Non-Staff Consultant

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Multiple

 

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]

Job Family: Programme Coordination

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 14-11-2024

 

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

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background

Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) are critical for transforming education systems by aligning national policies with classroom practices and supporting evidence-based decision-making. Despite extensive investments in digital systems across the Pacific, the transition from traditional data collection methods to digital platforms and the effective use of data in policy and planning remain challenging. To address these challenges, UNESCO Pacific launched its EMIS Maturity Model in 2024 under the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) program, offering a holistic diagnostic tool for self-assessment by national education administrations. This tool enables Pacific countries to evaluate their EMIS across four dimensions, identifying areas for improvement in data management, analysis, reporting, and decision-making.

The Pacific Regional Education Framework 2018-2030 (PacREF) guides regional education interventions aimed at helping Pacific countries meet both national and global education goals. The PacREF program, spanning 12 years, involves five implementing agencies (IAs) and is currently in its first phase (2021-2025). In 2024, PacREF IAs introduced the regional WanSolWara mechanism for exchange, learning, and collaboration. Reflecting the concept of “one ocean, one people,” WanSolWara supports shared learning among Pacific countries.

The consultancy’s primary objective is to help UNESCO achieve PacREF's Regional Good 11, which focuses on strengthening education data management and policy planning to support evidence-based policymaking. The consultant will assess the EMIS maturity in three Pacific countries—FSM, Nauru, and PNG—using the UNESCO EMIS Maturity Model. This model evaluates four key dimensions and 12 sub-dimensions, focusing on the following areas:

• Sustainable technical architecture, including digital services, infrastructure, and connectivity.
• Data quality, availability, and timeliness across various educational and non-educational indicators to ensure accessible and actionable information for policymakers and communities.
• Governance of data ecosystems, promoting multisectoral collaboration, financial sustainability, and robust legal and strategic frameworks to support education reforms.
• Effective data management through well-defined organizational structures, institutional processes, and human resources.

Additionally, the consultant will facilitate the WanSolWara study tour on EMIS in Fiji, bringing together six Pacific countries to share experiences and lessons learned on EMIS strengthening.

Long Description

Scope of Work (Per Country)

EMIS Assessment

 

1. Initiation

• Initiate discussions on the assessment framework with each Ministry of Education (MoE) and UNESCO, establish work plans, and collect necessary documents for review.
• Conduct a document review to draft a preliminary assessment report as a foundation for the next stages.

 

2. EMIS Assessment. 

• Conduct a five-day series of technical working sessions with each nation