Program Officer, Literacy Field

World Change Starts with Educated Children_®_

Position Overview:
We work in collaboration with State Education Departments to bring reform by implementing large-scale system-led projects, with the goal of improving foundational learning (FLN) outcomes in students. Our team supports the State in designing and implementing an integrated program that encompasses multiple aspects of a reform process - ranging from designing effective classroom pedagogy to building salience and state capacity to deliver FLN at scale, while also strengthening governance and other critical enablers. Room to Read has partnered with the Education Department of Madhya Pradesh on a long-term engagement for system reform and a demonstration program in selected districts.

The Program Officer, Literacy Field will support the state manager in the design of the program, execution, coordination with various stakeholders (government and non-profit partners) and delivering on a roadmap for building government capacity to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. The Program Officer, Literacy Field will report to the State Manager and will have Program Associates reporting to him/her. This position will involve frequent travel to field locations as well as regular interaction with state and district education officials, school administrators, teachers, and students.

Roles & Responsibilities:
The Program Officer, Literacy Field will be responsible for the intervention in their district and will have the following specific key roles and responsibilities:
Program Understanding:
- Develop a thorough understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program design and Project Deliverables- S/he has good awareness of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region.- Develop a strong understanding of Govt’s education policies NEP 2020, NCF, FLN, SIQE, Mission Ankur etc.

On-ground Implementation and Monitoring:
- Oversee the quality implementation of the project in the district and blocks, ensuring timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhering to the program and budget guidelines.- Complete regular visits to program schools, observe classroom transactions, speak to teachers and headmasters and make suggestions for improving quality and utilization of these materials.- Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on Mission Ankur and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of program.- Provide required feedback from the insights collated in field to SO and CO for necessary changes in the pedagogy and material.- Analyze various data and information emanating from the field, develop programmatic co
- relations and flag off issues for a larger discussion.- Track progress of implementation and expenditures through regular review meetings and field visits; flag off deviations and delays at the earliest.- Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfil the objectives of the organization.- Ensure effective utilization of program budget through proper planning and tracking of planned activities. Ensure that financial and procurement norms are adhered to, and efforts are made to reduce costs to the extent possible, without compromising on the quality.- Track program progress on key indicators according to the M&E framework during monthly meetings and throughout the project timeline.- Participate actively on social media in all Room to Read (RtR) campaigns.- Stay updated regarding new programs/interventions of the like-minded organizations in district.- Identify operational bottlenecks and weaknesses, wherever applicable and come up with solutions for the same in consultation with state manager.- Support the State Manager in the execution of the Project by leading all technical tasks in the district focused on capacity building of stakeholders across all levels (District, Block, Cluster and Schools), support uptake of materials, and establish coordination with various stakeholders at the district level to sustain the impact and interventions from the program.- Support the State Manager in strategic planning and advocacy, technical assistance, quality assurance, sustainability planning and future expansion decisions.

Government Liaison and Technical Support:
- Serve as a technical resource at the district level and participate in technical assistance discussions.- Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on foundational literacy as well as Numeracy and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of RtR literacy program.- Represent Room to Read in different forums and advocate the importance of foundational literacy and need for libraries and quality children literature in schools.- Interact with key stakeholders (government departments and officials such as CDEO/ADPC/DEEO/RPs/DIET etc.) on a day-to-day basis to ensure delivery of program