Consultant (Portuguese and English speaking)

Consultant (Portuguese and English speaking)

Overview

With more than 50 years of experience developing the capacity of member states, IIEP- UNESCO is the only specialized organization with the mandate to support education policy, planning and management in the UN system.

For decades, IIEP-UNESCO has been working with UNESCO Member States to develop more inclusive systems, in particular by helping them to become more responsive to gender issues, crises and conflicts, and climate change. Through a Programme funded by the Italian Cooperation though the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the IIEP-UNESCO in Africa is strengthening its commitment to supporting countries in making their systems more inclusive for children and young people with disabilities.

Indeed, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the IIEP-UNESCO in Africa have signed an agreement for the joint development of a programme on inclusive education for children and youth with disabilities in West Africa. This programme, entitled "Planning for inclusive education. Regional Programme in West Africa”, has the following development objective: ’Education systems in West Africa are inclusive, ensuring that girls, boys, young women and young men with disabilities have the same opportunities for access and learning as all other children and young people". It is being implemented in eight (8) West African countries (Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone) and consists of four components: Component 1: Hybrid Training; Component 2: Knowledge sharing; Component 3: Evidence generation; Component 4: Technical support for analysis and planning.

Application Closing Date: 04/10/2026

Assignments

Under the authority of the Head of IIEP-UNESCO in Africa, under the supervision of the

Education

• Policy Analyst and Planner ensuring the technical supervision of components 3 and 4 implementation in Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone, and in collaboration with the regional programme coordinator, the consultant will be in charge of the following tasks and responsibilities, and related deliverables.

• The consultant is expected to carry out the assigned technical work with a high degree of autonomy, while working within IIEP-UNESCO’s technical assistance approach and in close collaboration with national stakeholders. Recommendations, prioritization, validation and decisions regarding the adoption of proposed approaches, tools or processes will remain participatory and nationally owned.

• Support the implementation of component 3, Generation of evidence-based data, for Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone

• Support the review and assessment of existing education data collection tools, processes, indicators and documentation, including the

Education

• Census/EMIS and other relevant instruments, with attention to disability-inclusive data collection, key gaps, and existing national arrangements.

• Support stakeholder consultations and technical exchanges to complement the diagnostic, document current practices and constraints, and identify information needs and areas for improvement.

• Prepare a diagnostic note summarizing the main findings, identified gaps, information needs, and proposed areas for strengthening.

• Develop technical recommendations and proposed adaptations to strengthen disability-inclusive data collection, in line with national priorities, stakeholder inputs, and relevant international guidance, including the Washington Group approach where applicable.

• Support the revision, testing and finalization of relevant EMIS/data collection tools, indicators and related guidance, incorporating agreed feedback from the technical review and validation process.

• Support the preparation and delivery of capacity-development activities and materials for Ministry of Education staff on the updated tools and procedures.

• Long Description

• 2. Support the implementation of component 4 Technical support for analysis and planning for Guinea Bissau

• Support the technical review of the Inclusive

Education

• Strategy and related documentation, and provide inputs to strengthen its structure, coherence and alignment with inclusive education priorities.

• Support the organization of the technical work with the national technical team, including inputs on the approach, analytical requirements and priority areas for revision.

• Elaborate the context and challenges chapter, ensuring accuracy, clarity and alignment with available evidence and current sector realities.

• Support the revision of the strategy’s objectives, strategic priorities, proposed interventions and cross cutting considerations, through remote consultations and in country work where relevant.

• Support the formulation and prioritization of activities, as well as the development of the action plan, costing and budgeting, including key assumptions, timelines, responsibilities and resource requirements.

• Contribute to the revision and consolidation of strategy chapters and workshop outputs, ensuring coherence across the strategic framework, action plan, costing, and implementation arrangements.

• Support the preparation of the draft Monitoring and Evaluation framework, including indicators, baselines, targets, responsibilities, institutional arrangements and links with the action plan.

• Support the review and finalization of the overall strategy, action plan, M&E framework and implementation arrangements, incorporating agreed feedback and preparing the documents for national consultation and validation.

• Long Description

2. Support the implementation of component 4 Technical support for analysis and planning for Guinea Bissau:

• Technical review note on the Inclusive

Education

• Strategy: A concise note summarizing the main proposed revisions to strengthen the structure, coherence and alignment of the strategy with inclusive education priorities.
• Updated Context and Challenges Chapter: Revised chapter reflecting updated evidence, analysis and sector challenges.
• Draft strategic priorities and activities chapter: draft chapter presenting the revised priorities, activities, intervention logic and implementation considerations.
• action plan, programming and costing matrix: Structured matrix detail