Apply to be BEC's New Director of Government Relations

ABOUT BEC

Founded in 2001, the Basic Education Coalition (BEC) is a group of leading organizations working together to promote economic development and stability globally through education. By leveraging our collective technical expertise and government relations efforts, BEC members raise a unified voice to advocate to US policymakers on Capitol Hill and decisionmakers in the administration for increased support to basic education and to improve equitable access to inclusive, quality learning opportunities around the world. The Basic Education Coalition is an independent 501(c)3, with administrative support services provided by InterAction.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Director of Government Relations will advance the objectives of the Coalition and have principal responsibility for developing and executing the Coalition’s policy and advocacy strategies. The Director of Government Relations, under the supervision of BEC’s Board of Directors and in partnership with the Director of Outreach and Communications, leads the Coalition’s work in three main areas: (1) U.S. Government Policy and Advocacy; (2) Coalition Management; and (3) Coordination with Partners.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

U.S. Government Policy and Advocacy 

  • Maintain a robust, bipartisan network of champions within Congress (including Members of Congress, key staff, and relevant committees) and key administration counterparts, especially within USAID’s Center for Education.

  • Develop and implement the Coalition’s annual policy and advocacy strategy to secure U.S. funding for international basic education, advance relevant legislation on Capitol Hill, and cultivate champions for international basic education across Capitol Hill and the administration. Actions may include (but are not limited to) planning and executing: 

    • Capitol Hill lobby days, briefings and receptions; international congressional staff delegation trips to visit U.S.-funded basic education programming; individual appropriations-related meetings with relevant House and Senate offices; external communications reacting to key administration and congressional updates; and annual appropriations request submissions to relevant House and Senate offices

  • Monitor and analyze relevant legislation and key legislative activity on Capitol Hill alongside relevant policies, strategies, and guidance documents from the administration. Provide legislative analysis, policy backgrounders, and/or other internal communications on these policies/documents, as needed.

  • Advise and coordinate the Coalition’s input and advocacy on international basic education-related legislation, policy, and guidance documents, including by providing written and verbal feedback on policy proposals, communicating policy positions, and building internal and external coalitions to advance key initiatives.  

Coordination with Partners

  • Organize and convene the Coalition’s monthly members’ Steering Committee meetings. Maintain strong working relationships with policy and advocacy representatives from across the Coalition’s membership and with other organizations working to advance US work in international basic education.

  • Convene regular consultations with Coalition members and the USAID Center for Education, as well as other stakeholders, on the implementation of international education programs, funding, and policy, as needed.

  • Leverage the Coalition’s implementing expertise and technical Working Groups to inform policy recommendations with evidence and research.

  • Represent the Coalition at events and meetings held by the Coalition’s member organizations, Congress, the administration, and other relevant advocacy groups.

  • Develop and maintain relationships with other coalitions, issue-based advocacy organizations, government officials, and representatives of multilateral institutions to advance strategic policies and priorities.

Coalition Management

  • Share responsibilities with the Director of Outreach and Communications for management of a successful 501(c)3 organization, including shared management and administration of Coalition finances and operational responsibilities.

  • In collaboration with the Director of Outreach and Communications co-lead semi-annual meetings with the Coalition’s Board of Directors to provide updates on the Coalition’s policy and advocacy strategy and related goals, and recap successes, challenges, and progress made during the interim months.

  • In collaboration with the Director of Outreach and Communications, plan, organize, and lead Coalition events, including working group meetings, public events, briefings, Coalition happy hours and receptions, and other member engagement activities.

  • In collaboration with the Director of Outreach and Communications, recruit new members and respond to membership inquiries. 

  • Draft and submit grant proposals, as needed, in coordination with the Director of Outreach and Communications and the Board of Directors Co-Chairs, to showcase bilateral basic education program implementation overseas and build bipartisan support for international basic education on Capitol Hill.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Commitment to the Coalition’s mission: Promote and expand equitable access to quality international basic education so that all children and youth learn and thrive.

  • Bachelor’s degree required

  • Five (5) years of relevant policy, advocacy, or legislative work experience in related field, including:

    • Experience or knowledge of U.S. budget and appropriations process; and

    • Experience or knowledge of U.S. Government policy on international education and familiarity with key stakeholders.

    • Proven ability to design and implement policy and advocacy goals and strategies, including in coalition settings.

    • Motivation and willingness to take initiative, build and sustain a network of active members, explore opportunities for new partnerships, develop relationships across a diverse set of internal and external partners, and assume responsibility for executing activities.

    • Superior organizational skills and acute attention to detail; ability to solve problems, set priorities, meet deadlines, and handle a variety of responsibilities efficiently and effectively.

    • Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including comfort with public speaking.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Master’s degree in a related field

REPORTS TO

The incumbent will report to the Co-Chairs of the Basic Education Coalition (BEC) Board of Directors. This position will be based in Washington, D.C.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $130,000 annually

The Basic Education Coalition provides benefits through InterAction. InterAction offers three CareFirst medical insurance plans and an excellent benefits package. Available medical plans include an HMO, Point of Service and PPO option. The HMO is 100% employer-paid for employees at all coverage levels.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

There are no extraordinary physical requirements for the performance of the essential functions of this position. InterAction will make reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

TO APPLY 

Please submit a cover letter and resume here. All applications must be submitted through ADP for consideration. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The position will remain open until filled and candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation that they are legally eligible to work in the United States for an extended period. Due to the volume of applications, only finalists will be notified.

IN ADDITION

Basic Education Coalition is an equal opportunity employer that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. InterAction does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, and individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws. 

BEC Welcomes IRC as a Member!

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC works with government partners and communities to deliver programs to support safety, health, economic wellbeing, education, and power outcomes to achieve meaningful change in people’s lives.

Implementing education programming in more than 20 countries, the IRC works at the intersection of humanitarian and development settings to ensure that children, youth, and adults in crisis contexts have access to consistent, safe, and quality learning opportunities. This includes both government and community-based, non-formal or alternative education opportunities that provide sufficient spaces for all out-of-school children, including those in remote or difficult to reach areas.

The IRC works across the age spectrum – from early childhood to primary school-age, to youth – to achieve three key objectives:

1. Reducing inequalities by expanding responsive solutions so ‘last mile’ children can access quality education.

2. Improving education quality so all children affected by crisis can learn.

3. Strengthening education systems to prepare for and respond to crises.

In 2023, the IRC and its partners successfully facilitated access to schooling and educational opportunities for more than 1.5 million children and youth; provided professional development to more than 20,000 teachers; and supported more than 10,000 schools/learning centers offer safe and inclusive environments for learning.

The IRC is committed to implementing programming that is based on the best available evidence, adapted to context, responsive to client needs and preferences, and set up for continuous learning and improvements – by measuring what we do, generating evidence, acting on what we learn, and influencing others to do the same. The IRC conducts sector-leading research through its in-house research and innovation center, Airbel Impact Lab, and translates research into action and use.

The IRC also leverages its technical and programmatic expertise informed by research and practice to strengthen the political and financing environment for education, mobilize commitment to education, and shape global policy and practice.

Visit the IRC’s website to learn more:

www.rescue.org

USAID Administrator Samantha Power Launches the Updated USG Strategy on International Basic Education at USAID's Global Education Conference

USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced the launch of the updated U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education at the Agency’s Global Education Conference this week. The 2024—2029 Strategy reaffirms the U.S. government’s commitment to investing in and supporting quality and inclusive education worldwide and emphasizes the importance of local partnerships, inclusive education, and builds on lessons learned from the global pandemic.

“With the scale of the needs we face, progress will rely on partners around the world collaborating closely, sharing learnings, and building on each other’s efforts.” —USAID Administrator Samantha Power

BEC is thrilled to hear the Administrator highlight the importance of international basic education and USAID’s continued commitment to the sector. We look forward to supporting the implementation of the updated Strategy in the years to come!

BEC Photo Contest Winner and Finalists

BEC received hundreds of incredible photo submissions. Each one is a beautiful depiction of the impact of international basic education programs around the world. Thank you to all of the BEC members who participated!

BEC’s Photo Contest Winner
(Sightsavers)

Second Place
(Room to Read)

Third Place
(Right to Play)

Fourth Place
(Right to Play)

Fifth Place
(Right to Play)

Sixth Place
(Right to Play)

Seventh Place
(World Learning)

Eighth Place
(Right to Play)

Ninth Place
(Right to Play)

Tenth Place
(Sightsavers)

BEC's Gender & Social Inclusion Working Group Publishes a new Gender & Education Advocacy One-Pager!

Throughout 2023, BEC’s Gender and Social Inclusion working group engaged in a collaborative effort to produce the following Gender & Education one-pager, to bolster advocacy around these issues across the International Basic Education community.

Please click on the image below or HERE to download the one-pager.

Special thanks to Julia Miller (FHI 360), Sarah Bever (IREX; BEC GSI co-chair); Abie Spangler (Room to Read; former BEC GSI co-chair), Julianne Norman (RTI; BEC GSI co-chair).

BEC Welcomes CARE Back as a New Member!

Founded in 1945, CARE is an international humanitarian organization based in Atlanta, GA, that works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. We seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security. This year, CARE and partners worked in 109 countries, reaching 167 million people through more than 1,600 projects.

CARE believes every child has the right to a quality education. We put women and girls in the center because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. To achieve this vision, CARE strives to increase access to quality education, further gender equity, and promote the empowerment of adolescents, including leadership, life, work, and digital skills. We work with the hardest-to-reach children and young people, including girls and women, who have less access to education and economic opportunities.

CARE has institutional expertise in early childhood education, accelerated learning, non-formal education, youth workforce development, education in emergencies, gender and girls’ education, and monitoring, evaluation and assessment.

Some examples of CARE’s work include:

  • CARE’s non-formal education program called Strengthening Opportunities for Adolescent Resilience (SOAR) is a multi-country initiative working with Ministries of Education to provide accelerated education for out-of-school adolescents, particularly girls, enabling them to acquire key academic and life skills. In addition to building their capacity to read and do math, the SOAR curriculum includes leadership skills, financial literacy, and sexual & reproductive health. Adolescents who complete the program transition into formal school, enter a vocational training program or seek meaningful work. SOAR was first developed and implemented in India in 1999 before being replicated in additional countries, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and has reached over 4 million students globally.

    Notably, in Somalia, the USAID- and FCDO-funded Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) program has reached 90,698 out-of-school ultra-vulnerable adolescents and female youth to date, using accelerated education and leadership development skills to transition them to formal education or self- or wage-employment and boost youth-led civic action.

  • INDIA PARTNERSHIP FOR EARLY LEARNING (IPEL) is a five-year project supported by USAID to transform foundational learning in primary schools in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The project aims to ensure children (by grade 2) acquire reading with comprehension (in any vernacular language) and fluency, solve two-digit subtraction, and handle and express emotions. The project is also working to support state governments in operationalizing and strengthening preschool education in line with the vision of the National Education Policy.

  • HATUTAN – or Hahán ne’ebé Atu fó Tulun ho Nutrisaun no Edukasaun/ Food to Support Nutrition and Education funded by the USDA McGovern Dole Program builds partnerships between schools and their communities to improve literacy, learning, health, and nutrition for school children. CARE in Timor-Leste supports the program in the four municipalities of Ainaro, Ermera, Manatuto and Oé-cusse, targeting 46,614 total beneficiaries, including 43,035 school-aged children, 741 teachers, 188 schools, 870 Parent-Teacher Associations, 1,740 Village Savings and Loans Associations and 40 Government of Timor-Leste representatives. As part of the program, HATUTAN II provides school meals to students consisting of local and USDA commodities.  The meals are protein-dense, resulting in more than doubling literacy scores for students who consume them.  HATUTAN II is working with the Government of Timor-Leste to ensure that achievements are sustained, that the country can graduate from USDA assistance and that it has a self-sufficient school feeding program that helps students reach their full potential.

  • Multilingual Education: CARE pioneered multilingual education approaches in India, Peru, and Cambodia, supporting Ministries of Education in developing curricula and guidance on teacher training. Notably, CARE supports the Ministry of Education in Cambodia to implement multilingual education activities. In July 2020, CARE was awarded for developing remote learning approaches for minority students as part of the national COVID-19 response.

  • Supporting Education Sector Strengthening: CARE supports governments globally in improving quality education for every child. In Somalia, CARE supported the Federal Ministry of Education and state Ministries to implement the GPE-funded Education Sector Program Implementation Grant, increasing access to education for 50,000 students and supporting all primary schools in five states with quality learning materials, school management and teacher training. It now supports the Ministry through the Girls’ Education Accelerator to achieve its Partnership Compact to increase equitable access to education, improve literacy and numeracy outcomes, and strengthen the regulatory system. It also supports the Ministry through the System Capacity Grant, which will facilitate sector planning, coordination, monitoring, and capacity strengthening. In India, CARE works with the State governments in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha to implement improved literacy teaching strategies and increase access to school for marginalized girls. CARE is also an accredited Grant Agent to the Global Partnership for Education.

Learn more about CARE here and its education work here.

BEC Welcomes One World Network of Schools as a New Member!

The One World Network of Schools is a global nonprofit whose mission is to help education leaders solve their most complex challenge - the gap between ambition and implementation.

One World leverages over 25 years of global experience to serve education partners across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Eastern Europe. We work with a wide range of education organizations – from networks of schools to ministries of education and higher ed institutions – to design and implement solutions that endure.

As senior-level advisors and experienced trainers, One World supports local education partners over multiple years by providing the thought partnership and capacity building they seek so classroom learning can thrive. One World’s passion is instructional excellence and helping schools deepen the quality of teaching and learning by strengthening their organizational culture, data-driven instruction, and teacher effectiveness.

One World focuses our efforts on working deeply with education organizations to help them become exemplars in their local context.  We then identify the effective practices that helped achieve those results to then codify and disseminate them at a regional or national scale. 

Below is a sampling of partners that are illustrative of our work.

  • Aptus is an NGO that provides training and resources to public schools throughout Chile. One World provides support with curriculum development, teacher and leader training, and school improvement strategies.

  • ISFODOSU is a university in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. One World partners with ISFODOSU to deliver an Instructional Leadership program for school leaders and to provide intensive coaching to pilot schools implementing an early grade literacy approach.

  • Reflective Learning is an online tech platform based in South Africa that provides gamified learning modules for students in English and Mathematics. One World works with the leadership team to strengthen their performance and improve school implementation.

  • Next Generation Early Grade Reading (NextGen) is a USAID initiative to improve early grade literacy in Malawi. One World works with Chemonics to support the design and implementation of aligned teaching techniques in classrooms across all primary schools.

  • Akanksha is a network of 26 government schools across India. One World supports the leadership team in key areas, including alignment of the education support team, curriculum development, and implementing a personalized learning model.

  • Educating the Future Activity (EFA) is a USAID initiative to improve the impact of school leaders and regional directors in the country of Georgia. One World works with Chemonics to support their in-country team to lead training for regional leaders and new principals.

 

Learn more by visiting One World’s website.

BEC Welcomes EdIntersect as a New Member!

Welcome to BEC!

EdIntersect is a certified woman-owned small business (WOSB) based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The global education firm draws on a seasoned, international academic-practitioner network to provide research, evaluation, assessment, capacity development, and program design services for education sector programs, notably in literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning. The firm’s commitment to an intersectional lens means that gender and disability inclusion integrate thoroughly into EdIntersect approaches. EdIntersect’s consideration of intersectionality recognizes that the many elements of individual identity - disability, gender, ethnicity, race, age, language, urbanicity, class or caste, citizenship status or religion - are not static characteristics. These dynamics also overlap and interact in ways that affect how individuals or groups experience marginalization and exclusion from education. The firm brings innovative and technology-infused approaches to evaluation and to engagement with stakeholders of all types, with a strong commitment and proven capabilities in building local capacity and local leadership in each context where EdIntersect works. Inclusion in a distinctly participatory process in each local context is a key priority in all of the work conducted by the EdIntersect team. Together, the EdIntersect team has worked in over 25 countries on reading, math, social-emotional learning, gender, disability, girls’ education and empowerment, and social behavior across the life cycle and education ecosystem, from early childhood and pre-primary to primary, secondary, and on to teacher training levels. In addition, EdIntersect has conducted country-wide education sector evaluations, performance evaluations for specific projects, and partnered with development organizations and donors as a prime contractor and subcontractor in technical assistance, system-strengthening, capacity-partnering, and research and evaluation roles.

 

The EdIntersect team brings the overall knowledge and planning to carry out research required by donors, but with an expertise unique to the depth of skills and experience brought by the firm. Drawing on meaningful assessment principles, EdIntersect develops research instruments with a suite of sub-skills to assess learner outcomes in a variety of national languages depending on the context, which address needs at the country level but also speak to donor and international guidelines. EdIntersect works hand in hand with governments, ministries of education, and local organizations to build understanding around approaches to foundational skills development and assessment, as well as to engagement with school and home stakeholders relevant to the learner’s development. As a research team, EdIntersect brings a life course view of learning to its work as well as forward-thinking understanding and concentrated experience in using USAID’s frameworks for national and district assessments to look at school quality, and literacy and foundational skills progress for learners and the systems serving them.

 

Since its inception in 2013, EdIntersect has been working across the globe to incorporate multiple factors using an intersectional approach to frame critical issues and create practical, lasting solutions. EdIntersect is currently undertaking or has successfully implemented, along with its partners, USAID projects focused in pre-primary and primary education, including USAID Malawi NextGen, USAID Tajikistan Learn Together Activity, USAID Senegal Lecture Pour Tous, and USAID Rwanda Soma Umenye. In addition, EdIntersect served as the lead evaluation partner for the adolescent girls’ leadership and empowerment through education program USAID Mali GLEE over the course of that five-year award. EdIntersect also recently completed education sector evaluations funded by the World Bank and UNICEF in Cape Verde and Nigeria respectively. The EdIntersect team works closely with counterparts in diverse country contexts on capacity building across thematic areas, incorporating a seasoned teaching and learning approach for education systems and inclusive education solutions that take into account gender, disability status, rural/urban location, language group, and marginalizing factors specific to each context. In this sense, EdIntersect directly shares in BEC’s mission to “Promote expanded, equitable, access to quality basic education so that all children have the chance to learn.”

Visit EdIntersect’s website to learn more:

https://edintersect.com/

October 24 Webinar: Lessons and New Directions in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Measurement

The Basic Education Coalition's Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, & Learning (MERL) working group is excited to host this webinar on Lessons and New Directions in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Measurement.

During the webinar, we'll learn from the following BEC member interventions:

  • FHI 360 will share its process for developing the Rwanda SEL assessment tool aligned with the Rwanda national SEL framework on the USAID/Rwanda Schools and Systems (Tunoze Gusoma) program.

  • RTI International will share about its work developing a national survey in Kenya that collects information on both social emotional learning and educational achievement.

  • Teach for All (and partner organizations Enseña por Paraguay, Enseña Ecuador, and Enseña por Colombia) will share about its development of a Student Learning Assessment Item Bank in the LAC region that measures student learning outcomes in academic (math, reading) and non-academic (social-emotional learning) domains aligned to local and international frameworks.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Banner photo: Room to Read