Project Title: Reading Initiative for Schools and Empowered Homes (Project RISE)
Program: Strengthening an Enabling Environment for Quality, Inclusive, and Adaptive Education
Implementing Organization: Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. Project Area: Cotabato City, BARMM
Project Duration: February 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028
Duty Station: Cotabato City, with frequent travel to target schools and communities
Employment Type: Contract-based
Reports to: Project Manager
Coordinates with: Co-Community Development Facilitator, ECOWEB project staff, EDUCO field and program staff, school stakeholders, and community partners
1. Background and Rationale
Project RISE aims to improve foundational reading competencies, learning recovery, and socio-emotional development among Key Stage 1 (Grades 1–3) learners in selected public elementary schools in Cotabato City, BARMM. The project addresses gaps in early-grade literacy, home-based learning support, and learning continuity in contexts affected by poverty, conflict, and recurring disasters. It works across three strategic levels: the learners, the duty bearers within the school system, and the parents/caregivers and community stakeholders who support children’s learning.
To support the effective implementation of the project, ECOWEB will engage a Community Development Facilitator (CDF) who will contribute to both the education component and the sponsorship component of the project. The CDF will play a key role in facilitating school-community engagement, supporting project implementation at the field level, strengthening coordination with stakeholders, and ensuring the proper implementation of sponsorship-related processes in assigned target areas.
The CDF is expected to work closely with the Project Manager, another assigned CDF, ECOWEB staff, and EDUCO personnel operating in the same area, ensuring that field-level implementation contributes directly to the achievement of project objectives and complies with organizational and donor requirements.
2. General Objective of the Position
The Community Development Facilitator shall support the effective field-level implementation of Project RISE by facilitating coordination with schools, communities, parents, and stakeholders; assisting in the delivery of education-related interventions; ensuring proper implementation of the sponsorship component; and strengthening monitoring, documentation, and data management systems at the field level.
3. Specific Objectives of the Position
The CDF shall:
- Support the implementation of field activities that contribute to improved foundational reading, socio-emotional learning, and home-based learning support among Key Stage 1 learners;
- Strengthen engagement and coordination with school administrators, teachers, parents, caregivers, community stakeholders, and local authorities in support of project objectives;
- Facilitate community-based and school-based processes related to the sponsorship component, ensuring timely, organized, and child-sensitive implementation;
- Assist in monitoring, documentation, reporting, and feedback collection related to education and sponsorship activities;
- Contribute to the alignment and coordination of project interventions with ECOWEB systems, EDUCO requirements, and local education structures.
4. Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities
The Community Development Facilitator shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:
A. Field Implementation Support for the Education Component
- Assist in the organization, facilitation, and follow-through of project activities in assigned schools and communities, including orientations, meetings, consultations, parent sessions, school-community activities, and project-supported events;
- Coordinate with school heads, teachers, and education stakeholders regarding schedules, participation, logistical preparations, and implementation requirements of project activities;
- Support the rollout and field-level use of reading and learning materials, home-based learning support tools, and other project inputs intended for learners, teachers, and parents/caregivers;
- Assist in the implementation of activities related to reading improvement, home learning support, child participation, socio-emotional learning, and learning continuity;
- Help ensure that project activities are implemented in a culturally sensitive, inclusive, gender-responsive, child-friendly, and conflict-sensitive manner;
- Support the conduct of consultations, simple field validation, and feedback-gathering sessions with learners, teachers, parents, and school administrators to inform project implementation and improvement;
- Provide field support in school-community activities such as Reading Month, Brigada Eskwela, Children’s Month, parent orientations, and other project-related engagements;
- Assist in promoting community understanding of the project’s goals, child rights-based approach, and the roles of home partners and schools in supporting children’s learning.
B. Sponsorship Component Focal Functions
- Serve as the area focal person for the sponsorship component in coordination with the Project Manager, ECOWEB management, and EDUCO staff;
- Facilitate field-level sponsorship-related processes involving sponsored children, families, schools, and communities, in accordance with the sponsorship guidelines and agreed procedures of ECOWEB and EDUCO;
- Maintain regular communication and coordination with sponsored children’s families, schools, and relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of sponsorship activities;
- Support the identification, profiling, validation, and updating of sponsorship-related information, as required by the project and donor systems;
- Assist in organizing sponsorship-related activities, documentation processes, child monitoring, and communication requirements in compliance with timelines and standards;
- Ensure that sponsorship processes are child-sensitive, confidential, organized, and consistent with safeguarding principles and data protection standards;
- Coordinate closely with the co-CDF and relevant staff to ensure that sponsorship activities complement and reinforce the broader education objectives of Project RISE.
C. Coordination and Partnership Engagement
- Maintain strong working relationships with school administrators, teachers, parents, community leaders, barangay officials, and local education stakeholders in the assigned area;
- Coordinate regularly with the other Community Development Facilitator to harmonize workplans, area coverage, schedules, and field-level concerns;
- Work collaboratively with EDUCO personnel and other partner representatives in the project area to ensure complementarity, proper information sharing, and field coordination;
- Participate in coordination meetings, planning sessions, and review meetings organized by ECOWEB, EDUCO, schools, or local partners, as required;
- Elevate issues, concerns, risks, and implementation bottlenecks to the Project Manager in a timely and responsible manner.
D. Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting
The Community Development Facilitator shall play an active role in ensuring accurate, timely, and organized monitoring and data management systems at the field level:
- Collect, encode, update, and maintain accurate beneficiary data, including learners, parents/caregivers, teachers, and sponsorship-related records, using prescribed templates and systems;
- Ensure proper documentation and filing (digital and/or physical) of attendance sheets, activity reports, profiling forms, monitoring tools, consent forms, and other project records;
- Support the implementation of monitoring tools and processes, including baseline data collection, periodic monitoring, and simple validation activities at the field level;
- Track participation, outputs, and immediate results of project activities in assigned schools and communities;
- Assist in ensuring that all sponsorship-related data are updated, accurate, and submitted within required timelines;
- Coordinate with the Project Manager and relevant staff to ensure data consistency, completeness, and alignment with reporting requirements of ECOWEB and EDUCO;
- Support the preparation of regular field monitoring reports, including narrative updates, quantitative data, and issue tracking;
- Ensure that all data collected are handled with strict confidentiality and in accordance with child protection, safeguarding, and data privacy standards;
- Identify and report data gaps, inconsistencies, or delays and recommend corrective actions;
- Assist in audits, validation exercises, evaluations, and donor compliance processes by providing necessary field data and documentation.
- Ensure compliance with applicable data protection standards in the collection, storage, processing, and sharing of personal data.
E. Administrative and Other Support Functions
- Assist in basic field-level logistical arrangements for meetings, orientations, school visits, and project activities;
- Support the proper scheduling of field activities in coordination with school and community stakeholders;
- Observe ECOWEB policies, project protocols, donor requirements, safeguarding standards, and security procedures at all times;
- Ensure proper safekeeping of all project-related documents and data under their responsibility;
- Perform other related project functions that may be assigned by the Project Manager, provided these are relevant to the objectives of the project and the nature of the position.
- Assist in the preparation and updating of monthly or quarterly field workplans in coordination with the Project Manager.
5. Expected Deliverables
The Community Development Facilitator is expected to deliver the following:
- Timely submission of complete and accurate field reports in accordance with agreed reporting schedules;
- Regular coordination and engagement with schools, parents/caregivers, community stakeholders, and local authorities in the assigned area;
- Updated field documentation and sponsorship-related records, as required by the project;
- Timely submission of field reports, activity documentation, attendance sheets, and coordination notes;
- Practical field-level support to ensure that project interventions for learners, teachers, and home partners are effectively implemented;
- Immediate escalation and proper documentation of issues, risks, or concerns affecting project delivery, child protection, or community relations.
- Updated and organized monitoring and beneficiary databases in assigned areas;
- Complete and accurate documentation of all field activities and sponsorship processes;
- Timely submission of required monitoring reports and data sets in accordance with project timelines.
6. Reporting Relationship
The Community Development Facilitator shall report directly to the Project Manager of Project RISE. The CDF shall work in close coordination with:
- the other assigned Community Development Facilitator,
- ECOWEB project and support staff,
- EDUCO field and program staff operating in the same area,
- school heads, teachers, and community stakeholders in the target sites.
7. Qualifications and Competencies
The ideal candidate should possess the following:
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Community Development, Social Work, Public Administration, Development Communication, or related social science or development fields;
- At least two (2) years of relevant experience in community-based development work, education programming, child-focused projects, sponsorship work, or NGO project implementation;
- Experience in working with schools, children, parents, local government units, or community stakeholders;
- Familiarity with field coordination, activity facilitation, community engagement, and basic project documentation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in BARMM or with Bangsamoro communities;
- Experience in child sponsorship, education projects, literacy-related interventions, or child rights-based programming;
- Familiarity with conflict-sensitive and culturally responsive community work;
- Experience working with donor-funded projects and multi-stakeholder coordination.
- Experience in basic data management, use of spreadsheets, or digital monitoring tools.
Required Skills and Competencies
- Strong interpersonal and community facilitation skills;
- Good oral and written communication skills in English and Filipino; knowledge of local languages is an advantage;
- Ability to work respectfully with children, families, teachers, government stakeholders, and diverse community actors;
- Good organizational and documentation skills;
- Ability to work independently in the field while maintaining close coordination with the project team;
- Sensitivity to child protection, confidentiality, gender, culture, and local conflict dynamics;
- Willingness to travel frequently to project areas and work under field conditions.
8. Ethical Standards, Child Safeguarding, and Policy Compliance
The Community Development Facilitator shall uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct, child safeguarding, and policy compliance throughout the duration of the engagement.
A. Child Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Promote and protect the best interests of the child at all times in all project activities, interactions, and decisions;
- Strictly adhere to ECOWEB’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, as well as applicable national laws and donor safeguarding standards;
- Ensure that all engagements with children are:
- Safe, respectful, and non-discriminatory
- Free from any form of abuse, exploitation, neglect, or harm
- Conducted with appropriate consent from parents/guardians and relevant authorities
- Avoid any behavior or action that may place a child at risk, including:
- Inappropriate physical or verbal interaction
- Favoritism or unequal treatment
- Unsupervised or undocumented engagement with children
- Ensure that photos, videos, stories, and personal data of children are collected, used, stored, and shared only with proper informed consent and in accordance with data protection and safeguarding standards;
- Immediately report any suspected or actual safeguarding concern, including:
- Abuse, neglect, exploitation, or violence against children
- Breaches of safeguarding protocols
- Any unsafe or inappropriate behavior by staff, partners, or community members
Reporting must follow ECOWEB’s safeguarding reporting procedures without delay.
- Participate in required child safeguarding orientations, briefings, and compliance processes, and apply these principles consistently in field work;
B. Policy Compliance and Ethical Conduct
- Strictly adhere to all ECOWEB policies, guidelines, and protocols, including but not limited to:
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
- Code of Conduct
- Data Privacy and Confidentiality Policies
- Financial and Administrative Guidelines
- Security and Safety Protocols
- Maintain professionalism, integrity, accountability, and respect in all interactions with:
- Children and youth
- Parents and caregivers
- Teachers and school administrators
- Government and community stakeholders
- Ensure that all project activities are implemented in a manner consistent with:
- Child rights-based programming principles
- Gender sensitivity and inclusion
- Conflict sensitivity and cultural appropriateness
- Maintain strict confidentiality of all sensitive information, especially those related to children, families, sponsorship data, and project operations;
- Immediately report any violations of policies, misconduct, fraud, safeguarding concerns, or security incidents through proper channels.
9. Certification of Policy Understanding, Safeguarding Commitment, and Compliance
Prior to deployment, the Community Development Facilitator shall sign a Certification of Policy Understanding, Safeguarding Commitment, and Compliance, confirming that:
- The Facilitator has received, read, and understood all relevant ECOWEB policies, including but not limited to:
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
- Code of Conduct
- Data Privacy and Confidentiality Policies
- Project-specific guidelines
- The Facilitator commits to:
- Uphold and actively promote child safeguarding principles in all aspects of her work;
- Ensure that all interactions with children are safe, respectful, and protective;
- Immediately report any safeguarding concerns or violations in accordance with ECOWEB procedures;
- The Facilitator understands that:
- Safeguarding compliance is a core condition of her engagement;
- Any violation of safeguarding policies or ethical standards may result in disciplinary action, including termination of contract and possible legal consequences.
- Duration of Engagement
The engagement period shall be from February 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028, subject to project needs, funding availability, and satisfactory performance.
- Duty Station and Area Coverage
The Community Development Facilitator shall be based in Cotabato City and shall cover assigned target schools and communities in Cotabato City and other designated project sites, as may be determined by ECOWEB.
- Supervision and Performance Assessment
The CDF’s performance shall be reviewed regularly by the Project Manager based on:
- quality and timeliness of outputs,
- effectiveness in field coordination and facilitation,
- responsiveness to project needs,
- compliance with safeguarding and organizational policies,
- contribution to the education and sponsorship components of the project
Application Process
Interested consultants should submit the following:
- A cover letter expressing their interest and suitability for the position.
- A detailed CV highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.
- Contact information for at least two professional references.
Please send applications to these emails: ecoweb2006@gmail.com & ecoweb@ecowebph.org and address to Executive Director Regina Salvador-Antequisa by April 10, 2026.
