Afghanistan: Consultant (SDG 4/ Statistics planning)

Title: Consultant (SDG 4/ Statistics planning)

Domain: Education

Grade: Mid-Level

Post Number: KAB/ED/Const/18/12/006

Duty Station: Kabul, Afghanistan

Type of contract: Consultant

Annual salary: Based on the organization’s salary scale

Duration of the contract: Three months (with possibility of extension)

Deadline (midnight, Kabul time)**: 18/Dec/2018**

Application to be sent to: k.human-resource@unesco.org

Background and context:

The objective of this consultancy is to develop a plan for the Statistics component of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) funded project “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future”, including the development of a pathway document linking work already done towards the National Education, SDG 4 mapping of existing government policies and a National Indicator Framework under the UNESCO Capacity Development for Education 2030 SDG 4 Pilot with plans for the Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future”.

The objective of this Sida-funded project is to provide technical support to the Ministries of Education (MoE) and Higher Education (MoHE) in on-going education reform processes emerging from Afghanistan’s National Strategic Education Plan III (NESP III). This project is organized around the three pillars of the NESP, (i) efficient and transparent management; (ii) quality and relevance; and (iii) equitable access. Through this project, UNESCO will support MoE and MoHE to strengthen capacity and develop, implement and monitor robust education sector plans integrating a gender perspective and underpinned by accurate and reliable education sector data, revise curricula and learning resources for formal general education (grades 1-12), non-formal adult education (levels 1-3), and higher education and research (Bachelor’s and Master’s), and increase access to general literacy and skills-based literacy programmes, with a particular focus on women. The consultant will be responsible for planning for the statistics component within the efficient and transparent management outcome. Within this component, UNESCO will support the on-going efforts to integrate and mainstream SDG 4 into MoE’s planning processes and activities, and to improve and strengthen Afghanistan’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) as a reliable tool for system-wide evidence-based decision making process and monitoring of NESP III objectives and SDGD 4 commitments, initiated through the support of the UNESCO Capacity Development for Education 2030 SDG 4 Pilot.

This project integrates a system-wide capacity development approach intended to provide comprehensive and seamless UNESCO support to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), to respond to key challenges facing the education sector in Afghanistan. The following UNESCO entities are associated in this project under the overall leadership and coordination of UNESCO Kabul: The International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), the International Bureau for Education (IBE), the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok, and UNESCO Headquarters. The incumbent will maintain strong liaison with UNESCO-UIS, in particular, given UIS’ role in supporting key activities within the statistics component.

The consultant will perform the following duties:

· Support the Chief of Education to map linkages between the work carried out under the CapED SDG 4 pilot program and the new Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” project, producing a pathway document.

· Support the Chief of Education to identify where and how the SDG 4 targets and activities to strengthen monitoring of progress towards them can be integrated into planned activities under the Sida project

· Support the Chief of Education to identify how work carried out under UNESCO’s CapED SDG 4 pilot program can transition into the Sida project’s Statistics component

· Liaise with UNESCO UIS and UNESCO staff in Kabul to develop a costed plan for the Statistics component of the Sida project.

· Work with the Chief of Education Unit to liaise with MoE during the planning process for the Statistics work, identifying the MoE’s priorities and areas for capacity development and aligning the action plan appropriately.

· Ensure regular communication and consultation with national and international stakeholders (e.g. MoE, Sida, UNESCO UIS and UNESCO HQ)

Specific Tasks:

· Develop a pathway document mapping linkages between the current CapED SDG 4 pilot and the new Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” multi sectoral program.

· Develop a draft costed plan for the Statistics component of the Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” project, in coordination with UNESCO, UNESCO-UIS and MoE stakeholders.

· UNESCO and UNESCO-UIS, and prepare a final costed action plan for the Statistics component of the Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” project.

Deliverables:

· SDG 4/ “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” mapping and pathway document.

· First draft of costed action plan for Statistics component of the Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” project prepared and shared with UNESCO, UNESCO-UIS and MoE stakeholders for feedback.

· Final costed action plan for the Statistics component of the Sida-funded “Better Education Systems for Afghanistan’s Future” project.

Supervisory arrangements:

The consultancy will be undertaken under the overall authority of the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office in Afghanistan, and the direct supervision of the Chief of Education.

Competencies:

A successful candidate will be required to demonstrate the following competencies:

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Teamwork

Innovation

Results focus

Planning and organizing

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

For detailed information please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework

Required qualifications

Education:

· An advanced university degree in education, social sciences, development studies or related area.

Work experience:

· At least five years of relevant work experience, with two acquired at national and/or international level in the field of education, preferably related to education policy/planning, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Education 2030 Framework for Action.

· Excellent analytical and report writing skills.

Candidates are requested to send their application to the UNESCO Kabul email k.human-resource@unesco.org before midnight on 18 December 2018 (Afghanistan time).

All applications must be submitted by email, including the position title (KAB/ED/Const/18/12/006) in the email subject line. Applications should include the following:

a) An up-to-date curriculum vitae;

b) A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment;

c) A brief financial statement indicating the overall cost of the assignment. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.