International Consultant for Development of National Education Sector Strategic Plan in Nigeria

Job Description

UNICEF Nigeria in Abuja, is seeking a passionate and committed person to work in the role of an international Consultant for Development of National Education Sector Strategic Plan in Nigeria and invites applications from highly motivated and committed persons who want to contribute to results for children. If you are that person, we encourage you to apply and become part of a highly motivated and committed team.

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Background

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with approximately 227 million people, with more than half below 18 years of age in 2023. The country’s population is estimated to have grown annually at 1.5 per cent on average between 2018 and 2023, and the child population is projected to reach 124 million by 2030. The rapid population growth places significant pressure on the delivery of social services, while it creates a potential to reap dividend from the impending youth bulge if the country successfully invests in children’s education.

Despite notable achievements in the education sector, the Nigerian education sector continues to face significant challenges in access, equity, quality and relevance of education. Although basic education is free and compulsory, 10.2 million children at primary school age and 8.1 million children at junior secondary school age were out of school in 2018. About 75 per cent of children aged 7–14 did not acquire foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills that are critical for further learning in 2021. The percentage of children who did not reach the curriculum-anchored minimum proficiency level in Mathematics was as low as 50 per cent in Primary 3, 34 per cent in Primary 5 and 14 per cent in Junior Secondary 2 in 2022.

Scope of Work

Activity 1:

Support education sector analysis. Support the FME and the technical working group (TWG) in conducting the education sector analysis (ESA). The ESA will provide evidence for bottlenecks and key strategic issues in the education sector to be addressed in NESSP. The consultant is expected to undertake the following activities:

• Develop a draft framework for ESA, which presents, among others, the purpose of ESA, analytical dimensions, structure of ESA, data to be collected, data collection methods, and analytical methods.
• Moderate a meeting to finalize the ESA framework.
• Review available data and identify additional data to be collected.
• Moderate a guided workshop to help TWG analyze data, interpret results, and write ESA sections/chapters.
• Moderate a meeting to review the draft ESA and provide TWG with concrete guidance on ESA revisions.
• Support compiling the 2nd submission of ESA sections/chapters.
• Moderate a joint ESA review meeting and support consultations with wider stakeholders.
• Finalize ESA by incorporating feedback received.

Activity 2:

Develop NESSP 2027-2036. Support the FME and the TWG to develop the NESSP using the ESA results. NESSP is expected to address the vision, strategic issues, goals and targets, and operational plans in the education sector, among others. The consultant is expected to undertake the following activities:

• Develop a draft framework for NESSP, which presents, among others, the purpose of NESSP, key items to be included in NESSP, and structure of NESSP.
• Moderate a meeting to finalize the NESSP framework.
• Moderate a guided workshop to help TWG write sections/chapters using the results from ESA.
• Moderate a meeting to review the draft NESSP and provide TWG with concrete guidance on NESSP revisions.
• Support compiling the 2nd submission of NESSP sections/chapters.
• Moderate a joint NESSP review meeting and support consultations with wider stakeholders.
• Finalize NESSP by incorporating feedback received.

Work Assignment/Overview

Task/work area

• Activity 1: Support education sector analysis.

Deliverables/Outputs

• Final ESA framework
• Available/Additional data for ESA
• Draft ESA
• Final ESA

2. Develop NESSP 2027-2036.

• Final NESSP framework
• Draft NESSP
• Final NESSP

Requirements

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

• Advanced university degree in Education, International development, Social sciences or other relevant fields.
• At least five years of experiences in conducting and supporting education sector analysis including collection and review of education data.
• At least five years of experiences in supporting government in developing education sector plans.
• Demonstrated expertise and experiences in providing training and coaching to government officers in low-income and middle-income countries on education planning and management.
• Experiences in supporting education sector development and coordination in emergency context.
• Experiences in working with UNICEF or international organizations.
• Experiences in working for development projects funded by international donors.
• Experiences in working in Nigeria or other sub-Saharan African countries.

UNICEF's Values and Competencies

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others