Consultancy: Programme Consultant - South Africa - Req. #582912
UNICEFAbout the role
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Vacancy Announcement: Consultant
Consultancy Title: Programme Consultant - South Africa
Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Outcomes Fund - PRETORIA
Duration: September 1 2025 to August 30, 2028
Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ Remote
BACKGROUND
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
Provide technical support to EOF for the delivery of EOF’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Outcomes Fund in South Africa. The Programme Consultant - South Africa will support EOF's team with engagements with implementing partners, providing support to solve implementation challenges and ensure smooth technical and operational delivery. The consultant will also provide support and guidance on the programs’ policy alignment and integration of learning into broader systemic change.
Scope of Work:
The consultant will support EOF’s team in relation to its ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) outcomes fund in South Africa, which is expected to launch in November 2025 and continue implementing until December 2028.
Terms of Reference / Deliverables
Support project implementation and delivery oversight, and support the implementing partners to solve complex problems that may arise. Maintain timelines, identify risks and mitigation strategies, and escalate issues as needed.
Deliverable 1:
6 quarterly milestone tracking reports (2 pages each)
• 12 updates to risk register (Excel)
• 6 summary performance reports (5–8 pages each)
2 tracking reports and 2 summaries by 30.12.2025
2 additional of each by 30.08.2026
Final 2 by 30.08.2027
Risk logs: 4 by 30.12.2025, 4 by 30.08.2026, 4 by 30.08.2027
Support the preparation and delivery of quarterly programme governance meetings, including coordinating logistics, compiling inputs from partners, and drafting pre-reading packs under the direction of EOF's team.
Deliverable 2
• 11 governance meeting support packs prepared (15-slide PowerPoint each, compiled from partner inputs, agendas, run-off-play, etc.)
• 11 sets of meeting notes and action items (2–3 pages)
4 meetings by 30.12.2026
4 by 30.12.2027
3 by 30.08.2028
Support day-to-day grantee communication and coordination. Track queries and issues raised, and prepare bi-monthly grantee update logs.
Deliverable 3:
• 18 bi-monthly grantee query and coordination logs (2–3 pages each)
• Summary of recurring themes/issues (updated twice yearly)
First 6 by 30.12.2025
6 more by 30.08.2026
Final 6 by 30.08.2027
Provide technical guidance ahead of working sessions with grantees and DBE counterparts on operational problem-solving (e.g. data, safeguarding, referrals for the reporting of violence / neglect against children registration).
Deliverable 4:
• 12 operational workshops (approx. 1 day each)
• Workshop decks and short summaries (3 pages each)
4 by 30.12.2025
4 by 30.08.2026
4 by 30.08.2027
Conduct site visits to a sample of ELPs to monitor programme implementation, verify fidelity to design, gather qualitative feedback, and assess safeguarding systems. Provide recommendations for the improvement of Implementing Partners’ safeguarding practices, and follow up to monitor the implementation of these improvements.
Deliverable 5:
• 9 site visits
• 9 visit reports (5 pages each), including a section with safeguarding assessments, tailored recommendations, and a short update on implementation of previously suggested improvements.
• Annual safeguarding summary report for Operations team
3 site visits and reports by 30.12.2025
3 site visits and reports by 30.08.2026+<
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