Individual Consultancy (Maldivian National) - to provide support for the Ministry of Education to develop a partnership compact to apply for the Global Partnership for Education System Devel

Contract

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ADVERT - National Consultant to provide support for the Ministry of Education to develop a partnership compact to apply for the Global Partnership for Education System Development Grant.

For every child, a future.

Background and rationale:

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is a global effort devoted to getting all children in school for quality education. Established in 2002, GPE is comprised of 65 developing countries, donor governments, international organizations, the private sector, teachers, and civil society/NGO groups. It is the only global partnership entirely focused on education in developing countries. The partnership has fundamentally transformed international cooperation in education. GPE helps country partners develop and implement sound education plans. Members of the Partnership mobilize and coordinate resources to support the achievement of the plans' goals to enrol more children in school for a better education. By promoting dialogue among partners around shared objectives, GPE foster mutual accountability, increase shared knowledge about best practices, and encourage transparency at all levels.

In 2017 Maldives expressed interest in joining the Partnership and requested for Secretariat's support in formalizing its application for the GPE’s Education Sector Plan Development Grant. The first ever comprehensive Education Sector Plan was developed and endorsed in 2019. Subsequently, Maldives became a member of the Global Partnership for Education in 2019 and received the Education Sector Plan Implementation Grant, which is currently being implemented on improving foundational literacy and numeracy and enhancing learning outcomes.

Maldives has been confirmed to be part of the next round cohort of partner countries to commence the roll out of the GPE 2025 funding model, including access to the system transformation grant. To access this grant, partner countries must develop a partnership compact. The partnership compact is a statement articulating how a GPE partner country intends to work together with partners around a priority reform that has the potential to catalyse system change in the education sector. It is a strategic framework that identifies interventions that would lead to transformational change in the education system. It is also a blueprint for mutual accountability among partners The compact development process is led by the Ministry of Education in consultation with development partners and other stakeholders represented in the local education group. The ownership of the compact is at the country level. The GPE will use the compact as background information for the approval of the strategic focus and the amount to be provided from the System Transformation Grant. The compact will also be the basis on which most additional GPE support will be sought.

Purpose of the consultancy and scope of work

The objective of the consultancy is to support the Ministry of Education to develop a partnership compact for Maldives, using the guidance issues by the GPE.

This compact shall enable the identification of reforms in areas whose delivery could be supported through the STG (System Transformation Grant) (volume, equity, and efficiency of domestic finance; gender-responsive sector planning, policy and monitoring; data and evidence; and sector coordination).

The partnership compact shall address the following four items:

1. the reasons for addressing specific enabling factors or areas,
2. how what is proposed will address the specific issues identified,
3. how the proposed actions will lead to system transformation reinforcement, and
4. value for money proof that the proposed interventions have reasonable chance of success based on national, regional, or global evidence.

It should also indicate how gender equality has been hardwired through the program design, including systematically applying a gender lens and identifying key challenges and design of program activities from a gender-equality perspective.

The National Education Consultation Committee (NECC) also serving as the Local Education Group (LEG), will be the Steering Committee to give broad parameters and policy directions for this partnership compact. The NECC will also have responsibility to endorse the partnership compact before it is sent to GPE Secretariat. They will also have responsibility to re endorse after revisions are incorporated following quality assurance (QA) appraisals. The NEEC comprises 19 members from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The Consultant Team will have the opportunity to engage more frequently with a smaller task team nominated by the NECC named as the Policy Planning Committee (PPC), comprised of 5-6 MOE policy and executive level staff and representation of the NECC.

The consultant will be working with a team from the Ministry of Education (MOE). in collaboration with the MOE Senior Management, all the draft deliverables will be presented to the NECC for discussion and endorsement. The NECC endorsed document will be shared with UNICEF (Coordinating Agency) by the MOE for submission to the GPE Secretariat.

Duty station : The Consultant will work at the Ministry of Education, Male’ Maldives.

Supervisor: Program Specialist, Education, supported by the MOE Policy Planning Team.

Major tasks to be undertaken by the consultant/facilitator and deliverables

Major tasks

Key Deliverables

1. Prepare an Inception Report using the partnership compact development guidelines issued by the GPE. The inception report must contain a suggested methodology, details of activities undertaken as per the GPE guidance, roles and responsibilities of the task team and consultant and work plan with a timeframe.

https://assets.globalpartnership.org/s3fs-public/document/file/2022-02-gpe-partnership-compact-development-guidelines.pdf?VersionId=QWtXsVyBvIyJ17_52O_l.rQY4pXoQw3o

Inception report with methodology and workplan presented to the MOE and UNICEF for approval

2. Undertake an analysis of key sector underperformance and challenges based on available data. Develop a deeper analysis of the specific obstacles that impede achievement of the selected policy outcomes, focusing on why the impediment exists.

Determine the context specific solutions, with a gender and equity lenses.

A comprehensive yet succinct report on the findings.

3. Review the enabling factors that are critical to effective implementation of system transformation.

4. Identify the most important priority reform that is needed to catalyse system change. (Ensure that priority reforms address root causes and have evidence of impact).

5. Share the key finding of all the above components with the Ministry of Education SMT (Senior Management Team) and the NECC. Make a presentation on the findings to the NECC and SMT.

After the engagement with the NECC, incorporate the comments and feedback as needed.

Presentation using PowerPoint

Produce the final draft report consisting of all of the above components.

6. Submit the review report on the enabling factors for system review to the GPE secretariat to be reviewed by an Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAP). The template to submit the review to ITAP is included in the guidelines issued by the GPE.

Report submitted to the GPE secretariat via the coordinating agency (UNICEF).

7. Informed by the feedback provided by the ITAP, develop the partnership compact for the prioritized reform area. Present the partnership compact to the NECC and obtain feedback

Draft partnership compact developed as per the GPE guidelines and presented to the NECC

8. Submit the partnership compact to the GPE for their review and feedback. GPE will share their feedback within 15 days of receipt. Finalize the compact document based on the feedback from the GPE.

Final partnership compact document

9. Support the MOE team to get the approval of the Government and endorsement of Development Partners. The MOE will share the final document with UNICEF to submit to the GPE secretariat.

Submission documents prepared in collaboration with the MOE team.

Estimated duration of contract: Approximately 40 working days during the contract period from 15th June – 30th August 2022.

Official travel involved: Local travels will be undertaken for consultations as required

NOTE: UNICEF will only make milestone payment based on achievement of specific deliverables as listed in this TOR. Also note that UNICEF does not make advance payment and UNICEF is exempted from paying VAT and any other forms of taxes.

Qualifications or specialized knowledge and/or experience required

Education Qualification:

A Master's Degree or Doctoral degree in education management, education planning, economics of education or related field of study.

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in education sector planning and policy formulation
• Sufficient consultancy experience in undertaking education sector related research and development of compacts, preferably in developing countries and/or small states.
• Effective communication skills, with fluency in written and spoken English.
• Good analytic and report writing skills.
• Good reputation in capacity development of government counterparts, including facilitation of structured group work and individual coaching and mentoring activities.
• Experience working with government ministries, preferably the Ministry of Education and Development Partners.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).