Call for applications for a Project Manager - Education and Skills Data Project

Published on Sunday, 18 February 2024

Recruiting organization

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is the voice of education in Africa and has played an important role in the educational arena for 30 years as a convenor, knowledge creator and forum for policy dialogue. Since its creation, ADEA has acted as a partner between African ministries of education and training and development partners. As a forum for policy dialogue, ADEA promotes innovative policies and practices by sharing and disseminating ideas, experiences, learning and knowledge among countries and stakeholders.

The Education and Skills Data Project

Africa is facing an education and skills data crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Due to the ongoing challenge of lacking quality education and skills data for informed decision-making, insufficient data continues to undermine the ability of African countries to make demand-driven policy decisions on education and skills. Through this project, ADEA seeks to support up to 30 African countries over a five-year period to produce and use the quality data on education and skills for informed decision-making through policy, planning, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Position summary

ADEA is looking for an experienced project management professional who is motivated to lead the project and ensure the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of its activities and results. The Project Manager will plan and implement project activities, in collaboration with ADEA, and coordinate the project team. He or she will develop and maintain high-quality relations with the project's numerous countries, institutions, and stakeholders. He or she will report programmatically to ADEA Senior Programs Officer, and administratively and strategically to ADEA Executive Secretary.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Manager’s mission is to lead and coordinate the implementation of the project in accordance with ADEA’s operational plan and guidelines.

Specifically, the Project Manager will:

  • Ensure the planning of project activities:
    • Participate in the development of the project’s annual work plans (AWPs).
    • Supervise the project team’s work planning.
    • Update risk register and take mitigation measures.
    • Ensure the integration and monitoring of gender equality and youth issues in project activities.
  • Manage project administration:
    • Participate in the recruitment and integration of staff.
    • Define/update the distribution of roles, responsibilities, and activities within the project team.
    • Supervise teamwork planning and monitoring of results.
    • Anticipate and solve problems and challenges the project may encounter.
    • Create the conditions for individual and collective performance of the project team.
  • Ensure the implementation of project activities:
    • Coordinate capacity building at the policy and decision-making level, encouraging education leaders to demand and use quality data.
    • Oversee the mapping of education and skills data ecosystem partners.
    • Participate in the development of a strategy for integrating the project into the national sector plans of beneficiary countries.
    • Oversee the development of the community of practice to promote peer learning at national, regional and continental level and support capacity building.
    • Coordinate the planning and implementation of other activities deemed relevant to the achievement of results through the identification of strengthening needs of Ministries, institutions, or data chain partners in beneficiary countries.
  • Ensure relations with stakeholders:
    • Oversee the development of communication and knowledge mobilization strategies for the project.
    • Coordinate the mobilization of partner countries, partners, and national institutions to participate actively in project knowledge mobilization.
    • Lead the preparation and holding of the Project steering/monitoring committees.
    • Represent ADEA in various partners meetings at national, regional, continental and global level.
    • Organize meetings, workshops, seminars, and training courses.
  • Manage material and financial resources:
    • Oversee the development of administrative, financial, and accounting procedures for the project, in accordance with ADEA and donor procedures.
    • Ensure compliance with the project's administrative and financial procedures.
    • Oversee the planning and budgeting of project activities.
    • Ensure timely budget monitoring, including review of monthly reports and variance reports on management accounts and project budget.
    • Supervise procurement, in accordance with ADEA and donor procedures.
    • Oversee the archiving, centralization, conservation and security of data, documents and deliverables produced or obtained under the project.
  • Ensure project activity monitoring and evaluation:
    • Oversee the implementation of a monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) system for the project.
    • Ensure quality control and monitoring of project implementation.
    • Coordinate the production of required technical and financial reports and report regularly to ADEA and partners.
    • Support the capitalization of project best practices.

Qualifications and Requirements

Qualifications:

  • Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in education, social sciences, economics, management, project management or related field.
  • At least 10 years’ successful experience in project or program leadership and management (Head, Coordinator, Project/Program Manager), on projects funded by international donors.
  • At least 5 years in project management of education and/or skills data production in Africa, implying collaboration with one or more Ministries of Education and partners.
  • Extensive knowledge of the education sector in Africa.
  • Experience in technical capacity building, awareness creation and advocacy for ministries of education and training staff and partners.
  • At least 5 years’ experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
  • Fluent in French and English, proven written and oral communication skills.
  • Strong computer skills, particularly in the use of communication and data capitalization tools.
  • Experience managing project teams remotely.
  • PMP or Prince 2 certification would be an asset.

Technical requirements:

  • In-depth practical knowledge of project management processes.
  • In-depth knowledge of quality, risk, and results-based management.
  • Strong strategic and operational planning abilities.
  • Strong monitoring and evaluation abilities, including for financial management, and capacity to draft technical and financial project progress reports.
  • Proven ability to manage multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary human resources, in person and remotely.
  • Ability to implement capacity-building programs for public and private sector players, etc.
  • Knowledge of youth and gender issues and how they are considered in interventions.
  • Knowledge of public and private institutions involved in the education and skills data value chain in Africa and ability to mobilize them.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with partners (Ministries, national public or private institutions, technical and financial partners, etc.)
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to analyse and synthesize information.
  • Sense of initiative and proactivity, ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
  • Being results-oriented, organized, and systematic.

Team members

The Project Manager manages a team dedicated to the project and is the direct supervisor of:

  • A Senior Financial Officer.
  • A Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
  • A Planner.
  • A Communication Officer.
  • A Project Administrative Officer.
  • A Technologist.

Working conditions

  • Full-time consultancy mandate.
  • Based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, with occasional field assignments in Partner countries.
  • Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines.
  • Competitive remuneration.

Application process

Interested candidates are invited to send their curriculum vitae and a letter of motivation to emploi@c2dservices.com by March 3, 2024 (5 PM, GMT). Please indicate "Application for the position of Project Manager" in the subject line.

As an equal opportunity institution, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experience. Only selected candidates will be contacted.