Education Research Consultant

The Global Education Monitoring Report (or GEM Report) is an editorially independent, authoritative, and evidence-based annual report that monitors progress in education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Report is funded by a group of governments, multilateral agencies and foundations and published annually by UNESCO to serve the international community. It has the mandate, established in the Incheon Declaration of the World Education Forum in May 2015, to monitor progress (i) on education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and (ii) on the implementation of national and international strategies to achieve SDG 4. 

In line with its strategy, the GEM Report has explored how its outputs can be put to good use to influence policy at national level, particularly in countries at risk far from achieving SDG 4, and regional level. The Africa Spotlight series aims to foster peer-learning and dialogue on policies at national and continental level to improve primary education completion and foundational learning in reading and mathematics, with the ultimate aim to support progress towards SDG target 4.1. It is a collaboration with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the African Union (AU). 

The Spotlight report series is implemented in a three-part cycle. Each cycle focuses on a dozen countries, of which five to six are analyzed in greater depth leading to a country report developed by a country research team and validated by high-level officials. The country reports, alongside other country case studies and background papers, lead to the continental report. The first continental report – Born to Learn – and associated country reports and case studies were launched in October 2022 at the ADEA Triennale. The second continental report – Learning Counts – and associated country reports and case studies were launched in May 2024 at the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) conference. 

At national level, the country reports will build on existing education sector processes, where possible. They aim to provide education leaders with recommendations based on evidence and compelling diagnostics to contribute to a shared understanding of key challenges in primary education. Further, they will support coalitions and advocacy mechanisms to hold governments and partners to account for the achievement of universal basic education completion and foundational learning outcomes. Engagement with education leaders, civil society organizations and the media are therefore central for the effectiveness of the Spotlight series.

At continental level, the Spotlight series aims to work with three clusters of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-25 – curriculum, teacher development and planning – as part of the Leveraging Education Analysis for Results Network (LEARN). This peer-learning mechanism aims to act as a catalyst for cross-cluster collaboration to address foundational learning issues in Africa.

The series is based on an analytical framework that consists of seven factors which play key roles in improving foundational learning outcomes – vision on foundational learning; teaching and learning; teachers; school management; school support and monitoring; community and parental engagement; and learning assessment – and, by doing so, remove a major barrier to universal completion.

As part of the third Spotlight cycle in 2024/5, the research will focus on instructional leadership and it will explore selected aspects of three of these seven factors: school leaders as instructional leaders, district officers as instructional leaders and the role on parents and communities. The focus countries are Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Kenya, Zimbabwe and one state in Nigeria.  In each country, there will be two levels of analysis, which will be connected and will inform each other.  

• Quantitative analysis will be based on a school sample survey. Two questionnaires will be administered (to the school principal and to a parent or community representative) to gather information on how leaders focus on learning.
• Qualitative analysis (desk-based, institutional analysis; interviews with local officials in the sampled districts under the quantitative analysis; key findings of the quantitative analysis; and interviews and consultations with central officials) which will lead to a country report.

Education: 

• A master’s or PhD in social sciences; a focus on education is an asset

Work experience and skills:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience working in the production of similar studies, including for development agencies.
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis skills

Languages:

• Fluency in writing and communicating in English or French is required.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Multiple-Education-Research-Consultant-Zimbabwe/809818802/