UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant for developing an early warning system for preventing girls’ drop out from secondary education (open to Zimbabwean natio

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, quality 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 innovative individual consultant to support the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) in developing an early warning system at school level to help schools mitigate girls drop outs at secondary education level.

ASSIGNMENTS:

The following are the key tasks to be carried out in collaboration with MoPSE at all levels:

1. Identify and prioritise the main risk factors and predictors of dropout, based on contextual evidence.
2. Conduct a review of regional and international best practice in gender responsive, school-based early warning system for mitigating school drop out to inform development of the (EWS).
3. Conduct a solid gender analysis of the drop out factors to inform the development of the Early Warning System that aims to identify students at risk of dropping out of school.
4. Develop an early warning system (EWS) tool that aims to identify students at risk of dropping out of school especially girls and children with disabilities and develop the red flags and factors that contribute to dropout.
5. Work with MoPSE task team at central, provincial and district level including selected schools (management, teachers and support staff) to establish indicators for the EWS
6. Formulate an indicator for each predictor of dropout and identify how the data will be collected
7. Consider allocating different weights to different indicators to make the EWS sufficiently sensitive to dropout risks.
8. Agree on thresholds upon which students will be identified ‘at risk’ or ‘at high risk’ of dropping out.
9. Develop holistic strategies and interventions to mitigate these risks using the socio-ecological model.
10. Develop a tracing and follow up system to report/update on actions taken by schools, including developing referral pathways that take into account key stakeholders in and outside of the school system, as appropriate.
11. Develop an interactive self-learning manual for schools (head teacher, teachers and School Development Committees) on the EWS and its signs and ways they can support with prevention and mitigation. (This training manual will later on become an e-course so teachers and school community can do it on their own and receive a certificate generated from the system.

Major tasks and deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline and payments schedule

1. Prepare inception report outlining how the assignment will be completed with timelines and that includes a review of regional and international best practice of gender responsive early warning systems

Inception report prepared

10% of professional fees (5 days)

2. Conduct a gender analysis of drop out factors and use this to develop the draft EWS indicators with stakeholders and finalise for approval by MoPSE

EWS indicators developed and finalised

20% of professional fees (20 days)

3. Develop the interventions and mitigations that MoPSE, provinces, districts, schools and parents can do to reduce risks of dropout especially by girls in secondary education level.

Key interventions by all levels developed and approved

15% of professional fees (15 days)

4. Develop tracing and follow up system and on actions taken by schools and referral pathway.

Tracking system with referral pathway to key stakeholders developed

15% of professional fees (5 days)

5. Interactive self training manual on preventing dropout risk at schools developed for school community.

Self-learning material finalised

30% of professional fees (18 days)

6. Final report with key recommendations

Report with recommendations submitted

10% of professional fees (2 days)

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

• Master’s degree in education and/or social sciences
• At least 5 years of experience in education management or planning
• Previous experience of developing key strategic documents
• Ability to organise and present data
• Excellent oral and written skills
• Ability to use gender-lens throughout the whole process

If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating 22 field travel days. The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link Early Warning System Individual Consultancy TORs.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 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.