Local consultant to develop school and community profiles in two education regions in Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana (60 days) Opened to local consultants only

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: UNICEF’s Data Must Speak (DMS) Initiative aims to help countries use existing data to expand access to education and improve learning for all. Education challenges of access and quality can be addressed when decision makers have data. Having information on who is missing out on education and why is essential to strengthening and building equitable education systems. With reliable data, policy makers, school managers, teachers and communities can identify problems, devise solutions and allocate resources appropriately to where there is most need. Botswana like most countries is already collecting large amounts of data from schools and regions. The data collected goes on to be used to produce reports at the national level, with little or no use of data at sub national levels. Evidence of data use for decision-making and planning is also inadequate.

When data is made accessible, not just being made available, but in formats that are user-friendly, all stakeholders in education can learn from past experiences, monitor progress and impact future success in ensuring equitable access and quality learning for students most in need. Enhancing community engagement in school management and decision-making can improve enrolment and learning outcomes.

With funding from the Data Catalytic Fund Round 2 and using “lift and shift” approach, UNICEF Botswana intends on piloting the development of school profiles at the school- and community-levels to promote the use of data for evidence-based decision making, planning and priority setting. These profiles have been used in countries like Madagascar, Nepal, Philippines, Togo and Zambia. The profiles will also help parents, teachers and students stay informed and hold school managers accountable. Piloting will be done in the two education regions of Chobe and Ghanzi.

UNICEF Botswana therefore requests the services of a local consultant to use existing data to develop and design school profiles for use at the school and community level. The consultant is also expected to design/adapt a user manual for future rollout of school profiles to other regions.

Scope of work

Under the supervision of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (PM&E) and in consultation with the Education Specialist, the consultant will adapt and contextualize school profiles to be used at school and community level to promote and improve usage of education data, improve data feedback loops and enhance community engagement in school management. Specifically, the consultant will, a) Conduct a baseline analysis to map out data needed and structures that can be used to facilitate the trainings and data use. b) In collaboration with teachers, PTA members and regional education staff design school profiles for use at the school and community level c) Compile and analyze data from secondary sources for use in the school profiles d) Develop an easy to use, step by step user manual for the analysis of data and creation of school profiles e) Facilitate meetings with school staff, PTA members and regional education staff to discuss the school profiles to help them understand how the school and the learners are performing, identify challenges and key resource needs and develop action plans to improve the situation

Under the supervision of the PM&E Officer and with support from the regional technical taskforces, the consultant will be responsible for carrying out the following: • Prepare and finalize an inception report detailing how the development/design of the school profiles will be carried out.

• Determine what data is available to be used and identify structures (associations, boards, authorities etc..) that can be used to drive the initiative. • Work with teachers, PTA members and education regional staff to determine and agree on the information that will go on the school profile for both school use and community use • Develop a data collection template for both the school and community level profiles • Compile and analyse data from secondary sources to be used in the creation of school profiles • Design the actual school profile with graphics and tables and needed • Develop an easy-to-use step by step user manual for the creating of school profiles • Conduct meetings with school staff, PTA members and regional education staff to discuss schools’ performance, identify challenges and develop an action plan to remedy the situation.

Work Assignment Overview: The consultant will report primarily to the PM&E Officer. Meetings and follow ups will be planned with the PM&E office. The PM&E officer will assist in establishing taskforces in the regions to drive this work and meetings will be conducted with them at the start of the assignment and the towards the end of the assignment. Regular updates will be shared electronically on a monthly basis.

Deliverables

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables/Outputs:****Timeline****Payment ScheduleDevelop inception report with detailed workplan. Inception report will be used to source research permit from education MinistryApproved inception report with detailed workplanJuly 4th, 2022 (5 days)10%Conduct and facilitate 2 meetings with regional stakeholders on what to include in the school profilesTwo (2) approved reports on consensus meetings with region stakeholdersJuly 8th, 2022 (10 days)10%Design 78 school and community profiles from two (2) education regions based on compiled dataDraft school profiles designedAugust 5th, 2022 (15 days)30%Develop an easy-to-use step-by-step user manual for creation of school profilesUser manual developed and approvedAugust 26th, 2022 (15 days)20%Conduct and facilitate meetings with stakeholders and develop action plan to address issues.Action plans for schools and communities developedSeptember 21st, 2022 (15 days)30%Administrative issues and conditions

1. 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. 2. 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 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. 3. Consultant will be required to complete online courses related to Ethics, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Security related trainings prior to taking up the assignment and/or travel. 4. Consultant will be required to sign the Health Statement for consultants/individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, including Medical Evacuation

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

Education

• Advanced university degree in Social Science with a major focus on statistics or economics, or equivalent.

Experience

• At least five years of work experience at national or international levels in fields relevant to education economics, education management information system, education research and/or education Monitoring and Evaluation.
• Experience working with education indicators and country Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) Advanced Excel skills, including VBA (virtual basic for applications)
• Experience/skills in Microsoft Access and/or SQL and/or ________ platforms Strong data presentation/visualization skills (i.e., someone who understands how to reflect key results accurately but simply in tables / graphs / visuals in a way that non-technical people can easily understand)
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset
• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in local languages of Chobe and Ghanzi 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.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates are requested to complete an application including profile to the respective advertisement online. Please indicate your ability, availability and a technical proposal and financial proposal/quote to complete the terms of reference above.

Rates must include all expenses related to the assignment (e.g., consultancy fee, living allowance, travel if applicable), quoted in BWP

Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered.

If you have not been contacted within 2 months of the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.

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:

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).