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If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

 

Consultancy Title: Ghana Program Consultant

Division/Duty Station: Education Outcomes Fund, UNICEF

Home/ Office Based: Remote

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

In Ghana, the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) has played an instrumental role in the design and implementation of GEOP – The Ghana Education Outcomes Programme - Africa’s largest outcomes-based education initiative.  In partnership with the Ministry of Education, the World Bank and the UK Government (FCDO), EOF is helping to deliver a programme that improves literacy and numeracy levels in primary schools and reintegrates out-of-school children into mainstream education.

The consultant will be based in Accra and provide technical and programme management support to the Ministry of Education’s GEOP Management Unit, complementing EOF’s remote team. This will strengthen in-country capacity, enhance stakeholder engagement, and contribute to the effective delivery of GEOP through responsive advisory support, coordination, and knowledge-sharing

Scope of Work:

The consultant will provide technical programme management support to the Ministry of Education’s GEOP Management Unit in order to support effective delivery of the GEOP programme, ensuring smooth coordination, timely information-sharing, and effective implementation support

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1.  Support project implementation and delivery oversight, and support the implementing partners to solve complex problems that may arise. Maintain timelines, identify risks and mitigation strategies,  and escalate issues as needed

Deliverable 1: 

• 2 milestone tracking reports (2 pages each) 
• 2 updates to risk register (Excel)
• 2 summary performance reports (5–8 pages each) 

1 tracking report, 1 risk register update and 1 summary performance management report by 31.03.2026

The remainder by 30.04.2026

2.  Strengthen relationships and coordination with key stakeholders, including Ministry of Education officials, service providers, the World Bank, FCDO, and the Independent Verification Agent (IVA).

Deliverable 2: 
• 6 grantee query and coordination logs (2–3 pages each) 
• Summary of recurring themes/issues (updated twice)

3 grantee query and coordination logs and one summary of recurring themes and issues by 30.02.2026

The remainder by 30.04.2026

3. Provide technical guidance ahead of working sessions with grantees and government counterparts on operational problem-solving (e.g. data, safeguarding) 

Deliverable 3: 
•2 operational workshops (approx. 1 day each) 
• Workshop decks and short summaries (3 pages each) 

By 30.04.2026

4.  Conduct site visits to a sample of schools to monitor programme implementation, verify fidelity to design, gather qualitative feedback, and assess safeguarding systems. Provide recommendations for the improvement of Implementing Partners’ safeguarding practices, and follow up to monitor the implementation of these improvements.

Deliverable 4: 
• 2 site visits  
• 2 visit reports (5 pages each), including a section with safeguarding assessments, tailored recommendations, and a short update on implementation of previously suggested improvements

1 site visit by 31.01.2026

The remainder by 30.04.2026

5.  Draft internal technical notes and implementation guidance for EOF central team based on field-level issues, policy shifts, and process adaptations

Deliverable 5 

• 2 implementation guidance notes (3–4 pages each):topics may include referrals, peer learning models, registration support, etc

1 by 31.01.2026

The second by 30.04.2026

6.  Support the EOF communications team to implement an effective communications strategy

Deliverable 6 

• Drafted communications calendar and asset tracker for 2026-2027

• Draft and quality assure at least 2 third-party content products (e.g., videos, infographics, or photo essays) 

• Vendor briefings and review notes for at least 2 creative service providers 

• Dissemination plans for at least 1 key visibility moment (e.g., launch, annual learning event, evaluation release) 

Communications calendar and asset tracker by 30.11.2025

The remainder by 30.04.2026

Travel: estimated 2 site visits .

Qualifications

Education: A bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject, such as Education, International Development, Economics, Politics, Public Policy, is required

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience in education, program coordination, consulting, or a similar field.

• A strong education sector background with significant experience of working with the Ministry of Education in Ghana to deliver key sectoral priorities in either an advisory or management capacity. 

• Strong and proven project management expertise with a track record of driving or supporting effective programme delivery. 

• Excellent adaptive management skills, responsiveness and agility Excellent team collaboration skills and experience of working with government officials in a technical advisory capacity.  
• Demonstrable experience of working effectively with donors and development partners. 
• A strong track record of working effectively with senior officials in government. 
• A good understanding of the policy, political and operational context of education sector delivery in Ghana, ideally focused on foundational learning and/or complementary basic education initiatives. 
• Experience of working for, or in partnership with, well respected education sector NGOs

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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. 

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. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s 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. 

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.