The IT Officer will be a shared resource across two flagship EU-funded initiatives implemented by Expertise France along with other MS agencies:

The Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA), a programme funded by the EU/EC via the Education section (G3) of DG INTPA aims to improve learning outcomes and the socio-emotional development of children in Africa, by having a more competent, motivated and inclusive teacher workforce in basic education.

The RTIA especially seeks to achieve the following outcomes over the next 6 years: 

1. Improve the governance, management, attractiveness, and gender balance of the teaching profession, with a strong focus on increased digitalisation and innovation.
2. Enhance the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of initial and continuous teacher professional development, notably through digital education, peer-to-peer learning approaches and regional collaboration.

Within RTIA, the Facility (RTIA-Facility) supports teacher policy and improve teacher education and professional development systems by i) providing capacity building at country level through on-demand technical assistance, ii) promoting innovation and scaling of effective teaching solutions; iii) increasing the production and use of data and evidence, and iv) promoting the use of regional frameworks, evidence-based practices, and joint learning at regional level.

The RTIA-Facility reaches the above-mentioned objectives through 3 types of instruments or “windows”: 

• one window to deliver on-demand technical assistance on teacher governance and teacher education and professional development based on the demand from eligible partner countries,
• one window on testing and scaling effective programs for teacher education and professional development in the thematic areas of digital skills, gender, green skills, and pedagogical skills, including in the context of refugees and displaced populations,
• a research window to create new evidence and support the integration of evidence in the policy making process and in the design of teacher education and professional development programs.

In addition to these windows the Facility’s knowledge management and communication activities further contributes to the sharing of knowledge, evidence, and best practices related to the overall Initiative outcomes.

The Facility is funded by the European Union and be co-implemented by the Partnership formed by 3 member state agencies: Expertise France for France, Enabel for Belgium, EDUFI for Finland. Expertise France has been designated the Coordinating Agency for this Partnership. With the Facility governance scheme serving as the Initiative's governance scheme, it is expected that the Partnership works closely with UNESCO and AUC, in charge of the other 2 components of the EU Initiative.

The duration of the action is scheduled from 01.02.2024 to 31.01.2027 (36 months) with a budget of 46.000.000 EUR.

SOCIEUX+ EU Expertise on Social Protection, Labour and Employment (hereafter SOCIEUX+), is a technical cooperation facility set up by the EU through co-funding from France, Spain and Belgium and the resources managed by the European Commission's Directorate for International Partnerships. This Facility is implemented by a partnership composed of agencies from EU Member States: Expertise France (the partnership lead), France travail, Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP) from Spain, Belgian International Cooperation on Social Protection (BELINCOSOC) and the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel). SOCIEUX+ recognises the impact of social protection and employment in reducing poverty and vulnerability. It supports the efforts of EU Partner Countries, in particular low- and middle-income countries in promoting inclusive and sustainable social protection and employment systems. SOCIEUX+ also complements the efforts made through other European Union initiatives.

SOCIEUX+ is results-oriented and demand-driven only. It responds to the direct requests of public institutions and social partners organisations in EU Partner Countries. SOCIEUX+ actions can be implemented in 155 eligible countries and territories worldwide. SOCIEUX+ fosters the efforts of the partner countries in the reform, development and extension of their social protection and employment systems, and labour policies. It enhances the capacities to better design, manage and monitor inclusive, effective and sustainable employment strategies and social protection systems. The Facility implements short-term technical cooperation actions based on peer-to-peer exchange supporting cooperation between EU Partner Countries’ experts from public administrations, social partners and mandated institutions and their peers from EU Member States. SOCIEUX+ also develops knowledge by capitalising on the experience of its actions. 

Phase III of SOCIEUX+ ran from 09.07.2020 to 31.12.2024 (including the No Cost Extension), with a total budget of €15,729,086, including €14,000,000 in EU funding, while phase IV of the facility will run from 01.01.2024 to 31.12.2027, with a total budget of €14,428,354, including €12,499,991 of EU funding.