يعلن UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East في عمان - الاردن عن حاجتها الى :
Consultant - Evaluation of UNRWA Education Reform
CONSULTANCY - TERMS OF REFERENCE
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
Consultant - Evaluation of UNRWA Education Reform
BACKGROUND
In 2011, the UNRWA education programme began the design and implementation of a major four-year reform. The Education Reform aimed to improve the UNRWA education programme by changing classroom practices, the school environment and professional and administrative support structures. The Education Reform Strategy[1] aimed to be more inclusive and adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, providing Palestine refugees with the means to develop to their full potential.
Considering the Reform’s dimension and the importance of education in the overall strategic framework of UNRWA, the Agency Medium Term Strategy 2016–2021 highlighted the need for a comprehensive evaluation of its design, implementation and impact. Consequently, the Department of Internal Oversight Services (DIOS) will conduct an evaluation of the Education Reform as part of its evaluation work plan for 2020.
The timing of the evaluation is opportune, as its results will come at a time when the Agency will be looking forward and preparing its next Medium Term Strategy due in 2022. The evaluation should provide UNRWA with information on what outcomes the reform has contributed to, as well as insight into how and why the reform programme contributed to those outcomes. Conversely, it should provide insight into the challenges encountered and the circumstances that hindered achievement.
To this end, the UNRWA DIOS is seeking to retain an expert consultant in education programme evaluation to participate on the evaluation team.
Description of Duties and Responsibilities
The evaluation team will be composed of a DIOS Evaluation Officer, as the team leader, and external expert consultants. At this time, DIOS is searching for one expert consultant to contribute specific expertise in education programme evaluation to support in the technical quality of the evaluation approach, methods, data collection tools and analysis.
As a key member of the evaluation team, the consultant will be involved in the planning, conduct and reporting phases of the evaluation and is expected to contribute approximately 70 days to the evaluation. Evaluation planning will take place between April and May 2020, conduct between May and September 2020, analysis in the third quarter of 2020 and reporting finalized by March 2021.
The consultant will contribute to: i) the validation of the programme theory of change, ii) the refinement of a draft terms of reference and an evaluation inception report defining the evaluation approach and methods, iii) the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data; and iv) the draft and final evaluation report, with written inputs.
In addition to substantive home-based assignments (approximately 50 days), the consultant will be expected to complete at least one mission to Amman, Jordan, and additionally between two and three missions to other fields of operation that could include Lebanon, the West Bank and/or Gaza (approximately 20 travel days). UNRWA will facilitate travel and visa arrangements and will provide for local security arrangements, as provided for UNRWA staff members.
Activities will include, but not be limited to, the following:
· Literature / desk review - review of Education Reform programme documents. The consultant, along with the DIOS evaluation officer, will review all relevant documentation including the strategy, policies and procedures related to the Reform implementation, including guidance documents, financial information, monitoring documents and reports, Department research and Reform review reports, and other relevant internal documentation. Relevant external documentation will also be explored.
· Stakeholder consultations, focus groups, and observation: The consultant as part of the team will participate in one-to-one and group interviews with internal and external stakeholders, including UNRWA students and education staff across the fields of operation. Semi-structured observations of education programme practices may also be appropriate to provide qualitative data to inform the evaluation.
· Process reviews: Reviews may be undertaken to assess the efficiency of the administration, coordination and progress monitoring of reform activities. These reviews may involve detailed analysis of the existing Education reform manuals, guidance and procedures, closely supported by discussions with staff.
· Impact assessments, including secondary data analysis: Using primary qualitative data and secondary quantitative information from UNRWA education programme assessments, and the UNRWA Education Information Management System (EMIS). Impact assessments will be completed to identify general outcomes delivered through the Reform programme (e.g. outcomes in learning achievement, equal access/inclusion of vulnerable student populations), and other specific outcomes delivered through the various Reform streams (e.g. strengthened curricula, teacher professional development). Secondary data analysis will include, but not be limited to, a review of student performance across education context: UNRWA Monitoring Learning Achievement studies (MLA) and UNRWA Quadrennial Education Perception Surveys. The quadrennial MLA and Perception Surveys will be implemented in May 2020 and were last implemented in 2016.
· Online surveys design and analysis: The evaluation may use surveys to reach a wider audience than possible through interviews, including both internal stakeholders (e.g. Education staff) and external stakeholders (e.g. students, parents). The consultant will be expected to support in the design and analysis of survey results.
Benchmarking: Benchmarking the Agency’s programme to comparators may be an appropriate research element and may include comparison to relevant global, regional and national assessments, and consider student learning, resources per student, and teacher and principal professional development programmes.
minimum Qualifications and Experience
· Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in education, social sciences or another field of relevance;
· A minimum of seven years of work experience in evaluation and in the area of education including strong knowledge and experience in the evaluation of education systems (demonstrated with examples of previous evaluation, research, publication, etc. on the subject area);
· Knowledge of and experience in applying qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques and results based management principles in the assessment of education programme elements, ideally across an area related to education reform, teacher professional development, inclusive education, educational leadership, and/or leadership of educational change;
· Excellent command of written and spoken English.
dESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
· Work experience in the MENA region;
· Experience in education ministries, school systems, schools and in their evaluation;
· Familiarity with UNRWA and its education programme;
· Understanding and knowledge of the UN mandates in relation to human rights and gender equality issues;
· Command of Arabic would be an asset;
· Understanding of the context of Palestine refugees is an asset.
ComPetencies
· Professional foundation and technical skills in evaluation, including quality standards, evaluation approaches, methods and data analysis, reporting findings, conclusions and recommendations;
· Management skills including work planning;
· Communication and facilitation skills;
· Demonstrated drafting skills in English.
Additional information
· No previous involvement in the design and implementation of the UNRWA Education Reform programme;
· The consultant will be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations in the Middle East.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
· The consultant will be expected start work in April 2020 and contribute approximately 70 days to the project through the evaluation planning, conduct and reporting phases. The report phase of the evaluation ending in March 2021;
· Remuneration for this consultancy will depend on the qualifications and experience of the candidate;
· Work will include home based assignments of approximately 50 days and travel involving approximately 20 days.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form demonstrating clearly the knowledge and experience required to meet the consultancy requirements. The cover letter should: i) clearly demonstrate the knowledge and experiences relevant to the evaluation and planned research activities, ii) include information on availability over the evaluation period, and iii) an expected daily rate for consultancy services (excluding costs incurred through travel). Additionally, relevant samples of work should be submitted.
Please submit this as one package to consultancy@unrwa.org indicating the title of this consultancy, “**Consultant – Evaluation of Education Reform**” The deadline for submission of applications is 21 March 2020. **
UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women. Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted. UNRWA is a non-smoking environment.
[1] Education Reform Strategy https://ift.tt/3aLFNXF
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form demonstrating clearly the knowledge and experience required to meet the consultancy requirements. The cover letter should: i) clearly demonstrate the knowledge and experiences relevant to the evaluation and planned research activities, ii) include information on availability over the evaluation period, and iii) an expected daily rate for consultancy services (excluding costs incurred through travel). Additionally, relevant samples of work should be submitted.
Please submit this as one package to consultancy@unrwa.org indicating the title of this consultancy, “**Consultant – Evaluation of Education Reform**” The deadline for submission of applications is 21 March 2020. **
