Senior Consultant - Early Childhood Education

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Remote

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) : 30-JUNE-2025

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

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background and Rationale

The Government of Balochistan (GoB), through its School Education Department (SED), recognizes the foundational importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE) for lifelong learning and equitable development. Guided by the Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP 2020–2025) and the Balochistan Partnership Compact (2024–2028), the province is undertaking comprehensive reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of ECE.

One critical bottleneck impeding ECE quality is the absence of a dedicated, professionalized ECE teacher cadre. Existing early childhood educators often lack the specialized training, career progression pathways, and institutional recognition needed to deliver developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and equitable early learning. While the 2015 ECE Policy initiated a foundation, it did not sufficiently address the systemic need for structured service rules and professional development for ECE teachers.  

In response to these critical challenges, the School Education Department (SED), with support from the GPE-System Capacity Grant (SCG), is undertaking a comprehensive reform of its policy framework. This includes the revision of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy, alongside the renewal of the overarching Education Policy and the Gender Equality in Education Policy to ensure coherence, inclusivity, and alignment with provincial priorities and international standards. A key component of this effort is the establishment of a dedicated ECE cadre, supported by the development and notification of service rules for the recruitment, deployment, and professional development of ECE teachers. This initiative aims to strengthen regulatory mechanisms, enhance service delivery, and improve learning outcomes at both the ECE and primary education levels.

Long Description

The professionalization of the ECE cadre under the SCG will also play a pivotal role in enabling the effective implementation of STG interventions. By introducing dedicated service rules for the recruitment and professional development of ECE teachers, the SCG will help institutionalize a qualified, accountable ECE workforce aligned with the goals of the STG. This foundational work will ensure that the expanded ECE services supported through the STG are delivered by trained personnel equipped with appropriate pedagogical skills and guided by clear performance standards. Through this alignment, the SCG not only strengthens systemic capacity but also directly contributes to improving the quality and long-term sustainability of service delivery under the STG.

Objectives of the Consultancy 

The objective of this consultancy is to support the Government of Balochistan, through SED, in the development of a dedicated ECE teacher cadre and accompanying service rules. The consultant shall:

• Define the structure, roles, and responsibilities within the ECE cadre.
• Develop career pathways, recruitment mechanisms, qualification standards, and continuous professional development requirements.
• Align the cadre framework with provincial, national, and international best practices and legal frameworks.
• Promote gender-responsive and inclusive workforce strategies, especially for recruiting and retaining qualified teachers in marginalized communities.

Scope of work and timeline 

Under the supervision of IIEP-UNESCO team coordinator, the consultant shall support the following activities:  

1) Inception and Situational Analysis 

a. Conduct a desk review of:

• 2015 ECE Policy, Provincial Education Policy (2015), BESP (2020–2025), and the Compact (2024–2028).
• Existing teacher service rules and human resource frameworks in Balochistan and other provinces in Pakistan.
• International ECE workforce standards (e.g., ILO, UNICEF, UNESCO).
• Comparative practices from similar low-resource and decentralized contexts.
• Relevant administrative data, surveys and reports. 

b. Participate in joint consultative online meetings with the ECE policy and education policy consultants to:

• Identify existing gaps in teacher preparation, deployment, training, and career development.
• Map the institutional roles and capacity needs related to ECE teacher management.

c. Co-prepare and co-facilitate inclusive and participatory consultative meetings and focus-groups with key stakeholders (to be identified) at both national and subnational levels (and including both public and non-public actors) to gather diverse inputs and perspectives on the current status and challenges of the ECE workforce in Balochistan (during a two-week mission in Quetta and/or at distance). Having inputs from ECE teachers and personnel will prove particularly important. 

d. Draft an analytical report on the current status and challenges of the ECE workforce in Balochistan, based on data analysis and consultations identifying key elements and opportunities for a cadre framework, including service rules.

Long Description

2) Drafting the ECE Cadre Framework and Service Rules  

e. Draft the ECE cadre and service rules framework, including:

• Cadre structure and entry points.
• Recruitment criteria, qualifications, and induction procedures.
• In-service training, performance evaluation, and career progression pathways.
• Institutional roles and capacity requirements.
• Incentives and retention strategies for remote or marginalized areas.
• Gender-responsive strategies and accommodations for female educators.

f. Ensure coherence with broader education reforms and alignment with the ECE Policy, the Provincial Education Policy and the Provincial Gender Equality in Education Policy.

3) Consultation and Validation

g. Co-design and co-facilitate a stakeholder consultation workshop (virtually) to:

• Present and validate the draft cadre and service rules.
• Gather inputs from education managers, teacher training institutes, district officials, ECE teachers and personnel, development partners and other key actors.

h. Revise the draft cadre framework based on feedback. 

4) Finalization

i. Submit the final version of the ECE cadre and service rules framework.

j. Contribute to the synthesis of policy linkages between the ECE cadre, ECE policy, Education Policy, and Gender Equality in Education Policy.

k. Prepare a summary policy brief and a PPT on ECE cadre for government dissemination use.

The development of the ECE teacher cadre(1) will be closely integrated with three key policy instruments: the revised Early Childhood Education (ECE) Policy, the overarching Education Policy, and the Gender Equality in Education Policy. This alignment is essential to ensure consistency across policy objectives and to leverage synergies in planning and implementation. 
Establishing strong alignment between these policies and the ECE teacher cadre is critical. The Education Policy will serve as the overarching framework, with the Gender Equality and ECE policies nested within it. Ensuring that the Gender Equality Policy aligns fully with both the Education and ECE policies is a key priority. Accordingly, the sequencing of work is proposed as follows: the ECE Policy will be reviewed first, followed by the development of the ECE teacher cadre framework, then the Education Policy, and finally the Gender Equality in Education Policy.
To avoid duplication of efforts and fragmented monitoring, it is recommended that each policy remain strategic in nature—focused on outlining core priorities, high-level strategies, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Detailed action plans, implementation strategies, and monitoring frameworks will be embedded within the forthcoming Education Sector Plan (ESP). The update of the ESP offers a timely opportunity to consolidate and operationalize these reforms—ensuring that the revised ECE, Education, and Gender Equality policies, along with the ECE teacher cadre, are translated into coherent, actionable plans supported by integrated results matrices for effective delivery and monitoring.

(1)The ECE Policy, the Education Policy and the Gender Equality in Education Policy will be coordinated by IIEP with the support of other experts. 

Consultancy duration

The consultancy will run over 9 months: 1st August 2025 – 30 April 2026. Most of the work will be conducted remotely, with one two-week mission in Quetta planned for October 2025.

Over the course of the assignment, the consultant will be responsible for delivering the following outputs: 

1) Inception and Situational Analysis (August – December 2025)

• Consultation preparation work, including key stakeholders’ identification and mapping and tools for data collection.
• Situational analysis of the current ECE workforce in Balochistan including data analysis and consultation findings to serve as a background document for the ECE Policy development. 

2) Drafting the ECE Cadre Framework and Service Rules (December 2025 – February 2026) 

• First draft of the ECE Cadre based on evidence gathered and stakeholders’ inputs.

3) Consultation and Finalization (February - April 2026)

• Draft 2 of the ECE Cadre: revised document incorporating feedback from SED and external experts. 
• PPTs illustrating key features of the ECE Cadre to support final consultation discussions.
• Final draft of the ECE Cadre: revised document incorporating feedback from the validation consultation.
• Summary policy brief and a PPT on ECE cadre for government dissemination use.

Payments

All deliverables will be subject to approval by IIEP. Payments will be released upon satisfactory submission of deliverables in English (editable formats may be required). Payment terms will be clarified during contracting.

Travel clause

If feasible, a one-week mission to Quetta, Pakistan will be conducted in October 2025. All travel will follow UNESCO rules and regulations (economy class, standard DSA, self-arranged travel with lump-sum reimbursement).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The consultant shall meet the following requirements:

Academic Qualifications:
Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Education, Human Resource Management, Public Policy, or a related field.

Professional Experience:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in education planning, teacher management, or public sector human resource policy.
• Proven experience in designing teacher cadres, service rules, or institutional frameworks.
• Experience in ECE or foundational learning initiatives is highly desirable.
• Proven experience in conducting assessments, stakeholder consultations, and facilitating participatory processes.
• Familiarity with decentralized education systems or low-resource contexts.
• Previous engagement with government education systems and international development organizations is an asset.

Long Description

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong analytical, drafting, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex data and information into actionable policy recommendations.
• Cultural sensitivity and the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders including government, civil society, and marginalized groups.
• Demonstrated experience in multi-stakeholder consultations and bringing diverse stakeholders together towards a common vision and knowledge.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Fluency in English (required). knowledge of Urdu or local languages is an asset.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to apply before 30 June 2025 midnight Paris time (UTC+2), by submitting:

• An updated CV (maximum five pages)
• 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:

Part 1: Technical Proposal

• An up-to-date curriculum vitae.
• A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment.
• An indication of the approach (methodology, detailed workplan) he/she would adopt to carry out the assignment.
• List of relevant publications, if any. Provide link or URL to view online.

Part 2: Financial Proposal

• The consultant’s proposed remuneration and fees expressed in USD based on the deliverables requested.
• Please do not include travel costs. Travel costs required during the consultancy will be included directly in the actual consultant contract.
• Please submit your supporting documents in English.

Applications that do not include this information will not be considered for the following phases of the counting process.
Only retained candidates will be contacted.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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