International consultancy on Education System Capacity

Contract

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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,

The Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) in the Kyrgyz Republic has formulated its 2021-2040 Education Development Programme (EDP), coupled with the action plans for 2021-2023. The EDP serves as a longer-term education sector plan, where priority is given to the strengthening of the central and regional education governance, equity, inclusiveness, gender equality and quality education at all levels (ranging from pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational to tertiary education), information management and sector coordination for greater efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. The MOES and its partners have leveraged expertise and resources in order to advance education system reforms in line with those EDP priority areas. To accelerate the ongoing efforts, the MOES has sought the system capacity strengthening support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

This consultancy work is integral to the MOES-GPE initiative to advance the education system transformation. The scope of work entails the technical consultation with MOES and education stakeholders in formulating policy documents and the leadership in facilitating a national-level joint review of the sector progress against the EDP. The expected key outputs are as follows:

• Facilitation of the initial Joint Sector Review with MOES and stakeholders
• Consultation (key informant interviews) for sector priority setting
• Development of Partnership Compact (including the enabling factors review exercise and a review of state budget and expenditures for education). Note that this will need to be formulated in compliance with the GPE guidelines (https://assets.globalpartnership.org/s3fs-public/document/file/2022-02-gpe-partnership-compact-development-guidelines.pdf?VersionId=QWtXsVyBvIyJ17_52O_l.rQY4pXoQw3o)

These outputs are to be delivered in close consultation with MOES, UNICEF and other sector partners. The consultancy performance will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Technical and professional competence (quality of the products delivered to UNICEF)
• Quality of work (quality of above-mentioned documents and incorporation of feedback provided by UNICEF)

• Quantity of work (completing the tasks indicated in the table above within the set timeframe) The Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) in the Kyrgyz Republic has formulated its 2021-2040 Education Development Programme (EDP), coupled with the action plans for 2021-2023. The EDP serves as a longer-term education sector plan, where priority is given to the strengthening of the central and regional education governance, equity, inclusiveness, gender equality and quality education at all levels (ranging from pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational to tertiary education), information management and sector coordination for greater efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. The MOES and its partners have leveraged expertise and resources in order to advance education system reforms in line with those EDP priority areas. To accelerate the ongoing efforts, the MOES has sought the system capacity strengthening support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

  This consultancy work is integral to the MOES-GPE initiative to advance the education system transformation. The scope of work entails the technical consultation with MOES and education stakeholders in formulating policy documents and the leadership in facilitating a national-level joint review of the sector progress against the EDP. The expected key outputs are as follows:

  • Facilitation of the initial Joint Sector Review with MOES and stakeholders
  • Consultation (key informant interviews) for sector priority setting
  • Development of Partnership Compact (including the enabling factors review exercise and a review of state budget and expenditures for education). Note that this will need to be formulated in compliance with the GPE guidelines (https://assets.globalpartnership.org/s3fs-public/document/file/2022-02-gpe-partnership-compact-development-guidelines.pdf?VersionId=QWtXsVyBvIyJ17_52O_l.rQY4pXoQw3o)

  These outputs are to be delivered in close consultation with MOES, UNICEF and other sector partners. The consultancy performance will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Technical and professional competence (quality of the products delivered to UNICEF)
  • Quality of work (quality of above-mentioned documents and incorporation of feedback provided by UNICEF)
  • Quantity of work (completing the tasks indicated in the table above within the set timeframe)

How can you make a difference?

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Estimate Budget

Preparing detailed workplan on the process of compact development, including schedule of consultative meetings

• Detailed workplan in place (3 days)

By 15 November 2022

TBC (20% of the budget to be paid upon completion)

Planning and facilitating a two-day joint sector review (JSR) in an interactive and participatory manner in Bishkek, together with MOES, UNICEF and other stakeholders (100+ participants are expected)

Note that the consultant(s) are required to physically attend the JSR meeting in Bishkek.

• Planning and facilitating two-day JSR (4 days)
• JSR report with a summary of key discussion points and recommendations (3 days)

By 30 November 2022

Organizing individual consultative meetings (key informant interviews) with MOES and other education stakeholders to identify sector priorities, challenges, good practices, lessons learned and ways forward

• Documentation of KIIs that will inform the development of Partnership Compact (15 days)

By 31 December 2022

TBC (20% of the budget to be paid upon completion)

Developing and presenting Partnership Compact to MOES (including the enabling factors review exercise and a review of state budget and expenditures for education)

• Draft of Partnership Compact in English (20-30 pages max), including completed an enabling factors review (15 days)
• Education budget review (that will require economics and statistical analysis of state budget for 2019-2021) (10 days)

By 31 January 2023

TBC (40% of the budget to be paid upon completion)

• Final version of Partnership Compact
• Slide-deck to MOES for endorsement (10 days)

By 28 February 2022

TBC (20% of the budget to be paid upon completion)

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

• • Education: Masters or doctoral degrees in the field of education, economics, financing or other social sciences.
  • Work Experience: At least 8 years of work experience in a relevant field. Experience in development of policy level documents, including related to financial analysis and costing. Experience of facilitating a national-level consultation workshop and policy dialogue with high-ranking government officials and stakeholders.
  • Technical Knowledge: Strong knowledge of education, with a specific focus on policy work, financial analysis and costing.
  • Competencies: Strong analytical and conceptual thinking. Excellent writing, communication and presentation skills with stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe. Excellent writing skills in English.
  • Language: Fluency in English, knowledge of Russian is an asset.

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 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:

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. 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.