UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a national consultant to provide technical support in strengthening access to education for children in schools

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!

UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the 2022 to 2026 UNICEF Zimbabwe country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

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https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an enthusiastic individual consultant to provide technical support to the MoPSE and the UNICEF Education Team in the implementation of key activities that would improve access to education for children in schools.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF Education section is supporting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) to increase access of most disadvantaged children to quality education. A key strategy in support of this goal is provision of school improvement grant for teaching and learning materials, furniture, classroom construction, Covid 19 supplies and adolescents in and out of school including developing skills for the young people.

Despite the recent financial constrains in the country in the last few years, SIG continues to be a critical financial assistance for disadvantaged schools in Zimbabwe to maintain their minimum functionality and improve teaching and learning. The success of all the different types of activities implemented through the School Improvement Grant (SIG) is dependent on effective project management by MoPSE. This includes the use of reliable disbursement modalities, establishing strong accountability systems, effective monitoring and evaluation, adequate institutional capacity within MoPSE, well trained and informed school heads, active School Development Committees (SDC) and quality School Development Plans (SDP).

Since the advent of Covid 19 pandemic in March 2020, UNICEF has been supporting MoPSE with the provision of hygiene kits which were distributed to Provinces and Districts for onward distribution to the schools to ensure that schools remain open and to maintain a high level of vigilance against the current wave of new Covid 19 infections. There is need to conduct monitoring checking on the distributions of supplies, adherence to Covid 19 control measures by schools and utilization of the supplies.

UNICEF requires a consultant to support the Education Specialist and MoPSE in the implementation, monitoring of different SIGs, adolescents and skills development work as well as monitoring utilization of Covid 19 suppies. The activities are supported by the EDF and GPE.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

To provide technical support to the MoPSE and the UNICEF Education Team in the implementation key activities that would improve access to education for children in schools.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Objective of the assignment.

The consultant in consultation with the MOPSE will work on the following key assignments:

• Monitoring utilization of various SIG modalities including regular SIG, Complementary funding and SIG WASH.
• Support analysis of SIG utilization and schools’ capacities for all SIG modalities and produce analysis of trends in SIG utilization by schools over time, specially paying attention to their coping mechanisms and capacities to maintain the value for money (vfm) and purchasing power of SIG funds in relation to the on-going financial constraints
• Ensure finalization of 2022 SIG verifcation processes including finalization of the tool and compiling the reports.
• Support complilation of SIG database from 2013-2022 and disaggregate results of all SIG modalities.
• Ensure finalization of the development of e-course for financial management training and pilot.
• Ensure finalization of the 2023 utilization criteria and allocation for regular SIG.
• Support monitoring and utilization of Covid supplies including adherence to Covid prevention measures in the 72 districts.
• Support the implementation of the GenU concept note and work with the adolescents taskforce

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables/Outputs:****Timeline in days & payment scheduleSupport SIG work, regular SIG, Complementary funding, SIG WASH and Updating SIG database- Monitoring report on utilization of various SIG developed and shared - Self-reporting reports from CF beneficiary schools analysed and a consolidated report produced

16 September 2022

25 days

Payment 15%Analysis of SIG utilization trend based on verification and rapid assessment reports and development of selection criteria for 2022 regular SIGSIG modalities’ trend analysis report21 October 2022

25 Days

Payment 15%2022 SIG verification completedSIG verification report consolidated and shared with partners25 November 2022

25 days

Payment 15%Support compilation of SIG database from 2013-2022 and disaggregate results of all SIG modalitiesSIG database updated30 December 2022

23 days

Payment 14%Support MoPSE Training department and GMT in developing e-learning module on financial management and pilotingE-learning course developed and piloted27 January 2023

19 Days

Payment 13%Ensure finalization of the 2023 utilization criteria and allocation for regular SIG.

Approved 20223 SIG utilization criteria and allocations24 February 2023

20 days

Payment 13%Support monitoring and utilization of Covid supplies including adherence to Covid prevention measures in the 72 districts

Support the finalization of GenU Concept Note

• Report on utilization and gaps identified on adherence to Covid 19 prevention measures
• Implementation strategy

31 March 2023

25 days

Payment 15%To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

A Bachelors Degree in Social Science, Development Studies or Education Field. A Masters Degree is an added advantage.

Experience:

Five years’ work experience with the development of capacity development programmes for government, institutions, or civil society organizations.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Excellent computer, research, and data management skills
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to support multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to interact and communicate with government and non-government partners
• Familiar with the Zimbabwean education system and context

Languages :

Fluency in English and Shona

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating the approximate 25 field travel days. The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link ; Terms of Reference.pdf

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.