Individual Consultancy - Senior Researcher, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Geneva, Remote Based, (Jan- May 2022/ 100 working days) REQ

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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...

Background:

Despite its critical importance and value, EiE has historically been regarded as an underfunded sector, which consistently received a lower than average share of funds requested. Globally, the share of education in all humanitarian funding increased from 4.3 per cent in 2018 to 5.1 per cent in 2019, representing a record amount of over US$ 700 million, according to Education Cannot Wait (ECW). An analysis conducted by Global Education Cluster in 2018 revealed that between 2014 and 2017, the education sector received an average of 35% of funds requested, compared to 60% across all sectors over the same period. The same study indicated that in terms of funding, the Education Cluster ranked seventh out of the 11 IASC-recognised clusters (exceeding only Logistics, Early Recovery, Camp Coordination and Emergency Telecommunications). Analysis by INEE also highlighted the asymmetrical disparity in financing: of the 423 humanitarian aid requests for the education sector that received some funding, half went to just 29 appeals. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were most likely to be forgotten.

In recent years, funding for EiE has increased. For example, the EU has increased financing to EiE from 1% of its humanitarian aid in 2015 to 10% in 2019. ECW, the only global multilateral fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises, has mobilised US$700 million through its trust fund and an additional US$ 400 million in-country. In addition to delivering funding for First Emergency Response (FER) education activities, ECW’s focus on funding multi-year education programmes has intentionally responded to the need for longer-term resources than those planned for through Humanitarian Response Plans and shorter-term funds than those which are mobilized around full education sector plans. The Global Partnership for Education also provides mid- to long-term funding. The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new dimension to EiE in humanitarian crises by exacerbating education concerns worldwide. The pandemic has led to efforts to make humanitarian financing more flexible. In part, EiE funding to respond immediately at scale was and remains an issue. Linking humanitarian funding to longer-term needs remains key, which calls for greater flexibility using development funding as well.

How can you make a difference?

Research on Impact of COVID-19 on EiE Funding

The report will provide an up-to-date global overview and analysis of the state of EiE funding focusing on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted EiE needs and funding gaps. The report will highlight existing gaps before the global pandemic and how COVID-19 has impacted the needs, resource mobilisation and funding gaps. These findings will be broken down by country and region and identify opportunities for enhancing EiE financing at the global and country levels - whether in contexts of armed conflict, climate change, displacement, slow or rapid-onset disasters, and health emergencies. As feasible, the biggest donors’ contributions as a percentage of their total education or total humanitarian funding will be also analysed. Furthermore, the report will look into how the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to address systemic inequity that is otherwise an extremely difficult gap to close.

The target audience of the report will be policy and decision-makers across the humanitarian-development system as well as practitioners. It will be launched at an event in early 2022. As such the style of the report will need to be engaging for an already well-informed audience, with a set of practical recommendations to help foster a constructive discussion on the issues.

To analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on EiE funding, the report will begin with an overview of financing trends and gaps during the period 2016-2021, followed by a detailed analysis of the impact of the global pandemic on EiE. There is no comprehensive, all-encompassing data source for EiE financing flows and therefore the report will focus on the data available from key sources:

• OCHA Financial Tracking Service (FTS)
• Country-level bilateral funding
• Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
• Country-Based Pooled Funds
• Education Cannot Wait (ECW)
• UNHCR refugee plans, i.e. amount and percentage allocated to education of a country or Regional Response Plan

Key issues to be tackled include:

EiE financing state, trends, and gaps (ask vs. received) from 2016-2020 based on available data and including on funding sources, thematic priorities, country and regional variations, and organisation type, highlighting possible variations due to COVID-19.

• The impact of COVID-19 on EiE financing, opportunities, and impact.
• The consequences of EiE being chronically underfunded on affected children and youth including neglected crises (e.g. boxes throughout the report to illustrate the consequences).
• The challenges for ensuring that EiE action is adequately funded, such as the absence of adequate data and the challenges and opportunities of FTS.
• Recommendations.

Methodology and management arrangements:

The methodology will include a desk and literature review, data analysis, an online survey and key informant interviews. Consultations will be held virtually, primarily in English with the possibility of additional UN languages, and include stakeholders that have a strategic role in terms of influencing EiE financing. The report will contain a clear section outlining the methodology, including data sources and limitations.

Online survey: developed to gather data on the perceptions of different stakeholders on the report issues. The survey will be hosted on Survey Monkey and sent out to key stakeholders the report targets. The target is some 40+ responders to provide meaningful data analysis of the results. Analysis of the survey results will be included in the final report as graphs and tables which will be contrasted with the findings from the data analysis.

Virtual key informant interviews (15-20): at global level to include Geneva Global Hub EiE members, donors and member states with a key role in EiE financing, and more, e.g. relevant IASC Results Groups, Grand Bargain, OCHA (FTS, CERF and Country Based Pooled Funds) and research institutes. At the field level, this may include key actors in underfunded or well-funded responses. In total there will be some 15-20 KIIs.

The consultant will work with the guidance and support of the Geneva Global Hub Technical Working Group (TWG) to produce the report. The TWG will provide strategic and substantive input on the production of the report including feedback on drafts of all the key outputs. The consultant will provide regular updates to the TWG on progress. The consultant will report directly to Chief, Humanitarian Liaison and External Relations, ECW Geneva.

Key outputs:

The assignment will include the following deliverables:

• Inception report (5 pages)
• Interview guide
• Questionnaire of the online survey
• Online survey data in csv or xlsx format
• Final report (40 pages)

The key output will be the final report (max. 40-pages) which will include an executive summary, analysis, key findings, visuals, country examples and recommendations aimed at the target audience.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs

Timeline

Desk and literature review

Inception report, including interview guide

14 days

Data analysis of datasets from FTS, CERF, CBPFs, ECW, UNHCR

Data overview and analysis

16 days

Online survey developed, tested, and circulated

Online survey

6 days

Key informant interviews (approx. 15 - 20)

Draft report (max. 40 pages with annexes)

60 days

Design

Final report

4 days

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

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the area of data collection, management, and analysis, with a focus on EiE financing
• An advanced university degree in finance, economics, statistics, social sciences, law, or related field
• Proven ability to translate data into visually appealing and insightful presentation(s)
• Excellent understanding of the debates, policies, processes, and actors linked to education in emergencies (EiE)
• Ability to provide and advocate for policy advice
• Fluency in English, including excellent writing skills
• Strong focus on impact and results; excellent analytical skills
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Strong ICT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office software

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

Core competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Functional Competencies

• Formulating Strategies and Concepts
• Analyzing
• Relating and Networking
• Persuading and Influencing
• Entrepreneurial Thinking

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

Remarks:

Applicants are invited to apply:

Include a cover letter of interest, CV, your approach to the assignment, technical proposal fee (daily in US$) to undertake the above TOR. Applications submitted without a proposed fee will not be accepted.

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE - By Deliverable

Payment upon deliverables/milestones: UNICEF will only make milestone payment based on achievement of specific deliverables as listed on the table above. These payments should be stated in terms of percentage. Also note that UNICEF does not make advance payment except under certain conditions in line with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

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.

If selected for this consultancy, the resulting appointment will be limited to ECW, a UNICEF hosted fund.