Special & Inclusive Education (SIE) Technical Officer - Australia Fiji Education Program

• Provide technical advice, guidance and input to MoE & AFEP SIE staff regarding special and inclusive education.  
• Provide technical and pedagogical input that guides the development of inclusive practices in mainstream schools, and building teachers’ capacity to apply Individual Education Plans (IEP) in daily classroom practice
• Support monitoring and evaluation of the Program’s disability inclusion efforts, including strengthening implementation and use of the disability disaggregation module within FEMIS.  
• Provide strategic advice to MoE on the effective implementation of the Special and Inclusive Education Policy.  
• Work collaboratively with GEDSI, MEL and other technical advisers to ensure coherence and quality of inclusive approaches across the program
• Ensure all technical advice and activities adhere to child protection and safeguarding standards.
• Any other tasks relevant to the Program as required by the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening, Education 

Key Deliverables: 

• The Officer will develop a workplan, in consultation with the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening and the SIE Team outlining priorities of inputs across the engagement
• Guide MoE and AFEP SIE teams in the implementation and monitoring of IEP guidelines and technical inputs into MEL products or Program reports
• MoE SIE and AFEP teams are effectively supported through the provision of technical/pedagogical advice, expertise and inputs
• Support to MoE for the development of hybrid tools in support of teachers, HoS, and other stakeholders supporting children with disability in the school system
• Contribution to the development of a decentralised SIE resource model for strengthened support to children with learning difficulties
• More effective use of the SIE grant and introduction of IEP, bringing increased equality of access to education for students with disabilities  

Key Working Relationships:

• The role will support the AFEP and MoE SIE team, other local SIE partners
• The Technical Officer will report to the Senior Manager Systems Strengthening with deliverables reviewed and approved in consultation with MoE’s SIE counterparts. 

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in education is a requirement with specialisation in special and inclusive education
• Candidates must demonstrate experience in SIE pedagogy, with record of accomplishment in teaching, curriculum development, or inclusive education practice 

Experience 

• Experience in implementation, monitoring and evaluation and working on disability inclusive development programs and policies.  
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in special education teaching and learning, and/or experience working with SIE research/academia and/or experience working within an NGO or CSO with focus on special education teaching and learning or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience in training counterparts in special needs / learning disabilities knowledge and mainstreaming pedagogies
• Demonstrable experience of analytical and strategic planning skills.  
• Experience in helping implement practical and impactful gender equality and social inclusion approaches.
• Experience in supporting system-level changes in education including policy implementation and institutional capacity development, would be an advantage. 

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the special learning needs of students and appropriate pedagogy and programs for students with diverse types of disabilities (e.g. sensory, physical, intellectual, behavioural and emotional) and multiple disabilities).
• Knowledge of the Australian Department of foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) policies on inclusive education and disability inclusive development.  
• Knowledge of the Fiji education system is desirable.  
• Understanding of the context and constraints of developing countries in the Pacific region .

Personal Attributes

• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and the capacity to mainstream cross-cutting themes into program activities, including gender equity, violence against women, people with disabilities, child protection, environment and good governance.  
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to contribute to research and monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.  
• Good interpersonal and collaborative skills combined with ability/experience in working in close and genuine partnerships with SIE stakeholders.  
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and sensitively in a complex cross-cultural environment fostering continuous learning

How to Apply: