Gambia Senior Programme Coordinator 681 views

Engagement: 12 month contract as an independent contractor under a consultancy agreement.

Level of effort: The Consultant is anticipated to provide services at a level of effort averaging approximately 40 hours per week, as needed to perform the Services and meet agreed deliverables.

Fee: US900 per month as a consultancy fee

Project Lead: Gambia Country Manager

Location: Think Equal is a fully remote, global organisation. The Consultant will deliver services remotely from their own location and retains flexibility over working hours and work methods, subject to agreed deliverables, timelines, and coordination with the Company’s designated project lead.

Travel: International travel may be required on an ad hoc basis, subject to advance agreement.

About Think Equal

Think Equal is an award-winning global education initiative dedicated to building a more just, inclusive, and empathetic world by integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into early childhood education. Our programme is designed for children aged 3 to 6—when 90% of brain development occurs and lifelong attitudes and behaviours are most effectively formed. Co-created with leading experts in neuroscience, education, and psychology—including Sir Ken Robinson, Dr. Marc Brackett (Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence), and Professor Richard Davidson—Think Equal equips educators with:

● 24 original narrative picture books (globally representative, translated in local languages)

● 90 step-by-step lesson plans aligned with national curricula

● Printable classroom and at-home resources.

Operating across 36 countries on six continents, our programme has already reached over 550,000 children in 48 languages. In 25% of these countries, national governments have adopted Think Equal as a mandatory part of their early years curriculum.

Recognised by UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank, and a recipient of the WISE Award and HundrED Innovation Award, Think Equal is driving global impact in early childhood education.

Purpose of the Role:

This role is responsible for supporting the effective implementation, training, monitoring, and reporting of the Think Equal programme in The Gambia, with a specific focus on Early Childhood Development (ECD) Levels 1, 2, and 3. Working in close collaboration with the Think Equal Gambia Country Manager and Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), the role will ensure that Think Equal Levels 1 and 2 are implemented across all educational directories of the country. A central aspect of this role is systems strengthening specifically, building MoBSE’s capacity to independently lead and sustain Think Equal Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programme implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) processes. The role will support MoBSE and Gambia Country Manager with planning and coordination of training, preparation of classroom and teacher lists, development of training plans, and effective M&E implementation. It will also involve coordinating the distribution of Think Equal books and resources. Additionally, the role will ensure the smooth day-to-day implementation of the programme, tracking all necessary steps to ensure quality and impact on the ground. Maintaining strong relationships with MoBSE, teachers, local implementing partners, and other key stakeholders is essential, as is providing continuous guidance and support to ensure local ownership, capacity, and long-term sustainability of the programme.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

● Work closely with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), the Gambia Country Manager and Implementing Partner (IP) to plan, coordinate, and monitor the implementation of the Think Equal programme across all regions of The Gambia.

● Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with MoBSE at local, regional, and national levels to ensure alignment, ownership, and sustainability of the programme

● Communicate and liaise regularly with relevant stakeholders, representing the organisation as first point of contact and answering any queries regarding projects in the Gambia.

● Maintain regular and open communication with in-country partners and education authorities to support high-quality programme delivery and uphold Think Equal’s reputation and mission.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION

● Support communications work of the organization by ensuring timely dissemination of information.

● Support the Country Manager in teacher training and stakeholder orientation activities.

● Maintain organized and up-to-date records and systems to ensure smooth and efficient programme coordination.

● Support monitoring implementation activities to ensure timely achievement of milestones and that responsibilities assigned to MoBSE and implementing partners are met.

● Work closely with the implementing Partner to ensure that partners are delivering the tasks which fall to their responsibility in a timely and successful manner and monitor and ensure deadlines and timetabled milestones are reached in-country.

● Coordinate with the operations teams regarding translation processes, to ensure that materials are ready in line with implementation timelines.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

● Support the preparation of internal and external reports and timely updating of the various platforms with accurate and timely information.

● In collaboration with M&E Manager, assist MoBSE in strengthening their Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems and capacity, with the aim of ensuring local ownership of data collection, reporting, and continuous improvement of TE SEL delivery.

● In collaboration with the IP, monitor and support lesson implementation of teachers through site visits.

● Facilitate the implementation of MEL tools and activities led by MoBSE and other implementing partners, ensuring consistency and quality of data collection and use.

● Contribute to the sustainability of Think Equal’s impact by supporting learning processes, documenting lessons from both active and closed projects, and identifying opportunities for strengthening systems and practices in partnership with MoBSE

● Assist Country Manager in preparing monthly, quarterly reports and final reports on project progress based on project activities.

● Regularly review and update the risk register for the project.

TRAINING COORDINATION

● Conduct training sessions for teachers, and orientation for school heads, and stakeholders.

● Ensure continuous and effective classroom training delivery

● Maintain an up-to-date database of trained teachers.

● Evaluate teachers and recommend improvements for training effectiveness.

● Support SEL implementation in classrooms and ensure training quality.

● Assess teacher performance and refine training methodologies.

● Organize orientation sessions for school heads, management committees, and partners.

● Maintain records of teacher transfers and provide training for new staff.

● Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education staff.

● Maintain teacher contacts and facilitate regular communication.

● Update training materials to address skill gaps.

● Conduct surveys to assess programme effectiveness.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

● Extensive experience (5yrs or more) of coordinating or managing medium to large scale (national) education projects

● Strong experience working closely with government and related government systems and processes

● Strong experience delivering capacity development programs to education stakeholders.

● Strong budgeting and report writing skills

● Excellent people management skills, including strong follow through and collaboration with government stakeholders.

GENERAL OBLIGATIONS

In performing the Services, the Consultant shall:

● Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and promptly notify Think Equal of any material risks, hazards, or incidents relevant to the Services;

● Comply with Think Equal’s applicable policies to the extent reasonably necessary for contractors providing services, including policies relating to safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, anti-bribery, and health and safety;

● Perform the Services in a professional and expert manner consistent with the objectives of the engagement;

● Maintain confidentiality and comply with applicable data protection obligations;

● Cooperate in good faith with Think Equal personnel and stakeholders to support effective delivery of the Services;

● Complete any induction or contractor-specific compliance training reasonably required for access, safeguarding, security, or legal compliance; and

● Perform such additional services as may be agreed between the parties from time to time, provided they are within the general scope of the engagement.

● Not pledge the company’s credit unless otherwise agreed and to the extent pre-approved in advance and always in accordance with the company’s Scheme Of Delegation.

If you are interested in the role please complete the application form by clicking on the link here no later than 12:00pm 16 June 2026.