Senior Consultant (Guyana Project : Creation of Leadership Academy & Sector Management Improvements) (Paris, France) contract

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 11-OCT-2024

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

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to send their application (updated CV and technical and financial offer by 11 October 2024 by submitting their application to: consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org)

In February 2023, the Ministry of Education (MoE) of Guyana and its partners signed the endorsement of the Partnership Compact, a document defining the roadmap to achieve Guyana’s education system transformation. The identified priority of the Compact is to “Strengthen Instructional Leadership at District and School Levels”. The objective is to “Promote equitable learning by strengthening culturally responsive and effective instructional leadership and improved accountability at the district and school levels.” To achieve this, the MoE applied for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)‘s System Transformation Grant (STG), with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) having been selected as the Grant Agent to implement the grant in collaboration with the MoE and with the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) as lead technical partner. The STG will be implemented through a comprehensive four-year programme, relying on two main components: 1) Strengthening school and district leadership with the creation of a Leadership Academy; 2) Improving sector management.

Component 1: Leadership Academy. The aim of this component is to equip district and school leaders for leading transformation in schools and districts by (a) establishing a Leadership Academy (LA) for their continuous training and professional development (PROD) in culturally responsive instructional leadership; and (b) strengthening culturally responsive instructional leadership, planning and data-based decision-making at district and school levels. The component has the following two sub-components.

Sub-component 1.1. Training and Support of District and School Leaders. The Leadership Academy will be a new structure within the education system, with the mandate and capacity to deliver and maintain high quality, relevant, and responsible certification, and continuous professional development programs (CPD) for practicing and aspiring school and district leaders. The initial leadership training program will be of a six-month duration with a common core for both types of leaders, followed by separate school and district leader tracks of three months each. The training will emphasize a hands-on approach in a hybrid modality (in-person and on-line) and both individual and group learning.

Sub-component 1.2. Development and Review of Guidelines. The objective will be to (i) revise/develop guidelines for School Improvement Plans (SIPs) and District Strategic Plans (DSPs) to promote culturally responsive and evidence-based planning; and (ii) review and update guidelines for Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Boards as well as capacity building for the School Boards to increase parent and community engagement in schools and promote culturally responsive leadership practices. The main output of this subcomponent includes revised guidelines for SIPs and DSPs as well as guidelines for PTAs and School Boards.

Component 2. System Improvements. The aim of the component is to revisit and strengthen resource allocation, accountability, and coordination systems by (i) developing a more equitable system for the allocation of human, material, and financial resources to schools; (ii) upgrading desk manuals for district and school leadership to align with the redefined roles and responsibilities under a culturally responsible instructional leadership paradigm; and (iii) improving the systems for collaboration across the system to ensure that district and school leaders are supported in their efforts on instructional leadership. The component has the following subcomponents.

Sub-component 2.1. Resource Allocation: Efficient Allocation and Assignment Mechanism. The aim of this subcomponent is to support the MOE in the development and implementation of: (i) a resource allocation mechanism consistent with budgetary provisions to regions and schools; and (ii) a revised teacher allocation policy and assignment mechanism.

Sub-component 2.2. Improving Accountability. This subcomponent will include a capacity analysis of district and school leaders in Guyana, the upgrading of desk manuals, including job descriptions and organigrams, for district and school leaders, and the improvement of communication and coordination among schools, regional departments, and central units of the MoE. Attention will also be given to the criteria for selecting district and school leaders.

Specifically, the consultant will be tasked to:

Component 1. Leadership Academy:

Sub-component 1.1: Training and Support of District and School Leaders

• Leadership academy design: provide constructive feedback on the needs assessment, supply analysis, and strategy plan; participation in the online restitution workshop on the strategy plan.

• Leadership academy common core: I) contribute to the preparation and co-facilitation of the face-to-face learning co-design workshop with the IIEP-MoE-IDB team; II) develop detailed outline of the course blueprint (intended learning outcomes (ILOs), sub ILOS and content, including course structure with modules/units, activities, workload, assessments).

Subcomponent 1.2: Development and Review of Guidelines

• District, School planning, and PTA/School Board guidelines. In relation to each set of guidelines: I) draft the diagnosis report on existing guidelines, including suggestions for improvement; II) contribute to the preparation and co-facilitation of the online methodological workshop for the revision of existing guidelines; III) conduct online  consultations with relevant national and sub-national stakeholders; and IV) complete the diagnosis report with suggestions for improvement of guidelines.

Component 2. System improvements

Sub-component 2.2: Improving Accountability

• Capacity analysis tool of district and school leaders. The analysis will pay attention to the following themes for each actor: mandate and functions; staffing and resources; structures and incentives; roles and responsibilities; recruitment, training and professional development; relationships and collaboration; behaviours and practices. According to the analytical framework shared by the IIEP team, the consultant will be expected to complete the following activities:

1. Draft a diagnosis report based on relevant documentation;
2. Adapt the IIEP generic capacity analysis tool to the case of district and school leaders in Guyana;
3. Participate in the data collection mission and draft the analysis report;
4. Prepare and co-facilitate the online restitution workshop with the IIEP team.

• Leadership development framework (LDF) and Leadership System Overview (LSO): provide constructive feedback on the draft reports. 
• Collaboration within the system: in collaboration with the IIEP and local consultant, prepare and facilitate the online co-design workshop.

The consultant is expected to fulfil these activities during the first year of the project, in consultation with the IIEP project manager, as indicated below : 

Activity report including the following products (January 2025)

A. Leadership academy design: 

• Submission of constructive feedback report on the Leadership Academy training needs assessment and supply analysis. 

B. School planning and PTA/School Boards guidelines:

• Diagnosis report on existing guidelines.

C. Capacity analysis tool: 

• Diagnosis report; tool; mission report with number of interviews, other data collected, and preliminary findings.

Activity report including the following products (April 2025):

A. School planning and PTA / School Boards guidelines: 

• Online methodological workshop : preparation and presentation of slides; co-facilitation of sessions. 

B. District planning guidelines: 

• Diagnosis report on existing guidelines 

Activity report including the following products (July 2025):

A. Leadership academy design: 

• Provide constructive feedback on draft strategy plan. 

B. District planning guidelines: 

• Online methodological workshop: preparation and presentation of slides; co-facilitation of sessions.

C. School planning and PTA/School Boards planning guidelines:

•  Online consultations.

D. Capacity analysis tool: 

• Capacity analysis final report
• Online restitution workshop: preparation and presentation of slides; co-facilitation of sessions. 

Activity report including the following products (October 2025):

A. Leadership academy design:

• Attend the online restitution workshop. 

B. Leadership academy common core: 

• Face to face co-design workshop: mission; preparation and presentation of slides; co-facilitation of sessions. 
• Detailed outline of the course blueprint 

C. District planning guidelines: 

• Online consultations 

D. District, school planning and PTA/school Boards planning guidelines: 

• Diagnosis reports with suggestion for improvement

E. Leadership Development Framework and Leadership System Overview: 

• Constructive feedback on the draft LDF and LSO draft reports. 

F. Collaboration within the system: 

• Online co-design workshop: preparation and presentation of slides; co-facilitation of sessions. 

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of education or educational planning and management.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience in educational planning and management.
• At least 7 years working in a Ministry of Education.
• Minimum 3 years of experience working with Ministries of Education and development partners of Guyana and/or the Caribbean region.

Competencies

• Excellent ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders in a multicultural environment.

• Excellent negotiation skills with national stakeholders, including senior executive staff of Ministries of Education, and international partners.
• Excellent capacities to engage with local stakeholders (district, school, parents, communities).
• Experience in developing training materials for central, district and school leaders.
• Experience in delivering on-the-job training to adults.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Excellence in making public presentations.
• Excellent writing and editing skills and ability to conduct research (in particular conducting semi-structured and focus-group discussions, qualitative and quantitative data analysis).
• Strong ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Strong IT skills, including knowledge of MS Office suite such as Word and Excel.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English (oral and written).

Education

• PhD in the field of education or social sciences.

Experience

• Experience working with the Ministry of Education of Guyana or from other Caribbean countries.

• Experience working with district and school leaders.
• Experience working on GPE Partnership Compacts.

The consultant will complete the tasks specified in this contract under the overall authority of the IIEP Director and the Technical Cooperation Team lead. S/he will report directly to the IIEP project lead for the Guyana Project, in close collaboration with the IIEP-MoE-IDB team.

The consultant will participate in weekly meetings with the IIEP project management team to assess progress on the tasks. The consultant will submit to the project lead draft workplans and outlines in relation to each expected deliverable. The consultant will be expected to attend progress meetings with the IIEP project team, the MoE, IDB and GPE, as well as other meetings related to the project and to the tasks covered by this consultancy.

• The consultant will be expected to provide photos taken during field work missions, using the following permission forms (links are provided in Attachment C):

1. Image and voice consent statement for an adult
2. Image and voice consent statement for a minor (under 18)
3. Image and voice consent statement for an adult who cannot read/write or is visually impaired

• While collecting and analysing data as per this consultancy, the consultant will consider the “Ethics for research” attached in Attachment C, in particular stages 3 & 4.
• An individual interview consent form will be developed by the consultant with the IIEP team before field work data collection processes.

This consultancy is for 11 months.

Travel

This Consultancy is home-based with frequent travel to Guyana (at least twice (2) during the consultancy). IIEP will cover travel costs according to UN travel rules (air tickets, DSA, visa to travel to Guyana) when travel to Guyana is identified. All travel will have to be organised by the consultant themself, including the visa required.

Documentation

To carry out this work, IIEP will provide the consultant with all the administrative and analytical documentation available in relation to the work. IIEP will, if necessary, facilitate contacts with institutions and individuals who the consultant wishes to meet in the context of this consultancy, as well as provide logistical support.

Use of IIEP-UNESCO style guide

The consultant should refer to the IIEP-UNESCO style guide (Attachment C) when drafting the reports envisaged within the framework of the tasks of this consultancy. S/he should use the institutional templates provided by the IIEP project team when making PowerPoint presentations and drafting reports.

Payment

Payment is conditional on the completion of the tasks and the satisfactory submission of the deliverables within the deadlines defined above, unless otherwise agreed with the project leader.

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to apply before the 11th October 2024 by submitting:

• An updated CV (maximum five pages) via UNESCO CAREERS

• A technical and a financial proposal (maximum 5 pages) to: consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org

NOTE: The CV together with the technical and financial proposal must be sent to the email address consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org for the file to be eligible. The technical and financial offer should briefly outline:

• The consultant’s appreciation of the mission, its scope, and the challenges for its implementation.
• The consultant’s understanding of the assignments, highlighting their relevant experience.
• The consultant’s proposed remuneration based on the deliverables requested.

Applications that do not include this information will not be considered for the following phases of the counting process.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The consultant may be selected before the date indicated above. Only retained candidates will be contacted