Key Responsibilities<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>Advance\nthe Place\-Based Approach to ECD:<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/p> <\/span><\/b>
<\/p>- Serve\n as a champion for the Place\-Based Approach within SmartStart and its\n partner network, ensuring strategies are tailored and locally responsive\n to the unique social, economic, geographic, and cultural realities of\n diverse communities (e.g., farming, energy, mining, fishing, border, and\n other place\-centric settings).<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Conduct\n community mapping to understand the local context (place) and identify\n existing assets (e.g., stipends, clinics, food systems, schools) for\n leveraging.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Use\n gap analysis to tailor SmartStart models (e.g., home\-based, mobile\n classrooms, Hub & Spoke) to specific community needs.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Document\n what works, what doesn't, and why, especially in different Community Trust\n contexts, integrating continuous learning loops via community and\n programme feedback.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/li><\/ul> <\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/p>Ecosystem\nOrchestration and Cross\-Sectoral Coordination:<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>- Engage\n community stakeholders as active partners, fostering strong partnerships\n and deep understanding of local contexts.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Coordinate\n efforts across sectors (government, NGOs, Community Trusts, local leaders,\n caregivers, ECD forums etc.) to dismantle siloed approaches and build\n coordinated, cross and inter\-sectoral action among all community\n stakeholders.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Establish\n referral networks and resource coordination mechanisms within target\n communities.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li>- Foster\n strategic operating partnerships with provincial education departments and\n metros\-municipalities regarding venues, funding flows, regulation,\n registration, and monitoring for practitioners.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/li><\/ul> <\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>Community\nEngagement, Co\-creation, and Local Ownership:<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>- Prioritise deep listening and\nlong\-term relationships, ensuring relational and trust\-based engagement.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Facilitate inclusive\nparticipation of caregivers, NGOs, municipalities, churches, and local\nleadership in co\-design processes.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Empower people on the ground to\nlead and adapt solutions, ensuring sustainability through local ownership,\ntrust, and embedded capacity.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Promote equity by reaching\nchildren excluded due to disability, geography, or affordability.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul>Integrated Program Implementation &\nImpact:<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>- Enable the implementation of\nintegrated human development programmes, providing holistic investment from\npreconception to employment with an aim to close opportunity gaps and open\npathways to self\-sufficiency.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Develop shared goals with local\nstakeholders for child wellbeing and service sustainability, supporting\ninfrastructure upgrades for DBE registration and state subsidies.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Support the implementation of\nbest practice programs that address children\u2019s needs across all developmental\nstages, complemented by community\-building initiatives.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Explore and facilitate\nopportunities for economic participation within place\-based communities,\nconnecting SmartStart practitioners and families to local job creation\ninitiatives and enhancing micro\-enterprise support<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/li><\/ul>Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:<\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/p>- Strengthen Place\-Based\nApproaches through engagement with Community Trusts (e.g., those formed through\nsocial obligations of mining, agriculture, or renewable energy sectors) to\nco\-fund and coordinate local initiatives.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Support efforts to secure\ncomplementary big\-picture investors to fund further exponential growth in\nplace\-based communities, leveraging existing assets and inspiring new\ninvestors.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Ensure inclusion of the most\nmarginalised and work to dismantle systemic barriers in line with equity and\nsocial justice principles.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul>
<\/span><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/span>
Requirements<\/h3>
Qualifications\nand Experience<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>- Bachelor\u2019s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Community\nDevelopment, or a related field. Master\u2019s degree preferred.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- At least 5\-7 years of experience in community development, integrated\nprogram management, or stakeholder engagement, preferably in the NGO or social\nenterprise sector in South Africa.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/li>- Demonstrated experience working with diverse community contexts,\nincluding rural, farming, energy, mining, fishing, and border communities.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Experience in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector or\neducation is advantageous but not essential.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Proven ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and\nfacilitate multi\-sectoral initiatives.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>- Working knowledge of Sotho/Tswana and Afrikaans preferred<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/li><\/ul>
<\/div><\/span>
