The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Education in developing child friendly, a realistic and costed National Action Plan for the expansion of pre-primary education in Eritrea, based on the needs assessments and implementation plans submitted by all Zobas. The consultancy will also support the development of a Multisectoral Early Childhood Development (ECD) Coordination Framework that defines institutional arrangements, roles and responsibilities, governance structures, and coordination mechanisms among key sectors and stakeholders involved in supporting young children's development. Through a consultative process, the consultant will consolidate Zoba-level requirements, estimate resource and financing needs, identify implementation priorities, and propose practical coordination arrangements to support effective delivery of integrated ECD services.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Education

How can you make a difference? 

Objectives

The consultancy aims to:

  1. Consolidate and analyze pre-primary expansion plans submitted by all Zobas.
  2. Determine national requirements for expansion of pre-primary education, including centres, teachers, infrastructure for learning spaces, learning materials and system support.
  3. Develop a phased and costed National Action Plan for scaling up access to quality pre-primary education.
  4. Estimate short-, medium- and long-term financing requirements for implementation.
  5. Develop a practical multi-sectoral ECD coordination framework at national and sub-national levels.
  6. Strengthen stakeholder ownership through a participatory and consultative planning process.
  7. Ensure child safeguarding and child protection considerations are fully integrated into the planning, expansion, implementation, monitoring and budgeting of pre-primary education services.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall guidance of the UNICEF Eritrea Chief of Education and Learning, and the leadership of the Ministry of Education, the consultant will undertake the following activities:

  1. Review Existing Policies and Documentation

The consultant will:

  • Review relevant national education policies, ECE strategies, sector plans and implementation frameworks.
  • Review national ECD-related policies, strategies and coordination mechanisms.
  • Analyze available EMIS data and demographic information relevant to pre-primary education.
  • Review previous studies, assessments and reports relevant to ECE and ECD.
  • Analyze the Government's current strategy for expanding community-based pre-primary centres.
  • Review national child protection policies, policy on persons with disability, safeguarding frameworks, referral pathways, and relevant legislation affecting young children.
  • Identify key opportunities, challenges and policy implications for expansion.
  1. Analyze and Consolidate Zoba-Level Expansion Plans

The consultant will:

  • Collect and review plans submitted by all Zoba Education Offices.
  • Analyze regional requirements for:
    • Establishment of new pre-primary centres;
    • Rehabilitation or upgrading of existing facilities where needed;
    • Teacher recruitment;
    • Teacher training and professional development;
    • Learning and teaching materials;
    • Furniture and equipment;
    • Supervision and quality assurance;
    • Monitoring and reporting systems.
  • Identify disparities and priority areas across Zobas.
  • Develop national projections and targets for phased expansion of pre-primary education.
  • Assess child protection and safeguarding risks associated with expansion, including risks related to violence, neglect, inadequate supervision, unsafe learning environments, exclusion and accessibility barriers for vulnerable children and children with disabilities.
  1. Conduct Stakeholder Consultations

The consultant will facilitate consultations with:

  • Ministry of Education departments;
  • Zoba Education Offices;
  • Ministry of Health;
  • Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
  • Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant ministries;
  • Local government representatives;
  • Community representatives;
  • Development partners;
  • National Union of Eritrea Women Eritrean Women Association.
  • Organizations of persons with disabilities;
  • Representatives of parents and caregivers, especially of those vulnerable children.

The consultations will be used to validate findings, identify priorities, and build consensus around implementation and coordination arrangements.

  1. Develop a Costed National Action Plan for Expansion of Pre-Primary Education

The consultant will develop a comprehensive and practical National Action Plan that:

  • Defines the national vision and targets for pre-primary expansion.
  • Establishes phased implementation priorities.
  • Defines annual targets for establishment of new pre-primary centres.
  • Identifies teacher recruitment and deployment needs.
  • Defines teacher training requirements.
  • Outlines infrastructure and equipment requirements.
  • Specifies learning materials and resource requirements.
  • Assigns implementation responsibilities at national, Zoba, sub-Zoba and community levels.
  • Provides implementation timelines and milestones.
  • Includes financing requirements and costing scenarios.
  • Recommends financing and resource mobilization strategies.
  • Includes a monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework.
  • Incorporates child safeguarding standards, referral mechanisms, inclusive education measures and safe learning environment requirements for all pre-primary centres.
  1. Develop a Detailed Costing and Investment Framework

The consultant will develop a detailed costing model based on information provided by the Zobas and national planning assumptions.

The budget analysis shall include, at a minimum:

Infrastructure

  • Construction or establishment of new community-based pre-primary centres.
  • Rehabilitation or upgrading of learning spaces where required.

Furniture and Equipment

  • Classroom furniture.
  • Child-friendly learning space and equipment.
  • Outdoor play equipment.

Learning and Teaching Materials

  • Learner materials.
  • Teaching and learning kits.
  • Teacher guides and resource materials.

Human Resources

  • Teacher training and professional development that includes child safeguarding, positive discipline, prevention of violence against children, identification of child protection concerns, referral procedures, inclusion of children with disabilities and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
  • costs.
  • Teacher recruitment costs.
  • Teacher deployment costs.
  • Salary projections and recurrent costs (where applicable).

Quality Assurance and System Strengthening

  • Monitoring and supervision.
  • Capacity building for education managers and supervisors.
  • Data collection and reporting systems.
  • Child safeguarding systems and reporting mechanisms.
  • Capacity building on child protection standards and safe learning environments.
  • Monitoring compliance with safeguarding procedures.

Community Engagement

  • Community mobilization.
  • Awareness creation and advocacy.
  • Awareness raising on child rights, positive parenting and child protection.

ECD Coordination

  • Coordination meetings.
  • Joint planning activities.
  • Joint monitoring activities.
  • Secretariat and operational support.

The consultant shall develop cost projections for short-term (1-2 years), medium-term (3-5 years), and long-term implementation periods.

  1. Develop a Multisectoral ECD Coordination Framework

The consultant will:

  • Review existing ECD-related coordination structures.
  • Map relevant ministries, institutions and stakeholders involved in ECD service delivery.
  • Propose national and sub-national coordination mechanisms.
  • Define roles and responsibilities of participating sectors.
  • Develop governance and accountability arrangements.
  • Draft Terms of Reference for the proposed ECD coordination platform.
  • Recommend meeting schedules and reporting arrangements.
  • Define coordination and monitoring indicators.
  • Ensure alignment between the coordination mechanism and the National Action Plan.
  • Define child protection roles and responsibilities within the ECD coordination mechanism.
  • Establish referral pathways between education, health and social welfare services.
  • Include child protection indicators within joint monitoring and accountability mechanisms

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: [attach JD/TOR here]

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

Minimum requirements

  • Education:

    Minimum Qualifications required:

    Advanced University Degree (Master's level or above) in Early Childhood Education; Education Planning; Education Economics; Public Policy; Development Studies; Social Sciences; or Related fields.

    Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

    • Strong strategic planning and analytical skills.
    • Excellent research and report-writing skills.
    • Experience in education sector costing methodologies.
    • Knowledge of ECE and ECD programming.
    • Understanding of multisectoral coordination mechanisms.
    • Knowledge of child safeguarding and inclusive education.
    • Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
    • Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Work Experience: 

  • Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in education planning, ECE, ECD, policy development, or sector analysis.
  • Demonstrated experience in developing national education strategies and action plans.
  • Experience conducting education costing and financing analyses.
  • Experience facilitating stakeholder consultation processes.
  • Strong understanding of the Eritrean education system.
  • Experience working with Ministries of Education and development partners.
  • Experience with UNICEF or other UN agencies is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel.
Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service

Remarks:  

CANDIDATES SHOULD PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF COMPLETION/EXEMPTION FROM NATIONAL SERVICE. PLEASE NOTE THAT COMPLETION/EXEMPTION OF NATIONAL SERVICE IS A REQUIREMENT.  COPY OF CARD/EXEMPTION MUST BE ATTACHED.  APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THIS REQUIREMENT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

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