Sr. Officer – Program (Autism Management)

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Purpose of the Position

The Sr. Officer – Program (Autism Management) will lead KFN's work on autism under the Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme (DPRP). The position will ensure that municipalities considering the establishment of Day Care and Learning Centres for children and youth with autism receive precise technical information, clear standards and practical cooperation, from concept to a functioning, municipality-owned centre.

The position will coordinate and facilitate the establishment process with local governments, including selection and training of human resources, budget planning and activity planning, in close collaboration with provincial and federal governments, so that the centres are owned, financed and sustained by government.

The position will also bring KFN to the forefront of the autism movement in Nepal and beyond, build partnerships with organisations that fund and work on autism, keep KFN updated on the global autism scenario, and ensure strong coordination across KFN departments and with relevant stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

A. Standards and Concept for Autism Day Care and Learning Centres

• Develop, maintain and periodically update the KFN Standards for Autism Day Care and Learning Centres for children and youth with autism, covering at a minimum:
• Space and infrastructure: size and layout of the centre according to the number of children/youth; therapy, learning, play, sensory and quiet spaces; toilets, outdoor space, accessibility and safety.
• Facilities and materials: furniture, equipment, assistive and learning/therapy materials required.
• Human resources: required positions, staff-to-child ratios, qualifications and core competencies of each position.
• Financial requirements: establishment and recurrent operating costs, model budgets and cost per child.
• Sustainability plan: municipal ownership and budget allocation, parent/community contribution, linkage with government schemes and services, and a phased handover plan.
• Service package: admission criteria, assessment, Individualized Education/Support Plans (IEP/ISP), learning, communication, behavioural, daily living and life-skills activities, and transition support for youth (pre-vocational skills, inclusive education and livelihood linkages).
• Governance and quality: safeguarding and child protection, records and reporting, centre management committee, monitoring and quality assurance.
• Prepare a practical Centre Concept Package in Nepali and English (standards, model layout, model HR structure, model budget, sustainability plan and step-by-step establishment guide) that municipalities can readily use for decision-making.
• Provide precise and timely information and technical advice to municipalities that are considering establishing a centre.
• Support municipalities to assess need, feasibility and readiness before deciding to establish a centre.
• Develop a long-term road map for Autism Day Care and Learning Centres in Nepal, including replication across municipalities and provinces.

B. Facilitating the Establishment of Centres with Municipalities

• Coordinate and facilitate the overall process of establishing centres together with municipalities, from planning to functional operation.
• Support municipalities in the selection and recruitment of centre staff, including ToRs, selection criteria and participation in selection panels.
• Design and organise induction and refresher training for centre staff, and provide regular mentoring and technical supervision.
• Support preparation of centre budget plans and their inclusion in the municipal annual plan, programme and budget.
• Support preparation of annual and monthly activity plans for the centres.
• Advise on selection, design and adaptation of space, and procurement of equipment and materials as per the standards.
• Support formation and functioning of centre management committees with meaningful representation of parents.
• Agree a clear handover plan with each municipality so that the municipality takes full ownership and responsibility for the centre.

C. Caregiver and Family Engagement

• Develop and implement a Caregiver Guideline for families of children and youth with autism.
• Promote family participation in assessment, individual planning, intervention and follow-up, and facilitate regular parent/caregiver orientation and support sessions.
• Promote family- and community-based support, and support formation and strengthening of parents' groups and networks.

D. Positioning KFN in the Autism Movement

• Develop and implement a KFN Autism Engagement Strategy to bring KFN to the forefront of the autism movement in Nepal and beyond.
• Represent KFN in national and international autism forums, networks, conferences and working groups.
• Build working relationships with parents' associations, organisations of persons with disabilities, autism-focused organisations, professional bodies and academic institutions.
• Lead KFN's initiatives on World Autism Awareness Day (2 April) and other awareness and advocacy events.
• Contribute to policy dialogue on autism at local, provincial and federal levels, including rights, inclusive education and service standards.
• Produce articles, case stories and communication materials in coordination with the Communications team.

E. Partnership, Resource Mobilisation and Learning Exchange

• Identify and maintain a map of national and international organisations, foundations, corporate (CSR) donors and government programmes that fund or support autism in Nepal.
• Develop concept notes, proposals and presentations to mobilise resources for autism work and centre development.
• Establish learning-exchange partnerships with organisations and institutions in Nepal and abroad, including exposure visits and sharing of experiences.
• Maintain relevant academic and institutional partnerships, including existing partnerships of KFN.

F. Global Knowledge, Research and Documentation

• Stay updated on the global scenario in relation to autism (research, evidence-based practice, policy and service models), and adapt relevant learning to the Nepali context.
• Share periodic learning briefs and updates with KFN management and teams.
• Document good practices, challenges and lessons learned from the centres, and develop case studies and technical learning materials.
• Contribute evidence and learning to KFN's MIS and Knowledge & Evidence (K&E) Lab, and support research on autism and early intervention.

G. Government Coordination

• Work closely with local governments in planning, implementing and sustaining autism-related services.
• Coordinate with relevant provincial ministries/directorates and federal agencies on autism and disability- inclusive services.
• Provide technical inputs to municipal health, education and social development sections, and support inclusion of autism-related activities in annual plans and budgets.
• Support dialogue with provincial and local governments to promote long-term policy, ownership and budget commitment for autism services.

H. Internal Coordination

• Coordinate closely with DPRP teams, Government Engagement, K&E Lab, Finance and Administration,
• Communications and field offices to ensure autism work is integrated into KFN's programmes and systems.
• Ensure linkage between DPRP activities (e.g., identification of children with autism) and the centres, so that children and youth identified are connected to services.
• Facilitate regular internal sharing on progress, challenges and opportunities in the autism portfolio.

• Develop and use monitoring tools to assess compliance of centres with the agreed standards.
• Conduct regular field visits, identify technical gaps and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Monitor service utilisation, progress of children/youth and municipal budget commitments.
• Prepare periodic technical and progress reports for management.

J. Other Responsibilities

• Comply with KFN's policies, including PSEA, safeguarding, child protection and Code of Conduct.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect personal information of children, youth with autism and their families.
• Undertake periodic visits to field offices and programme areas as required.
• Perform other relevant duties assigned by the Supervisor.

Key Expected Outputs

• KFN Standards for Autism Day Care and Learning Centres
• Centre Concept Package (model layout, HR structure, budget and sustainability plan)
• Step-by-step Centre Establishment Guide and toolkit for municipalities
• Training and capacity-building package for centre staff
• Caregiver Guideline
• Municipal centre budget and activity plans
• Monitoring and quality assurance tools
• KFN Autism Engagement Strategy
• Map of funding and learning partners; concept notes and proposals
• Global update and learning briefs; research, documentation and case studies

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Special Education, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, Public Health, Rehabilitation, Social Work, Disability Studies or a related field.
• Minimum 35 years of relevant professional experience in autism, disability, rehabilitation, child development, inclusive education or related programmes.
• Practical experience in setting up or managing services for children/youth with autism or developmental disabilities will be a strong advantage.
• Experience working with local governments and government systems will be an advantage.
• Experience in developing guidelines, standards, training materials or service models.
• Experience in programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience in networking, partnership building and proposal writing.
• Excellent spoken and written Nepali and English; good computer skills.
• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.

Key Competencies and Personal Attributes

• Technical knowledge of autism, early intervention and disability management
• Standard-setting, planning and budgeting for service centres
• Facilitation, training and mentoring
• Government coordination and partnership development (local, provincial and federal)
• Networking, advocacy and representation
• Resource mobilisation and proposal writing
• Awareness of global trends and evidence in autism
• Internal coordination, teamwork and problem-solving
• Monitoring, research and documentation
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Willingness to grow and learn continuously; proactive and self-driven

About the Company

Karuna Foundation Nepal (KFN) is a Nepali Non-Governmental Organization which aims to prevent avoidable disabilities among children and improve quality of lives of children and adults with disabilities, developing evidence based scalable community models.

It has been working in disability prevention and community based rehabilitation in Nepal since 2007.