Those interested in the Literacy program in Afghanistan might just want to work there. There's an opening for a Literacy Training Specialist:

EDC seeks a seasoned training professional to work as part of our dynamic, community-focused literacy activities in Afghanistan. The Training Specialist will be responsible for providing training and support to a cadre of Afghan national and local-level literacy trainers under the Literacy and Community Empowerment Project (LCEP). LCEP is an integrated community development initiative that includes components in literacy, economic empowerment and local governance in Afghanistan. This is a non-dependent posting, based in Kabul, which is funded through July 2006.

Program Summary

In August 2004, EDC and its implementing partner, UN Habitat, launched the USAID-funded Literacy and Community Empowerment Program. The goals of this two-year program are to:

1)	Enhance the role of women and young people as change agents in society through increased literacy and skills for income-generation; and
2)	Strengthen democratically elected institutions of civil society that give a greater voice to women and young adults, and that deepen grassroots participatory governance.

Within the Literacy component of LCEP, EDC is responsible for two inter-related sub-components: the establishment and ongoing development of a Women?s Teacher Training Institute in Kabul and the implementation of the Afghan Literacy Initiative, which currently represents the field-based literacy operations of the Institute. Both Literacy sub-components are implemented in collaboration with Afghanistan?s Ministry of Education. 

The Afghan Literacy Initiative targets 65% young females, and is also open to young men and older boys. It provides learners in remote areas of the country with access to functional literacy skills in the areas of governance and economic empowerment. These skills are then reinforced when learners participate in ongoing LCEP work in governance and economic empowerment within targeted communities. A critical element of the LCEP literacy approach is that both teachers and learners build their teaching and literacy skills through lessons that encourage learners to create their own materials and learning strategies, and monitor their own progress.

The literacy component is designed to complement other LCEP components focusing on local governance, savings and credit development, and micro enterprise.  Governance and economic empowerment components of LCEP are being implemented by UN Habitat.

Specific duties of the Literacy Training Specialist:

1. Develop and implement a dynamic TOT training strategy, approach and materials: Recognizing the limitations of the cascade model, the Training Specialist will work with the Literacy Team Leader and other LCEP senior staff to develop a training system that can offer maximum support and professional development for trainers while at the same time allowing for significant trainer autonomy.

2. Train and support trainers: Using a successful track record of training adult learners in a rural development context, the Training Specialist will model excellent and dynamic training techniques for all levels of the LCEP training ladder, and will spend a significant portion of his/her time in the field.

3. Provide team leadership: The Training Specialist will be responsible for managing the training aspects of our literacy work. S/he will provide day-to-day guidance and inspiration to/for Lead Trainers to assure the highest caliber of professionalism, teamwork, communication and planning.

3. Assure training excellence, cohesion and responsiveness. The Training Specialist will use her/his successful track record in training of adults to lead TOT activities that:

	recognize the potential and the current realities of LCEP trainers
	emerge from and are appropriate for daily life in rural Afghan communities;
	are learner-centered and participatory; 
	use innovative teaching and learning strategies;
	build trainer and learner autonomy by encouraging self-monitoring and localized production of materials and teaching/learning strategies;
	reinforce, and are reinforced by, training practices in place in the LCEP governance and economic empowerment components.

Qualifications and Desired Skills:

?	Advanced degree in a related field. 
?	Significant and practical technical experience rooted in state-of-the-art adult training methodologies. 
?	Field experience in Afghanistan or central Asia preferred. 
?	Excellent management, organizational, and communication skills. 
?	Demonstrated ability to collaborate in complex situations across cultures.
?	Experience in participatory community development programs.
?	Excellent writing skills
?	Excellent organizational skills
?	Ability to work independently and as a team member.
?	Language requirements: Dari and/or Pashtu language skills highly desirable.  

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Barbara Garner (b.garner4 at verizon.net). No phone calls please. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Barb Garner
Editor, Focus on Basics