About the job
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
Lesotho is eligible for applying for the Systems Transformation Grant in the Global Partnership for Education Operating Model 2025. The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) who is the Chair and UNICEF as the co-chair of the Local Education Group (LEG) to develop the partnership compact for Lesotho using the latest guidance issued by GPE. The specific objective of this assignment is to assist the LEG to produce, in a participatory and consultative manner, a partnership compact that meets the needs of education sector partners and the quality standards of GPE.
Scope Of Work
The international consultant will work with a Core Task Team to prepare key partnership compact documentation. The Core Task Team, comprising representatives from MOET, UNICEF as the Coordinating Agency, as well as LEG members will provide technical advice and guidance at key junctures of the partnership compact drafting processes.
As part of this work, the consultant is expected to closely coordinate and work with UNICEF’s Basic Education and Adolescent team who will provide logistical and technical support during the process. The consultant will also prepare, as needed, other documents and reports associated with the partnership compact development process, and provide technical support for other coordination activities, as necessary.
The consultant will be expected to do the following.
Prepare for, facilitate, and provide documentation for a series of at least four consultations with key sector partners – both LEG members and private sector entities, including presentations to clearly communicate the objectives and expected results of these consultations, key questions to guide consultations; a method to capture and confirm partner ideas and financing commitments; and to ensure key issues raised in these consultations inform the preparation of the partnership compact.
Assist in the preparation of drafts of the partnership compact for the review of the LEG; document and incorporate feedback received; and support the MOET and LEG in ensuring these drafts meet GPE quality requirements in terms of structure and content.
Assist in the preparation of a final compact document for the endorsement of the LEG
The international consultant will be directly contracted and supervised by UNICEF Lesotho Country Office and must liaise with UNICEF for all contractual issues (including payments) and the day-to-day activities. The deliverables will have to be cleared by the task team which is led by the Director Planning in MOET. UNICEF in collaboration with MOET will facilitate the engagement of stakeholders to support the compact development process, in accordance with work plan timings.
The consultant will receive deliverable-based payments and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or portions of the payment if deliverables are deemed unsatisfactory, incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. UNICEF reserves the right to adapt and modify deliverables and deadlines.
The consultant is expected to use his/her own equipment, including computers and other types of hardware and software necessary to execute all tasks. UNICEF premises will be available for office space, meetings and consultations.
The consultant shall not make use of any unpublished or confidential information made known in the course of performing the duties under the terms of this agreement, without written authorization from MOET. The products of this consultancy are not the property of the consultant and cannot be shared without the permission of MOET. The consultant shall respect the local norms and refrain from interfering in the country’s political affairs.
Work Assignment Overview: The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a GPE Partnership Compact based on the agreed country priority reform.
Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Timeline (period/deadline) Payment structure (% of the total fee)
Deliverable #1: Produce an inception report which must contain a suggested methodology and approach for undertaking the assignment, a preliminary desk review of resource materials, including key GPE reference materials on partnership compact development, and a draft work plan.
Identify key counterparts to liaise with in the compact consultation process
A concise Inception Report of approximately 10 pages, excluding annexes. 3 days from the start of the contract 10% Deliverable #2: Desk review the Independent Technical Advisory Panel report and the Enabling Factors Review; report on the outputs from the Transforming Education Summit consultation, Voluntary National Review, Common Country Analysis and any other relevant document and prepare key questions, data collection tools and PowerPoint presentations as needed for the various planned partner consultations linked to the preparation of the Partnership Compact. Desk review report with key questions for data collection with the different stakeholders including timeline 5 days 20%
Deliverable #3: Draft a consultation report outlining initial findings from the Partnership Compact consultations of approximately 10 pages, excluding annexes. The report must provide a summary of the series of consultations that were organized, including highlighting key points of relevance for the Partnership Compact.
Draft partnership compact and its presentation for the LEG members’ review and feedback
Report of the consultations
Draft partnership compact
12 days 30%
Deliverable #4: Produce a report compiling feedback received from LEG on the draft of the partnership compact
Revise partnership compact document
Report on the feedback
Revised partnership compact
3 days 10% Deliverable# 5: Incorporate feedback from the GPE on draft partnership compact Revised partnership compact 3 days 10% Deliverable#6: Finalize the partnership compact and present it to LEG for validation
Final Partnership compact and its validation workshop report
4 days 20%
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education
Advanced university degree in the fields of education, economics, finance or any related fields
Work Experience
At least 8 years of relevant experience in education sector planning and policy formulation.
Experience in undertaking education sector related research, including comprehensive data collection and analysis
Experience in facilitating consultation of key education stakeholders at both national and subnational levels with proficient.
Technical Knowledge
Strong knowledge of education, with specific focus on education programming, policy development and financial analysis.
Experience of having undertaken compact development for the GPE’s new Operating Model.
Competencies
Strong analytical and conceptual thinking.
Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills with stakeholders.
Good analytic and report writing skills.
Good reputation in capacity development of government counterparts, including facilitation of structured group work and activities.
Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe.
Language: Fluency in written and spoken English
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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.
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