Intervention Specialist from Plan International, March 2025
Job Overview
Intervention Specialist
Plan International
Functional Area: Programme
Reports to: Programme Regional Coordinator, with dotted line to the Inclusive and Safe Schools Lead
Location: Dodoma (Zone 1: Dodoma (based), Pwani, Tanga)
Travel required
Effective Date: 1st April 2024
Level: 14
BACKGROUND
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan has over 80 years’ experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, communities and partners.
Plan International has been working in Tanzania since 1991. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future. We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights. We prioritise working with partners, and ensuring all of our work is evidence based.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
The UK Aid funded Shule Bora programme delivers technical assistance to government-led work in education. It aims to improve the quality of pre-primary and primary schools in Tanzania. It is a seven-year programme (2021-2027) managed by Cambridge Education and operates within a consortium that includes Plan International, Action on Disability and Development (ADD), and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as core partners, alongside several associate partners.
The programme will:
Work with Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) and the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) to test, adapt and implement at scale quality, gender-transformative, disability-inclusive and safe to learn education approaches in 9 regions, generating learning and evidence on how to achieve these outcomes affordably and at scale.
Support the Government of Tanzania with the timely and effective implementation of the Payment for Results (PforR) mechanism through technical assistance and capacity building, with a strong focus on data verification, financial management and risk management. Support lesson learning processes from PforR so that these can be embedded into government processes and shared with development partners and other key stakeholders. Ensure that lessons and best practice from (1) are used to inform PforR mechanism. The Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 1.5: Enabling Schools to become more Inclusive underpins all Shule Bora Inclusion and Safety work.
Manage and coordinate programme activities, with a strong focus on (i) ensuring a high quality programme, financial and risk management oversight, (ii) working with an independent Learning and Evidence (L&E) provider on establishing regular, rigorous and community-driven monitoring and evaluation activities, and (iii) developing and implementing a strategy for effective communication of Shule Bora objectives, results, and lessons learned to a range of target audiences.
ROLE PURPOSE
The intervention Specialist will support the implementation of programme interventions across the three regions under their zonal assignment. Each intervention specialist will have a specialism in addition to supporting school improvement – this role focuses on gender and girls education – and will provide additional support on that area across their zone.
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Dimensions of the Role
Shule Bora is supporting regions and LGAs to implement interventions. In order to ensure that the interventions can be planned, implemented and monitored as intended, the programme needs additional technical support at regional level to work closely with government counterparts.
The Intervention Specialist will support the implementation of programme activities across the three regions under their zonal assignment in order to achieve programme outputs and outcomes. S/he will provide support across all the interventions as required in his/her region as well as providing specific support across his/her zone (see above) on either girl education and gender, safety and safeguarding or disability inclusion.
The Intervention Specialist will work closely with the Programme Regional Coordinator to ensure that all interventions are delivered as planned in their region. This will involve close collaboration with technical leads and also regional and district stakeholders.
The Intervention Specialist will also provide support to the regional and district governments in planning, implementing and monitoring interventions to achieve disbursement-linked results under EPforR II.
Accountabilities
Assisting the Programme Regional Coordinator to support regional and district offices in planning, implementing and monitoring Shule Bora interventions across all output areas.
Providing support to technical leads and key advisers to programme and deliver interventions including preparation, planning, pre-testing and piloting of activities and materials.
Drawing upon his/her organisation’s expertise (IRC = school safety, ADD = disability inclusion, and Plan = girls’ education/gender) to support government to develop and implement interventions to reflect their thematic focus.
Supporting the development of capacity building activities of community, school, district and regional education managers in the areas of teacher development, school leadership, planning and management, community participation and data management and use.
Following up on intervention activities within the region.
Collecting data and information from regional and district partners as required.
Identifying, solving and/or escalating challenges relating to programme delivery.
Providing zonal support to implementation and trouble-shooting relating to inclusion activities (disability, safety and gender) in line with the inclusion strategy.
Ensuring that all stakeholders across the region have a good understanding of Shule Bora and their role in the programme as pertains to them.
Contribute to the writing of various reports, articles and other forms of communication.
Communicate success, lessons learnt, programme best practice and evidence of impact.
Ensure inclusion is mainstreamed and gender-sensitive and inclusive language is used in all programme communications.
Deputising for the Programme Regional Coordinator as required.
Joining all programme meetings as required.
Ensuring proper saving of all regional documents on SharePoint.
Promote and abide by internal policies and procedures including but not limited to: Child Protection Policy; Code of Conduct; mandatory reporting responsibility
Key relationships
Internally: Programme regional coordinator, Inclusive and Safe Schools Lead, monitoring, evaluation, learning and communications team members
Externally: Regional, district and ward level education administrators, technical leads, key advisors
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STAFF CARE & WELLBEING
Monitor personal wellbeing and practice self-care
Accessing support as needed
Ensure teams are cared for and look after each other
Manage KPIs and ensure wellbeing accountability
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
Self-Leadership: Courageous in taking a lead, focused on Plan International Tanzania’s purpose and making the most effective contribution within own work context. Behaves in line with our values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work Challenges own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviour and speaks up when they see wrong doing, especially by those who use their power over others to create fear or abuse. Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date. Honest and efficient in use of resources, including own time. Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting; seeking and listening to feedback; learning from mistakes; finding people or resources to help them learn. Constructive and optimistic in facing setbacks, challenges and change, using own initiative to analyse issues and improve things. Good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them.
Leading Others: Setting and communicating ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International Tanzania’s purpose. Setting high standards for self and others’ behaviour, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out. Holding self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively. Creating a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, to reflect and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of what we do. Collaborating with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input. Motivating and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them develop their potential. Positive about change and supporting others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES
Understands relevant functional and sectoral context including how the sector operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan’s purpose, values, global and country strategy
Manages administrative, financial, operational and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with risk-related standards, including in areas such as Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security, and Ethical Corporate Engagement
Managing activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organising, financial planning and monitoring, negotiation and programme and project management
Managing people and information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills.
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
A Degree in Social Science, specifically Gender, Inclusive Education or related subjects with a minimum of three years progressive experience in a related field;
Good understanding of the Tanzanian education system
Experience in implementing programme activities relating to three or more of the programme interventions
4 years of experience of designing, implementing and monitoring interventions to improve educational outcomes relating to girls, disability inclusion and/or safety in and around schools
Experience of being a teacher or teacher trainer preferred
Experience in capacity development
Experience in large-scale, international development projects
Experience with stakeholder engagement from schools to government levels
Skills
Strong communicator with facilitation skills
Ability to prioritise and work under pressure
Ability to work in a collaborative team setting
Understanding of and sensitivity to cultural differences
Proficient in using MS packages, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Sharepoint
Strong organisational skills, reliability, and adherence to ethical standards
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Fluency in written and spoken English, Kiswahili preferred
Physical Environment
Typical Office environment with travel to the field (different regions)