Consultant - Arab States Fundamental Education Centre (ASFEC) RENEWAL AGREEMENT EVALUATION

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Cairo

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : Up to 1 month

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 23/11/2025

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

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

1. Background

Category 2 Institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO are a global network of institutions of excellence in the Organization’s domain of competence. Given their expertise, these institutes and centres contribute in a meaningful way to the implementation of UNESCO’s priorities, programmes and global development agendas during a defined period, through international and regional cooperation, research, knowledge production, policy advice, and capacity development. Although independent of UNESCO, category 2 institutes and centres are privileged partners of the Organization with access to UNESCO’s logo, international and intergovernmental bodies and networks, and may leverage UNESCO’s international reach and convening powers.

Historically, ASFEC has been established in accordance with an agreement between the Egyptian government and UNESCO on 25 April 1952 under the title Arab States Fundamental Education Centre (ASFEC). It had been affiliated to UNESCO as a category 1 since its initiation until 1982. According to the presidential decree 239 issued in 1982, the centre became an Egyptian public authority with an independent entity affiliated to the Minister of Education working in the field of Literacy for Rural Development until 2014.

In February 2014 an agreement (MOU) was signed between the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and UNESCO to establish the Regional Centre for Adult Education in Egypt as a category 2 centre under the auspices of UNESCO.

The agreement was subsequently renewed in 19 November 2020, for a period of six years until December 2026. The latest evaluation of ASFEC was conducted in 2019, covering the period from 2014 to 2019. According to the agreement and the renewal, between UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of Egypt regarding the establishment of the Centre (the ‘Agreement’, Article 6), its objectives are to: (a) to train Literacy and Adult Education specialists, (b) to train leaders in adult literacy, (c) to undertake research in the field of adult education and human capital development, and (d) to disseminate knowledge in Literacy and Adult Education resources among the respected  institutions in Arab region.

In order to renew the agreement, an evaluation of the centre must be carried out in conformity with the Strategy for Category 2 Institutes and Centres under the auspices of UNESCO (2019), and presented to UNESCO’s Intersectoral Review Committee, followed by the Executive Board for consideration for decision making in view of a renewal.

Located in Cairo, Republic of Egypt, the Arab States Fundamental Education Centre  (ASFEC) aims to support:

• Capacity development for Adult Education, Literacy and Lifelong learning in the Arab region as well as globally;
• Promote and develop adult education, literacy and lifelong learning, with a view to promoting a lifelong learning culture in the Arab region;
• Strengthen international, regional, and sub-regional capacities in planning and implementing a broad range of practices in adult education, literacy and lifelong learning;

• Encourage and facilitate collaborative links between Arab States initiatives and other regional, international and global efforts in education;
• Carry out research and development related to the philosophy, teaching methods, and curricula in the field of adult education, literacy, lifelong learning;
• Organize training workshops, conferences and seminars on adult education, literacy, and lifelong learning;
• Produce and disseminate teaching/learning materials and other publications on adult education, Literacy, and Lifelong learning;
• Promote the 2022 CONFINTEA VII Marrakech framework for Action on Adult Education, Literacy and Lifelong Learning;
• Facilitate information-sharing and exchange on adult education, literacy, and lifelong learning and disseminate relevant information to education authorities in the region and make readily available;
• Foster collaborative initiatives and maintain links with key stakeholders in adult education, literacy and lifelong learning nationally, regionally and internationally, with a view to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and specifically targets 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 in adult education and literacy and undertake any other activities necessary to strengthen adult Education, literacy, lifelong learning regionally and internationally. ​

Within this background, the UNESCO Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan and Liaison Office for Arab States, located in Cairo, Republic of Egypt, is seeking an individual consultant to evaluate the Center with the intention of renewing the agreement.

2. Purpose and Scope of the Evaluation 

The objective of the evaluation is to examine the status and achievements of ASFEC as a category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO and provide recommendations on the renewal of the agreement between UNESCO and the government of the Republic of Egypt in relation to ASFEC. The evaluation is part of the statutory process as required by the Strategy for Category 2 Institutes and Centres under the auspices of UNESCO (2019).

In particular, the independent external evaluation should consider the following parameters:

1. The extent to which the centre’s objectives as set out in the agreement signed with UNESCO were achieved;
2. The relevance of the contribution of the centre’s programmes and activities to the achievement of UNESCO’s prevailing Approved Programme and Budget (41 & 42 C/5) at the time in which it was designated, including global strategies (C4) and action plans as well as sectoral programme priorities, as defined in the agreement;
3. The relevance of the contribution of the activities of the centre to global development agendas, inlcuding the Agenda 2030 and LNOB with a focus on adult education, Literacy, and Lifelong Learning, to achieve progress on Sustainable Development Goal 4 and target 4.6;  

4. The quality of coordination and interaction with UNESCO, both at Headquarters and in the field, as well as with National Commissions, other thematically-related category 1 and 2 institutes and centres with regard to planning and implementation of programmes; 

5.The quality of delivery of projects, outputs and outcomes to meet the basic minimum requirements and standards; 

6. How effective were the partnerships developed and maintained with government agencies, public or private partners, UN Agencies, universities and public and private donors of the centre; 

7. The nature and efficiency of the centre’s governance, including organizational arrangements, management, structure, network, human resources and accountability mechanisms; 

8. The financial resources available for ensuring sustainable institutional capacity and viability;

9. The extent to which the centre enjoys within its territory the autonomy necessary for the execution of its activities and legal capacity to contract, institute legal proceedings, and to acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property; 

10. To what extent the Centre contributes to gender equality and inclusion in education and what monitoring and reporting systems are in place. 

Based on the findings and conclusions, the renewal evaluation shall also formulate recommendations, as appropriate, on how the Centre can reinforce its contribution to UNESCO’s programme. UNESCO is responsible for the overall preparation of the renewal agreement.

Long Description

3. Roles and Responsibilities

UNESCO’s Education Sector, through its Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan and Liaison Office for Arab States is responsible for the management of the evaluation and contracting the independent expert/s in accordance with its rules and regulations. In consultation with the UNESCO global coordination focal point, and in line with the requirements for renewal evaluation as specified Strategy for Category 2 Institutes and Centres under the auspices of UNESCO (2019), the Office is responsible for developing the terms of reference and for the selection of an  independent expert/s who will be contracted for conducting the evaluation and drafting the report.

The conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation report will be shared with the category 2 centre and Member State concerned and the report will be made available on the UNESCO Education Sector’s website. The results of the evaluation should be considered by UNESCO’s Intersectoral Review Committee for Category 2 Institutes and serve as the basis for the Director-General’s recommendation to the Executive Board, as to whether the Agreement between UNESCO and the Republic of Egypt should be renewed for a maximum period of eight years.

Long Description

4. Methodology

In line with UNESCO’s Evaluation Policy (2022-29), the evaluation will have to comply with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards for Evaluation, UNEG Guidelines for Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluations and UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation. The evaluation team will also have to ensure that ethical, human rights including LNOB, gender equality and environmental principles are duly integrated at all stages of the evaluation process.

The evaluation methodology shall comprise but not be limited to the following tasks:

1. Conduct desk review of data and documentation, including activity and results reports that will be made available to the consultant by ASFEC and UNESCO.
2. Conduct initial interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and other meetings (remotely, if consultant is not based in the Republic of Egypt) with the Centre’s stakeholders, including the Centre’s staff and management, implementing partners, strategic partners, beneficiaries, UNESCO staff, other relevant regional offices and institutions.
3. Conduct one on-site evaluation visit (5 working days) to collect data in person through individual interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with relevant stakeholders and review of documentation at the ASFEC in Cairo, Republic of Egypt.  

Present the findings of the evaluation and recommendation in the form of an evaluation report and a Power Point presentation. While the bidding evaluation consultant is free to propose his or her own methodologies, it is important that he/she be appropriate to answer the above-mentioned parameters. Preference will be given to proposals that suggest innovative methods and analytical approaches.

5. Deliverables

The evaluation is estimated to require 25 professional working days and shall be completed by mid-December 2025. The independent evaluation consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:

1. An inception report (max 5 pages)

An inception report should include a detailed description of the approach and methodology, as well as an evaluation matrix, draft theory of change and a detailed timetable for the assignment.   [Inception note needs to be validated by the Evaluation manager and/or the evaluation reference group]

2. Draft evaluation report (maximum 10-15 pages, excluding the executive summary and annexes)

The draft report should be structured as follows:

• Executive summary (to be drafted after feedback on the evaluation report), including the recommendations 
• Management response
• Purpose of the review 
• Scope of the review 
• Methodology 

• Findings, recommendations and conclusions (core part of the report), including an assessment of the centre against each of the criteria of the Strategy and a formal recommendation on the continuation of the category 2 status. The findings, conclusions and recommendations should be structured by evaluation questions and supported by relevant evidence.
• Annexes (including interview list, key documents consulted, Terms of Reference, theory of change, interview protocols, some evidence may also be provided in an annex, bio data of consultant).

The process for preparing the draft evaluation report should allow sufficient time for discussion and validation of the findings and the recommendations with the relevant UNESCO programme section and pertinent stakeholders, including the government(s) that proposed the renewal of the Centre itself.

iii. Validation workshop with key stakeholders (online)

To present, discuss and validate/refine the findings and recommendations.   

iv. Final evaluation report and executive summary (max. 10-15 pages excluding executive summary and annexes)

The final evaluation report should include the elements mentioned under point 4, including UNESCO’s feedback. The final evaluation report also includes the Executive Summary. The Executive Summary should be 2 pages max and written in the style of the UNESCO Executive Board Document.

A presentation for communication of the findings and recommendations (Evaluation brief, infographics and or Power Point presentation)

The language of the deliverables is English.

6. Timeframe/duration

The expected duration of the consultancy is until 31 December2025.

In particular:

7. Budget and Logistics 

The independent expert will be contracted by the UNESCO Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan and Liaison Office for the Arab States.

S/he will be responsible for communication.  UNESCO’s Education Sector, notably the Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan and Liaison office for Arab States, will facilitate the review process, to the extent possible, by providing any relevant information, documents and facilitating access to related stakeholders.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education – Advanced academic degree (Master’s Degree or higher) in education or a related field

Experience

• At least ten (10) years of professional experience in a field related to UNESCO’s mandate;
• Experience in the field of education (at least three experiences/work assignments);
• Proven experience in leading evaluations, with experience in mixed-methods data collection and analysis (at least five experiences/work assignments);
• A strong record in designing, conducting and leading evaluations. At least some of this experience will be in the education-related area (5 experiences/ work assignments);
• Ability to engage with officials in the public sector, Ministries of Education, and the United Nations (at least three experiences/work assignments);
• Experience working internationally, including with the Arab League, UN organizations with a focus on the Middle-East and the Africa (at least three experiences/work assignments);
• Outstanding communication skills, with excellent command of spoken and written English; (demonstrated through at least three experiences/work assignments in UN language);
• Knowledge of and experience in applying gender equality analysis and in integrating gender equality dimensions in evaluation (3 experiences/work assignments);
• No previous affiliation with the Centre or involvement in the activities under review.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge and understanding of the global education agenda, Agenda 2030, and the SDGs, SDG4.6 (3 experiences/work assignments).
• Expertise in adult education, literacy, and lifelong learning, will be considered an advantage (three experiences/work assignments).
• Experience in evaluations of projects in the field of adult education, literacy, lifelong learning; (three experiences/work assignments).
• Knowledge of the role and mandate of UNESCO and its programmes (engagement/participation in /evaluation of UNESCO’s work in at least two instances).
• Understanding and application of UN mandates in Human Rights, Inclusion (LNOB), Gender Equality, and the Environment (3 experiences/work assignments).
• Experience with assignments focusing on multi-stakeholder partnerships, coordination and capacity building (3 experiences/work assignments).

References

UNESCO (2022). UNESCO 2022-29 Revised Evaluation Policy. Paris: UNESCO.

 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381664

UNESCO (2022). UNESCO 2023 UNESCO Evaluation Manual. Paris: UNESCO.

 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383948

UNEG (2020). UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation. New York City:

United Nations Evaluation Group.  http://www.unevaluation.org/document/detail/2866

UNEG (2010). UNEG Quality Checklist for Evaluation Reports. New York City:

United Nations Evaluation Group. Retrieved http://uneval.org/document/detail/607

UNEG (2014). Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluations. New York City:

United Nations Evaluation Group. Retrieved http://www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2107

UNEG (2017). Norms and Standards for Evaluation. New York City:

United Nations Evaluation Group. http://www.unevaluation.org/document/download/27

Long Description

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested applicants should click on "Apply Now", then download and complete the Employment History Form (World File). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information in English:

• An up-to-date CV stating details of educational qualifications, work experience, including prior experience of similar work;
• A list of past work or reports/publications written with hyperlinks to access such papers if they are available online or samples of such papers if they are only available offline;
• One page outlining how your past experience /credentials are relevant for this assignment;
• A brief proposal (1-2 pages) discussing the approach/methodology to undertake the assignment;
• A financial proposal indicating the proposed fee must be submitted.

 #Upon completing the Word file with all the requested information above, upload the file at the "My Employment History Form/My Documents" section of the online application form.

Only applications with complete submission of the above requested information will be considered.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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