National Consultant United Nations at UNICEF Tanzania

National Consultant to provide
technical assistance in Development of the Pre-Primary Education
Standards for Zanzibar, Tanzania. (for 5 month)
Job no: 573858
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Zanzibar
Level: Consultancy
Location: United Republic of Tanzania
Categories: Education

National Consultant United Nations at UNICEF September 2024

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.
For every child, education
As
is well known, investing in the foundations of learning during the
child’s early years benefits children, families, education systems and
societies at large. Indeed, the first three years are the most important
time for shaping the child’s brain architecture and if the
developmental potential could be maximized or not is determined by the
types of experiences that children receive. Children need love and
nurturing – developing a sense of trust and security that turns into
confidence as they grow. The role of parents during a child’s earliest
years is the single biggest influence on their development.

As
for the effects of pre-primary education, in the short term, quality
pre-primary education has consistently positive effects on children’s
learning, especially early language skills, early numeracy skills, early
and emergent literacy skills. In addition to the short-term effects,
there are also medium-term effects into schooling like on-time entry
into primary school, primary completion, and on-time primary completion.
In this way, participation in quality PPE sets in motion a positive
learning cycle and is a proven strategy to address the global learning
crisis at its roots by closing early learning gaps, strengthening the
efficiency of education systems and providing a solid foundation for
human capital development and economic growth.

While recognizing
the potential of PPE, it is also true that, in order for an PPE
programme to attain a positive impact, high quality program is a
necessary condition. Low quality programs cannot accomplish what
higher-quality programs can in terms of children’s development and
learning.

The concern on the quality PPE is also applicable to
Zanzibar, where there are various positive progresses being made in the
PPE. Indeed, there are four types of PPE models in Zanzibar, which
include: 1) stand-alone pre-primary school/centre; 2) attached
pre-primary schools; 3) TuTu centres (Learn through Play centers) and 4)
community-based Madrasa model. Community-based model follows the same
model as was initiated by the Agha Khan Foundation in their Madrassa PPE
interventions and its pedagogical approach follows various good
practices and pedagogical theories such as activity-based,
child-centred, whole language approaches etc. Whereas, others use the
government curriculum, which does not necessarily follow clear
pedagogical approach/theories.

The absence of clear standards
that are common across these models as well as pedagogical approach,
coupled with various technical and administrative challenges, pose
various quality related concerns. Without clear minimum standards for
the PPE in Zanzibar, the government faces a great challenge in ensuring
basic quality in PPE settings including the adequate numbers and
qualifications of PPE teachers, quality and frequency of capacity
development opportunities for them, quality assurance mechanisms,
involvement of members of Parent Teacher Associations/School Management
Committees to support PPE centers etc.

To address the issue of
quality in PPE interventions across Zanzibar, including both government
and private sectors, the need to develop minimum standards has been
identified.

How can you make a difference?
Focus of the assignment
This
assignment builds on the assumption that, by setting comprehensive
standards for service quality in a form of PPE minimum standards, there
will be improved quality within and development outcomes from PPE
services across the service delivery platforms and service providers.
The standards will help the education system not only to set clear and
measurable goals, but also to define quality measures to ensure health,
safety of children and minimum quality of education and care, which also
includes outdoor activities. The standards will help the PPE
interventions in Zanzibar staffed with qualified staff, conducive
learning environment and pedagogical materials, and help the system for
conducting monitoring and evaluation in assessing the pre-primary
education interventions. As there is PPE standards already developed for
the Tanzania mainland, the PPE standards for Zanzibar will be
developed, while learning the lessons learned from the experience.

Under the direct guidance of the Education Specialist (ECE), the consultant will:

• Conduct
  a needs assessment: a. Conduct a desk study of all available
  international and national reference documents on the PPE standards
  (especially the ECE standards developed in the mainland Tanzania) and
  programmes in Zanzibar including policy documents, curriculum, programme
  documents (incl. those of CSOs), and develop an inception report with
  an overall concept and proposed scope of PPE minimum standards, a plan
  for a needs assessment study to analyze the status of PPE in Zanzibar
  and to draft its minimum standards with proposed timeframe. Conduct a
  meeting with the technical core team to discuss and finalize the
  contents of the inception report, including the findings from the desk
  study, an overall scope of PPE minimum standards, and proposed study
  plan and design from inception report.
• Develop tools of field-based observation and interviews, using various methods at various levels.
• Analyse
  collected data and draft field observation/interview report and PPE
  minimum standards based on the findings from both desk study and
  information collected from the fields Draft and finalize the PPE
  minimum standards for Zanzibar: a. In reference to the findings from the
  desk study and field-based observations and interviews, draft PPE
  standards for Zanzibar. Prepare for and convene a workshop for
  developing Minimum Standards in collaboration and with the participation
  of the members of the technical core team, going through the draft,
  while giving enough space for all participants to propose any necessary
  adjustments.
• Present draft Minimum Standards Guideline to Ministry level.
• Convene
  a stakeholder workshop to present and finalize the contents of the
  draft minimum operational guideline with an implementation plan, Unguja
  and for Pemba.

WORK ASSIGNMENT, DELIVERABLES, TIME FRAME AND PAYMENT   
PAYMENT SCHEDULE. 
UNICEF
reserves the right to withhold all or portion of payment if performance
is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered or for
failure to meet deadlines.

ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS 
Evaluations:
The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposals
which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial
Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee,
travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA. 

Proposals
will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part
will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear
his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each
deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will
take 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for
each deliverable (fees, travel and accommodation) and eventual total
consultancy cost.

LOCATION, DURATION & LOGISTIC 
The consultant will be required to travel 6 trips including 2trips Morogoro, 2trips Dar es Salaam and 2trips Arusha.

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Delivery deadline	Estimated Budget
1) Formation of a core teams 2) Conduct a planning meeting on developing Minimum Standard Guideline with the members of a technical core team. 3) Conduct a desk study, and develop an inception report with an overall concept and proposed scope of PPE minimum standards, a plan for a study to analyze the status of PPE in Zanzibar and to draft its minimum standards with proposed timeframe.	A list of members of a core team.   Desk study and drafting an inception report reviewed and finalized in consultation to the technical core team members.   A plan for conducting a needs assessment.	By the end of 2nd week (by 22 September)	20% of the total
1) In collaboration with the members of core team, develop tools. 2) Together with national experts and relevant government officials, conduct PPE stakeholders’ interviews and field observations at various levels to feed into the analysis. 3) Analyse collected data, draft a field observation and interview report, and consult core group for finalizing a report.	Data collection tools finalized in consultation to the technical core team members. Availability of collected data, compiled for data analysis. Finalized needs assessment report	By 4 October     By 18 October By 8 November	20% of the total
Draft PPE minimum standards, reflecting the findings from field-based needs assessment, including the data collected both from desk study and information collected from the field. 2) Consult the draft PPE minimum standards with the members of the technical core group, and adjust the contents as per the guidance of the technical core team members. 3) Convene a stakeholders’ workshop to present the findings of needs assessment, draft PPE minimum standards, and finalize the contents of the draft minimum standards, reflecting the feedback/inputs from the workshop participants.	Draft PPE minimum standards that are discussed and agreed by the technical core team members. PowerPoint presentation materials on: 1) findings from the needs assessment; 2) draft minimum standards. A summary from the consultation, including feedbacks and recommendations obtained. 1) Final needs assessment and 2) final PPE minimum standard, reflecting the feedbacks/inputs provided by the larger stakeholders.	By 22 November   By 30 November   15 November	30% of the total
4) Draft operational guideline with an implementation plan.   5) Convene a stakeholders’ workshop to present and finalize the contents of the draft minimum operational guideline with an implementation plan, reflecting the feedback/inputs.   6) Launch the standards, operational guidelines and its implementation plan in a high-level dissemination workshop.	Draft operational guideline with its implementation plan   Final operational guideline with its implementation plan, reflecting the feedbacks/inputs provided by the larger stakeholders.   PowerPoint presentation materials on: findings from the needs assessment. PPE minimum standards.   3) operational guideline; and    4) implementation plan.	By 20 December (Winter break)   20 January 2025   By 29 January 2025	30% of the total

PAYMENT SCHEDULE. 
UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all
or portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output
is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS 
Evaluations:
The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposals
which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial
Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee,
travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA. 

Proposals
will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part
will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear
his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each
deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will
take 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for
each deliverable (fees, travel and accommodation) and eventual total
consultancy cost. 

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

• Advanced
  degree (minimum Masters, preferably above) in education and or related
  discipline, especially in especially in Education policy, education
  administration, Early Childhood Education (ECE), Education Planning,
  curriculum
• A minimum of 8 [eight] years of relevant professional
  experience, especially in developing education policy, education system
  strengthening, education administration, curriculum design, PPE, Early
  Childhood Education (ECE), early learning, Education Planning, ECE
  standard/guideline development, development of costed operational
  guideline in education.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in
  research/review design and data processing and analyzing, especially in
  education and school context.
• Demonstrated professional expertise in standards and guideline development especially in education.
• Previous working experiences in East Africa, especially in Tanzania including Zanzibar asset.
• Fluency in spoken and written English. Language fluency in Kiswahili asset.
• Previous experience working with the UN and Government is added an advantage.