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
In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfill their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.
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The mid-line and endline district-level education governance assessments (henceforth “Assessments”) aims to observe, capture and codify significant changes -against the baseline report- in stakeholders’ (e.g. district education officers, assembly & community members, teaching staff etc.) behaviour, attitudes, practices and viewpoints as well as outline shifting trends, processes and approaches regarding education governance and learning at sub-national levels as a result of interventions undertaken by UNICEF under the Communities of Excellence (CoE) project funded by Jacobs Foundation.
The Assessments will assist UNICEF and stakeholders to understand and evaluate the project’s results at outcome level.
The purpose is to draft two (2) assessment reports at two different points in time, i.e. midline in March – April 2024, and endline in September – October 2024.
Scope of work- Kindly provide your proposed all-inclusive fee based on the attached deliverables.
To undertake a mid-line and an endline “District-level education governance assessments” in Builsa North Municipal (Upper East Region) & Afram Plains North district (Eastern Region).
− The district-level education governance assessment (henceforth “Assessments”) aims to observe, capture and codify significant changes -against the baseline report- in stakeholders’ (e.g. district education officers, assembly & community members, teaching staff etc.) behaviour, attitudes, practices and viewpoints as well as outline shifting trends, processes and approaches regarding education governance and learning at sub-national levels as a result of interventions undertaken by UNICEF under the Communities of Excellence (CoE) project funded by Jacobs Foundation.
− This Assessments should highlight -against the baseline report and follow-up assessment report (June 2023)- which stakeholder relationships, incentive structures, local context, power relationships, interests, etc. have changed and or improved and why towards better education governance and ultimately improved learning outcomes because of program interventions. Further, whether reform / developmental coalitions have emerged (or not) that could lead and or sustain change in both districts.
− In this context, attention should be paid to identifying, outlining and describing selected social networks of key influential actors in both districts e.g. District Director Education (DDE), District Assembly members, District Chief Executive (DCE), SMC Chair, etc. with the power to significantly shape education service delivery.
− Further, data collection, analysis and use of generated evidence a central to project activities. The assessment should look at this in particular. E.g. project activities have strengthened stakeholder knowledge and skills in mobile School Report Card (mSCR) and education indicators, some research was undertaken on WASH in schools, and schools were regularly monitored by SISOs, Change Leaders, DEOC members etc. As a result, what evidence was generated, was it used and (if so) has it changed any behavior, practices, viewpoints, etc? It is possible to ascertain what factors and conditions have contributed (or hindered) to the update (if any) of evidence at district level to inform processes and decision-making?
Methodology
1.Review identified formal vertical and horizontal district-level education actors (“Who is who”):
− To what extend have the actors’ mandates, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities changed during the project (if at all?)
− To what extent have actor interpretations and actual delivery against mandates, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities changed during the project (if at all)?
2. Review the mapping of formal district-level education actors and review the outline of the formal structure of education policy implementation at the district level.
− Review the vertical- and horizonal axis of accountability. Has it changed during the project?
− Review how actors relate to each other and what type of relationships they had and now have (i.e. collaborative, competitive, etc.); what has changed during the project?
Review whether changed have occurred in the:
− Has the incentive structure for some key stakeholders e.g. DDE, DCE, DA member, MP etc changed? How?
− Power relationships (e.g. within, with, over and to)
− Underlying drivers of incoherent relationships between actors
3. Review the informal district-level education actors that presently influence “drive” or govern education policy implementation and analyze their background, motives, incentives, position in district level governance, power as well as discuss the type of relationship these informal stakeholders have with formal ones.
Review the actor analysis with regard to their:
− Has the incentive structure for some key actors e.g. DDE, DCE, DA member, MP etc changed? How?
− Power relationships (e.g. within, with, over and to)
− Underlying drivers of incoherent relationships between actors
Review the identified key informal district-level education actors that did not influence education policy implementation (i.e. marginalized individuals/groups) but do now as a result of the project.
4. Review identified formal or informal community or school-level structures such as groups/committees/platforms such as PTA, SMC for engagement/dialogue/exchange and assess to what extent any changes have occurred and with what results.
Review:
− Functioning (or non-functioning) and identify reasons / constraints
– Indicate their potential roles, strength and capacity needs
− What relationships do they have with formal and informal actors?
− What are their incentives to act?
What power do they possess?
5. Review identified district-level “drivers”, “influencers” and developmental coalitions” that strive for improved education delivery and accountability:
Review:
− Their past and current roles, strength and capacity needs, what has changed?
− What relationships did they have with formal and informal actors and what now?
− What was their incentive to act in the past and has it changed?
− What power did they possess and what now?
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree (Master’s) in political science, political economy, sociology, anthropology, gender studies, behavioural science, psychology, development studies or related field.
- A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in the sector, at least five (5) of which should be in a leading function researching/investigating on governance and political economy issues at national and subnational levels in Ghana.
- Demonstrated expertise and proven track record in designing, undertaking and analyzing complex governance, and political economy analysis and assessment at sub-national / district level.
- Demonstrated expertise and experience in undertaking qualitative field research at community level.
- Demonstrated expertise and experience applying political economy analysis (PEA), Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA), Institutional and Context Analysis or any other proven approaches.
- Expertise and field-level application of Ethnographic methodologies an advantage.
- A good understanding of Ghana’s political settlement including institutional context at national and sub-national level.
- Connections to national and subnational political and bureaucrats highly desired to access informants and other sources of primary and secondary data.
- Context knowledge i.e. local language of Kwahu Afram Plains North and or Builsa North Municipality an added value
- Experience working with the UN is desirable.
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.