Job Opportunity for Regional Transformation Officer at Shantilal Muttha Foundation

SMF is a non-profit organization established with an aim to strengthen the public education system and support schools to enrich their capacities for fostering the holistic development of children with emphasis on values-based learning environments and life-skills education. 

SMF interventions, which have been carried out in partnership with the state governments of Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Meghalaya, have benefitted over 44,00,000 students, 200,000 teachers and over 70,000 schools across the country so far.  SMF has been creating and implementing meaningful, impact-centric interventions and state-wide platforms for school systems. Various state governments have deeply engaged with us in the domains of School Assessment and Accreditation, Values-based Education and Life Skills, Civic Engagement, Early Childhood Education using the MLE approach and Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment. 

Currently, SMF has been entrusted by the Government of Maharashtra to partner for  improving the quality of education in the Adarsh Shala programme  in all 67,000 govt. schools in Maharashtra, with focussed approach in 488 schools in the first phase, aiming at transforming them into ‘Model Schools’. The Programme stages are visualized as below: 

• Model School visioning,   planning, design and development  and  governance (2021-22)
• Practice and Demonstration for 488 schools (2021-24)
• Scale-up plan and action for 5000 schools (2023- 25)
• Scale-up to all 67,000 government schools with sustainability plan and action (2026-30).

SMF will support the GoM by shouldering the responsibility of co-creating and anchoring the functioning of the Model School Transformation Cell (MSTC). MSTC will be formed within the SCERT by the GoM along with SMF officials with expertise in varied domains. Further, Model School District Quality Forums will be set up in each district which will serve as important arms of the MSTC to sustain and replicate the learnings of the Model School Programme.

Job Overview

The Regional Transformation Officer is responsible for implementation of the Programme in the designated schools in assigned region in accordance with the stated objectives, plans and strategies of the Programme. She/He is the converging point where the program gets operational and implemented. This involves implementation of all intended model school interventions, working closely with the Regional Deputy Director (Education), District Transformation Officers within the region, and district level education officers, school headmasters and teacher, and other internal as well as external stakeholders. She/He is expected to work closely with the Snr. Program Associate (MSTC) to bring about desired changes among the designated schools. This position also involves providing timely and precise information from the field to the Snr. Program Associate, and to build rapport and goodwill with school and government stakeholders through approaches involving collaboration and teamwork. The Regional Transformation Officer also functions as the District Transformation Officer for her/his own district.

Key Responsibilities

• Support, lead, and coordinate the work of District Transformation Officers in the region. 
• Serve as District Transformation officer for own district.
• Support Snr. Program Associate for creating visibility of programme at District and State levels.
• Establish and strengthen monitoring mechanisms at the district level while working closely with the Regional Deputy Director (Education), REO, CEO, ZP, EO and BEOs and other stakeholders.
• Assists the District Transformation Officers with active involvement of EO, DIET staff, education officers and heads of schools in the formation and operationalization of District Quality Forums in the region.
• Coordinates for convergence of work with government departments (Women and Child Development, and others).
• Understand, identify and work on factors that may impede quality.
• Coordinate with the government to strengthen mainstreaming of reporting and monitoring mechanisms related to the program.
• Document best practices, case studies, photos and lessons learned and shares with state team.
• Leading all training, orientations and meetings at the regional and district levels.
• Conduct periodic visit to schools offering guidance, support and encouragement to stakeholders for fulfillment of the programme objectives.
• Reviews and documents routinely the program implementation with District Transformation Officers.
• Provides regular analytical reports which include details of routine findings and recommendations.
• Participates in regular trainings and meetings as required with HO staff.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Education/Social Work/Development or equivalent.
• 8 – 10 years of relevant work experience in areas such as teaching, teacher-training, programme coordination/management/implementation, working with education department officials, etc.
• Candidate with background in education will be preferred. 
• Prior experience of living and working in rural and semi urban areas.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Good interpersonal skills and abilities for effective teamwork.
• Good understanding of MS Word, MS Excel and Android Apps for reporting purpose.
• Strong organizational and planning skills including the ability to monitor progress of program implementation.
• Multitasking skills, and ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously and take appropriate initiative.
• Appetite and ability for extensive travel within the region for visiting schools.
• Good understanding of MIS related processes and systems. 
• Having proficiency and good communication skills in Marathi, and working knowledge of English.