Home-based: Developing a methodology for estimating numbers of people reached by Education in Emergencies response (55 working days; with travel as needed) – Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS)

UNICEF Geneva EMOPS is seeking a qualified consultant to produce a methodology to estimate numbers of children and teachers reached by Education in Emergencies (EiE) activities both at the country and global levels.

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, dedication.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

Produce a methodology to estimate numbers of children and teachers reached by Education in Emergencies (EiE) activities both at the country and global levels. The methodology will be developed on the basis of existing EiE activity reporting tools (5W in Excel and ActivityInfo formats), good practices by country Education Clusters, HRP response indicators, and ongoing efforts to improve global humanitarian reporting (OCHA). It will also take into account limitations in reporting by partners and propose solutions to improve the level of reporting by Education Cluster members.

In addition, the consultant will write a guidance note on different options and preferences for calculating numbers of people targeted for humanitarian response on the basis of existing GEC documentation and consultations with Education Cluster country teams, GEC data specialists and OCHA Needs and Response Analysis Section (NARAS) & Assessment, Planning and Monitoring Branch (APMB) teams.

Scope of work

The Global Education Cluster (GEC) seeks to develop an improved recommended methodology to estimate the number of people reached by Education in Emergencies (EiE) interventions both at the country and global levels. In countries where Education Clusters are activated, Education Cluster Coordinators and Information Management Specialists are in charge of setting approaches to monitor the implementation of EiE activities, and to estimate the total number of children and teachers reached through these activities. For that, the teams propose standard EiE activities and the corresponding indicators to their Cluster members, include and monitor them in the 5W tool (Excel or ActivityInfo), and aggregate data from these few indicators by using simple formulas such as the maximum number at the lowest administrative level for the same category of people. These activity indicators can but are not necessarily linked with the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) output indicators that Education Cluster teams have to provide at the beginning of a year’s humanitarian cycle and report on during the following year.

The lack of standardized indicators and a common approach to aggregating numbers of people reached by different activities makes the aggregation of the 30+ country figures challenging at the global level. Because activities, indicators and formulas used differ from one country to another, the global figure of children reached by EiE activities and the comparison of country achievements cannot be considered reliable.

Conversely, the provision of a standardized methodology would reduce the time spent by country teams devising indicators and adapting their approach every year. Furthermore, the alignment of HRP output and 5W response indicators would also help save time by having to adapt and select these indicators only once during the HNO-HRP process. It would also provide Education partners with a longer-term visibility on these indicators, allowing them to improve their monitoring and facilitate this exercise over time, resulting in a better reporting. Most importantly, this would contribute to improving the monitoring of partners’ interventions performance, the analysis of gaps, and adapting the response and funding requests accordingly. At the global level, the implementation of one methodology would support the analysis of EiE activities and link them with SDG 4 reporting, allow comparison of country achievements and the production of a more reliable figure of children and teachers reached.

While there are a few existing country cluster methodologies which the consultant will review and use to inform the recommended methodology, the choice of indicators and calculation method will be done through a comprehensive review of the indicators which are most used by country teams and most pertinent to report activities, outputs and people reached in HRPs and 5Ws. In addition to using relevance and quality criteria to screen these indicators, the consultant will consult country Education Cluster Coordinators and IMOs to provide advice and confirm the selection of the recommended indicators, while ensuring that the data is widely available for these indicators, that they complement each other, and that overlap is minimized. The selection of relevant activities and indicators will also take into account People in Need (PiN) dimensions and indicators to align response activities with the nature and severity of the humanitarian situation.

As part of the recommended methodology, the consultant will also consider different options to estimate the numbers of children reached in relation to numbers of teachers reached, and vice-versa. While the ideal scenario will rely on specific activity indicators for each, in some cases the number of teachers reached will be estimated on the basis of children reached and vice-versa (ratios). Similarly, the consultant will have to propose solutions for different units of analysis, most likely the child and school levels, for which different services and ratios will need to be considered.

While this outline is the best combination between feasibility and reliability, the consultant will have to propose an alternative for situations where country Clusters start their activities and do not have a monitoring tool (5W). In these situations where Education Cluster members are not able to provide numbers of children and/or teachers reached by the different activities, the consultant will propose an alternative methodology using proxy indicators such as numbers of schools supported, water points built/rehabilitated, etc. and apply a standard beneficiary/facility ratio.

In addition to this work on people reached, the consultant will also develop GEC guidelines to calculate numbers of people targeted for humanitarian response by reviewing existing documentation from the GEC (People in Need methodology and presentations on targeting options), country Education Clusters (methodologies on people targeted), OCHA (HPC Response Analysis and Prioritization Guide) and having consultations with country Education Clusters teams, GEC data specialists, OCHA NARAS & APMB teams to identify realistic and relevant options for calculating numbers of people targeted.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone	Deliverables / Outputs	Timeline / Deadline
Analysis of available country clusters 5W (Who does what, where, when and for whom) and Humanitarian Response Plans (HRP) response indicators for the years 2019, 2022 and 2023 (these will be shared by the GEC).	Descriptive and exploratory analysis of 5W and HRP response indicators and the relationship between the two (Excel and narrative formats – maximum 8 pages).	8 working days; By 28 July 2024
Analysis of 3-4 country Education Clusters people reached methodologies.	Narrative summary of findings, including relationships with the key activities and indicators recommended and practical recommendations for monitoring the response (maximum 5 pages).	3 working days; By 28 July 2024
Selection and recommendation of key activities, indicators and units of analysis to use for response monitoring and people reached using relevance and feasibility criteria, improvement and standardization of these indicators and ratios for units of analysis, covering the most important components of EiE response. The selection of activities and indicators will be done in consultation with the GEC Deputy Coordinator for Operational Support and IMO. As much as possible, it will also take into account People in Need (PiN) dimensions and indicators to align response activities with the nature and severity of the humanitarian situation. Out-of-school children will be included through specific indicators.	Narrative using findings from the analysis to recommend key activities and indicators which can be used for 5W and HRP response monitoring both at the country and global levels (maximum 20 pages).	10 working days; By 25 August 2024
Consultation with 4-6 country Education Clusters teams (same or different than above) to review and confirm the proposed activities and indicators, ensuring that the data is available for these indicators, that they complement each other (EiE response), and that overlap is minimized. Together with the review of country methodologies, these consultations will also help the consultant to propose aggregation methodologies for the country and global levels.	Narrative summary of findings, including potential changes to the key recommended indicators and practical recommendations for monitoring the response, including solutions to improve the level of reporting by Education Cluster members (maximum 8 pages).	6 working days; By 25 August 2024
Consultation with country Education Clusters during GEC country clusters retreat	Presentation of recommended indicators, draft methodology for monitoring the response, and solutions to improve reporting. Summary of feedback from participants and adjustments to the methodology.	3 working days; By 01 October 2024
Final version of the methodological guidelines to estimate numbers of children and teachers reached by EiE activities, including list of key indicators to use for 5W and HRP response monitoring, the articulation between the two, solutions for different units of analysis, response monitoring, solutions to improve reporting by partners, and aggregation methodologies for both the country and global levels. The guidelines will include an alternative methodology using proxy indicators such as numbers of schools supported, water points built/rehabilitated, etc. and apply a standard beneficiary/facility ratio.	Methodological guidelines in Word format and Excel (key activities, indicators and formulas in template).	10 working days; By 20 October 2024
Review of existing documentation from the GEC (People in Need methodology and presentations on targeting options), country Education Clusters (methodologies on people targeted) OCHA (HPC Response Analysis and Prioritization Guide) and having consultations with country Education Clusters teams, GEC data specialists, OCHA NARAS & APMB teams to identify realistic and relevant options for calculating numbers of people targeted.	Guidance note on different options and preferences for calculating numbers of people targeted for humanitarian response.	15 working days; By 20 October 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

55 working days between July and November 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be remote/home-based.

As part of this assignment, some international travels are foreseen. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 55 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• Master’s degree in Education, Data Analysis, International Affairs, International Development.
• Minimum five (5) years of relevant experience including technical skills in data collection, analysis, development of indicators, and response monitoring essential.
• Previous experience with the IASC Cluster Approach an asset.
• Experience in Education in Emergencies programming or the humanitarian sector an asset.
• Strong communications skills.
• Fluency in English, working knowledge of French or Spanish is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV and a Cover Letter in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.