Program Director

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is implementing the project “Young people living in difficult situations and at risk of drop out from the secondary education system in the focus of local Social Welfare services” financed by the Italian Government and implemented by UNICEF in Albania. The project aims to develop a new model for social workers working in the targeted municipalities and in other service providers to engage with young people in difficult situations and help them cope with socio-economic challenges, having in consideration the best interests of the child” principle, gender equality and non-discrimination practices.

In the frame of the project, NASW is looking for a program director. The program director will play a pivotal role in overseeing and managing the project.

Background

Albanian youth comprise 25% of the total population at age of 15 – 29 based on the 2011 census. During the last three decades, the process of social and political transition is associated with prolonged substantial changes, which have influenced youth. Still some young people are more vulnerable than others in terms of social exclusion in early school age due to several social and economic factors that affect their lives in the families and communities where they live.

Statistics show that in Albania 15% of young people face the risk of poverty, 46% of prisoners are young and 12.7% of the illiterate people are young people. The education of young people has changed positively in recent years in reducing the gap between those who attend high school and then go on to higher education. On the other hand, there is a general decrease in the enrolment of young people in secondary and higher education, but researchers explain this phenomenon as a result of the decrease in the birth rate.[1] In the comparison between genders in the context of youth labour force in Albania, young men are more likely to be privileged. Employment for young men of same age has increased from 38,5% in 2017 in 46,6% in 2021, while for young women from 28,3 % in 2017 to 36,4 % in 2021^[2]. In addition, unemployment and long-term unemployment among young people also has a correlation with several other consequences, such as the risk of poverty, increased desire to emigrate, physical and mental health problems, higher crime, etc.[3]

The ratio of young men attending pre-university education is higher compared to young women, whereas 59.7 % of students in higher education are girls. This is reflected in the gender equality index (GER), amounting to 1.48 for higher education. Whilst most children of compulsory school age in Albania are enrolled in school, some remain excluded from education due to complex and overlapping factors, such as migration, extreme poverty, disability, parental attitudes or cultural practices, language issues or difficult family circumstances^[4]. 

Family and community-based approaches are part of the social care program in Albania and have brought diversification of service provision, introducing for the first-time services such as: para-social services, family services, community services, specialized services, etc. The lack of capacities of professionals of social care services leads to incomplete professional services and weak and gender-blind services to the most vulnerable groups, in particular young people. There is a need for updated gender-sensitive tools/instruments and capacity building activities for social protection workers to offer services at community level for vulnerable young people with a special focus on emergency situations.

Duties and deliverables

The Program Director is responsible for the following:

Project Planning and Strategy Development:

• Collaborate with project stakeholders to develop a comprehensive project plan, including a detailed project timeline and objectives.
• Lead the needs assessment to understand and map capacity needs for training on dealing with children and youth in difficult situations, with a particular focus on the gender element.
• Organize and oversee the planning of 5 local-level workshops, focusing on institutional challenges and opportunities to deal with young people in vulnerable situations.
• Organize a comprehensive training package for social protection workers (including social services, education, employment, NGOs, etc.) in the targeted municipalities (20 trainings).
• Supervise the development of 5 tools for social workers working with young people, ensuring that they are practical, effective, and aligned with best practices.
• Supervise the preparation and finalization of the toolkit for social workers to work with young people, ensuring that it is comprehensive, user-friendly, and ready for distribution.
• Organize and manage 5 advocacy meetings with different stakeholders, including (i) local authorities and local institutions, (ii) representatives of the department of social work, (iii) national authorities and local institutions, and (iv) a national workshop.
• Foster strong networking relationships with key stakeholders, partner organizations, and relevant authorities to ensure the project’s success.

Project Visibility:

• Oversee and manage the visibility and communication aspects of the project to ensure that project activities and achievements are effectively communicated to the public and relevant stakeholders.
• Develop a project visibility strategy that includes regular updates, reports, and public engagement to raise awareness of the project’s impact.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Establish and manage a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track project progress, assess outcomes, and identify areas for improvement.
• Prepare regular project reports and updates for stakeholders, including donors, partners, and oversight committees.

Resource Management:

• Ensure optimal utilization of project resources, including budget allocation, procurement, and resource planning.

Team Leadership and Coordination:

• Provide leadership and guidance to project staff, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Coordinate the efforts of the project team members to achieve project goals and objectives effectively.

Selection criteria

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in project management, with a specific focus on social issues.
• Education preferably in social work or a related field, providing a strong foundation in social work principles and practices.
• Proficient in English communication, both written and spoken, to facilitate effective communication with international partners, donors, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully managing complex projects, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Proven ability to develop and execute project strategies and plans, ensuring the achievement of project objectives and deliverables.
• Experience in conducting needs assessments and designing training programs, especially in the field of social work or youth development.
• Ability to develop and oversee training packages and tools for social protection workers and ensure their effectiveness.
• Proficiency in project visibility and communication, including the development of communication strategies, public engagement, and reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for preparing project reports, updates, and engaging with stakeholders.

Application Procedure  Interested applicants should send their CV at the email address: [email protected]