CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES LESOTHO
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT(ECD)
JOB OPPORTUNITY
TECHNICAL ADVISOR (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP)
Reports to: Project Manager – Childcare and Early Childhood Development (ECD)
About Catholic Relief Services (CRS):
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than one hundred countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work are accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.
Job Summary:
The purpose of this role is to support the development and implementation of a sustainable and replicable day-care centres’ business model for the target day-care centres in two target project areas (Maseru and Leribe) for the upcoming ECD project “Catalysing Quality Sustainable and Replicable Day-care Services in Lesotho project”.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the technical design and development of sustainable and replicable business model, in collaboration with the day-care center business owners and ECD technical staff to understand and ensure full costing of businesses that meet national day-care standards and deliver quality ECD services.
- Conduct survey of day-care center models being utilized in other parts of Lesotho as well as South Africa and document best practices and lessons learned from these models for application to the project’s day-care centers.
- Liaise with GoL (Ministry of Small Business and BEDCO), facilitate trainings, workshops, and coaching sessions for the day-care center caregivers in Maseru and Thetsane on quarterly basis.
- Contribute to relevant sections of the project ProFrame and Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP).
- Participate and provide technical support during project start-up and SMILER workshop and ensure tools developed are appropriate and relevant to help day-care center business owners to monitor progress towards financial breakeven.
- Support the design of a business management manual/curriculum for Day-care Center caregivers in Maseru and Leribe working closely with Childcare & ECD Project Manager, MEAL Officer, and other project staff to ensure that sustainable business model practices are documented.
- Conduct monthly monitoring visits to Day-care Centers, as needed, to identify business practice learning gaps and to provide technical assistance and mentoring accordingly.
- On a monthly basis, provide ongoing technical guidance on business management to ensure the designed model is implemented and adjusted, as needed.
- Work closely with MEAL Officer, collect data, support data analysis process, share lessons learned to facilitate improvements in decision-making and documentation of best practices from Maseru and Leribe to be replicated.
- Prepare and produce comprehensive monthly and quarterly reports based on business model activities conducted and contribute to development of annual project report.
- Establish new relationships and maintain existing relationships with donors, local organizations, government ministries specifically Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Health and other institutions.
- Participate in existing ECD forums in Maseru and Leribe area to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
- Identify and provide guidance on advertisement platforms affordable for day-care centre caregivers and ensure day-care centre services are marketed and promoted to attract more children.
- Join internal and external microenterprise and day-care platforms and working e.g., ECDAN childcare group.
- Identify risks that may affect day-care centre business model sustainability and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.
- Support advocacy efforts with key stakeholders, present at ECCE internal, national and international platforms.
- Ensure that the business model plans for the needed child protection and safeguarding mechanisms to ensure children attending day-care are safe.
- Develop day-care centre business model toolkit, social and behaviour change, success stories for both internal and external publications as per CRS guidelines.
Preferred Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing or any related qualifications.
- Minimum of 5 years work experience advising, coaching and mentoring small and medium starting or growing their businesses.
- Additional relevant experience will be considered.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Strong skills in training, mentoring, and coaching.
- Organized and proactive, able to create and execute plans for complex goals.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Computer literate.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.
Required languages
- Fluency in Sesotho and English.
Travel
- Must be willing and able to travel up to 60% of time withing Maseru and Leribe districts
Supervisory Responsibilities
- No supervisory roles in this position
Submission:
Please note that the position is only open to applicants who are Citizens of Lesotho. Interested candidates should submit CV, cover letter and certified copies of academic qualifications, no later than October 28th, 2022, at 14:00 by email to [email protected] with the subject line: TECHNICAL ADVISOR (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP). APPLICANTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IF THE SUBJECT LINE DOES NOT INDICATE THE POSITION. HARD COPY APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
Please be advised that CRS requires its employees to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, all successful candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and their personal/professional references will be required to evaluate their behaviours related to the above safeguarding-related topics.
Disclaimer: This job advertisement is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.