Vacancy for Consultant – Book Development at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant – Book Development in Hausa and Kanuri Languages

Job ID: 190002O3
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employee Status: Permanent
Duration: 40 Days

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3 –  The responsibilities of this post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children and young people.
• As part of these responsibilities the post holder will support the establishment of child safeguarding systems, promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis
• The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Background
The USAID-funded Addressing Education in Northeast Nigeria (AENN) Activity is a three-year education project targeting 302,500 girls and boys in the age group 6 – 15. These target beneficiaries are from 225 communities comprised of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host community members in Borno and Yobe states. The AENN Activity is addressing their education and wellbeing needs through a combination of both formal and non-formal education interventions. This project aims to strengthen children and community resilience, and to enhance the capacity of duty bearers at all levels, spanning state to community, to support education. The Activity aims to provide quality learning opportunities to out-of-school girls and boys, as well as those who are already enrolled in formal schools. This project utilizes nationally endorsed non-formal education curriculum that is aligned to the state system and provides clear pathways to access formal school and vocational training opportunities.

Save the Children, FHI360 and Viamo are currently partnering in the implementation of the AENN Activity. The project is being implemented in eight Local Government Authorities (LGAs) spread across Borno and Yobe states. These are five LGAs in Borno State, namely Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Monguno, Dikwa and Hawul and three LGAs in Yobe, namely Damaturu, Bade and Potiskum. The activity targets two hundred and twenty-five (225) communities in these eight LGAs, and 150 communities will be reached in the first year of the implementation of the activity.

The Activity sets out to achieve four primary results:

• Education authorities have increased capacity to plan, manage and oversee education services;
• Safe education opportunities are available with a minimum package of instructional materials and supplies;
• Teachers deliver conflict-sensitive, quality basic education instruction that improves psychosocial well-being and learning outcomes among all students and
• Diverse community groups work together to equitably increase awareness of education opportunities for all.

The production of books in the local languages will go a long way in contributing to children’s literacy skills development. The Kanuri readers that will be developed will complement the Hausa language readers that are available through other programs such as RANA and will be used in community-level activities. They will also be available as supplementary reading materials for Non Formal Learning Centers. The readers will also contribute to the realization of Result Area 2: safe education opportunities are available with a minimum package of instructional materials and supplies.

Methodology:

• The book development consultant will develop reading materials in Kanuri and Hausa languages
• S/he will generate a list of potential story ideas, work with children and others in the community to tell the story and capture the telling of the story in text and illustrate the text
• S/he will prepare and present a mid-term book development progress report
• S/he will share text and illustrations with relevant project staff, notably the Context Sensitive Education Advisor and Non Formal Education Specialist, to ensure the messages are appropriate, conflict sensitive, gender sensitive, and finalize all stories in preparation for printing
• The consultant will prepare a comprehensive book development work plan covering the 40 working days of consultancy. S/he will also prepare an inception report
• The consultant will work in consultation with children and community members
• S/he will conduct community-level gatherings to explain the project
• The consultant will prepare and present the final book development report.

Deliverables:

• The consultant will ensure that the content has clear stories or themes that positively depict girls and women, characters with different physical, mental, social and emotional abilities
• The supplementary readers need to enliven reading for fun and enjoyment at home and community and should reinforce positive themes and concepts that are common to the local and national curriculum.

The deliverables will include, but not limited to the following:

• Book development work plan and inception report
• Mid-term book development progress report
• Draft text and illustrations for review by project staff
• Formatted, proof read and finalized stories ready for printing
• Final book development report

Qualifications

• At least a University Degree in Literature and Study of Language
• Advanced computer literacy and desktop publishing skills
• Positive social skills
• Conversant with the Northeast Nigeria context
• Conflict and culture sensitive
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
• An experienced writer of children’s story books in Kanuri and Hausa languages
• Advanced Kanuri language skills
• Advanced Hausa language skills
• Advanced English language skills

Deadline: 24th November, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Requirements
All expressions of interest should include:

• Cover Letter: A short (maximum one page) Letter addressing the methodology and deliverables criteria
• Technical Proposal (maximum 4 pages) highlighting: brief explanation about previous experience in book development in Hausa and Kanuri languages; understanding of the TOR, description of the specified methodology and the task to be accomplished as well as draft work plan.
• Detailed CV (maximum 4 pages)
• A financial proposal (in Naira) providing cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees.
• Copies of relevant previous survey reports (to be kept confidential)

Note

• Applicants are advised that Save the Children International does not require any payment or expense during the entire recruitment process. Any request in this direction should be immediately reported as it is contrary to the values and practices of our organization.
• Due to the volume of applications received, Save the Children may not provide feedback to all applicants. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as received. Save the Children reserves the right to change the closing date, if considered necessary.