OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Background
The Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) is an editorially independent, authoritative, and evidence-based annual report that monitors progress towards the global education goal and targets adopted by the UN in September 2015. The Report is developed by an independent team and published annually by UNESCO; it is widely recognized as an indispensable reference tool for global education policy leaders.
In collaboration with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the GEM Report is launching the development of a Spotlight report series – a country-focused accountability tool on education. Building upon and strengthening existing education sector processes at country level, the Spotlight report aims to place easily understood, evidence-based and compelling diagnostics in the hands of education leaders and advocates. The series will put the spotlight on education progress, in terms of access, equity, quality, learning and finance in primary and lower secondary education in up to 40 countries in Africa as measured by the two global indicators: the completion rate and the percentage of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics. Unlike other GEM Report products, the Spotlight report series will be produced annually, focusing on a dozen countries per year, of which four each year would be analyzed in greater depth.

Long Description
Under the overall authority and immediate supervision of the GEM Report Director, the Senior Project Lead will take responsibility for supporting the strategic development of the GEM Report Spotlight series – a new GEM Report project focused on completing and learning in primary and lower secondary education in Africa. The incumbent will be responsible for the following major activities:

Lead the project development

Finalize the project vision, objectives and workplan for approval by its Steering Committee.
Refine and develop the project investment case and fundraising plan.
Organize and facilitate Steering Committee meetings and updates, ensuring recommendations are incorporated into the project workplan.
Identify risks that threaten the delivery of results and mitigating actions to manage these.
In collaboration with ED/HR, manage the recruitment and selection process of project staff. Manage and guide the project staff.
Communicate regularly with the GEM Report team on project progress.
Represent the project and communicate its vision and objectives.
Prepare the necessary project reporting documentation.
Long Description
Manage effective partnerships with national, regional and global organizations and mechanisms

In collaboration with the GEM Report Director, establish communication channels and collaboration arrangements with key regional organizations, notably the African Union and Regional Economic Communities, to promote the policy areas championed by the Spotlight series into regional and sub-regional policy dialogue processes.
Establish communication channels and collaboration arrangements with national partners, especially in the focus countries, notably with the government and parliamentarians but also with the research community, civil society and local development partners, where possible through the Local Education Group, to ensure the relevance of project activities, feed relevant information into the project workplan and report content, and promote the policy areas championed by the Spotlight series into the national policy dialogue and decision making processes.
Establish and maintain communication channels with international development partners to ensure the relevance of project activities and feed relevant information on their country-level activities into the project workplan and report content.
In collaboration with the Senior Communication and Advocacy Specialist, develop a tailored national, regional and global engagement and advocacy approach.
In collaboration with the GEM Report Director, manage the partnership with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa and monitor the implementation of the workplan.
Long Description
Develop the content of the first issue of the Spotlight report

Finalize the identification of countries to be covered in the first, second and (indicatively) third editions of the Spotlight report based on opportunities for change, political context, presence of effective policy leaders and advocates, country-level partnership opportunities and entry-points/opportunities to facilitate country agency and regional representation.
Finalize the analytical research framework, report structure and writing style for the Spotlight series.
In collaboration with the Senior Policy Analyst (monitoring) and key education data partners (e.g. UIS, IIEP World Bank, PAL Network, etc.), reflect the latest data available informs the analysis presented in the Spotlight series.
In collaboration with the GEM Report Director, lead on the development of the outline and draft of the 2022 Spotlight series.
Identify experts to be contracted for country-level analysis in countries of focus.
Facilitate the establishment of the Expert Review Group, ensuring excellent technical expertise of education issues in Africa, geographical and gender balance.