Closing date:

Education consultant (emergency and disaster risk reduction)

City/location:
N’Djamena, Chad with field visits to provinces, 1 mission to Dakar, Senegal
Organization:
United Nations Children's Fund (Global Headquarters, New York)

This job posting has closed

Purpose of Assignment

UNICEF Chad in collaboration with the UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO), UNESCO-IIEP and UNESCO Yaoundé is looking for a consultant to support the Ministry of Education to integrate Conflict and Disaster Risk Reduction measures into their Sector Planning Processes. This in order for the Ministry to be better able to exercise its responsibility in preparing for, planning and managing education crisis situations (natural disasters, conflicts, pandemics) and to include preparedness interventions into its education sector plans and national budgets for education.

Context Since 2003

Chad has been affected by an influx of approximately 300,000 Sudanese refugees, of which 66,000 are estimated to be school-aged children. There are also roughly 90,000 refugees from the Central African Republic, of which 11,000 are school-aged children, and an additional 160,000 internally displaced persons within Chad. Additionally, the recent Libyan crisis has seen the return of approximately 60,000 Chadians, and after two years of drought, flooding affected up to 9,000 people in the summer of 2010. Finally, food insecurity currently affects approximately 30% of Chadian households, and the country is also dealing with recent outbreak of cholera.

This project is an integral part of the comprehensive programme and will be implemented as part of UNICEF’s and UNESCO’s broader support for planning and management in Chad. The Ministry of Education is currently in the process of developing its Interim Strategy for Education (SIPEA) with the overall coordination and technical support of UNESCO Yaoundé. Oversight of the planning process, from the education sector diagnosis to the development of a capacity development strategy will be provided by UNESCO Yaoundé and in-country UNESCO staff. Through close collaboration with UNESCO Yaoundé and the Ministry of Educations’ Working Group on Education in Emergencies, UNICEF Chad, UNICEF WCARO and UNESCO-IIEP will strive to ensure that C/DRR measures are effectively embedded in this process, by hiring an in-country person (whose specific tasks are outlined in this Terms of References – see below), through distance support and in raising awareness among those individuals engaged in the development of the Interim Strategy.

Overall Project Description

• Overall Goal The overriding objective of this project is for ministries of education to be better able to exercise their responsibilities in preparing for, planning and managing education in crisis situations (natural disasters, conflicts, pandemics) and include preparedness interventions in their education sector plans and national budgets for education.

• This is in line with the overall goal of the Education Cluster which is to ensure “A predictable, well-coordinated response that addresses the education concerns of populations affected by humanitarian crises”. Within this overarching framework the Capacity Development Task Team aims to ensure that “Education Clusters and national actors have appropriate technical capacities”.

Project Objectives of the overall project

1. Support the Ministry of Education to integrate C/DRR measures in a specific planning area and;
2.Test the content and format of the recently developed Guidance notes to integrate C/DRR into Education Sector Planning Processes for Educational Planners for their relevance in Chad.
3. The project consists of three complementary components, whereby component (1) and (3) will fall under the specific tasks of the consultancy outlined in this Terms of Reference:

• In-country long-term support to the Ministry of Education provided by UNICEF, but with technical backstopping and ongoing distance support from UNESCO-IIEP. 
• Technical assistance by UNESCO-IIEP to support integration of conflict and disaster risk reduction in sector plans and policies, and delivery of an in-country course or technical assistance on the integration of such measures into the planning process (or one specific area of the planning).
• Advise and assist UNICEF Chad in its efforts to implement C/DRR measures in support of the Ministry of Education.

Given the participatory nature of planning, actors involved in this project will need to gather information from the local level that will then feed into district and central level decision making. Therefore, this project will be a four step process:

• Step 1: The in-country consultant hired for this project in close collaboration with the UNICEF Chad Education team will work together with district Ministry of Education officers (DREN) to advocate for and elaborate on conflict and disaster risk reduction measures (existing and potential) with key stakeholders at national and regional levels.
• Step 2: A central level in-country workshop will be held to further the process of integrating conflict and disaster risk reduction measures into the planning process, largely drawing on the Guidance Notes. This workshop will involve the participation of district and central-level ministry officials, including members of the Working Group of Education in Emergencies. It will also involve the participation of members of the national tam who are responsible for the development of the Interim Strategy. The district education officers will input the stakeholder feedback into the workshop. For the workshop, materials such as power points, exercises, hand-outs etc. will be developed by UNESCO-IIEP (based on the Guidance Notes “Integrating C/DRR into Education Sector Planning Processes”, UNICEF WCARO/UNESCO-IIEP, 2011). By going through a number of exercises and activities during the workshop and based on stakeholder feedback of the priorities, participants from the MoE will determine a specific step in the planning process (or cycle) where they would like more in-depth support to integrate C/DRR (for example there has been specific interest in integrating C/DRR into the regular EMIS system in Chad).
• Step 3: UNESCO-IIEP will support the integration of C/DRR in the Ministry’s planning process through a technical assistance mission of one week intensive training course with MoE officials on a specified planning and management theme and the integration of C/DRR within this planning step, as selected by the MoE. This approach will cover selected technical aspects of planning in depth, and will have education in emergencies and preparedness issues embedded in the content. Materials used will be based on UNESCO-IIEP’s existing educational planning courses, but will be adapted and translated to ensure the education sector’s vulnerabilities to natural disaster or conflict are sufficiently addressed. Participants may include education officials from both the central and regional levels.
• Step 4: UNESCO-IIEP will continue to support the development of the Ministry’s capacity to integrate and implement C/DRR measures in the education sector through technical assistance and/or intensive training course as they go through the planning process.

Specific Tasks Consultant

This Terms of Reference covers the activities required for the in-country technical assistance person, who will be based within UNICEF Chad/N’djamena and work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, UNESCO Yaoundé, UNESCO-IIEP and UNICEF WCARO to support the implementation of this project. Foreseen are field visits to provinces and one mission to Dakar/Senegal (UNICEF WCARO) at the start of the consultancy. Under the general guidance and supervision of the Chief of Education, the consultant’s main responsibilities will be as follows:

Coordination:
• Ensure coordination in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Education partners, UNICEF Chad/WCARO and UNESCO Yaoundé, UNESCO IIEP as requested for the smooth implementation of all activities foreseen under this project. C/DRR Capacity

Mapping:
• Identify Emergency Preparedness and Response/Disaster Risk Reduction capacity gaps in the education sector at national, provincial, district and communal/school levels and propose concrete actions for sustainable institutional capacity development. • Review undertaken C/DRR capacity assessment studies and documents in Chad based on already existing documents (“Etude diagnostique”).

Advocacy:
• Advocate for and elaborate on conflict and disaster risk reduction measures (existing and potential) with key stakeholders at national and regional levels. This includes advocacy for the inclusion of C/DRR in the Education Sector Plan for their institutionalisation within the education system in Chad. Guidance Notes (Integrating C/DRR into Education Sector Planning Processes):
• Analyse existing plans and systems against standards and procedures established in recently developed Guidance Notes “Integrating C/DRR into Education Sector Planning Processes”, UNICEF WCARO/UNESCO-IIEP, 2011) and provide feedback on the utility of the Notes.
• Be responsible for technical inputs and logistical organisation of the piloting and training workshop (see point 3.2 above) and other related missions by national trainers and technical assistants in-country in collaboration with UNICEF Chad/WARO, UNESCO Yaoundé, UNESCO IIEP and Ministry of Education.
• Pilot the “DRR in Education in Emergencies Guidance Note for Education Clusters” in coordination with the national Education Clusters an its sub-clusters and provide feedback to improve its utility.

Missions and Field Visits:
• Undertake initial mission to Dakar/Senegal (UNICEF WCARO) at the start of the contract (briefing mission) Training and Orientation

Materials:
• Select and compile training and orientation materials for those involved in programme implementation particularly in the area of C/DRR, including working with External relation Communication and C4D in preparation of donor visits and media coverage.

Documentation:
• Compile strong evidence (lessons learned, good practices etc.) for programme enhancement, advocacy and fundraising purposes.

Other:
• Facilitate all other activities foreseen in this project as requested.

Deliverables (End Products, Outcome)

1. Inception Report at the start of the contract
2. Review of Emergency Preparedness and response/Disaster Risk Reduction capacity development and institutionalisation achievements and gaps
3. Report, lessons learned and recommendations on of the capacity assessment study in Chad
4. Field mission reports drafted
5. Strategy to integrate C/DRR developed by Ministry, with support from IIEP and UNICEF
6. Materials on specific planning themes adapted to address risk reduction measures
7. Training course or technical assistance mission on specific planning theme undertaken.
8. Monthly summary progress reports
9. Final report including lessons learned and recommendations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Advanced university degree in education, social sciences, development studies or, other related field
• Work Experience: At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in education in the humanitarian/post-conflict sector (programme formulation, planning, management, and monitoring and evaluation, some of which should be in provision of quality basic education in emergency and/or early reconstruction settings).
• Language: Fluency in both French (the working language of the duty station) and English.

Required Skills/Competencies

• Good expertise in education sector policy and planning;
• Demonstrated understanding of emergency preparedness/disaster risk reduction capacity mapping and capacity development approaches;
• Knowledge of global emergency education issues and how these “translate” in the Western and Central Africa region;
• Demonstrated technical skills in the field of disasters, particularly the social and human dimensions of disaster impact, and understanding of the concepts of “risk”, “exposure” and “vulnerability” and how disaster impacts are mediated by different factors;
• Analytical and conceptual ability; good communication skills;
• Planning and monitoring skills, ability to organise work and projects;
• Ability to make timely and quality judgments and decisions;
• Computer skills, including internet navigation and various office applications;
• Commitment to continuous learning for professional development;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organisation;
• Initiative, passion and commitment to UNICEF’s mission and professional values.

Attachments

Terms of reference , English
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