Individual Consultant : Mid-term evaluation

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Bangkok

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 04-JAN-2026, 17:00 hrs. Bangkok time (UTC+7)

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Nature of the Consultancy

UNESCO is seeking an External Evaluator to undertake an independent mid-term evaluation of its project on addressing students’ learning gaps in Asia-Pacific for the implementation period from 12 December 2023 to 31 December 2025. The mid-term evaluation will assess the project’s progress to help learn and improve on project’s implementation for its remaining period, including applying course correction if required. 

1. Background

Across Asia and the Pacific region, many education systems face the persistent challenge of addressing the diverse learning needs of students in increasingly heterogeneous classrooms. In response to growing disparities in learning outcomes, exacerbated by socio-economic inequalities, language barriers, diverse learner needs - including those of children with disabilities - and post-COVID-19 pandemic learning loss, teachers are expected to adopt more inclusive, flexible, and evidence-informed teaching practices. Yet, many educators lack access to high-quality, contextually relevant professional development resources to guide them in making this shift to learner-centred instruction.

To address this gap, the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok), with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea launched the “Addressing students’ learning gaps to ensure quality learning for all children and prevent drop-out in Asia-Pacific” project, a 4-year project, which is being implemented over the period of 2024-2027.

While regional in scope, this initiative focuses also on enhancing teacher capacity directly in Bhutan and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in two critical areas: assessment for learning and differentiated instruction. By strengthening teachers’ ability to identify and respond to varied student needs, the project aims to ensure that all students, especially those at risk of dropping out or exclusion from the education system, receive the support they need to remain engaged and achieve meaningful learning outcomes. UNESCO Bangkok collaborates with the UNESCO Regional Office in New Delhi for the implementation of the project in Bhutan, partnering with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development of Bhutan. In Lao PDR, UNESCO is implementing the project directly with the Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR. The results framework of the project is included as Annex 1.

The project is aligned with international, regional, and national commitments and efforts toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is contributing to SDG 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education, particularly building inclusive education systems and addressing inequalities related to students’ access, participation, and learning processes and outcomes. It specifically contributes to strengthening and accelerating the progress towards:

•    Direct
          o    SDG 4.c on qualified teacher supply
          o    SDG 5 on gender equality 
•    Indirect
          o    SDG 4.1 on effective learning outcomes
          o    SDG 4.6 on literacy and numeracy
          o    SDG 4.7 on sustainable development in education
          o    SDG 16 on peaceful, inclusive societies and institutions

In addition, the project also directly supports the policy recommendations of the Bangkok Statement 2022: towards an effective learning recovery for all and transforming education in Asia-Pacific,  endorsed by UNESCO Member States at the Second Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference, and countries’ identified priority areas for education transformation as stated in their National Commitments submitted to the Transforming Education Summit (TES).

To date, rapid needs assessments were completed in Bhutan and Lao PDR to identify gaps in teacher preparation and curriculum integration, informing project design and curriculum review processes. A draft Regional Teachers’ Guide on Differentiated Instruction was developed and refined through expert reviews and national technical workshops resulting in contextualized national versions for practical use. Building on this, two hybrid training modules on differentiated instruction and assessment for learning will be initiated in late 2025 to support self-paced online training. Collaboration began with teacher education institutions to review and strengthen pre-service curricula for long-term integration of inclusive pedagogies.

UNESCO is seeking the services of an External Evaluator to conduct a mid-term evaluation of this project. The evaluation will cover the implementation period from 12 December 2023 to 30 December 2025 and will primarily assess the effectiveness, coherence, relevance, sustainability and path to impact of the project, while taking into consideration the cross-cutting factors including gender inclusivity, leaving no one behind (LNOB), and environment.

Evaluation Purpose and Use

The mid-term evaluation will serve primarily as a learning exercise at the midpoint of the project, supporting real-time learning and adaptive management. It will provide project stakeholders with timely insights to adjust strategies, activities, and resource planning and utilization as needed; strengthen implementation approaches and partnerships; and ensure alignment with evolving stakeholder needs and contextual realities. Considering the Results Framework (see Annex 1), the evaluation will:

1. Assess implementation of the project to date;
2. Assess project outputs and immediate outcomes achieved to date;
3. Identify operational and contextual factors (both positive and negative) influencing project implementation; and
4. Generate evidence-based recommendations to inform implementation over the remaining project period 

The key stakeholders (users) of this evaluation are:

• Primary project stakeholders: national project teams in Bhutan and Lao PDR under the Ministries of Education
• Donor: Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea
• Secondary project stakeholders: Teachers, teacher trainers, teacher training institutions, civil society organizations, and individuals who are involved in the project
• UNESCO: Project team members of Education Section at the UNESCO Regional Offices in Bangkok and New Delhi; evaluation focal points in UNESCO Bangkok

The findings will be used by the project team to refine implementation strategies and improve project delivery; enable the donor to assess mid-term progress and reinforce their ongoing and future support; facilitate national stakeholders to engage in evidence-informed dialogue, thereby strengthening national ownership and ensuring long-term project sustainability; and guide UNESCO to further enhance organizational learning and accountability.

Evaluation Objectives and Scope

Evaluation objectives:

The primary objective of the mid-term evaluation is to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the project “Addressing students’ learning gaps to ensure quality learning for all children and prevent drop-out in Asia-Pacific” to inform course corrections and strengthen implementation for the remaining project period (through December 2027). Specifically, the evaluation will:

1. Assess the project’s relevance to national priorities and the needs of marginalised and vulnerable learners in Bhutan and Lao PDR.
2. Assess progress toward the expected outputs and outcomes against the Results Framework (Annex 1) and identify factors that enable or constrain achievement.
3. Examine the coherence of the project with national policies and complementary initiatives by UNESCO and other stakeholders.
4. Assess prospects for sustainability and the project’s potential to achieve longer-term impact.
5. Review cross-cutting issues, including gender equality, Leaving No One Behind (LNOB), and environmental considerations.
6. Provide clear, prioritized, and actionable recommendations to strengthen implementation for the remainder of the project cycle.

Evaluation scope:

• Timeframe covered: The evaluation will cover project implementation from December 2023 to December 2025 (mid-point). Where relevant, the evaluator may refer to planned activities beyond this period to assess realism of targets and likely achievability by project end (December 2027).
• Geographical coverage: The evaluation will focus on the two pilot countries — Bhutan and Lao PDR — and will also consider relevant regional activities and outputs that affect implementation and scale-up across the Asia-Pacific.
• Programmatic scope: The evaluation will review all principal components set out in the Results Framework (Annex 1), including: development and contextualisation of the regional teachers’ guide on differentiated pedagogies; initiation of the hybrid training modules (assessment for learning and differentiated instruction); engagement with teacher education institutions (for upcoming pre-service curriculum review and trainer capacity building); and national training roll-out planning.
• Modality and logistics: The evaluation will be conducted remotely; the evaluator is not expected to undertake field missions. Data collection methods will include a desk review of project documentation, online key informant interviews (KIIs), virtual focus group discussions (FGDs), and online surveys as appropriate. UNESCO will share key documents and assist with stakeholder contact details and introductions; the inception phase will also result in a list of stakeholders to be interviewed and the questions and methodology of FGDs/surveys.
• Stakeholders: The evaluation shall solicit perspectives from national implementing partners (Ministries of Education in Bhutan and Lao PDR), teacher education institutions, teacher trainers, teachers who participated in project activities, donor representatives, other relevant partners and civil society actors, and UNESCO project staff (Bangkok and New Delhi).
  Limitations / exclusions: The evaluator should flag any evaluation limitations (e.g., data gaps, limited availability of respondents, or the remote modality) in the inception report and final report. 

Deliverable linkages: The inception report will confirm the final evaluation questions, evaluation framework, sampling strategy, data collection tools, and timeline before fieldwork/data collection begins.

Evaluation Criteria and Questions

The evaluation will be undertaken using the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, sustainability and path to impact, while taking into consideration the cross-cutting factors of Gender, LNOB and Environment into consideration at each criteria level.  The evaluation is expected to answer the following key evaluation questions under each criterion. These questions are indicative and will be further refined and finalized at the inception phase:

•    Relevance: 
         o    To what extent does the project address the varied needs of all students, particularly those from marginalised and vulnerable groups in the targeted countries?
         o    How well do the project outputs (teachers’ guide, hybrid training modules) respond to the capacity needs identified in the rapid needs assessment? Is the rapid needs assessment fully cover the actual needs of the stakeholders? 
         o    How relevant is the project design and activities to the national education priorities and policies of the targeted countries? 
•    Coherence: 
         o    To what extent does the project align with other initiatives on supporting varied student needs at UNESCO and by other organizations in Bhutan and Lao PDR?
         o    How coherent are the project approaches in differentiated pedagogies with existing teacher training systems and curricula in Bhutan and Lao PDR including their national priorities and policies in this regard?
•    Effectiveness: 
         o    To what extent are expected outputs and outcomes on track to being achieved at the mid-point, as outlined in the results framework? 
         o    How effective has the project proven to achieve both intended and unintended results in the field? How can it further strengthen its approach to ensure greater effectiveness towards the end of the project? 
         o    How effective have co-development and contextualization processes been in ensuring national ownership and applicability of tools?
•    Impact (pathway to impact)
         o    How likely is the project to achieve its desired impact considering its progress till date? What are the key challenges and limitations that the project is to address in ensuring a greater impact.
•    Sustainability
         o    How sustainable will project initiatives be, while reviewing the existing ownership and engagement of various stakeholders? How can this be improved to further ensure greater sustainability?

2. Work Assignment

Under the overall authority of Regional Director, UNESCO Bangkok, overall guidance of the Deputy Director and Chief of Education Section, and the direct supervision of a Programme Specialist, the evaluator is expected to undertake a comprehensive mid-term evaluation of the project on “Addressing students’ learning gaps to ensure quality learning for all children and prevent drop-out in Asia-Pacific”

In addition to the overall guidance by UNESCO throughout the process of carrying out the mid-term evaluation, the External Evaluator will receive additional technical inputs, review, and feedback on draft consultancy outputs from an Evaluation Reference Group that comprises key stakeholders working on equitable and inclusive education, including in Bhutan and Lao PDR. The Evaluation Reference Group will be convened by UNESCO Bangkok to provide overall guidance to and quality assurance of the project implementation, communication, monitoring and reporting, and offer expert inputs and technical review of all deliverables of the mid-term evaluation.

Design and Methodology

The suggested evaluation design and methodology will be agreed upon at the inception phase in view of the final evaluation questions. Suggested elements include: a desk review of project documents and relevant literature; development of evaluation framework and methodology; and quantitative and qualitative data collection for strong triangulation and analysis creating significant evidence for evaluation findings and recommendations. The evaluators can use but not limited to undertaking key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys, while complementing its findings with secondary findings through desk review. Specifically, the evaluator is expected to undertake the following:

1.    Draft and finalise, in close consultation with UNESCO, an evaluation inception report which contains finalized methodology for data collection and analysis and a timeline with deliverables for the evaluation. This includes:

•    Participating in an inception meeting with UNESCO to review and confirm the consultancy’s scope, objectives, and expectations;
•    Conducting a comprehensive desk review of key project documents, including the project proposal, Results Framework (RF), workplans, workshop and progress reports, and other relevant literature;
•    Mapping key stakeholders, including implementing partners, donor, beneficiaries (teachers, teacher trainers), relevant parties and the UNESCO project team; and
•    Preparing the narrative inception report that documents the overall methodology for the mid-term evaluation, proposes the key areas of assessment, timeline and associated data types, data collection approaches, and tools. This may include:
          o    Refined evaluation questions
          o    Evaluation framework and methodology
          o    Data sources and stakeholders
          o    Detailed data collection tools
          o    Evaluation timeline
          o    Resource requirements

2.    After an approval on the inception report, undertake data collection and analysis according to the agreed methodology. This may include:

•    Communicating with the interviewees and the key informants to schedule the data collection period through support from UNESCO project team where required;
•    Undertake online key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and survey as agreed in the overall methodology; and
•    Compiling, cleaning, and analysing the collected data using triangulation approach to answer the questions finalized, identify key achievements, strengths, weaknesses, trends, and areas for improvement; appraise the project components against the criteria and questions, and forecast the potential impact of the project within the region and the pilot countries.

3.    Develop and submit to UNESCO Bangkok a full, draft mid-term evaluation report and summary presentation of the key findings from the report. 

4.    Deliver the summary presentation and co-facilitate with UNESCO discussions at an online learning exchange meeting to react to and validate the evaluation findings and recommendations. This meeting will involve members of the evaluation reference group to validate the findings from them as well as secure ownership to the report. The evaluator will co-create with UNESCO the meeting’s discussion format and gather participants’ feedback to incorporate into the final mid-term evaluation narrative report.

5.    Develop and submit to UNESCO Bangkok a full, final mid-term evaluation report and summary presentation of the key findings from the report, presented in English and structured as follows:

•    Executive Summary
•    Project Description
•    Evaluation purpose and scope
•    Evaluation methodology and imitations
•    Findings
•    Conclusions
•    Lessons learnt
•    Recommendations
•    Annexes

 The report length is maximum 30 pages, in A4 format, plus annexes.

This evaluation process should be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

The evaluator is expected to provide UNESCO with a comprehensive final evaluation report of no more than 30 pages (excluding annexes). The evaluator will be home based, working remotely and is expected to have IT access, software and devices to support remote meetings, communication and online/digital data collection, as appropriate. It is expected that the evaluator will be available to meet with the UNESCO team (online) during office hours of Bangkok, Thailand. No duty travel or physical presence at the UNESCO Bangkok office or project countries is expected. The evaluator will be responsible for arranging their own logistics: office space, administrative and secretarial support, telecommunications, travel arrangements, printing of documentation, etc. The costs of these logistics should be included in the lump sum payment of the consultancy contract. Additionally, the evaluator should note that some national stakeholders—particularly in Lao PDR—may require interpretation during interviews, focus group discussions, or meetings. Any translation or interpretation services required for data collection (including translations of surveys, questionnaires, interview guides, or other evaluation tools) will be the responsibility of the evaluator and should be reflected in the proposed methodology and budget.

The evaluator will be directly supervised by and report to Education Programme Specialist. In addition to the submission of contract deliverables, the evaluator will routinely engage with UNESCO project team members through emails and virtual meetings. Upon commencing the consultancy, the evaluator will participate in an initial online meeting with UNESCO Bangkok and New Delhi to reconfirm the parameters of the consultancy and to update, as needed, the consultancy approach to work and timeline, to define required sub-tasks and interim outputs to be carried out as evaluator, and the supportive inputs required from UNESCO and collaborating partners on the respective activities. The UNESCO project team members will support the evaluation process, by facilitating access to information and documents relevant to the evaluation as well as providing the contact information of key actors and informants, as well as facilitating the initial introduction where required. 

An Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) will be established, which will be an important mechanism for evaluation stakeholder engagement, comprising of country project team representatives, donor, UNESCO Regional Evaluation Officer, UNESCO project team members and other stakeholders. The ERG will review all evaluation deliverables. The evaluator is expected to compile the feedback in the form of a comments table which includes the comment, its reference location in the report, and the response.

4. Work Schedule and Expected Deliverables

The evaluator shall submit to UNESCO Bangkok the following deliverables for approval.

Anticipated number of working days by evaluation task

Deliverables and Timeline

The evaluator will be required to work during the period from January 2026 to April 2026 (tentatively). The deliverable dates for this consultancy shall be the following (submission dates provisional):

The work shall be completed by 30 April 2026 at the latest.

In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, the evaluator is expected to integrate a gender perspective and apply gender analysis and mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible. 

Annex 1. Results Framework (RF)

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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5. Eligibility Requirements

Required Qualifications

Education

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in education, development studies or other relevant fields.

Work experience

• A minimum of five (5) years experience in applying results-based management in development cooperation work and qualitative and quantitative methods in social sciences research.
• Experience in conducting evaluation in the education sector.
• Experience working with Ministries of Education and Teacher Training Institutions in Asia. (Desirable)
• Strong understanding of UNESCO’s mandate in education and its strategy on inclusion in education (human rights-based approach). (Desirable)
• Submission of at least two (2) references/supporting examples of relevant evaluations previously completed.

Skills/competencies

• Excellent analytical, spoken, and written communication skills, including the production of written content for both specialist and generalist audiences.
• Experience in online participatory meeting design, facilitation and evaluation.
• Familiarity with common data analysis software (e.g., Microsoft Excel and relevant statistical tools) and data collection applications (e.g., Google Survey).

Language

• High-level of proficiency in English, both written and spoken, to ensure clear communication and the production of high-quality reports and materials.

Desirable Qualifications

Language

• Proficiency in language(s) spoken in Bhutan and/or Lao PDR or Republic of is an asset.

6. Submission of application

Interested individuals are invited to submit the application and requirements to the UNESCO Careers website at https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl.

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and download and complete the Employment History form (Word document) in ‘Employment History Form / My Documents’.

Before uploading the document, at the end of the Word document, please prepare one PDF document in the order of below insert the extra pages with the following required information:

• A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.
• Short Approach to work (maximum 3, A4 pages) identifying the specific components of these TORs and how the intended objectives/outputs/delivery shall be addressed and including more than two references to relevant examples of evaluation assignments.
• The proposed daily rate or the amount/budget to be charged in consultancy fees for the assignment, quoted in USD. The total consultancy fees should be broken down according to level of effort, time-on-task, or per output.
• UNESCO Employment History Form

UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. 

From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money. 

Assessment

• Only applications providing the information requested in the application procedure will be considered.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants will include the review of the curriculum vitae, technical proposal, and proposed consultancy fee.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Notes:

• Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.
  Please submit your application through SuccessFactors. Only if you are unable to attach requirements in the system, please inform us at ed.bgk@unesco.org
  Queries of a technical nature about these TORS may be directed to: ed.bgk@unesco.org 

 Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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