International consultancy: Mid-Term Review of the GPE System Transformation and System Capacity Grants (STG and SCG), Freetown, Sierra Leone

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For every child, the right to Education

Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and here

How can you make a difference? 

Background

The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), in collaboration with UNICEF, is implementing the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) System Transformation and System Capacity Grants (STG and SCG 2023-2027), which are focused on “Delivering Foundations of Learning for All.” The STG and SCG are aligned with the country’s Education Sector Plan (ESP) and the Partnership Compact, which identifies foundational learning as the priority reform within the education sector. The STG and SCG reflect Sierra Leone’s commitment to transformative education reforms to ensure all children achieve foundational learning outcomes by the end of primary school. These grants focus on building systemic capacity to improve literacy and numeracy for early-grade learners, targeting the most marginalised children, including girls and those identified in the Radical Inclusion policy.

“Delivering the Foundations of Learning for All” aims to address the root causes of poor foundational learning outcomes, including lack of readiness-to-learn among children entering primary school, lack of teaching-learning materials, misaligned curricula and teacher training, limited support for teachers, and inadequate learning assessments. The grants are based on four components:

1. Component 1: Raise children’s readiness to learn through targeted pre-primary education.
2. Component 2: Strengthen instructional core, teachers’ cadre, and capacity to deliver foundational learning
3. Component 3: Increase the use of data and technology to support foundational learning and education service delivery
4. Component 4: Strengthen governance, management, and accountability for performance on foundational learning

The mid-term review (MTR) of the STG and SCG is critical in assessing activity implementation progress, identifying achievements and challenges, recommending strategic adjustments to meet its objectives and providing a sustainability plan that will enable Sierra Leone to prepare for the end of the grant period and for future funding that may become available.

The MTR of the grant will also align with country monitoring processes wherever possible, particularly the Mid-term Review of the Partnership Compact and the Education Sector Analysis. This should include but not be limited to:

• Findings from the MTR snapshot report and monitoring questionnaire
• Findings from the MTR inclusive policy dialogue
• Review of the final MTR memo
• Consultations on the ESA

Scope of Work:

The consultant will adopt a participatory and systems-strengthening approach, working closely with Government counterparts and partners to ensure that all technical assistance and implementation activities are aligned with existing national systems, institutional structures and coordination mechanisms. This will include close collaboration with Government institutions (MBSSE/TSC, MTHE and Local Education Group (LEG)).

The consultant will ensure that all interventions are consistent with UNICEF Education approaches, including safeguarding and ethical standards.

Implementation modalities will include:

• Desk review
• Key informant interviews and participatory stakeholder consultations
• Qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis

Specific Tasks:

1) Prepare a comprehensive Inception Report

2) Conduct stakeholder consultations, key informant interviews (KIIs) and workshops with Government, partners and beneficiaries of grant activities.

3) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (from available progress reports, monitoring information, KIIs and consultative workshops on program implementation), to identify progress (and gaps) against the grants’ program document and results framework.

4) Prepare a draft report that synthesizes findings from the data analysis and includes findings from implementation-achievements and challenges- delivery modalities, gender and equity indicators, as well as recommendations to address challenges, enhance implementation of the grants, formal restructuring (if required). The sustainability plan should be a component within the report.

5) Incorporate feedback from the Government, UNICEF and partners.

6) Present the findings of the Mid-Term Review Report to MBSSE and MTHE Senior management and the Local Education Group (LEG).

7) Submit final Mid-Term Review report, final PPT presentation, updated results framework, and fact sheet.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR Grant MTR.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

Master’s degree required in Education, Economics or Economics of Education, Public Policy and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Data Science or Information Management

Work Experience: 

• Monitoring and evaluation, particularly in conducting baseline, mid-term, or final reviews of large-scale education programs.
• Strong understanding of GPE-funded projects, including alignment with education sector plans.
• Proficiency in developing and implementing results frameworks, including theory of change, programmatic reviews, and performance monitoring.
• Proven experience in gender-responsive planning and addressing equity considerations for marginalized groups aligned with GPE priorities and national policies.
• Skilled in policy development and strategy alignment, ensuring coherence between national and global education objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders and facilitate workshops or validation sessions to gather insights, build consensus, and enhance the relevance of findings and recommendations.
• Advanced research, analysis, and reporting skills, synthesizing complex data into actionable insights, comprehensive reports, policy briefs, and fact sheets.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices in responsible use of AI tools for evaluation and writing purposes.
• Experience working in Sierra Leone’s education sector and on early learning is an advantage.
• Understanding of principles of child safeguarding and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and violence is a minimum requirement for this assignment.

Language Requirements: [Insert the primary UN language you need for the fluency requirement]

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.