Consultancy for Technical assistance to support analysis of Out-of-school Children in Egypt - Nationals only (8 months)

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Objective

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the MOETE to develop a new Egypt OOSC study using the conceptual framework and methodology of OOSCI. This is to provide up-to-date information about out of school children in Egypt and policy and programmatic recommendations for improving education inclusion.

More specifically, UNICEF is looking for a national consultant to provide technical expertise and quality assurance support to the MOETE on this study, in particular, the steering committee and technical team established by the MOETE. The consultant is expected to

• Develop specific profiles of out-of-school children and children at risk of dropping out, according to the OOSCI Operational Manual (2023) and the 7DE; these profiles should capture the complexity of the problem in terms of magnitude, inequalities and multiple disparities around the 7DE.
• Analyse the barriers to education that children face and to clarify the dynamic and causal processes related to the 7DE.
• Assessing the existing policies and interventions and whether they are addressing the complex needs of out-of-school children and children at risk of dropping out.
• Based on the analysis, formulate recommendations on how to address the issues linked to exclusion from education (out-of-school children) and exclusion within education (children who face a high risk of dropping out), taking into account the national context.
  
  

Methodology

This requires strong technical expertise in data and policy analysis with regard to out-of-school children, as well as project implementation skills to ensure completion of the analysis.

Below are the methodologies that are expected to be used in this assignment:

• Secondary Data Analysis: Secondary data analysis will be primarily used to develop the profiles of out-of-school children and children at risk of dropping out. The consultant is expected to identify and review all available data sources, such as administrative data and household survey data, assess data quality, document data gaps and limitations, and develop recommendations based on the identified data gaps and limitations. Following the OOSCI Operational Manual, he or she will calculate the 7DE indicators using the 7DE calculation tool and identify the key profiles of out-of-school (OOS) children and children at risk of dropping out (ROD) by conducting (1) disaggregated data analysis by sex and other characteristics at individual, household and school level, (2) current trend analysis and pathway analysis to analyse the flow of children in and out of the education system, and (3) calculative risk analysis and other multivariate analyses to identify the strongest determinants of being out of school or dropping out, among the range of individual, household, community and school characteristics.
• Desk Review: The identification and analysis of barriers to education should start with a desk review of evidence of the factors that deter children from going to, and staying in, school. The barriers analysis should seek to understand the barriers faced by the key profiles/groups of children in the 7DE identified in the previous analysis. Furthermore, building on the analysis of flows of children in and out of the education system, and the identification of constriction points, the desk review can explore the reasons why most drop out occurs at certain grades or transition points.
  
  

In addition, the policy analysis can be conducted through a desk review of existing policy and programme reports and evaluations. Drawing on the priority barriers to education, many of the most relevant policy options may be within the education sector. Key education policies to review include those within current education strategic plans (ESPs), and/or those relating to compulsory education, ‘free’ education, school access, promotion and repetition, inclusive education, remedial and out-of-school support and national examinations. The desk review should not limit itself to education policies only as the reasons for being out of school are multi-dimensional.

• Primary Data Collection and Analysis: In order to identify and understand barriers faced by children identified as most likely to be out of school or at risk of dropping out, where necessary and feasible, the consultant could conduct some primary data collection to better understand the barriers faced by children identified as most likely to be out of school or at risk of dropping out. The data can be either quantitative (such as those collected by surveys) or qualitative through interviews and focus group discussions. The analysis methods will depend on the nature of the data, either quantitative analysis or qualitative analysis.
  
  

Likewise, the policy analysis can be complemented and/or triangulated with additional qualitative information through interviews and focus group discussions. Depending on the context and methodology of the overall process, focus group discussions can be done together with the discussion on barriers or after, so that participants can respond to the broader set of barriers identified by the analysis and availability and effectiveness of the existing policies addressing these barriers.

The Consultancy Not Only Requires Strong Technical Expertise In Data And Policy Analysis With Regard To Out-of-school Children, But Also Project Management, Partnership, And Communication Strategies To Involve The Government (including The Steering Committee And Technical Team) And Relevant Development Partners, Communicate The Analytical Process And Findings, And Advocate For Policy Changes. The Consultant Is Expected To Develop The Research Plan In Coordination With The Technical Team Set Up By The MOETE, Take The Lead On The Implementation In Consultation With Relevant Partners, Monitor The Progress, And Make Reasonable Adjustments If Necessary. The Consultant Is Also Expected To Develop Communication And Advocacy Strategies And Support The Utilization Of The Study For Policy Changes. Key Dimensions Of These Additional Areas Include

• Project implementation: In coordination with the OOSCI technical team, develop a plan for delivering and ensure timely and effective project implementation, facilitation of communication and ongoing sharing of results among the involved partners (including a national steering committee), overall quality assurance and capacity building among the technical team.
• Partnership: The OOSCI study is led by the Government of Egypt, which has set up a Steering Committee and a Technical Team to coordinate the study. The consultant will work closely with these groups. Furthermore, other government partners and development partners will need to be consulted and informed about the project for their input and support, which will be led by the consultant.
• Capacity building among the technical team: Explain and validate the analytical process and findings from data and the policy analysis with members of the technical team and communicate and share results among partners throughout the study’s development.
• Communication and advocacy: Contribute to development of communication and advocacy strategies based on the research note and action plan, and their timely implementation. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation on findings, lessons learnt from the process and recommendations for interventions and policies.
  
  

Conditions Of Work

ACTIVITIES, DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES, PLUS BUDGET PER DELIVERABLE:

The consultant will work in close coordination with the national technical team led by the government, in partnership with UNICEF, CAPMAS, MOP, other related NGOs, and OOSCI partners.

The consultant is expected to be in country throughout the consultancy and will be required to be in periodic contact (remotely or in person) with the technical team.

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

• A Masters or advanced degree in education, social science, public policy, management or related field
• Expert knowledge and experience in SPSS, STATA or similar software
• Expert knowledge and proven experience in Microsoft Excel
• Excellent analytical capacity of both quantitative and qualitative data
• Effective communication skills, both orally and in ability in writing, in English and Arabic
• Minimum ten years and above of work experience in conducting data production, data review, analysis and reporting and on equity issues in children’s education, preferably in Egypt
• Experience of working with the Egyptian government on government data
• Facilitating and training various stakeholders
• Sensitivity to diverse opinions and difficulties arising from differing perceptions on interpreting data
• Understanding of a child rights approach
• Work experience with the UN.
  
  

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

 UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.