The Roma Education Fund’s (REF) mission and ultimate goal is to close the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma. In order to achieve this goal, the organization supports policies and programs which ensure quality education for Roma through scholarships, grant making and advocacy activities. The objectives of REF include:
The Roma Education Fund’s (REF) mission and ultimate goal is to close the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma. In order to achieve this goal, the organization supports policies and programs which ensure quality education for Roma through scholarships, grant making and advocacy activities. The objectives of REF include:
- Expanding Romani children’s access to quality early childhood education and care
- Improving primary education outcomes for Romani children aged six to fourteen
- Boosting academic performance and graduation rates from secondary education for Romani pupils
- Supporting access to tertiary education, improving graduation levels and strengthening identity of Romani university students
- Expanding employment opportunities for young Romani adults
The Roma Education Fund operates its activities in close links with civil society and institutional partners in 16 countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
Starting in 2018, REF will implement the project funded by the EU DG NEAR titled Increased education opportunities for Roma students and Roma youth in Western Balkans and Turkey. The project aims to reduce the gap between Roma and non-Roma in participation and completion of quality education through gender-sensitive programming, to improve Roma students’ transition between education and employment and to promote durable systemic change and desegregation of education systems in the Western Balkans and Turkey.
The objectives will be achieved through supporting Roma children in: pre-school education and enrolling them into integrated primary schools; awarding scholarships to Roma students in secondary and tertiary education; supporting transition between education levels and employment; building capacities of relevant authorities and their understanding of the specific challenges faced by the Roma community; supporting regional networking and exchanging experiences with the aim to contribute to mainstreaming of Roma in the national policies and where relevant changes in policies and legislation.
Staffing
The project will be implemented by the Project Manager who will supervise the following staff:
- Project Officers (two)
- Finance Coordinator
- Administrative Assistant (one full-time and one part-time)
Description of duties – Project Manager
The incumbent will:
1.Lead the overall implementation of project activities and supervise project staff:
a) Lead the project inception phase and prepare a detailed plan of activities for the individual project components in consultation with REF programs and units and national counterparts;
b) Consult with REF’s grants, scholarship, research and advocacy and communication programs/unites (which provides the subject matter expertise for the project), regarding the design, work plan, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the project activities;
c) During the inception phase, establish a timeline for the activities and a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation during the implementation phase in collaboration with the Research Officer and other REF programs;
d) Ensure political and institutional support for project activities, engage appropriate governmental officials, non-governmental partners and co-ordinates their participation;
e) Co-ordinate with national counterparts to ensure that national input contributes to project development/progress and that national institutions accept and adopt the results of project;
f) Co-ordinate with REF’s programs to ensure their expertise is provided in a timely and high-quality manner for project planning, development, progress and reporting;
g) Ensure that gender mainstreaming components are adequately integrated in the project design, implementation and monitoring.
h) Task and supervise the project team, including the Project Officers, Finance Coordinator, and indirectly Administrative Staff; complete performance appraisal processes for the supervised staff;
i) Oversee identification of experts for participation in the project, oversee compilation of their terms of reference and co-ordinate their input as well as oversee and evaluate the quality of their work products.
2.Oversee and ensure the implementation of the project components in accordance with the donor agreement, manage overall donor relations and monitors and ensure the quality of the project components:
a) Monitor the implementation of project components by project partners, including ongoing review of the content and methodology of activities implemented under the project components, and make adjustments to implementation if required;
b) Ensure ongoing consultation with national stakeholders on the impact of project components;
c) Prepare and organize regular meetings for review of project progress in collaboration with REF management;
d) Prepares terms of reference and providing input for evaluations of the project;
e) Where necessary, and in co-ordination with the REF management, (re-)negotiate the terms of the agreement with the donor for implementation of the project;
f) Co-ordinate all donor relations and reporting throughout the period of implementation of the project;
g) Maintain regular communication with the donor during the period of implementation of the project, informing them as appropriate of developments both formally and informally, and agreeing any necessary amendments to the implementation of project components in collaboration with REF management;
h) Pay special attention to achieving an appropriate level and type of visibility for the project, following REF and donor guidelines for public relations, including through personal presentations.
i) Prepare talking points on project development and implementation for REF management.
3. Conduct research, analysis, and assessments on the subject matter of the project and monitor project related developments in the region within the framework of the project:
a) Analyze the changing national law and practices with regard to the project’s intervention rationale and its target group in the light of REF’s mission; identify issues and opportunities for possible REF involvement that fit into the framework and substantive priorities of the project;
b) Participate in needs assessment missions, meet with stakeholders in the governmental and non-governmental sectors;
c) Analyze the developing social, political, legal or institutional situation across the project’s geographical area in terms of the project’s intervention rationale and keeps updated in this field through liaison with REF country coordinators and country facilitators, expert reports from international organizations and NGOs and other literature;
d) Analyze the content and methodology of, and ensure synergies and co-ordination with, other capacity-building activities relating to all topics addressed by the project and other activities of REF;
e) Continuously feed the knowledge and better understanding gained from all of the above into project planning and implementation, and into consultation with relevant stakeholders.
4. Oversee the financial and administrative aspects of project implementation:
a) Supervise the preparation and management of budgets for project components by the Project Officers and oversees communication with project partners on budget issues;
b) In consultation with the partner organizations, REF Chief Finance Officer, ensure that the agreed mechanisms for disbursement of funds to implementing organizations are supporting project progress; ensure corrective action is taken, if and where problems arise;
c) In co-ordination with relevant REF Finance and Administration Unit, assist in negotiating, and providing input into, relevant contracts and agreements with project partners;
d) Oversee all project expenditures and implementation of activities by project partners according to co-operation and donor agreements.
5. Performs other related duties as required, by emerging crisis/developments at national/local level, duties not described here but subject to external/risk factors.
Education/Experience
- MA degree in education, social sciences or Bachelor’s degree /BA with adequate work experience in lieu of social inclusion work with Roma or minority rights at regional level
- At least five years of relevant experience in project management (MA degree), or at least 7 years of equivalent combination of education (BA) and experience;
- Strong experience in project monitoring and evaluation tools (M&E);
- Demonstrated experience in coordination and management of large scale and international projects preferred;
- Experience in coordinating and managing diverse teams;
- Experience in negotiating and working with wide variety of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders;
- Experience and competencies in working in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitivity;
- Strong background with programs advancing education through community organizing, legal advocacy, research or policy reform work.
Skills Required
- Working efficiently in a fast-paced environment, troubleshooting and following projects through their successful completion, with strict deadlines and without loss of attention to details, budgetary requirements, monitoring, evaluation and reporting;
- Effectively work as a team member, as well as independently, with a high-level of self-motivation and ability to set and meet goals;
- Good knowledge and understanding of the education system in the Western Balkans and Turkey; Good knowledge of key organizations and education networks active in the field;
- Excellent command of the English language (written and spoken); preferred knowledge of one of the country languages;
- Knowledge of Romani language is considered an added value;
- Excellent organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills;
- Good listening and communication skills, with sensitivity to cultural communication differences;
- Good communication skills with high sensitivity to cultural differences;
- Good level of computer usage proficiency.
Start date: As soon as possible
Compensation: Commensurate with the experience.
Location: Budapest
Please send a letter of interest and your professional CV with at least three references to recruitment@romaeducationfund.org by April 25, 2018.
To download the call, please click here.
This project is co-funded by
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL NEAR
European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
