OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Guyana

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 31-MAR-2025

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

Only nationals of Guyana or  candidates entitled to work in Guyana with a valid work permit may apply.

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

In February 2023, the Ministry of Education (MoE) of Guyana and its partners endorsed the Partnership Compact, a document defining the roadmap to achieve Guyana’s education system transformation. The identified priority of the Compact is to “Strengthen Instructional Leadership at District and School Levels”. The objective is to “Promote equitable learning by strengthening culturally responsive and effective instructional leadership and improved accountability at the district and school levels.” To achieve this, the MoE was granted a Global Partnership for Education (GPE)‘s System Transformation Grant (STG) (hereafter “the project”). The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was selected as the Grant Agent to implement the grant in collaboration with the MoE, with the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) as lead implementation partner. The STG will be implemented through a comprehensive four-year program, relying on two main components: 1) Strengthening school and district leadership with the creation of a Leadership Academy; and 2) Improving sector management.

Component 1: Leadership Academy. The aim of this component is to equip district and school leaders for leading transformation in schools and districts by (a) establishing a Leadership Academy for their continuous training and professional development in culturally responsive instructional leadership; and (b) strengthening culturally responsive instructional leadership, planning and data-based decision-making at district and school levels. The component has the following two sub-components.

Sub-component 1.1. Training and Support of District and School Leaders. The Leadership Academy will be a new structure within the education system, with the mandate and capacity to deliver and maintain high quality, relevant, and responsible certification, and continuous professional development programs for practicing and aspiring school and district leaders. The training program will be composed of two main sequences: one common core of six-month duration for all participants, followed by three-month specialized tracks for school leaders, on the one hand, and district leaders, on the other. The training will emphasize a handson approach in a hybrid modality (in-person and on-line) and both individual and group learning.

Long Description

Activities under this sub-component include:

i.    The design of the institutional development strategy for the Leadership Academy, in close collaboration with national stakeholders. It will encompass a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for the Leadership Academy’s development -including its vision, mission, values, target beneficiaries, key strategies, and priority activities– as well as an implementation plan. This document will also outline the physical, human, and financial resources necessary for the Academy's development, including the actors involved, resources required and contextual factors that need to be aligned. Furthermore, it will incorporate a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework to measure key accomplishments. The objective is to provide guidance to the MoE in establishing an independent and sustainable structure.
ii.    The development of leadership programs for school and district leaders.
iii.    The development of a virtual platform to host the training.
iv.    The training of 200 to 300 school leaders and MoE district and central planners and managers.
v.    The provision of a mentoring program for the participants of the Leadership Academy. vi. The development of Communities of Practice for district and school leaders.
 

Sub-component 1.2. Development and Review of Guidelines. The objective is to:

i.    Revise/develop guidelines for School Improvement Plans (SIPs) and District Strategic Plans (DSPs) to promote culturally responsive and evidence-based planning.
ii.    Review and update guidelines for Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Boards as well as capacity building for the School Boards to increase parent and community engagement in schools and promote culturally responsive leadership practices.
The main output of this sub-component includes revised guidelines for SIPs and DSPs as well as guidelines for PTAs and School Boards.

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Component 2. System Improvements. The aim of the component is to revisit and enhance the allocation of educational resources in Guyana, improve accountability within the education system, and strengthen coordination mechanisms between authorities at national, regional, district, and school levels by:

i.    Developing a more equitable system for the allocation of human, material, and financial resources to schools.
ii.    Upgrading desk manuals for district and school leadership to align with the redefined roles and responsibilities under a culturally responsible instructional leadership paradigm.
iii.    Improving collaboration channels across the system to ensure that district and school leaders are supported in their efforts on instructional leadership.
 

The component has the following two sub-components.
Sub-component 2.1. Resource Allocation: Efficient Allocation and Assignment Mechanism. The aim of this sub-component is to support the MoE in the development and implementation of: (i) a resource allocation mechanism consistent with budgetary provisions to regions and schools; and (ii) a revised teacher allocation policy and assignment mechanism.
Sub-component 2.2. Improving Accountability. This sub-component will include:

i.    A capacity analysis of district and school leaders in Guyana.
ii.    The upgrading of desk manuals, including job descriptions and organigrams, for district and school leaders.
iii.    The improvement of communication and coordination among schools, regional departments, and central units of the MoE.

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objectives for its first year of implementation through participation in Component 1 (Leadership Academy) and 2 (System improvement). Specifically, it focuses on ensuring the liaison in Guyana between the IIEP and the Guyana MoE. The role of the IIEP liaison officer includes:
Facilitating communication and coordination between the IIEP and the Guyana MoE through its Project Implementation Unit (PIU), as well as with national and local stakeholders.
Assist in data collection, tool preparation, and analysis for the capacity assessment activity.
Supporting the IIEP team in organizing both face-to-face and online events within the project's framework.
Assisting in the preparation of missions for IIEP staff.
Providing comprehensive support in project management and monitoring by coordinating with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and IIEP.
The liaison officer acts as a bridge, ensuring smooth communication and coordination in the organization of events and access to documents and data, and providing logistical and organizational support to ensure the project's successful implementation.
This assignment focuses on carrying out the duties, tasks, and expected outputs outlined in section 3 below.

Duties and Expected Output

Duties and Expected Output

Specifically, the consultant will be tasked to ensure the liaison between IIEP and the Guyana MoE and other stakeholders in the following activities:
Component 1. Leadership Academy:  
Sub-component 1.1: Training and Support of District and School Leaders
Leadership     academy     design     (institutional     strategy     and roadmap):
Facilitate the organization of the IIEP data collection mission to Guyana: i) facilitate the communication and coordination with the MoE regarding the scheduling of interviews and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders and partners; and ii) liaise with the MoE to facilitate the access of the IIEP team to relevant documents and data before, during, and after the mission. This will involve attending online preparatory meetings with the IIEP team and being available for IIEP’s requests related to the mission during the mission days.
Facilitate the organization of the face-to-face co-design workshop on the institutional strategy of the Leadership Academy: i) attend online preparatory meetings with the IIEP team; ii) support in the identification of participants; iii) liaise with the MoE PIU on behalf of IIEP for the logistical organization of the workshop (including, among other things: venue, accommodation, coffee breaks and lunches, invitations and communication with participants, coordination with the MoE communication officer, workshop supplies, etc.); iv) attend the workshop sessions and be available to address IIEP’s requests related to the workshop; v) liaise with participants for the completion of the evaluation questionnaire after the workshop; vi) liaise with the MoE to facilitate the access of the IIEP team to relevant documents and data before, during, and after the workshop; and vii) facilitate the organization of follow-up online meetings with national stakeholders.
Facilitate the organization of the online validation workshop on the institutional strategy and roadmap of the Leadership Academy: i) attend online preparatory meetings with the IIEP team; ii) support in the identification of participants ; iii) liaise with the MoE PIU on behalf of IIEP for the logistical organization of the event (including, among other things: invitations and communication with participants; etc.); iv) attend the workshop sessions and be available to address IIEP’s requests related to the workshop; and v) liaise with participants for the completion of the evaluation questionnaire after the workshop.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of education, educational planning and management, international development, social sciences, economics, or another related field.
 
Professional experience:
At least 7 years working in the education sector.
At least 3 years of experience working with Ministries of Education and development partners in Guyana and/or the Caribbean region.
At least 3 years of professional experience in project coordination and management.
Competencies:
Excellent knowledge of Guyana.
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders at different levels.
Strong ability in organizing events, including logistical arrangements.
Excellent ability to manage schedules and coordinate with multiple parties.
 
Experience in project monitoring.
Problem-solving skills, with proactive approach to finding solutions and ensuring smooth project execution.
Familiarity with data collection (qualitative and quantitative).
Strong IT skills, including knowledge of MS Office suite such as Word and Excel.

Language:
Fluency in English (oral and written).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Experience developing training programs for adults
At least two references working with international organizations.
At least 1 year working as an independent consultant
 Supervisory arrangements
The consultant will complete the tasks specified in this contract under the overall authority of the IIEP Director and the Technical Cooperation Team lead. They will report directly to the IIEP project lead for the Guyana Project. The consultant will participate in regular meetings with the IIEP team to get informed on the progress of the project and activities, and to report on the progress of the consultancy’s tasks.
 
Facilities to be provided by the consultant
The consultant will be expected to provide photos taken during field work missions, using the following permission forms (links are provided in Attachment C):
Image and voice consent statement for an adult
Image and voice consent statement for a minor (under 18)
Image and voice consent statement for an adult who cannot read/write or is visually impaired

Long Description

DURATION OF CONTRACT
This consultancy is for 11 months.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SUPPORT

Home-based consultancy in Guyana:
The consultant must be a national of Guyana or possess a valid work permit to work in Guyana. If applicable, please include the work permit in your application. The work permit must be valid for the entire duration of the consultancy.
Travel
This consultancy is home-based (in Guyana) with possible travel within Guyana, and the capacity to meet with Ministry of Education officers within short notice. IIEP will cover travel costs according to UN travel rules (Economy air tickets, DSA) while on mission. All travel must be organized by the applicant themself.

Documentation

To carry out this work, IIEP will provide the consultant with all the administrative and analytical documentation available in relation to the work.
Payment
Payment is conditional on the completion of the tasks and the satisfactory submission of the deliverables within the deadlines defined above, unless otherwise agreed with the project leader.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to apply before 14 March 2025 by submitting:
An updated CV via UNESCO CAREERS
A technical and a financial proposal (maximum 5 pages) to: consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org

NOTE: The CV together with the technical and financial proposal must be sent to the email address consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org for the file to be eligible. The technical and financial offer should briefly outline:
The consultant’s appreciation of the mission, its scope, and the challenges for its implementation.
The consultant’s understanding of the assignments, highlighting their relevant experience.
The consultant’s proposed remuneration based on the deliverables requested.
Applications that do not include this information will not be considered for the following phases of the counting process.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The consultant may be selected before the date indicated above. Only retained candidates will be contacted.
 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to apply before 14 March 2025 by submitting:
An updated CV via UNESCO CAREERS
A technical and a financial proposal (maximum 5 pages) to: consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org
NOTE: The CV together with the technical and financial proposal must be sent to the email address consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org for the file to be eligible. The technical and financial offer should briefly outline:
The consultant’s appreciation of the mission, its scope, and the challenges for its implementation.
The consultant’s understanding of the assignments, highlighting their relevant experience.
The consultant’s proposed remuneration based on the deliverables requested.
Applications that do not include this information will not be considered for the following phases of the counting process.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The consultant may be selected before the date indicated above. Only retained candidates will be contacted.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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