Roster of Consultants for Outcomes Based Finance (OBF) Programme Expertise, Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), UNICEF Hosted Fund, Remote, REQ#577033

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Education

Background on the Education Outcomes Fund

There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission (chaired by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education) and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen) came together with our founding CEO (Her Excellency Dr.) Amel Karboul to create EOF. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes of 10 million children and youth, by supporting governments to utilize a range of innovative finance instruments at scale, including outcomes funds and other results-based financing (RBF) instruments.

EOF is backed by a range of world leaders who support us to shape our approach and achieve our ambitious aims, as well as leaders in education and impact investing.

EOF supports improvements in the quality of education and skills programmes, with a special focus on girls and underserved populations, including those in the hardest to reach rural areas. It measures (and pays for) what matters – both core skills like literacy and numeracy, but also critical 21st Century skills such as socio-emotional skills, ICT skills, and other broader fundamentals of a quality education. It helps close the persistent gap between the skills needed by employers and those attained by today’s youth.

For all the above, EOF pays primarily on the basis of the results achieved, ensuring that taxpayer-funded domestic resources, aid, and philanthropic funds are only used to pay for what works. This is a game-changing way to finance results in education, focusing attention and realigning systems on the most challenging but most important measure of a programme’s performance: whether it is improving lives.

Together with our supporters, we believe this is the early stages of a much larger movement, with huge potential to increase learning outcomes for children and youth around the world, through improved aid effectiveness and government spending.

Since our inception in 2018, EOF has:

• Partnered with governments in Ghana and Sierra Leone to establish the two largest outcomes funds to date in developing countries, mobilising ~$50M for these programmes.
• Established itself as a leading global player in RBF, and the only dedicated center of expertise for RBF in education and skills.
• Become the first outcomes fund hosted by the United Nations within UNICEF, as a scalable platform to partner with governments around the world.
• Established a major partnership with the LEGO Foundation, to develop a scale portfolio of RBF programmes in early childhood across a diverse range of countries, as well as to amplify the movement and ecosystem of partners around this approach.
• Had our innovative approach featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, FT, Economist, Brookings, and more.
• Built our institutional capacity to contract and implement large-scale outcomes funds more efficiently and effectively than historic impact bonds.
• Established a strong culture of performance and an active focus on ongoing professional development for all our team.

Purpose of the assignment

EOF’s programme portfolio continues to grow, with new outcomes partnerships being designed in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia, in addition to two programmes that are currently being implemented in Ghana and Sierra Leone. EOF aims towards a global presence, and future programmes might be designed and launched in other countries and continents. We aim to create a roster of consultants who can support the three phases of EOF’s programmes: concept development, design, and implementation, both for the current suite of programmes and for future programmes.

Workstream 1: Programme Research and Analysis

Under Workstream 1, we are looking for consultants who can support us in research and analysis that contributes to the design and delivery of EOF’s programmes.

Activities may include the following:

• Draft narrative reports for donors to EOF’s programmes.
• Conduct research and analysis to contribute towards a concept development report for one of EOF’s programmes. Topics include but not be limited to: political economy and sector analysis, theory of change, stakeholder analysis and engagement plans.
• Conduct research and analysis to contribute towards the programme design for one of EOF’s programmes. Topics will include but not be limited to: RBF (Results Based Financing) mechanism design, procurement plans, materials for technical working groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Updates to documentation during the implementation phase of one of EOF’s programmes, including an updated workplan, risk register and decision log, plus materials prepared in advance of programme governance meetings.

Qualification Requirements

Required

• A university degree in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, or a related field, is required.
• A minimum of 1 year of professional experience in a relevant area is required. This includes education, international development, public policy, think-tanks, charity, or management consulting.
• Fluency in English is required.

Desirable

• Experience with innovative finance, particularly the design and implementation of outcomes funds, is strongly preferred.
• Experience with education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in Africa or the Middle East is preferred.
• Experience in evaluation design or management is preferred.
• Fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is preferred.

Workstream 2: Technical Programme Work

Under Workstream 2, we are looking for consultants who can provide technical support to EOF in the design and delivery of EOF’s programs.

Activities may include the following:

• Support EOF’s program team to co-design and co-facilitate learning sessions for EOF’s team on the use of OBF in education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment.
• Conduct research and analysis, and coordinate certain workstreams that contribute to the concept development of EOF’s outcomes funds. Topics include but not be limited to: political economy and sector analysis, theory of change, stakeholder analysis and engagement plans.
• Conduct research and analysis, and coordinate certain workstreams that contribute to programme design for one of EOF’s programmes. Topics will include but not be limited to: RBF (Results Based Financing) mechanism design, procurement plans, materials for technical working groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Conduct research and analysis, and coordinate certain workstreams that contribute to the implementation of EOF’s programmes, including topics such as Safeguarding, governance, stakeholder management, risk.

Qualification Requirements

Required

• A degree in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, or a related field, is required. A Master’s degree is preferred, but not required.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in a relevant area is required. This includes education, international development, public policy, think-tanks, charity, or management consulting.
• Fluency in English is required.

Desirable

• Experience with innovative finance, particularly the design and implementation of outcomes funds, is strongly preferred.
• Experience with basic education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in Africa or the Middle East is preferred.
• Experience in evaluation design or management is preferred.
• Fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is preferred.

Workstream 3: Programme Management Expertise

Under Workstream 3, we are looking for consultants who can provide technical advice and recommendations on the management of EOF’s programmes during the concept development, design, and implementation phases.

Activities may include the following:

• Participating in external speaking engagements advocating for EOF’s approach to the design of outcomes funds in education, ECCE or skills-for-employment.
• Design and facilitate learning sessions for EOF’s team on the use of OBF in education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment.
• Lead the drafting of a concept development report for EOF’s outcomes funds. Topics include but not be limited to: political economy and sector analysis, theory of change, stakeholder analysis and engagement plans.
• Draft and finalize programme design for one of EOF’s programmes. Topics will include but not be limited to: RBF (Results Based Financing) mechanism design, procurement plans, materials for technical working groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Provide strategic advice and oversight of one of EOF’s programmes in its implementation phase, including topics such as Safeguarding, governance, stakeholder management, risk.

Qualification Requirements

Required

• An advanced degree is required (Master’s or above) in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, or a related field, is required. A Bachelor’s degree will be considered with an additional 2 years’ relevant experience.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a relevant area is required. This includes education, international development, public policy, think-tanks, charity, or management consulting.
• Experience in programme management, preferably in an international development or global education context, is required.
• Fluency in English is required.

Desirable

• Experience with innovative finance, particularly the design and implementation of outcomes funds, is strongly preferred.
• Experience with basic education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in Africa or the Middle East is preferred.
• Experience in evaluation design or management is preferred.
• Fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is preferred.

Workstream 4: Portfolio Management Expertise

Under Workstream 4, we are looking for consultants who can provide strategic advice and expertise on the management of a portfolio of EOF’s programmes during the concept development, design, and implementation phases.

Activities may include the following:

• Participating in external speaking engagements advocating for EOF’s approach to the design of outcomes funds in education, ECCE or skills-for-employment.
• Design and facilitate learning sessions for EOF’s team on the use of OBF in education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment.
• Provide strategic advice and expertise to support programme teams to develop concept development reports for EOF’s outcomes funds. Topics include but not be limited to: political economy and sector analysis, theory of change, stakeholder analysis and engagement plans.
• Provide strategic advice and expertise to support programme teams to finalize programme design for one of EOF’s programmes. Topics will include but not be limited to: RBF (Results Based Financing) mechanism design, procurement plans, materials for technical working groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Provide strategic advice and oversight of a portfolio of EOF’s programmes in their implementation phase, including topics such as Safeguarding, governance, stakeholder management, risk.

Qualification Requirements

Required

• An advanced degree is required (Master’s or above) in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, or a related field, is required. A Bachelor’s degree will be considered with an additional 2 years’ relevant experience.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in a relevant area is required. This includes education, international development, public policy, think-tanks, charity, or management consulting.
• Experience in programme portfolio management, preferably in an international development or global education context, is required.
• Fluency in English is required.

Desirable

• Experience with innovative finance, particularly the design and implementation of outcomes funds, is strongly preferred.
• Experience with basic education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for-employment is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in Africa or the Middle East is preferred.
• Experience in evaluation design or management is preferred.
• Fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is preferred.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

We welcome applications from candidates globally. You can apply through UNICEF’s career page. Alongside your application, please submit a technical proposal which includes:

• Workstream(s) for which you wish to be considered.
• Relevant expertise, skills, and experience in the selected workstream(s).

Please ensure you include and upload a financial proposal (with daily consultancy rate in USD), otherwise your application will not be considered.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

This call aims to solicit applications from individuals who are interested in providing consultancy services in one or more of the workstreams described above. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. At the end of the selection process, a consultant roster with multiple workstreams will be created. 

Once a consultant roster is created, when the need for a particular expertise arises, EOF will approach one or more consultant candidates in the pertinent workstream(s) of the roster with a specific Terms of Reference to discuss availability and interest, as well as further assess expertise and experience vis-à-vis the specific terms of reference. Successful applicants will be placed on a pre-approved roster which will remain valid for a period of 36 months.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks: 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

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