Essential Knowledge Base Coordinator

Project: Intergeneration Deaf Education Outreach
Title: Essential Knowledge Base Coordinator
Job type: Part-time
Location: Based in Hanoi with travels to Thai Nguyen, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City
Report to: Demonstration Site Coordinator

Introduction
The Intergenerational Deaf Education Outreach Project is implemented by World Concern Development Organization in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) through four years (July 2011 – June 2015) in the four provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. The overall objectives of the project is to assist young deaf children to integrate into mainstream society, by piloting an innovative joint family and institution-based delivery system comprising screening, family support, and preschool services.
The project is funded by Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF Grant No. TF099058), a trust fund managed by the World Bank (WB). The total grant is USD 2,798,270.

The project has five components:
(1) Demonstrating (joint family-institution pre-school education for deaf children, and essential knowledge base)
(2) Developing professional human resources for pre-school deaf education
(3) Building capacity and partnerships for the deaf communities and raising awareness for general public
(4) Monitoring and evaluation
(5) Project management

The position of Essential Knowledge Base Coordinator is under component (1). 
- This component aims to create affordable ways of helping families with a deaf child, via a 5- person Family Support Teams placed in six existing child care centers or schools countrywide. This approach is based in part on the experience developed in other projects on preschool education for deaf children, such as Thailand’s “Family Mentor” project (Gallaudet University-United States/Royal Thai Govt./ UNESCO) from 2004 – 2008. Some 150 children and their families will participate in this project.
- The Family Support Team (FST) will be the principal provider of early education planning and services for the 0-6 year old deaf child and their families.  The emphasis is on full and early language development by the child, as well as age-appropriate growth in mental and social skills.  The language specialists on the FST, trained by this project, will engage in language and communication planning for each child, so that they receive the visual and auditory stimulation that that child can easily use for acquiring language(s). This approach puts the child’s needs first; the language assessment checklists will be used to monitor and adjust the child’s communication approach as warranted. The members of the FST work with parents and with school teachers to ensure that each child gets what he or she needs to become ready for attending the primary school.
- An essential knowledge base will be established to support training, monitor the efficacy of educational approaches for young deaf children, conduct demonstration of program mechanisms and outcomes, and devise assessment tools for language development of the child. This knowledge base will provide information on preschool deaf education from local and global sources within Vietnam, and also support the use of research-based knowledge during decision-making processes about educational placement and communication for deaf children.

Job Summary:
Essential Knowledge Base Coordinator is responsible for (i)coordining activities within the part of Essential Knowledge Base under the component Demonstrating (joint family – institution pre-school education for deaf children and essential knowledge base) in all project sites; (ii) providing overall monitoring and supervision over the process of developing the essential knowledge base; (iii) collaborating with consultants and stakeholders involved in this component and other components to ensure the project’s successful implementation and the achievement of the component and project targets.

Main responsibilities:
Technical:
- Coordinate and work intensively with international consultants and technical working group to develop assessment tools for deaf children language development;
- ?Conduct training and monitor the use of assessment tools for family support teams, demonstration centers and hearing teachers;
- Provide technical support for the research on education for preschool education for deaf children;
- Produce an information system including materials, educational website, researches, reports, tools and other resources on preschool education for deaf children, sign language, deaf culture, and other relevant deaf issues;
- Work with other consultants and local partners to ensure child protection practices, and promote the active participation of beneficiaries and deaf communities in the project.

Management
- ?Manage the cooperation and collaboration among the consultants in the technical working groups to ensure that the relevant project outputs are produced according to plan;
- Provide on-going management throughout the entire project to ensure the achievement of a complete and most effective assessment tools;
- Monitor to ensure that project expenditures under this component are in accordance with approved budget;
- ?Review, evaluate and analyze project component progress and achievement against objectives and indicators and recommend necessary adjustments.

Reporting
Collect data and information for component report.  ?
Prepare necessary reports on the development, use and effectiveness of the assessment tools.

Representation
- ?Represent the project to government, partners, donors, visitors as needed.
- ?Disseminate lessons learned and advocate for more responsive and adapted approaches in preschool education for deaf children.

General accountability
- ?Comply with World Concern’s Child Protection Policy to ensure maximum protection for children.
- ?Comply with policies/ regulations of World Concern, government and donors as needed.

Qualifications and experiences:
- Vietnamese national with university degree in education, social sciences or a related discipline and/or equal expertise in Deaf area;
- Substantial involvement with Deaf communities in Vietnam and other countries;
- Substantial experience in Deaf education and networking, understanding of Deaf culture;
- Knowing sign language and understanding of child’s linguistic and pschycological development;
- Fluent written and verbal English and Vietnamese;
- Capacity to organize and manage consultation processes (e.g. workshops, focus groups, town-hall meetings, etc.);
- At least 5 years of relevant working experience that includes demonstrated technical and management capacity;
- Experience in working with government partners at different levels;
- Committed to work with, serve and learn from disadvantaged people;
- Mature, able to lead and take on high level of responsibility, able to work independently and as a team member;
- High degree of interpersonal skills;
- Strong computer skills;
- Motivated and hard working, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Ceiling rate for the position: $668/month (gross)

Duration:
This appointment is for 48 months on part-time basis, approximately 22.5 hours/week.
The contract starts with 12 months, with possibility for extension.
Estimated start: Oct 2011
Interested candidates are requested to send a letter of application and their CV with details of qualifications, experience and references via email to: [email protected]
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Deadline for Applications: 29 Sep, 2011