Program Associate, Gep

Position Overview:
The Girls’ Education Program (GEP) Associate spends the majority of his or her time providing direct support to the Social Mobilizers (SMs) and assists the Program Officer in carrying out all activities of the GEP. The position will be field based and will involve frequent travel to the areas of work. The work will entail providing direct support to social mobilizers, supporting and sometimes facilitating SM trainings, working 1:1 and in groups with SMs regularly - ideally weekly to ensure that they are effective in their roles in working with girls, and when needed plan effective life skills or mentoring sessions with girls. They will also be responsible for strengthening linkages with like
- minded organizations, liasioning with block/district level officials, regular program and financial tracking, collecting program data and entering it into RtRs database and determining and delivering material support for girls participating in the program. The Program Associate reports to the Program Officer and manages a set of SMs and a program administrative assistant.

Roles and Responsibilities:
Program Implementation and Training (Manage Social Mobilizers):
- Set a schedule of monthly review and feedback sessions with direct reports.- Facilitate monthly review meetings to discuss and identify solutions to challenges SMs are facing in program implementation and in working with the girls and communities.- Support SMs in planning and facilitating Room to Read’s life skills activities and facilitate the process of engaging schoolteachers in lifeskills activities towards enhancing the ownership of school in continuation of lifeskills in their respective schools.- Support SMs to mentor girls. This may include providing ideas for group discussion topics and coaching the SMs on how to handle difficult topics. Facilitate and establish a linkage between the girls and the referral systems to address the issues, concerns and challenges.- Support the SM in identifying and supporting girls at risk of dropping or failing out of school using Room to Read’s risk and response protocol. Document a concrete impact of Lifeskills sessions with respect to behavioral change and risk mitigation to showcase the govt for the need to scale up of the Lifeskills intervention across the schools.- Conduct quarterly and annual performance review of SMs.- Develop & Support the PO in conducting the Social Mobilizers’ trainings. This may include planning, organizing and co-facilitating training sessions.- Directly conduct life skills sessions with girls on critical issues like sexual and reproductive health, career plans and any other as deemed fit- Develop a linkage with school authorities and communities are supportive of the program - liase for a GEP room dedicated for life skills classes and mentoring.- Participate in regular trainings and meetings with Room to Read staff.- Ensure feedback is given to specific Social Mobilizers or Program Assistant and recorded in written regularly.- Writes case studies 4 in a year and it may increase depending on the programme need and demand.- Facilitate and participate in donor/govt site visits and provide information to donors and the govt about Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program as needed.

Family, school and community engagement:
- Lead on parents workshop and parents meeting as planned with support from Social Mobilisers- Identify local needs of the community and explore topics for probable parents meeting topics- Regular meeting and providing program update to school staff including head teachers and creating playing the role of a catalyst promoting the school to think of girls education and solutions to problems affecting girls in the catchment area of the school with support from SM- Plan and conduct activities in the community and school to enhance the ownership of the schools and communities in ensuring Girls’ Education.Liasioning, networking and building linkages at the field, block and district level:
- Plan and organize trainings and meetings for government officials at multi-levels. (School, mandal and district level)- Support PO to liaison with govt. to explore platforms for RtR to provide technical support in its expertise and explore for maximum non-financial partnership with the govt and other agencies on Lifeskills and Gender components.- Building linkages with like-minded organisations for referral services for girls after discussing with Program Officer- Create linkages with school management committees, child protection committees and any other as required to create safety nets for girls and conduct regular meetings with them- Liaison with school authorities for providing space for life skill centers- Explore the platforms and liaison with the govt for RtR to be member in the district and state level committees on Girls Education & Gender related areas.- Participate in the district and state level forums facilitated by the govt. to present and share