UNICEF works in some of the worldโs toughest places, to reach the worldโs most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.ย
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.ย
And we never give up.ย
For every child, EDUCATIONย
There are few greater challenges faced by the global community than the twin crises of learning poverty and youth unemployment. In response, the Education Commission and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment came together with our founding CEO Amel Karboul to create the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF).
EOF is a UNICEF-hosted fund with a mandate to champion Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) for education at all levels. We aim to improve the education and employment outcomes for children and youth, by bringing together governments, public and private funders, implementing partners, and impact investors to achieve tangible, verified outcomes. We are backed byย a range of world leaders who support us to shape our approach and achieve our ambitious aims.
Since its inception in 2018, EOF has established itself as a leading global player in OBF and the only dedicated centre of expertise for OBF in education and skills. With successful programs already underway in Basic Education in Ghana and Sierra Leone, EOF is now preparing to launch programs in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Rwanda, South Africa, and Sierra Leone, and a Skills for Employment program in Tunisia.
Since our inception in 2018, EOF has:
Become the first outcomes fund hosted by the United Nations within UNICEF, as a scalable platform to partner with governments around the world. Partnered with governments in Ghana and Sierra Leone to establish large-scale outcomes funds in Quality Basic Education, mobilising ~USD 50M for these programmes from partners such as FCDO, KOICA, Bank of America and Hempel Foundation. Established a USD 47 million partnership with the LEGO Foundation, to develop a portfolio of OBF programmes in early childhood care and education across a diverse range of countries, as well as to amplify the movement and ecosystem of partners around this approach. In partnership with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and Bank of America, EOF is launching our first Skills for Employment programme in Tunisia, focusing on end-to-end youth support from training to job placement and retention. Championed a new way for private impact investors to contribute to our programmes, assuming the financial risk and supporting implementing partners to achieve results. Our first programmes attracted 2-3x of the required impact investment, suggesting that the model is appealing to the private sector. Had our innovative approach featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, FT, Economist, Brookings, and more. Established a Learning & Engagement team which focuses on community building efforts, including the launch of the Collective Learning Initiative, bringing together actors in the OBF and early childhood care and education spaces to jointly surface learnings. Already started to change minds: from governments changing their sectorial strategy to embrace OBF and co-financing programme budgets, to international NGOs becoming more data-driven and focused on impact.How can you make a difference?
The Consultant (Rwanda, Program) will provide technical advice to the EOF team on the implementation of the program.
The consultant will report directly to EOFโs Programme Manager and work with all members of the EOF team.
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
Deliverable
Description
Estimated number of working days
Deadline/ timeline
Deliverable 1:
Contact reports from meetings with EOF's implementing partners in Rwanda.
Produce contact reports (estimated 1-2 pages) following meetings with EOF's implementing partners in Rwanda.Support the implementing partners to solve complex problems that may arise in implementation. For example, this could include answering questions that they may have on the programโs design, supporting with their queries about the evaluation methodology, addressing challenges with evaluators attending particular ECD centres, and answering their strategic questions about sustainability and embedding the program in government policy.
The work will involve preparing for the meetings, leading meetings, and writing contact reports. 96 days
(an estimated 1 day per contact report) At least 24 meetings by the end of 2025.
An additional 36 meetings by the end of 2026.
An additional 36 meetings by the end of 2027. Deliverable 2:
12 workshops delivered for EOFโs central team and its implementing partners to develop solutions to program implementation challenges. Organize the logistics for and facilitate half-day in-person workshops between EOFโs central team and its implementing partners to develop solutions to key implementation challenges that have arisen for the program.
Prepare pre-reading of estimated 20-page slide deck per workshop. 48
(4 days per workshop) Estimated 12 workshops overall
โข 3 by the end of 2025
โข An additional 4 by the end of 2026
โข An additional 4 by the end of 2027 Deliverable 3:
Site visits to EOFโs implementing partners conducted, with detailed reports (estimated 5-pages each) summarizing the key observations from the site visits. Conduct site visits (in coordination with EOFโs contracted independent evaluator) to a sample of program sites (5 sites per visit), ensuring program implementation aligns with standards.
Write detailed site visit reports summarizing activities, successes, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
Reports must be shared with stakeholders within one month after visits. 120
(8 days per site visit) 15 occasions through the program:
โข 5 by the end of 2025
โข An additional 4 by the end of 2026
โข An additional 5 by the end
of 2027
โข The final visit by the end of the assignment Deliverable 4:
12 Safeguarding reports written and shared with EOFโs implementing partners. Through information gathered in workshops with implementing partners and site visits, draft reports focused on Safeguarding (estimated 3 pages per report) for each of EOFโs implementing partners on 12 occasions, summarizing their strengths and areas for improvement.
Make recommendations for the improvement of their Safeguarding processes and monitor the implementation of these improvements. 96
(8 days per report) 3 reports in 2025
4 reports in 2026
4 reports in 2027
1 report in 2028 Deliverable 5:
6 site visits coordinated with EOFโs independent evaluator, and 6 reports written following each site visit. Coordinate with implementing partners and EOFโs contracted evaluation firm to organize site visits of the evaluation firm to ECD centres in accordance on 6 occasions across the assignment.
Provide 6 reports to EOFโs Program Manager on the progress and challenges of the evaluation implementation. 60
(10 days per bi-annual report and evaluation visits) 6 site visits overall and 6 reports in total
โข 1 by the end of 2025
โข 2 in 2026
โข 2 in 2027
โข 1 in 2028 Deliverable 6:
Pre-reading materials prepared, and governance meetings successfully facilitated, leading to resolution of key challenges. Develop technical guidance and pre-reading materials (estimate 20-slide PowerPoint) and facilitate governance meetings involving government, grantees (service providers / investors), the independent evaluator and donors.
The aim of these meetings is to resolve challenges that may arise between government, service providers and the evaluator, actively communicating with all parties to find solutions. This will include providing technical guidance based on sector best practices, the context needs and government priorities 72
Estimated 9 meetings across the assignment, 8 days per meeting 3 governance meetings by the end of 2025
An additional 3 by the end of 2026
An additional 3 by the end of 2027 Deliverable 7:
15 written reports on EOFโs implementing partners, their expenses and recommendations for how to improve their financial processes. Reports written and shared with EOFโs implementing partners. On 15 occasions throughout the contract, and supported by EOFโs Operations Specialist, contribute to the expense verification exercise for EOFโs program in Rwanda.
Contribute to a report for each implementing partner summarizing their transactions and including recommendations on how to improve their financial processes. 30
(2 days per verification exercise) 15 occasions through the program:
โข 3 in 2025
โข 5 in 2026
โข 5 in 2027
โข 2 in 2028 TOTAL ESTIMATED WORKING DAYS
522
ยTo qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆย
An advanced degree in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, international public policy, or a related field, is required.. A bachelorโs degree will be considered with an additional 2 years of relevant experience. A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in project management or program implementation. Experience with program implementation in Rwanda is required. Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda is required.DESIRED REQUIREMENTS
Experience with Safeguarding, particularly in an ECCE context in Rwanda, is strongly preferred. Experience in the Early Childhood Care and Education landscape is strongly preferred. Experience working in the education sector in Rwanda is preferred. Experience in project implementation in education, ideally from managing projects at NGOs or other delivery organisations. Experience in innovative finance, particularly Outcomes Based Funds, is strongly preferred. Experience liaising with a complex group of stakeholders in order to support program implementation in Rwanda is preferred.Experience working in a start-up/ scale-up environment; comfort and ability to thrive amidst ambiguity and to quickly (re-)adjust to new circumstances. Fluency in Kinyarwanda is preferred.For every Child, you demonstrateโฆย
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).ย
To view our competency framework, please visit ย here.ย
UNICEF is here to serve the worldโs most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.ย
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.ย
Remarks:ย ย
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.ย
Interested candidates are required to fully complete their application profile, upload a cover letter and their financial proposal that outlines the daily fee rate in USD and anticipated travel costs, as the consultancy assignment requires travel within Rwanda.
Applications with incomplete profile and without a financial proposal will not be considered.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered โstaff membersโ under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEFโs policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.ย
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.ย