Senior Education Programs Coordinator - AVU

Terms of Reference

1.0. Introduction

The African Virtual University (AVU) is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.

A Charter, establishing the AVU as an Intergovernmental Organization, has been signed by eight (8) African Governments - Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania Mozambique, and Democratic Republic of Congo have signed.

The AVU has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.

Among other activities, the AVU collaborates with, and supports African higher education institutions in enhancing their capacities to utilize Open, Distance and e-Learning methodologies so as to effectively increase access to their own developed demand-driven graduate and undergraduate programs in disciplines critical for Africa’s socio-economic development.

One such initiatives is the Phase II of an African Development Bank (AfDB) funded project whose overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of the African Virtual University (AVU) and its network of institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and training opportunities in selected African countries.

The project has the following activities:

(1) Establishment of new ODeL Centres and/or upgrading of exiting AVU Learning Centres as well as Connectivity Provision at AVU Partner Institutions;

(2) Development and/or improvement of four ICT Education Programs: AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); Teacher Education Program (TEP); Computer Science Program (CSP); and Peace and Conflict Resolution Program (PCRP);

(3) Gender Mainstreaming

(4) Research and Development;

(5) Promotion of Open Education Resources (OERs); an (6) Enhancement of AVU Capacity.

The AfDB funds the implementation of this project in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in 21 countries, as follows: nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; four (4) Lusophone African Countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique; and eight (8) Anglophone African Countries: Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania.

To successfully implement these project activities the AVU wishes to engage a Senior Education Programs Coordinator to undertake all activities related to the education programs in the project. This post will be located in Nairobi, Kenya.

2.0. Scope of Work

Overall responsibility is to lead the processes of design, development, production and delivery and management of the project’s education programs.

This will include:

• Planning, implementing and coordinating the processes of: policy and contextualization; curriculum design; materials development; materials production and delivery of the ICT-integrated programs
• Coordinating and managing the review, design, development and production of courseware for the programs into SCORM and Mobile learning Formats, some courseware will be published as Open Educational Resources (OERs)
• Analyzing course content, learning map, and student-learning outcomes/objectives and develop innovative and state-of-the-art multiple media-based solutions for delivery of content to students in multiple sites
• Manage the process of extracting learning objects from the courseware, as well and production of videos to support the courseware
• Coordinating web-based course delivery
• Develop and implement processes and procedures to facilitate effective and quality media design and development for courses and all collateral components
• Hire, evaluate, and supervise web development and design staff, content developers, and peer reviewers and provide training for and direction of their duties
• Work with authors, content experts, multimedia developers, and instructional designers in the creation of content
• Implementing appropriate Quality Assurance framework and reporting mechanisms for the programs.
• Coordinating a consortium of Partner Institutions for the development, delivery and management of consortium programs in the project.
• Managing the communities of practice for the programs
• Ensuring effective delivery and monitoring of and reporting on all programs in line with project deliverables, AVU policies and Agreements or Memorandum of Understanding in place.
• Evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of programs and related activities/processes.
• Collaborating with other Unit within the AVU, the AVU Multinational, the Partner Institutions and any other Stakeholders in the planning and execution of the above responsibilities.
• Coordinating and supervising staff within the project’s component on education programs.
• Performing any other duties as may be assigned by the Manager or Rector.

D: Qualifications

• A Master degree in Computer Sciences, Instructional design, educational technology, Educational Management, Curriculum and instruction, or related field. A PhD will be an added advantage
• Five years of progressively complex experience with the responsibility for design and development and/or managing research, design and, development of eLearning technology and systems.
• Experience in developing Open Educational Resources is an asset
• Experience developing content for asynchronous and synchronous eLearning courses.
• Experience in coordinating and/or managing academic teams involved in the development and peer review of eLearning courses.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated experience in networking.
• Experiencing in building and leading teams
• Knowledge of common features of content and design for courses using latest learning technologies.
• Knowledge of editing, publishing, and modifying content for open distance and eLearning
• Language: Working knowledge of English is essential. Knowledge of French and Portuguese will be an added advantage
• Knowledge of and/or experience in Anglophone/Francophone/Lusophone higher education systems is an added advantage

E: Deliverables and Expected Outcomes

• Riverview, design , Development, and production , of the ICT-integrated education programs of the project
• Courseware produced in different formats and posted on AVU portals
• ICT-integrated programs delivered in the PIs
• Consortia of the ICT-integrated programs maintained
• Processes and procedures to facilitate effective and quality media design and development for courses and all collateral components implemented
• Communities of practices implemented successfully.

5.0. Modalities of Work

• This is a full time employment

6.0 Reporting

The officer will work under the coordination of the AVU Rector or such other person as the client may designate from time to time in writing.

7.0 Payment

The salary will be commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate

The African Virtual University (AVU) is an equal opportunity employer

The successful candidate will be appointed for 2 years - renewable

Application must include detailed curriculum vitae with a telephone number, an email and residential address, names and contact addresses of three professional references

Applications should be sent to Ms Catherine Wangeci at cwangeci@avu.org with a copy to rector@avu.org

The successful candidate will be based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya

The closing date for this application is January 12th 2012 at 12:00 p.m. East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3)