Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of Sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, Public Health, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and Agriculture.

The vision of the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) is to be ‘The agency for educational quality in the Pacific region’. Its mission is to enhance the quality of education and training for Pacific learners, so they realise the benefits of lifelong learning. EQAP seeks to promote the following core values within the context of SPC’s corporate values:

• a culture of quality;
• a culture of continuous improvement;
• cultural and political sensitivity;
• respect for the autonomy and priorities of the education system in each Pacific Island country and territory (PICTs); and
• assimilation of the expressed needs of countries in its delivery of technical services.

The Assessment Officer (Teacher Standards) willsupport the contextualization of regional teacher standards in fifteen countries across the Pacific and support the development of regional and national guidelines, instruments, and tools; collection of assessment data; and Capacity Building of teachers.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

• Development of guidelines, instruments, and tools - facilitate and record decisions made during subregional and regional meetings about guidelines, instrument, and tools for raising the awareness of teachers about teacher standards; for assessment of teacher competencies; and for capturing and analysing assessment data and translate these into appropriate documents.
• Collaboration - collaborate with EQAP staff, country officers and representatives of other development partners in meetings and workshops to review national teacher standards to make them more current and relevant and aligned to the regional standards, document decisions and apply decisions in document development or during training and other professional conversations.
• Data gathering and IT support - support the collection of data on schools and teachers from countries; support the assessment of teacher competencies in countries; and the collation, Analysis, and interpretation of assessment data.
• Teacher support - support the education of teachers about purposes of the standards, as well as indicators, processes, guidelines, and tools that teachers need to know and use in order to meet the standards expected of them as espoused in national and regional standards frameworks.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in education and/or ICT is essential. A master’s in education degree with specialization in curriculum or assessment or education technology is desirable.

Technical expertise

• At least 5 years of experience working in the area of education with at least five years’ experience in interacting with teachers and officers of the Ministry of Education.
• Sound knowledge of and experience with qualitative and quantitative educational research methods.
• Sound knowledge of current Pacific and international educational assessment issues.

Language skills

• Proven verbal and written presentation and communication skills in English, both at a technical level and in the preparation of information for the public.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment.

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – Until 30 June 2025

Remuneration – The Assessment Officer (Teacher Standards) is a band 8 position in SPC’s 2023 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 2,044‒2,555 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 6,030–7,537 (USD 2,739–3,424; EUR 2,595–3,243). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. Remuneration of expatriate SPC staff members is not subject to income tax in Fiji; Fiji nationals employed by SPC in Fiji will be subject to income tax.

Benefits for international employees based in Fiji – SPC provides a housing allowance of FJD 1,350–3,000 per month. Establishment and repatriation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave travel, health and life and disability insurances and education allowances are available for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 working days of annual leave per annum and other types of leave, and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a matching contribution).

Languages – SPC’s working languages are English and French.

Recruitment principles – SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilingualism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals. If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will be given to the Pacific Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s Privacy Policy.

How to apply

Closing Date: 3 July 2023 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JM000433

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference. Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

For international staff in Fiji, only one foreign national per family can be employed with an entity operating in Fiji at any one given time. SPC may assist on a case-by-case basis with submissions to Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their consideration and final approval. SPC cannot and does not make any guarantee whatsoever of approval for such applications to Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and where an application is approved, the spouse or partner will be subject to such terms and conditions as may be set from time to time by the Ministry.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your Banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

1. Describe your views about teacher competency standards and the purposes for which teacher competency standards can be used.
2. What is the main challenge of implementing a set of teacher competency standards that apply across several Pacific Island countries and how can this challenge be addressed?
3. In some cases, a national initiative rolled out by the Ministry of Education is not taken up well by teachers or other education officers, resulting in intended benefits not being realised. Explain why this is so and how can this issue be addressed.