. Identifying risks associated with contract implementation and proposing corrective measures to the Head of Education to mitigate potential delays and ensure continuity of activities.
10. Fostering exchanges of information, experiences, identifying new strategies of action to improve delivery of services and to achieve the project requirements and objectives.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
11. Monitoring programme activities to ensure alignment with the SCG Programme objectives, Partnership Compact, and Education Sector Plan, identifying and addressing any deviations.
12. Collecting, analysing, and reporting data to assess the effectiveness of programme interventions, identify areas for improvement, and ensure evidence-based decision-making.
13. Preparing and submitting quality progress and financial reports for both internal use and external stakeholders, ensuring accurate documentation that meets audit and evaluation requirements.
14. Preparing periodic reports, briefs and presentations for sharing with donors and stakeholders, effectively communicating programme progress, challenges, and impacts.
15. Supporting the design, as well as the periodic update and revision, of the detailed country project document, work plan and budget.
16. Identifying implementation partners and providers of goods and services.
17. Developing terms of references for external vendors and partners and in the recruitment of consultants and experts.
18. Monitoring implementation of the contracts, assessing the quality of services provided and requesting disbursement of funds.
19. Undertaking additional tasks assigned by the Officer-in-Charge/Head of the Office and/or Head of Education, ensuring adaptability to evolving priorities.

COMPETENCIES (Core)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education
Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in Project Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field from a recognised institution.

A combination of an advanced degree and practical experience in international development work on education may be substituted for the fields mentioned. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience
1. Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in project planning, implementation, management and coordination, preferably in the education sector.
2. Proven experience of collaborating with government agencies, international organizations, UN agencies, or other key stakeholders in the education sector.
3. Comprehensive expertise across the project lifecycle, including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
4. Familiarity with project management and reporting requirements for donor-funded programmes.

Skills and competencies

• Strong organization and coordination skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with proven ability to maintain effective working relations within a multi-cultural environment.
• Effective communication skills for preparing and presenting reports, briefs, and progress updates.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work effectively, set priorities, and work within tight deadlines.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
• Ability to draft high-quality, clear, concise documents, and reports.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to communicate effectively.
• Excellent IT skills, including office productivity tools and online collaboration tools.
• Proven ability in contract and financial management, including budgeting and reporting.
• Excellent skills in project monitoring and evaluation, including data collection, analysis, and evidence-based decision-making.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Education, ICT in Education, Science (STEM) or a related field from a recognized institution.

Work Experience
Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in project planning, implementation, management, and coordination within the education sector.
Experience and knowledge of working with UN agencies, or GPE contract management procedures and standards.
Experience in coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including government counterparts, implementing partners, and contractors.
Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) frameworks.

Languages
Good knowledge of other local languages spoken in Balochistan.