Consultancy: Governorate Education Sector Coordination support, UNICEF Iraq (National consultancy)

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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

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: This assignment’s purpose is to support the decentralized education sector coordination and implementation of governorate-level education sector plans (GESPs). Throughout Iraq’s post-conflict transition, UNICEF continues to support the Ministry of Education (MoE) to leverage opportunities for improved education service delivery to all children, particularly the most vulnerable and excluded, in all parts of the country. This includes assisting the realization of the ambitions described in the new Iraqi National Education Strategy 2022-2031 (INES) through decentralized education sector coordination. To do so, UNICEF closely supports systems strengthening for the education sector by building capacities of MoE at national and sub-national levels. This includes capacity building for risk-informed education planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring, education management information systems (EMIS), monitoring learning outcomes, development of key sector strategies (e.g. an integrated five-year Early Childhood Development Strategy), and advocacy, among others. UNICEF’s support of education system strengthening at the sub-national level has achieved the following results to date. - 15 Directorates of Education (DoEs) developed GESPs. They are the DoEs in Karkh 3, Rusafa 2, and Rusafa 3 in Baghdad, Ninewa, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Diyala, Salah-A-Din, Anbar, Missan, Muthanna, Basrah, Qadisiya, and Thi-Qar; - Four of them, more specifically Rusafa 3, Basrah, Qadisiya, and Thi-Qar, developed capacity development plans aligned to their GESPs; - Since August 2022, UNICEF has supported the establishment and functioning of the governorate education sector coordination mechanisms. Under this mechanism, the DoE, the Planning Department of the central level MoE, the Governor’s Office, and sector partners in each governorate come together to promote an inclusive and transparent dialogue in implementing and monitoring the INES and the GESP and the coordination of the education sector at large.

The main objective of the governorate education sector coordination mechanisms is to ensure optimum results in the sector by aligning available resources through strategic and technical dialogue and partnership. However, Education Sector Planning at national and sub-national levels is a new area for MoE while the GEPSs have a medium to long-term perspective (3 to 8 years) supported by annual work plans for implementation and monitoring of progress towards planned results. Therefore, the GESPs in the 15 DoEs still require support to plan, implement and coordinate an entire annual planning and monitoring cycle in line with the INES. In addition, robust monitoring and review mechanisms will be also required to support the implementation including joint sector reviews in collaboration with education partners and donors at national and sub-national levels.

This consultancy will provide the necessary support to the UNICEF Education Programme and the MoE and the DoEs by working closely with four UNICEF Field Offices based in Baghdad, Basra, Dohuk, and Erbil, under the guidance of the UNICEF Country Office’s Education Programme.

Scope of Work: The consultant will be responsible for operationalising the education sector coordination at the sub-national level by achieving the milestones described below. 1. Plan and prepare the sub-national coordination mechanisms and working groups 2. Support the establishment of governorate education sector coordination mechanism/group with operational GESPs by facilitating coordination between relevant stakeholders at all levels, MoE at the central level, Governor’s offices, and DoEs 3. Support the functioning of governorate education sector coordination mechanism/group (GESCGs) in 15 DoEs by facilitating and supporting the secretariat functions including setting agendas, scheduling meetings, and recording and disseminating of action points 4. Set up monitoring of the implementation of GESPs and review of sector performance through the governorate sector coordination mechanism (ensuring relevant discussion; setting key performance indicators; securing the monitoring data, its analysis, and reporting) 5. Organize participatory mid-term and final review of sector coordination to monitor the overview of the progress with relevant stakeholders 6. Ensure continuous documentation and knowledge management of all sector coordination resources that are easily accessible by stakeholders

Tasks/Milestone and Deliverables/Outputs:

Plan and prepare the sub-national coordination mechanisms and working groups - Inception report with the updated versions of existing sector coordination documents and tools - Workplan reflecting the priorities defined during - Key stakeholder consultations - Meeting minutes of key stakeholder consultations - Final version of the terms of reference for the Sub- national coordination mechanisms officially approved - Contact list of main stakeholders for each of the 15 DoEs 28 days by September 2023

Support the establishment of governorate education sector coordination mechanism/group with operational GESPs by facilitating coordination between relevant stakeholders at all levels, MoE at the central level, Governor’s offices, and DoEs - Endorsement letters for the official establishment of GESCG for DoEs where the GESCG has not been set up. 19 days by October 2023

Organize a participatory mid-term review of sector coordination to monitor the overview of the progress with relevant stakeholders - Sector coordination mid- term review presentations with visuals and user- friendly graphs, and recommendations - Sector coordination mid- term review report with clear recommendations 9 days by January 2024

Support the functioning of governorate education sector coordination mechanism/group (GESCGs) in 7 DoEs by facilitating and supporting the secretariat functions including setting agendas, scheduling meetings, and recording and disseminating of action points - Sector coordination meeting minutes for at least 1 meeting in each of 7 DoEs - Partner mapping matrix for 7 DoEs 38 days by February 2024

Set up monitoring of the implementation of GESPs and review of sector performance through the governorate sector coordination mechanism (ensuring relevant discussion; setting key performance indicators; securing the monitoring data, its analysis, and reporting) - Analytical Education Sector coordination status reports for all DoEs 29 days by March 2024

Support the functioning of governorate education sector coordination mechanism/group (GESCGs) for 8 DoEs by facilitating and supporting the secretariat functions including setting agendas, scheduling meetings, and recording and disseminating of action points. - Sector coordination meeting minutes for at least 1 meeting in each of 8 DoEs - Partner mapping matrix for 8 DoEs 38 days by May 2024

Ensure continuous documentation and knowledge management of all sector coordination resources that are easily accessible by stakeholders - Online database with all sector coordination resources uploaded per DoE 9 days by July 2024

Organize a participatory final review of sector coordination to assess the overall progress with relevant stakeholders - Sector coordination final review presentations with visuals and user-friendly graphs, and recommendations - Consolidated final report for way forward including detailed analysis and recommendations for UNICEF, MoE, DoEs, Governorates, and CSOs 19 days by July 2024

Minimum Qualifications required: - A first-level university degree in education or relevant fields for the consultation - At least 8 years of professional working experience in coordination and/or development programs - Skills, knowledge and experience of sector coordination, data analysis, facilitation skills, secretariat/administrative skills, and communication and interpersonal skills - Established relationships with education and other partners and government - Previous experience with the United Nations System - Computer skills including in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.) - Familiarity with the Iraq and KRI Education sector issues and stakeholders, including MoEs and DoEs is an asset - Fluency in English and Arabic required and Kurdish desirable

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

Remarks:

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Candidates must submit an all-inclusive fee for the assignment. UNICEF will provide travel for the assignment and in-country travel if required.

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

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.