International Individual consultant - Covid-19 Education Sector Response project.

International Individual consultancy to conduct a summative evaluation of the Guinea-Bissau Covid-19 Education Sector Response project.

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.

Evaluation Context and Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted learning for over 89% of the world’s student population. For more than 1.5 billion children in 188 countries, education has been interrupted. The gains in expanding access to education and improving the quality of education were in risk in being permanently compromised.

In Guinea-Bissau, the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded on 24 March 2020. Two years later, the country has recorded 8,186 positive cases, including 171 deaths. The capital Bissau and the regions of Biombo and Bafata remain the most affected. The most affected age group is 25-34 years old, followed by 35-44 years old and, the disease seems to affect men more than women.

In Guinea-Bissau, the education system faces many challenges: the system lacks inclusive and safe school infrastructures, qualified human resources (a good proportion of the teaching staff have no/limited background in pedagogy) and didactic and pedagogical resources. In recent years, teachers' strikes have occurred more frequently and for longer durations, increasing the number of out-of-school children and the risk of permanent drop-out.

To address these challenges in Guinea-Bissau, it was important to act on several levels and find educational alternatives that allow out-of-school children to acquire foundational skills for their personal and social development. With funding from the Global Partnership for Education, UNICEF Guinea-Bissau has therefore supported the scaling up of the education sector response to mitigate the impacts of the crisis on access and learning.

Evaluation Object

In this context, also marked by the fragility of institutions and the weakness of capacity, Guinea-Bissau has received an emergency funding from the Global Partnership for Education for a total amount of USD 3,5 million. Initially design to run for 18 months (from July 2020 to December 2021), the implementation cycle of the interventions covered by this funding has been extended by an additional 6 months (until June 2022).

The main objective of the Guinea-Bissau Covid-19 Education Sector Response project was to support the government of Guinea-Bissau and the Local Education Group (LEG) to reduce the impact of the coronavirus on the education of children in the country by ensuring safe school operations and the supporting continuity of learning, with a focus on the most vulnerable children affected by the pandemic.

This included the following specific objectives:

• Support response coordination and real-time monitoring (focusing on the most vulnerable);
• Ensure safe school operations including through hygiene supplies and risk communication;
• Support continuity of learning through access to remote learning programs as appropriate for Guinea Bissau;
• Scale-up psycho-social, health, WASH, and nutrition services within the Education sector;
• Ensure a safe opening-back of schools through back-to-school campaigns, catch-up classes, and accelerated learning
• Codify and disseminate best practice and innovation.

The theory of change underlying the project was the following:

IF (i) the response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the level of the education system is improved and national emergency response capacities are strengthened; and

IF (ii) public and community structures for pre-school and basic education are sanitized, inclusive and gender sensitive; and

IF (iii) distance education strategies and educational alternatives are developed and implemented to ensure the continuity of education in the event of school closure; and

IF (iv) services of water and sanitation, protection, psychosocial support, health, nutrition, and social inclusion are extended to the benefit of children from 1400 vulnerable households; and

IF (v) public and community school structures reopen, and propose recovery classes and accelerated learning;

THEN safe school operations, continuity of learning and well-being for children and adolescents, especially for the most vulnerable, will be guaranteed.

Objectives

The objectives of this summative evaluation are as follows:

1. To determine the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Guinea-Bissau Covid-19 Education Sector Response project.
2. To identify lessons learning regarding what worked and did not work during the implementation of the project, including unexpected outcomes (positive and negative);
3. To critically analyse the theory of change and the extent to which its planned logical framework and assumptions compare with the actual implementation and the results achieved;
4. To assess the extent to which the project integrated equity, human rights, and gender principles into its design, implementation, and monitoring;
5. To formulate key recommendations regarding: (1) how to further strengthen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea-Bissau; (2) how to prepare for future education in emergency (EiE) situations and make the education sector more resilient; and (3) how to better implement future EiE interventions.

Evaluation Criteria and Questions

This evaluation will be guided by five OECD evaluation criteria: (A) relevance; (B) coherence; (C) effectiveness; (D) efficiency; and (E) sustainability, as well as (F) an additional Gender, Equity and Human Rights criterion. It should be noted that the evaluation criterion of impact was not included because given the short duration and emergency focus of the project the impact will be difficult to measure and assess.

Evaluation Methodology

The evaluation will be conducted using a participatory and inclusive approach to provide relevant and pertinent answers to the evaluation questions. The technical proposal will need to make a specific reference to the specific evaluation approach to adopt as well as to the theoretical framework underpinning the selected approach.

The evaluation will employ both quantitative and qualitative (i.e., mixed) research methods during both the data collection and analysis phases. Relevant data should be collected from the UNICEF education programme, the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Education, other implementing partners, project beneficiaries and other key stakeholders. Primary data collection will involve qualitative and quantitative data and could include (but is not limited to) the following methods:

• A desk review of all documents related to the design, implementation, and monitoring of the Guinea-Bissau Covid-19 Education Sector Response project, as well as the education sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic more generally
• Qualitative Methods
• A quantitative analysis of existing data, such as mWater (the databased used to identify and monitor schools supported by the project), the cash transfers database, etc.
• A process of dialogue with key actors concerned by the programme, including:
  • UNICEF Staff (Education, Nutrition, WASH) at the Country Office level
  • Staff of Ministries involved in the project
  • NGOs and Civil Society directly involved in the implementation and service delivery related to the project

The evaluation will be conducted according to the evaluation norms and standards of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG)[1] and the UNEG Code of Conduct[2]. Specific reference should be made to the Ethical Research Involving Children[3], as relevant.

The Work Plan (Key deliverables, Tasks, Timeframe and Payment Schedule)

The individual consultant will be hired for a period of 60 business days between August 2022 and October 2022.

Key Deliverables

The consultant(s) / evaluation team will provide the following products in Portuguese electronically. In addition, the inception report, draft evaluation report, final evaluation report, evaluation synthesis and final PowerPoint should be translated into English or French. (further details and deadlines will be specified during the inception meeting):

1. Inception Report
2. Draft evaluation report
3. Power Point presentation summarizing key preliminary findings and conclusions
4. Evaluation presentation and recommendation validation workshop
5. Final Evaluation report
6. Power Point Presentation which summarizes the Evaluation Report with slide(s) on Key findings and Recommendations
7. Raw data in electronic medium, data collection instruments in electronic medium, transcripts in electronic medium, completed data sets, etc.
8. Evaluation synthesis for external audience (1-2 pages) summarizing the key findings and conclusions
9. Infographic illustrating key messages of the evaluation to share online or via e-mail.
10. An action plan for the implementation of the main recommendations of the evaluation or "management response": An action plan will be developed in a participatory manner during the validation workshop.

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

University degree (Bachelor’s degree is required and Master’s degree is preferred) in one of the following areas: in evaluation, education, economics, social science research or other relevant field (Master’s Degree preferred).

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of at least 5 years of experience in programme evaluation, preferably in Education;
• Demonstrated mastery implementing evaluation methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) in low-resource contexts, including fieldwork at national and sub-national levels;
• Analytical, negotiation and advocacy skills along with demonstrated experience in liaising with government agencies and non-governmental organizations;
• Previous experience working in Africa, with experience in Guinea-Bissau strongly preferred;
• Verified membership of an international / national evaluation network, association, voluntary organization for professional evaluation, etc. preferred;
• Excellent report writing and verbal communication skills in Portuguese, as well as in English or French;
• Experience working with UNICEF or similar agencies preferred;
• Experience working on projected financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) preferred.

Criteria for Selection Process:

Interested individuals must submit an expression of interest (5-10 pages) that includes:

1. A 1–2-page summary of how your experience and qualifications meet the requirements outlined in this Terms of Reference;
2. A brief technical proposal (2-6 pages) describing how the work will be carried out (including the evaluation approach, the sampling strategy and the data analysis techniques suggested for the evaluation);
3. A financial proposal that includes all associated costs and expenses to carry out the consultancy.
4. An example of at least one past evaluation report written in Portuguese which the consultant has been a primary author of

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).