National Consultant United Nations at UNICEF Tanzania

• Job no: 573858
• Contract type: Consultant
• Duty Station: Zanzibar
• Level: Consultancy
• Location: United Republic of Tanzania
• Categories: Education

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.

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. 
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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.

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness