Vacancy:
Program Officer - Research
Terms of Reference
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.
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.
The AVU Business Plan
2009-2014 has two main thrusts: (a) Educational and support services provided
on a fee basis; and (b) Not-for-profit development services.
The Not-for-profit
development services aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions
(PIs) with an objective of increasing access to quality education through the
following activities: updating and developing content; Open Educational
Resources (OER) Development; AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); set
up/upgrade ODeL centers; developing professional networks through Communities
of Practices; Research and Development; and Quality Evaluation and
Benchmarking.
Some of the Not-for-profit development services were delivered from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries.
The AfDB is funding a
second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase
and will extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective
of the AVU Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU
and a network of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated
education and training opportunities in 21 African countries.
The
project has the following activities:
(1) Establishment of
new Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centers and/or upgrading of exiting AVU
Learning Centers as well as Internet connectivity provision at AVU Partner
Institutions;
(2) Development
and/or improvement, and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU Capacity
Enhancement Program (ACEP); Teacher Education (TE), Computer Science (CS), and
Peace and Conflict Resolution;
(3) Gender
Mainstreaming,
(4) Research and
Development;
(5) Promotion and
development of Open Education Resources (OERs); and
(6) Enhancement of
AVU Capacity .
The AVU Multinational
Project II will be implemented in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in the following
21 countries: nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,
Senegal; three (3) Lusophone African Countries: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and
Mozambique; and nine (9) Anglophone African Countries: Gambia, Ghana, Kenya,
Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
To successfully implement the enhancement of the capacity of AVU, the organization wishes to engage a well experienced Program Officer - Research, who will be responsible for setting up a Research Unit at AVU and for the implementation of the AVU Research and Development Agenda.
2.0.
Scope of Work
- Provide support
in the implementation of the AVU research and development agenda.
- Assist with
writing, editing and research projects.
- Process and
track proposal and manuscript submissions for the AVU conferences and
online journal.
- Conduct initial
review of conference and journal submissions for compliance with required
guidelines and correspond with authors in a timely fashion on their
submissions.
- Operate online
peer-review software to facilitate the peer review process including
uploading files, and ensuring a timely peer review process.
- Communicate
issues raised by editorial management to authors, editors and reviewers.
- Assist authors,
reviewers, and editors by responding to queries by email and phone.
- Liaise with
copy-editors, compositors and proof readers.
- Troubleshoot
routine conference proposals and manuscript issues, provide input on
discussions and escalate issues when appropriate.
- Provide support
as needed to the editorial board.
- Assist with the
organization and logistical support for the AVU annual conference.
- Assist with
press, website updates and marketing of the conferences and the journal.
- Maintain and
regularly update peer reviewer database.
- Maintain
relevant statistics on the conferences and online journal.
- Other duties as
assigned by management.
3.0.
Expected Deliverables
- Online and open
peer-reviewed journal supported.
- Organization of
annual conferences supported.
- Conference and
online journal submissions processed.
- Peer-reviewer
database maintained and updated.
- Marketing and
press on conferences and online journal supported.
- Support provided
to editors and editorial board.
- Support provided
to AVU Research & Development activities.
4.0.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree
in Education with focus in any of the following areas: Inquiry
Methodology, Distance Education & e-learning, Adult Education,
Education Policy Studies, Instructional Systems Technology, Educational
Technology/Instructional Technology or Information & Communication
Technologies.
- Educational
training and some experience in conducting scholarly research including
skills in literature review, research design, data collection, analysis
and reporting.
- Strong writing
and editing skills, background in working for a publication (preferably
academic) would be an advantage.
- Strong
communication and organizational skills.
- Problem-solving
skills.
- Ability to work
as part of a team and independently.
- Ability to
collaborate with individuals from different location and cultures.
- Self-starter and
able to take initiative.
- Ability to work
in a fast-paced environment.
- Language:
Bilingual French-English. Ability to write and communicate proficiently in
both French and English. Knowledge of Portuguese will be an added
advantage.
- Computer Skills:
Microsoft Office, Power Point, Excel, Access, Internet Skills.
5.0.
Modalities of Work:
This is a full time employment .
6.0
Duration: 2
years renewable.
7.0
Reporting
The Research/ Editorial Assistant will report to the Manager Academic Programs.
8.0
Payment
The salary will be
commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate.
The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is an equal opportunity employer.
The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is an equal opportunity employer.
The successful
candidate will be appointed for 2 years renewable.
Application must include a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae and two writing samples.
Also required is a
telephone number; email and residential addresses; and names with contact
addresses of three professional references.
Applications should
be sent to job@avu.org and must have Program Officer - Research as the email
subject.
All inquiries should be sent to avuhr@avu.org
The successful
candidate will be based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
The closing date for
this application is 29th July 2013 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT +
3)
Note: ONLY shortlisted
candidates will be contacted.
