Master of Early Child Development (MECD)

📣 Opportunity Alert for ECD Professionals!

Early Child Development (ECD) is a critically important field, with investment in ECD recognized as both a moral imperative and a strategic pathway towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing the need for building human resource capacity, Aga Khan University – Human Development Programme (AKU-HDP) is offering a graduate program in ECD designed to equip professionals with a comprehensive range of integrated knowledge and skills to enhance their practices. The MECD program will prepare students through a multidisciplinary, blended approach encompassing education, service, and research. By creating an advanced knowledge base, the program aims to strengthen human resource capacity and promote increased investment in ECD.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Website Upgrade for the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN)

Request for Proposals (RFP): Website Upgrade for the African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) 

Issued by: African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) 

Date: 20 February 2025 

Submission Deadline: 7 March 2025

The African Early Childhood Network (AfECN) invites qualified vendors to submit proposals for the redesign and upgrade of its website. This project aims to enhance AfECN’s communication infrastructure to better serve its mission of advocating for equitable Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies and programs across Africa. The new website seeks to improve user experience and integrate new features including a central hub for knowledge sharing and enhanced stakeholder engagement.

Submit proposals electronically to careers@afecn.org by 7 March 2025.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: RESEARCH, MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING MANAGER

As AfECN continues to expand its impact, effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of its projects and initiatives it is critical in assessing progress, understanding outcomes, and ensuring that evidence is used to shape policies and practices.

Purpose of the Role: The Research Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager will play a key role in supporting this goal by designing, implementing, and managing a robust M&E framework that tracks the effectiveness of AfECN’s initiatives and guides organizational learning.

OPPORTUNITY: RESOURCE MOBILIZATION CONSULTANT

The Resource Mobilization Consultant (RMC) will be responsible for the development and capacity building to support implementation of AfECN’s fundraising strategy. The RMC will support establishment of systems to support overall coordination, planning, development, and management of a public and private sector fundraising strategy to mobilize resources and support accountability and transparent reporting.

OPPORTUNITY FOR A PROGRAMME OFFICER!!

AfECN   would like to recruit a Programme Officer to support its work in strengthening multisectoral advocacy and sub-regional coordination mechanism in WCAR.  The broader tasks include i) supporting stronger engagement of regional and national ECD partners; contributing to improved organizational and advocacy capacities of National Advocacy Partners (NAPs); increased knowledge generation on Early Childhood Education and dissemination across the region.

Contract: 1 year (Renewable based on performance and availability of funds)

Working Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours a week

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Application procedure: Interested candidates who meet the desired qualifications should submit cover letter, Curriculum Vitae (CV), motivation statement (max 2 pages), testimonials, copies of academic transcripts as a single PDF document to careers@afecn.org. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: 22nd August 2023

Call for Expressions of Interest for Early Childhood Development Advocacy Groups/Networks

Call for Expressions of Interest for Early Childhood Development Advocacy Groups/Networks

📢Are you a grassroots advocacy group seeking to make a difference in the development of young children?

We are currently accepting application for seed grants to support your efforts.

⏳: 14 SEPTEMBER 2023

Africa Early Childhood Research Fellowship Program

AfECN activities to improve research capacity are being led by a Regional Research Technical Team (RRTT) comprised of accomplished ECD scholars and researchers in the continent. AfECN is currently in the process of recruiting the 3rd Cohort which is planned to have four (4) junior research fellows. The first and second cohorts of Research Fellows were recruited in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The first cohort had 13 research fellows whereas the second cohort had seven (7) research fellows.

Application procedure:

Qualified and interested applicants are invited to complete and send in their application by Monday Aug 30, 2020 (11:59 GMT+3). The applications and any inquiries should be submitted to the following address: research@afecn.org.

Application form: Click here

Les activités de l’AfECN visant à améliorer les capacités de recherche sont dirigées par une équipe technique régionale de recherche (ETRR) composée d’universitaires et de chercheurs éminents en DPE sur le continent. L’AfECN est actuellement en train de recruter la 3e cohorte qui devrait compter quatre (4) boursiers de recherche juniors. La première et la deuxième cohortes de boursiers de recherche ont été recrutées en 2017 et 2018, respectivement. La première cohorte comptait 13 boursiers de recherche, tandis que la deuxième cohorte comptait sept (7) boursiers de recherche.

Procédure de candidature :

Les candidats qualifiés et intéressés sont invités à remplir et à envoyer leur dossier de candidature au plus tard le lundi 31 août 2020 (11:59 GMT+3). Les candidatures et toute demande de renseignements doivent être envoyées à l’adresse suivante : research@afecn.org.

Formulaire de candidature: cliquez ici

Integrated Healthcare for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Dear all,

We are pleased to announce the second run of this free online course from the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. If you have a moment please do share across your networks. This run will also benefit from free upgrading for learners from LMICs, providing unlimited access and the opportunity to achieve the end of course certificate.

Register for the course here: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/children-with-developmental-disabilities

Integrated Healthcare for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Over this 3 week course, we will explore how to deliver appropriate, high-quality healthcare for children with development disabilities.

By the end of the course you will able to:

> Describe developmental disability and the impact of impairment on children and their families

> Explain how early intervention can improve long-term outcomes for children with developmental disabilities

> Identify the specialist and general healthcare needs of children with developmental disabilities

> Investigate the barriers and solutions to improve a child's access to healthcare services

> Explore the importance of working in equal partnership with children and their families

> Reflect on the broader needs and fundamental rights of children with developmental disabilities

> Discuss how to collaborate with other service providers

Join the conversation on social media: Use the hashtag #FLhealthchilddisability to join social media conversations from across the globe.

Register for the course here: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/children-with-developmental-disabilities

Many thanks,

Nathaniel Scherer | Research Assistant | International Centre for Evidence in Disability

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | Keppel St | London WC1E 7HT | United Kingdom

Early Years Fellowship recruitment now open through October 11

Dear Colleagues,

I am very pleased to announce the launch of a new recruitment round for the Early Years Fellowship and I request your help to disseminate this announcement to promising candidates.  We graduated our first cohort of Fellows from 15 countries in Africa in June 2019 and are now expanding the program globally to more than 30 countries (see list below)

Countries and Eligibility

• Applicants will work in their home countries and must be between the ages of 25 and 40.

• We will be accepting applications for the following countries: Angola/Sao Tome & Principe, Brazil, Botswana/ Lesotho/Eswatini, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Egypt, El Salvador/ Honduras/ Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana/Liberia/Sierra Leone, Jordan/West Bank/Gaza, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique/ Seychelles/Mauritius/Comoros, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Congo/ Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Serbia/North Macedonia, Tunisia, Uganda.

Background on the Early Years Fellowship and Program Design

The Early Learning Partnership (ELP) launched the  Early Years Fellowship in 2017 to support governments and World Bank teams to scale up investments in the early years with the following objectives:

1. Improve the quality of ECD analytical work and project design and implementation by increasing the availability of experienced professionals to advise and support governments and World Bank teams;

2. Build in-country capacity and reduce reliance on international technical assistance and ensure sustainable, contextually-specific and informed responses to scaling up ECD at country level; and,

3. Develop the next generation of leaders to scale up investments in the early years and raise the profile of the ECD sub-sector as a viable and prestigious field of study and work.

Fellows spend 20 percent of their time enrolled in a professional development program designed to strengthen their technical skills in ECD and their understanding of World Bank operations. The remaining 80 percent of their time is dedicated to a country-specific work program to work across sectors to support ECD. 

How to Apply

Recruitment is now open and the due date to submit an application is October 11th. The announcement is available here along with a video, FAQs and Terms of Reference for each country position.  

The application form can be accessed here.

We look forward to receiving many applications.  We regret we will not be able to answer questions via email or to speak by phone.  We recommend all interested candidates to go to the website to read the information and FAQs.

Sincerely,

Amanda E. Devercelli

Global Lead for Early Childhood Development

Program Manager for the Early Learning Partnership