Individual consultant: Data interpretation and utilization, Global Education Practice, Nairobi, Kenya, 14 months, remote with travel, # 595779

Individual consultant: Data interpretation and utilization

Global Education Practice – Financing, Data, Economics and Assessment for Learning and Skills (FinDEALS) Team, Nairobi, Kenya

14 months

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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to data

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF works to ensure that every child has the right to learn, develop and participate fully, without discrimination. Advancing equity, gender equality and inclusion is central to this mandate, with a particular focus on children who are most marginalized or excluded from education systems, including children with disabilities, girls, children affected by poverty, displacement, conflict and crisis, and children who are out of school or at risk of exclusion. 

​​Within UNICEF Global Programme Division, the Education Practice works to strengthen education systems so that they are more equitable, inclusive, gender-responsive, and resilient across the life course. This includes supporting countries to improve policy and planning, financing, data and evidence, teacher and workforce development, accessible and inclusive learning environments, and cross-sectoral coordination for children’s learning, development, and wellbeing in development and emergency contexts 

Global evidence increasingly shows that most children are in school – yet learning levels remain low, with an estimated six out of ten children in low income counties unable to read and understand a simple sentence by the age of ten. National, regional and global assessments continue to tell the same story of poor learning outcomes, pointing to inefficiencies in education systems, misallocated resources and insufficiently targeted policies. 

UNICEF is committed to supporting governments and partners in ensuring that all children acquire foundational learning skills, including foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional competencies. Achieving this goal requires not only the availability of timely, high-quality learning assessment data but also the effective use of that data to inform policies, programmes, and teaching and learning practices.

UNICEF is looking to engage an independent consultant to work with Ministries of Education and regional bodies in translating evidence to action and to inform policies, plans and strategies. The consultant will support national teams to unpack large scale national and international assessments, identify areas to strengthen, and support advocacy efforts around teacher training, curriculum revision and resource allocation. It is expected that the consultant will work with international datasets (SEA-PLM, PASEC, PISA etc) as well as national and even classroom-level datasets and/or systems. The work will build on prior work such as SEA-PLM Initiative 2, while also exploring new data needs with countries. A strong focus is expected on the applicability of the analysis and information to classroom level practice, including with an equity lens.

The consultant will develop tools and guidance related to evidence-based policy and decision making. This includes supporting analysis for SDG reporting and interpreting international and regional guidelines, including for emergency and fragile contexts.

The consultant will also build national capacity to analyze, interpret and use data and evidence for improved policy making. supporting improved learning outcomes for all children

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToRTMC0005700.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

• Education: One short case study documenting best practices in national, regional or global LSA participation, focusing on the utilization of the data for decision making
• Work Experience: At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in education, with relevance to learning assessment, data analysis, education systems, or the use of data for policy and practice

• Experience supporting learning assessment initiatives, including national or large-scale assessments
• Experience providing technical assistance to governments or international organizations, particularly in low- and middle-income or crisis-affected contexts
• Experience contributing to analytical or knowledge products (e.g., briefs, technical guidance, reports) for policy and programme audiences
• Experience in programme design, strategy development, or advisory support within multi-country or complex programme environments
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including technical experts, government counterparts, and partners
• Demonstrated experience in building capacity on data interpretation and utilization

• Skills: Strong analytical and conceptual skills related to learning assessment and/or education data, especially their utilization for policy and practice

• Ability to interpret and communicate technical findings for policy and programme use
• Understanding of education systems in resource-constrained and/or crisis-affected contexts

• Language Requirements: English and French
• Desirables: Experience working with UNICEF or other international organizations

• Familiarity with international or regional learning assessment initiatives
• Experience contributing to knowledge products, platforms, or resource development

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0005700.docx