Contract Duration- 6.13 months

Working arrangement: Home Based

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                                                         TERMS OF REFERENCE

This assignment commissions an international evaluator to conduct a formative evaluation of the Joint Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Project in Tajikistan — Component 2, implemented by UNICEF — covering the full six-year trajectory of Phase I and Phase II. The evaluation is mandated under Activity 2.3.4 of the Phase II Project Appraisal Document and was expanded in scope, following consultation with IsDB/GPE, and will cover both phases in order to assess the cumulative direction of reform and generate evidence for future programming decisions.

The evaluation will provide an independent, formative, DAC-aligned assessment of the three core reform models developed under this project:

•          the Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) model for Mathematics and Tajik language;

•          the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) model for in-service teacher development; and

•          the Pedagogical Practicum model for pre-service teacher education.

The International Consultant is the independent lead evaluator responsible for overall methodological rigour, analytical integrity, quality assurance, and authorship of all evaluation deliverables. A National Evaluation Consultant (contracted separately) will provide in-country research support — including document collection, stakeholder mapping, KII and FGD coordination, interpretation and note-taking, and translation — working under the direct technical direction of the International Consultant. The National Consultant is not an independent evaluator; analytical conclusions and recommendations remain the sole responsibility of the International Consultant.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  External ToR TMC0004615.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master's degree or PhD in education, educational measurement, evaluation, social sciences, or a closely related field; PhD is a strong asset.
• Work Experience:
  • Minimum 10 years' experience demonstrated in designing and leading independent evaluations or quality assurance studies of education programmes, including mixed-methods designs with qualitative components.
  • Experience with DAC framework evaluations and contribution-plausibility designs
  • Experience with CBE reform evaluations or comparable systemic education reform contexts.
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • Experience designing and conducting contribution-plausibility evaluations using comparison group designs; ability to clearly articulate the limitations of non-randomised evaluation designs.
  • Proven experience leading or coordinating large-scale data collection exercises involving institutional contractors, with demonstrated ability to manage data quality remotely.
  • Strong quantitative data analysis skills, including descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and contribution-plausibility analysis; proficiency in at least one statistical software package (SPSS, Stata, R, or equivalent).
  • Strong qualitative research skills, including thematic coding of focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation data.
  • Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, clearly written evaluation reports for international development audiences.
  • Demonstrated experience applying DAC evaluation criteria (Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency) in the context of education programme evaluations.
  • Proven experience with classroom observation-based research in school settings, including the design and validation of observation rubrics and their application to teacher practice measurement.
• Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required — the Final Report and all primary deliverables will be in English.
  • Professional working proficiency in Russian is a strong asset, given the bilingual context of fieldwork coordination and stakeholder engagement in Tajikistan.
  • Knowledge of Tajik is an asset.
• Desirables:
  • Demonstrated experience integrating gender equality, equity and child rights considerations into education evaluation design, instruments, analysis and reporting (beyond disaggregation), consistent with UNICEF ethical standards and safeguarding expectations.
  • Experience assessing competency-based education reforms, curriculum development processes, in-service teacher professional learning systems, or learning assessment systems in low- or middle-income country contexts is a strong asset.
  • Experience working in Central Asian or post-Soviet education systems, or in education systems undergoing systemic reform in comparable contexts, is a strong asset.
  • Experience with UNICEF, World Bank, or other multilateral education programme evaluations is desirable.
  • Experience producing infographics and data visualizations for non-specialist audiences is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal template TMC0004615.xlsx

• A detailed technical proposal:

Applicants are required to submit a Technical proposal demonstrating their understanding of the assignment and approach to conducting the evaluation.

The technical proposal should not exceed 4 pages and should include the following:

• • Understanding of tasks and objectives of evaluation;
  • The detailed approach and methodology for the evaluation according to the Terms of Reference requirements.
  • Writing Quality and Report Samples 
  • Quality and clarity of writing in English in submitted report samples (two samples of previous evaluation reports similar to the assignment, completed by the applicant required).

Remarks:  

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.