Programme Officer (Gurukul) – HCL Foundation (HCLF)

Last Date to Apply 22nd April, 2022

HCL Foundation (HCLF) was established in 2011 as the CSR arm of HCL Technologies. It is a not for-profit[1]organization, that strives to contribute towards national and international development goals, bringing about lasting positive impact in the lives of people, through long term sustainable programme s.

The foundation aims to alleviate poverty and achieve inclusive growth and development. Active community engagement ensures optimal long-term gains and upward accountability. HCL Foundation works through Life Cycle Based, Integrated Community Development Approach with thematic focus on Education, Health, Skill Development & Livelihood, Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction & Response. Child protective strategies, inclusion and gender transformative approaches remain central in all initiatives of HCL Foundation, thus ensuring comprehensive development.

Presently HCL Foundation is implementing five flagship programmes, namely HCL Samuday & HCL Grant – Rural Development programmes; HCL Uday & Clean Noida – Urban Development programmes; HCL Harit (The Green Initiative) – Environment Action programme and 4 special initiatives – Power of One, Sports for Change, HCL Foundation Academy and My E-Haat.

For more details, please visit our website – https://www.hclfoundation.org/

VISION To be the source for sustainable socio-economic and environmental development.

MISSION Nurture clean, green and healthy communities where everyone is empowered and equipped to reach their full potential in partnership with its employees, communities and stakeholders, while promoting volunteerism and establishing international standards of strategic planning, implementation and measuring impact.

HCL Foundation Invites applications for the post of Programme Officer (Gurukul)

Please Note: We are an inclusive organization and encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds.

Vacancy released by HCL Foundation

Vacancy code HCLF/JD/Uday/Gurukul/Chennai/08042022

Date of posting 7 th April, 2022

Location Chennai

HCL Uday

HCL Foundation’s flagship urban community development programme – UDAY, seeks to create green, clean, healthy and empowered communities. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, it is developing an integrated solution to break the vicious cycle of urban poverty.

Defining Uday’s approach is its intrinsic belief that urban poor aspire to a life of dignity and self- respect. With the right opportunities, they can take charge of their lives, dare to imagine a different future and work towards it. Our strategies are carefully designed, such that they speak both to their environment and to their ambitions.

Uday’s unique ‘Convergence’ approach brings this philosophy to life. Uniting critical stakeholders– the state, non-profits and HCL volunteers in a rich partnership, it meets its responsibility to the community and supports them in realising their dreams.

Aligned to HCL Foundation’s vision statement, HCL Uday also aims to create source codes for urban socio[1]economic development, prototypes, using step by step approach, convergence and dialogue with duty bearers such that these can be adopted and scaled up by diverse set stakeholders, including communities themselves.

HCL Uday addresses vital issues prevalent in urban areas like access to quality education, universal access to health, sustainable livelihood opportunities, improved water, sanitation and hygiene, environmental conservation including enhanced green cover and solutions to city waste, through campaigns and on ground action for positive urban transformation. Child protective strategies, inclusion and gender transformative approaches remain fundamental. Currently, HCL Uday is being implemented in 11 cities.

HCL Uday – Quality Education for all

HCL Foundation’s belief in the power of communities to lift themselves out of poverty and lead a life of dignity and self-respect lies at the heart of Uday. Echoed across all interventions under Uday, this approach sets the community on the path of resilience and success.

HCL Uday, through its various initiatives, works purposefully towards creating meaningful opportunities that allow communities to imagine an alternate future. The education initiatives of HCL Uday play a critical role in facilitating this transformative change by nurturing critical thinking abilities, and imparting soft-skills that are needed to lead a better quality of life.

HCL Foundation invests in innovative, technology-led education for children, youth and adults and promotes education that is gender transformative, inclusive for all and respects safe spaces for children. Our education initiatives foster human resource development through interventions across all stages of life. Aligned to Goal 4 & Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Agenda, following area the key objectives of our education initiatives:

• Promoting access to quality early childhood development and pre‑primary education for improved school readiness
• Ensuring equal access to all levels of education
• Strengthening quality of primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
• Strengthening leadership skills and creation of participatory decision making spaces to inculcate democratic governance structures within the schools
• Ensuring basic literacy and numeracy skills for the youth and adults
• Eliminating gender disparities in education

We work towards the realisation these objectives through the following projects –

§ Early Childhood Care & Development (ECCD) – Strengthening Aanganwadi Centres (Early Stimulation and School Readiness)

§ Quality Enhancement of State Schools – ‘My School’ – Improving enrolment and learning outcomes of students through interventions across 4 domains –

(i) Infrastructure Strengthening (child friendly, inclusive spaces);

(ii) Creating Dynamic Learning Spaces (trainings & capacity building sessions);

(iii) Strengthening Leadership & Management (creating a participatory form of management including all stakeholders – principal, teachers, students, parents, SMC members, community);

(iv) Community Engagement & Participation

§ Bridge and Remedial Education Centres – Gurukuls (Preparing out of school children for school, mainstreaming and remedial & after school support)

§ Scholarship for meritorious students – ‘My Scholar’

§ Gender Empowerment through a self-efficacy model – ‘My Worth’

§ Inclusion & Child Protection

§ Promoting digital platforms & technology innovations that revolutionise the teaching-learning process

JOB DESCRIPTION

Programme Officer (Gurukul)

Location: Chennai

Roles & Responsibilities

HCL Foundation works through a convergence of partners who run these ‘Gurukul’ centres across various locations. Regular mainstreaming, follow up and remedial support is also provided to ensure smooth integration into the school programme.

‘Gurukuls’ cater to children belonging to age groups 3 to 18 years of age. This would also include working on specific strategies for children in the pre-school age group, young children between 6 to 14 years of age as well as adolescents.

Incumbent will be responsible for –

• Providing technical support towards effective implementation of the HCL Uday education projects addressing all stages of life
• including early, primary, secondary, adult, digital, sports and civic education as well as imparting soft-skills that are needed for better quality of life.
• Providing regular coordination support for the day-to-day functions across all the HCL Foundation supported schools, Gurukuls & Police Boys & Girls Clubs in Chennai. – Ensuring effective and regular coordination with the principals of all schools for any project related communication or updates.
• Conducting a rapid assessment to identify areas within the specified cities where children are employed in hazardous forms of labour/living in most difficult circumstances and devising a strategy to engage them in meaningful recreational and educational activities
• Mobilizing children living on streets/children living in difficult circumstances/out of school children and working towards their holistic development with special focus on mainstreaming them into schools where they can access quality education
• Creating a joyful learning environment through implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum focused on bridging and remediation
• developing foundational skills using innovative techniques such as drama in education, TLM based delivery, sports, arts, culture and music.
• Devising strategies for prohibition of Child Labour through a structured approach in and around urban slum communities of Chennai supported by HCL Foundation.
• Working towards mainstreaming of the children into formal school and monitoring progress through well[1]documented case records with clear M&E indicators
• Follow-up and Remedial support to mainstreamed students to ensure their integration and adjustment into the school system such that there is no drop-out
• Addressing the education and development needs of children in emergency situations
• Regular meetings and advocacy with schools to ensure that children are receiving same quality of education and care as in the Gurukul centres
• Organizing alumni meetings, events and developing these students as community champions/role models leading a life that their peers in the community aspire towards
• Engagement of volunteers in activities and supporting them in planning and implementing their monthly and quarterly activity calendar
• Working closely with the field implementation team from all NGO partners working on the education projects to ensure structured and effective implementation of project activities at the school level
• Planning regular field visits to project locations along with volunteers to understand the needs of the students and monitor the field level implementation of activities by NGO partners
• Preparing a comprehensive monthly calendar of activities including academics, sports, arts, music and other extracurricular activities for all centres in coordination with HCL Foundation supported NGOs as well as HCL volunteers
• Maintaining and updating database of project related information
• Maintaining and updating database of volunteer activities, number of volunteers engaged from various accounts and the total number of volunteering hours generated
• Maintaining pictorial database of Gurukul and volunteer related activities and functions – Coordination with vendors for project related purchases and monitoring the civil work requirements at the Gurukuls.
• Coordinating with the concerned government departments to provide regular updates and ensuring smooth implementation of activities.
• Conducting floor walks with business account volunteers as and when required to ensure effective engagement volunteers in the project.

Attributes and Experience:

• Excellent track record of having worked in the development sector especially in the area of education, sports, arts and developing partnerships with various stakeholders related to the school ecosystem and on-ground monitoring and implementation of programmes
• 3-5 years of experience of working with state schools especially primary and secondary schools, with evidence of working on quality education, curriculum development, community mobilization, data collection, analysis and documentation
• Ability to deliver on time, independently, to work with a range of stakeholders, including ability to perform in a corporate environment and present the work at various forums.
• Experience of managing complex and time-sensitive processes.
• Experience in programme management, volunteer engagement, networking

Qualifications and Skills:

• Masters in Social Work, Education related fields, Child Development, Child Psychology or allied areas.
• Project Management and Implementation
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Documentation and communication.

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience.

How to apply:

• Please submit your CV with a cover letter
• Attach two page write up on ‘Role of CSRs for realization of targets defined under SDG 4’
• Send your application to Sarneet Kaur sarneet.kaur@hcl.com marking cc to Namrata Sinha namrata-s@hcl.com latest by 22nd April, 2022