Consultancy: ECD Programme Learning and Evidence Synthesis

POST TITLE: Consultancy: ECD Programme Learning and Evidence Synthesis

PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT: 6 months (Estimated 70-80 days)

LOCATION: Based in any African country

TRAVEL: 40%  (5 trips for the lead of the assignment to Kenya (2), Tanzania, Mozambique and Ghana) 

REPORTING TO: Senior Research, Evaluation and Impact Manager 

SALARY: Competitive - dependent on experience   

ABOUT ESSA

ESSA improves education using evidence and data from Africa in research, advocacy and programme design.  
We take a systems approach by identifying challenges and co-designing solutions in partnership with local education researchers, education leaders, policymakers, funders and employers to improve education outcomes for young people. Our research generates actionable insights that inform decisions, policies and practice and strengthen education systems.  
 
ESSA’s values are at the heart of everything we do, and they are: 
•    Evidence-driven: We are driven by data and evidence to find what works best, building an evidence alliance for education in sub-Saharan Africa. 
•    Solutions-focused: We seek the highest impact for young people and educators in sub-Saharan Africa with the cost-effective funds we invest.  
•    Strengthening Trust: We strive to create supportive environments, building trust with the communities we work with. 
•    Always learning: Everyone’s opinion is valuable; we develop solutions through teamwork. 
 
To find out more about ESSA, visit essa-africa.org. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Background and Context

Since 2022, ESSA and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge, with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, have been working across three phases to strengthen ECD research, support African researchers, and create opportunities for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to learn and engage with one another.  

For more about the ECD Programme, kindly visit here.  

Purpose of the Assignment
ESSA seeks an individual consultant or consultancy team to assess the ECD programme contributions, review documented evidence, prepare case studies and prepare a publicly accessible learning collection. The assignment will generate credible findings and practical recommendations from four years of investment in African-led early childhood development (ECD) research executed by ESSA in partnership with the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge.  
 

The purpose is to provide a credible, inclusive and practically useful assessment of the ECD programme’s contributions, learning and emerging evidence, supported by traceable and verifiable sources. The assessment will go beyond documenting activities and outputs to examine what has changed, what has been learned, how evidence is being generated and used, and what this means for future ECD research, practice and investment.

This is guided by five interconnected pillars:  

1. What has been generated?  
Consolidate the evidence, research outputs, learning products and knowledge generated across Phases 1 and 2.  

2. What has changed?  
Examine changes in researchers’ capacity, collaboration, publication, evidence generation, dissemination and engagement with evidence users.   

3. What have we learned?  
Identify what worked, what did not, intended/unintended learning, enabling factors and challenges across the programme.   

4. What is happening to the evidence?  
Trace how Africa-led ECD research is being communicated, accessed, used and potentially influencing policy and practice. This builds particularly well on the Phase 2 ECD Policy and Evidence Forum, whose intended outcomes included stronger communication of evidence and better connections between local ECD evidence and decision-makers.   

5. What should happen next?   

Identify evidence gaps, emerging priorities and implications for future ECD research, researcher support, evidence dissemination and evidence-to-policy engagement.  

Scope of Work and Key Tasks

The scope will include, but not be limited to:

• Evidence and knowledge generated: Mapping and synthesising research, publications, research reports, learning products and other evidence generated or supported through the programme.
• Programme contributions and changes: Examining changes in researcher capacity, research quality, collaboration, publication, evidence communication and engagement, while distinguishing documented contributions from assumptions or claims.
  Learning from implementation: Capturing lessons on what worked, what did not work as expected, for whom and under what circumstances, including adaptations and emerging learning.
  

• Evidence use and influence: Exploring pathways through which Africa-led ECD research has been communicated, accessed and used by researchers, policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders.
  

• Stakeholder perspectives: Capturing diverse perspectives from researchers, grantees, policymakers, practitioners, partners and other relevant stakeholders to complement documentary evidence.
  

• Evidence gaps and future priorities: Identifying gaps in the existing ECD evidence base and drawing implications for future research, researcher support, evidence dissemination and evidence-to-policy engagement.
  

• Learning and knowledge products: Translating the findings into accessible and actionable products that can support learning, programme development, partnerships and future ECD investments.
  

Get more details about the consultancy from the Terms of Reference attached here 

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
    Timeline: Months 1 to 2 

    Deliverable 

1. Inception Report and Detailed Workplan  

2. ECD Evidence and Learning Inventory  

3. Outcome Harvesting Report  

4. Contribution Analysis and Contribution Stories

    Timeline: Month 3

    Deliverable 

5. ECD Learning and Evidence Synthesis Report  

6. Evidence-Based Case Studies  

    Timeline: Month 4

     Deliverable 

7. Policy Briefs/Learning Briefs  

8. Evidence Gaps and Future Learning Priorities 

      Timeline: Month 5

       Deliverable 

9. Learning and Sense-Making Session

      Timeline: Month 6

      Deliverable

10. Final Learning and Evidence Package  

DURATION AND LEVEL OF EFFORT

The consultancy will run for 6 months (December 2026 – May 2027), with an estimated 70–80 consultancy days spread across inception, implementation and reporting phases. 

MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING

The selected individual/consultancy team will work closely with the ECD Senior Research Manager and the Senior Research Evaluation and Impact Manager at ESSA while maintaining the independence required to provide a credible report. 

ESSA will coordinate review with REAL Centre and other relevant teams. Hold fortnightly progress calls during active collection and analysis, reducing frequency by agreement during follow-up periods. Escalate material data, ethics, timeline, and budget risks promptly.

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Proposals will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria: 
Criteria 1-Weight 30% 

Understanding of the assignment and Methodology   

Criteria 2-Weight  25% 

Relevant evaluation and African research ecosystem experience  

Criteria 3-Weight 15%

Quality of outcome harvesting and case-study experience  

Criteria 4-Weight 10% 

Feasible workplan, team and language coverage   

Criteria 5-Weight 20% 

Financial proposal and value for money 

SUBMISSION DETAILS 

Interested consultants are invited to submit: 

1. A technical proposal (max 10 pages) outlining understanding, approach, methodology, and work plan. 
2. A financial proposal in USD inclusive of all taxes.
3. CVs highlighting relevant experience. 
4. A sample of similar work (e.g., evaluation, Knowledge Nexus and Learning evaluations or impact evaluations). 

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

ESSENTIAL

• Postgraduate qualification in evaluation, education, social sciences, public policy or a related field; equivalent relevant expertise may be considered.  
• At least seven years of relevant evaluation or programme learning experience, including substantial work in African contexts. 
• Demonstrated application of outcome harvesting and contribution analysis, with examples of substantiation and assessment of alternative explanations. 
• Experience assessing research capacity strengthening, research ecosystems, partnerships or evidence-informed policy and practice; ECD experience is desirable. 
• Strong qualitative interviewing, mixed-methods analysis, case-study writing and online survey skills. 
• Excellent English; access to French and Portuguese will be an added advantage.  
• Ability to work independently while coordinating with African researchers, academic partners and programme teams. 
•  Individual consultants must demonstrate the capacity to deliver the assignment and may engage specialists for specific tasks. For consultancy firms, they must be legally registered and headquartered in Africa and designate a team lead. 

• All support costs must be disclosed and included in the financial proposal.Conflicts of interest, including previous programme involvement, must be declared with proposed mitigation.

DESIRABLE 

Background in evidence synthesis, learning nexus, research and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning.
 

CONFIDENTIALITY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

All materials, modules, and tools produced under this consultancy will remain the property of ESSA, and REAL Center under the ECD programme partnership. The consultant will treat all information confidentially and not use it for any other purpose without prior written consent. 

PARTNERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

This consultancy is implemented under the Early Childhood Development Programme, a collaboration between ESSA and REAL Centre.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Please ensure your CV and cover letter are saved using your given name and surname. For example, firstname.surname CV. The closing date for applications is 30th November, 2026 at 0900hrs GMT. Start date is 1st December 2026.