STIR Education is a young, ambitious NGO with a mission to empower teachers to lead change in their classrooms, schools and the wider communities, in order to improve learning for all children.
Our reason for being
We have a global learning crisis on our hands– over three hundred million children across the developing world are now in school but simply not learning. For example, over 50% of Indian fifth graders are at least three grade levels behind what they should be (ASER, 2012). In Uganda, 90% of grade 3 children are unable to read and understand an English story text of grade 2 level difficulty; 70% of grade 3 children are unable to solve numerical written division sums of grade 2 level difficulty (Uwezo, 2012). This absence of learning threatens the opportunity for the next generation of young people to escape poverty and benefit from economic growth in their countries.
We have a global learning crisis on our hands– over three hundred million children across the developing world are now in school but simply not learning. For example, over 50% of Indian fifth graders are at least three grade levels behind what they should be (ASER, 2012). In Uganda, 90% of grade 3 children are unable to read and understand an English story text of grade 2 level difficulty; 70% of grade 3 children are unable to solve numerical written division sums of grade 2 level difficulty (Uwezo, 2012). This absence of learning threatens the opportunity for the next generation of young people to escape poverty and benefit from economic growth in their countries.
Evidence suggests that committed, open-minded, capable teachers could make the single biggest difference to addressing this learning crisis. But in practice teachers are demotivated, disempowered and underequipped: one in four Indian teachers is absent on any given school day; 84% of Ugandan primary school teachers surveyed want to quit teaching.
Our model
STIR has created a model that empowers teachers to fundamentally re-imagine their role in leading change in their classrooms, schools and the wider education system. STIR adopts a four-stepped approach to bring about a teacher-led movement for change. We start with the ‘bright spots’ – identifying teachers who have even a small, initial spark of commitment and innovation – and use recognition, peer pressure, soft incentives, certification, (offline) social networking and cross-sector partnerships to bring about a teacher-led movement for change within the existing system.
STIR has created a model that empowers teachers to fundamentally re-imagine their role in leading change in their classrooms, schools and the wider education system. STIR adopts a four-stepped approach to bring about a teacher-led movement for change. We start with the ‘bright spots’ – identifying teachers who have even a small, initial spark of commitment and innovation – and use recognition, peer pressure, soft incentives, certification, (offline) social networking and cross-sector partnerships to bring about a teacher-led movement for change within the existing system.
Having completed a successful pilot project in India (with the support of ARK, the British Council and DFID), STIR is now ready to test the STIR model in a second geography and is planning to launch an East Africa pilot programme in Uganda.
To help establish STIR’s presence in Uganda and East Africa, STIR is now looking to hire a Programme Manager. The Programme Manager will work closely with our Uganda Programme Head to support our partners in delivering STIR’s model and ensuring the pilot is implemented effectively.
Location: Kampala
Deadline: December 18, 2013 - 10am
Deadline: December 18, 2013 - 10am
The Uganda Programme Manager will have excellent skills in partnership management; be a very positive and solution focused person; be extremely organised. Crucially, they will have a very strong belief in the potential of teachers to be changemakers in the Uganda education system.
The STIR Uganda Programme Manager will have four priorities during the STIR’s Uganda pilot:
1. Work closely with the Uganda Head to support partner organisations to embed the STIR model effectively in their existing organisational infrastructure
2. Ensure that partner organisations gather and share data required by STIR and make sure the data is organised carefully
3. Organise STIR training institutes and other events led by STIR to promote teachers as changemakers
4. Develop and share a knowledge base about what makes an effective Education Leader and work with partners and STIR team to ensure the STIR methodology is appropriately adapted for the Ugandan context
2. Ensure that partner organisations gather and share data required by STIR and make sure the data is organised carefully
3. Organise STIR training institutes and other events led by STIR to promote teachers as changemakers
4. Develop and share a knowledge base about what makes an effective Education Leader and work with partners and STIR team to ensure the STIR methodology is appropriately adapted for the Ugandan context
Required Skills & Experience
The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years’ experience (with at least 2 years in grassroots education), a good knowledge of the East African context, clear leadership skills and good ‘start-up’ experience.
- A clear understanding of the challenges teachers and schools face in Uganda
- Experience of supporting teachers or others in school to lead change in grassroots contexts
- Experience of overseeing multiple projects and managing multiple partnerships simultaneously
- Experience in and understanding of what is required to improve education quality in Uganda
- Experience in managing the collection of data and analyzing it
- Demonstrated ability to provide useful feedback to team members
- Experience in creating opportunities for people to learn from each other
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in order to hone STIR’s key messages for the Ugandan context
- An ability to influence people without direct authority over them
- Experience in organizing events and coordinating large numbers of external partners
- Demonstrated experience in creative problem solving
- A clear understanding of the challenges teachers and schools face in Uganda
- Experience of supporting teachers or others in school to lead change in grassroots contexts
- Experience of overseeing multiple projects and managing multiple partnerships simultaneously
- Experience in and understanding of what is required to improve education quality in Uganda
- Experience in managing the collection of data and analyzing it
- Demonstrated ability to provide useful feedback to team members
- Experience in creating opportunities for people to learn from each other
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in order to hone STIR’s key messages for the Ugandan context
- An ability to influence people without direct authority over them
- Experience in organizing events and coordinating large numbers of external partners
- Demonstrated experience in creative problem solving
Personal Qualities
- Strong commitment to excellent education for all and a belief in teachers and school leaders as innovators with the capacity to lead change in the system
- Positivity and optimism such that you can motivate others during challenging times
- Flexibility and a willingness to adapt and work in low-resource settings
- Willingness to learn from and collaborate with partner organisations
- Humility as you work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences and openness to learn from their experience
- Resilience in the face of the challenges of impacting public education in Uganda
- Creative – especially in terms of motivating people and finding ways to overcome the challenges of working in schools in low-income communities
- Confident in wide variety of social settings
- Open and keen to learn from all colleagues and partners
- Highly organized and professional in approach to managing and developing people
- Enjoyment of travel and opportunity to work ‘on the go’ in rural areas
- Sensitive to local context and particularities and able to adapt to work effectively in different contexts
- Strong commitment to excellent education for all and a belief in teachers and school leaders as innovators with the capacity to lead change in the system
- Positivity and optimism such that you can motivate others during challenging times
- Flexibility and a willingness to adapt and work in low-resource settings
- Willingness to learn from and collaborate with partner organisations
- Humility as you work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences and openness to learn from their experience
- Resilience in the face of the challenges of impacting public education in Uganda
- Creative – especially in terms of motivating people and finding ways to overcome the challenges of working in schools in low-income communities
- Confident in wide variety of social settings
- Open and keen to learn from all colleagues and partners
- Highly organized and professional in approach to managing and developing people
- Enjoyment of travel and opportunity to work ‘on the go’ in rural areas
- Sensitive to local context and particularities and able to adapt to work effectively in different contexts
Specific Responsibilities
1. Build and maintain relationships with partner field coordinators such that they remain committed to working in partnership with STIR after the pilot
2. Work closely with partner field coordinators to share learning about how STIR is working in Uganda and different contexts within Uganda
3. Support the STIR central team and Programme Head to plan training for Education Leaders
4. Provide ongoing support people from partner organisations trained by STIR to lead innovation searches and teacher networks
5. Monitor the implementation of the pilot programme by partners and ensure all necessary data is gathered from partners
6. Liaise with STIR India team members to share lessons about the most effective means of running STIR innovation searches and networks
7. Create opportunities for STIR teachers to be profiled and recognized publicly for their work
8. Develop a knowledge base to support the effective running of future teachers’ networks in Uganda
9. Provide additional support to STIR as an organization as required – be willing to ‘muck-in’ – and share learning with the India and UK teams
1. Build and maintain relationships with partner field coordinators such that they remain committed to working in partnership with STIR after the pilot
2. Work closely with partner field coordinators to share learning about how STIR is working in Uganda and different contexts within Uganda
3. Support the STIR central team and Programme Head to plan training for Education Leaders
4. Provide ongoing support people from partner organisations trained by STIR to lead innovation searches and teacher networks
5. Monitor the implementation of the pilot programme by partners and ensure all necessary data is gathered from partners
6. Liaise with STIR India team members to share lessons about the most effective means of running STIR innovation searches and networks
7. Create opportunities for STIR teachers to be profiled and recognized publicly for their work
8. Develop a knowledge base to support the effective running of future teachers’ networks in Uganda
9. Provide additional support to STIR as an organization as required – be willing to ‘muck-in’ – and share learning with the India and UK teams
How to apply:
Application Process
- In a cover letter please share with us why you are interested in becoming a STIR Uganda Programme Manager and why you think your experience makes you a suitable candidate
- Please also send a copy of your CV and details for two referees to jobs@stireducation.org
- Please complete your application by Wed 18th December 2013
For more information about STIR and our mission please visit www.stireducation.org
- In a cover letter please share with us why you are interested in becoming a STIR Uganda Programme Manager and why you think your experience makes you a suitable candidate
- Please also send a copy of your CV and details for two referees to jobs@stireducation.org
- Please complete your application by Wed 18th December 2013
For more information about STIR and our mission please visit www.stireducation.org
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