Summary

Inclusive and Safe Schools Lead is responsible for providing strategic leadership, quality assurance, and coordination in the areas of inclusion, safety, climate, and environment in education. The role involves working closely with the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader, government stakeholders, and consortium partners to ensure sustainable system strengthening in education. The Lead will oversee the development and implementation of strategies, plans, and interventions to promote inclusive and safe learning environments and manage a team of technical advisors.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Planning

• Lead the Inclusion workstream using a sustainable system-strengthening approach.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and review of the Shule Bora Inclusion Strategy.
• Provide technical assistance to government stakeholders in inclusion, safety, and climate.

Programme Implementation and Coordination

• Coordinate with government partners to implement safe schools and inclusion programmes.
• Ensure coherence and collaboration among technical leads, regional coordinators, and intervention specialists.
• Lead the operationalisation of climate and environment activities across Local Government Authorities.

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance

• Identify and manage short-term technical assistance (STTA) needs.
• Develop and deliver training and mentorship for programme staff and counterparts.
• Build the capacity of staff and government counterparts on inclusion and safety.

Quality Assurance and Reporting

• Quality assure key documents, including Terms of Reference, concept notes, and reports.
• Contribute to donor and ministerial reports, including quarterly progress reports.
• Work closely with the monitoring, evaluation and learning team to ensure timely data collection and reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in education, inclusion, safety, and climate.
• Represent the project in meetings with government, donors, and partner organisations.
• Document and share lessons learned and success stories.

Team Management

• Line manage the Inclusion Advisor and Climate and Environment Advisor.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Financial Management

• Review and approve budgets for inclusion and climate-related activities.
• Monitor activity and Short Term Technical Assistance budgets to ensure effective financial management.

Policy and Compliance

• Adhere to and promote the project's safeguarding policies.
• Ensure compliance with Organisation's Child Protection Policy, safeguarding, and Gender Equality and Inclusion policies.

Education and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Development, Governance, Development Studies, Sociology, Gender and Disability, Inclusion, Climate and Environment, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in leadership and strategic roles in Tanzania, with a deep understanding of the local context and the challenges faced by communities, as well as proven expertise in strengthening local systems.

Requirements

• Social Development and Inclusion: Demonstrated expertise in social development and inclusion, contributing to initiatives that fostered community growth and equity.

• Governance and System Strengthening: Proven ability to enhance governance structures and strengthen systems to improve operational efficiency and impact at the community and institutional levels.

• Leadership in Complex Projects: Successfully led multifaceted projects related to inclusion, safety, and climate/environment, managing diverse teams and ensuring the alignment of objectives with key stakeholder interests.

• Experience with Donor-Funded Programs: Extensive experience working on large-scale, complex donor-funded programs, with a focus on DFID/FCDO-funded contracts, ensuring alignment with donor expectations and regulatory compliance.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Influence: Expertise in collaborating with senior stakeholders and influencing change through strategic leadership and relationship-building at various levels, including local and international actors.

• Technical Assistance and Advisory: Proven track record in providing technical assistance and advisory services, particularly in areas related to safety, inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

• Education Initiatives and Programs: Led the development and implementation of safety and inclusion-focused education initiatives and programs, aimed at promoting equal access and opportunity for all community members.

• Community-Level Interventions: Managed community-level interventions that created space for change, actively supporting community engagement and serving as a technical advisor to strengthen local program outcomes.

• Contextual Knowledge of Tanzania: In-depth experience working in Tanzania, with a strong understanding of the contextual challenges faced by communities, enabling tailored solutions that address local needs.

• Climate and Environment Programs: Contributed to climate and environmental programs within the education sector, promoting sustainability and resilience in local communities.

• Team Leadership: Led teams of technical specialists, fostering a collaborative and results-oriented environment that drives innovation and operational excellence.

• Extensive Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated success in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including international donors, local governments, and the private sector, while forging partnerships to enhance program outcomes.

 

Characteristics

• Excellent understanding of what drives exclusion of marginalised and vulnerable children from education in Tanzania, including how to analyse social and power dynamics that lead to exclusion.
• Good understanding of sustainable system strengthening approaches and requirements to drive inclusion priorities.
• Good technical knowledge in governance.
• Understanding of inclusion and/or climate and environment priorities, strategies, stakeholders, policies and interventions in Tanzania.
• Ability to prioritise complex and varied work and work under pressure.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team setting.
• Ability to work with government and adapt to changing priorities.
• Proficient in using MS packages, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to represent the programme to a variety of audiences including government representatives, the donor, academic institutions, civil society, community representatives, and others as required.
• Strong organisational skills, reliability, and adherence to ethical standards.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including advanced report writing skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Kiswahili required.
• Passionate about making a difference and championing girls’ right to education, willing to travel in country and dynamic.
• Capacity to manage financial information and design and monitor project budgets according to Shule Bora procedures.