Consultant - Analyse des Politiques Éducatives

Job Posting Organization:
The International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) of UNESCO, located in Dakar, Senegal, is a specialized institute dedicated to enhancing the capacity of UNESCO member states to plan and manage their educational systems. Established to support educational planning and management, IIEP-UNESCO Africa is known for its in-depth analyses of the educational sector and assists African countries in developing robust educational system development plans in line with the 2030 education agenda. The organization focuses on capacity building through diagnostic analyses, sector plans, and methodological tools that contribute to more relevant and sustainable educational policies. IIEP-UNESCO Africa also plays a significant role in producing knowledge for the education sector in Africa, ensuring that its activities are aligned with the needs of the region and its stakeholders.

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a crucial role in supporting partner countries, particularly in the areas of sector analysis and educational planning. The consultant will assist governments in designing, implementing, and monitoring educational policies and strategies tailored to their national contexts. This support will also involve a cross-cutting approach to strengthening national capacities to consolidate local expertise and ensure the sustainability of the processes initiated. The consultant is expected to work in a demanding environment, requiring close coordination with technical and financial partners, and will be engaged in multiple projects simultaneously. The position requires a seasoned professional with operational mastery of Portuguese, capable of autonomously handling complex activities from day one of the consultancy without a lengthy familiarization phase.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: 1) Conducting and supporting sector diagnostics: This includes collecting, processing, and analyzing data from relevant national and international databases (DHS, MICS, PASEC, national surveys, etc.), leading or co-leading the drafting of sector analysis chapters, and ensuring quality review of these chapters. 2) Supporting the development of financial simulation models in education: The consultant will design the architecture and projections of simulation models, ensuring methodological coherence and alignment with national contexts, process and analyze financial and statistical data necessary for model parameterization, and prepare and facilitate arbitration sessions with national authorities and technical partners. 3) Supporting the development, implementation, and monitoring of sector education plans: This involves assisting national teams in defining strategic priorities, objectives, and expected results of the sector plan, contributing to the development of programming, budgeting, and financing frameworks, supporting the preparation of action plans, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and implementation mechanisms, and participating in technical consultation processes and political dialogue with national stakeholders and technical partners. 4) Providing transversal support: This includes contributing to the implementation of the regional program on planning for the inclusion of learners with disabilities, supporting the development of technical proposals in response to country requests, assisting the Bureau management, and contributing to the capitalization of experiences and tools developed.

Required Qualifications:
The consultant must meet the following qualifications: A Master's degree in Economics, Statistics, or equivalent fields. A minimum of five years of relevant experience in analyzing educational systems in developing countries, preferably in Africa. Proven experience in leading or co-leading RESEN or similar processes, and in developing financial simulation models in education. The consultant must be able to contribute operationally to these tasks from day one of the consultancy, without a familiarization phase with methodologies or tools. Proven experience in designing social research instruments, particularly in surveys, sampling methods, data collection, data management, synthesis development, data analysis, and report writing. Experience in using databases, analysis tools, statistical modeling, and data visualization is also required.

Educational Background:
A Master's degree in Economics, Statistics, or related fields is required for this position. This educational background is essential to ensure that the consultant possesses the necessary analytical skills and knowledge to effectively contribute to the tasks outlined in the job description.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in the analysis of educational systems in developing countries, with a preference for experience in Africa. The consultant should have a proven track record in leading or co-leading educational sector analysis processes and financial simulation models, demonstrating the ability to engage with complex educational planning tasks from the outset of the consultancy.

Languages:
Excellent oral and written communication skills in Portuguese and English are mandatory, while knowledge of French would be considered an asset. Proficiency in these languages is crucial for effective communication with stakeholders and for the successful execution of the consultancy's responsibilities.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to be conducted remotely, with the consultant required to be available full-time during the working hours of the IIEP-UNESCO Africa office (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM GMT). The consultancy will last for eleven months, from October 1, 2026, to August 31, 202

• The remuneration will be discussed between the selected candidate and IIEP-UNESCO Dakar, based on the candidate's experience and in accordance with UNESCO's indicative remuneration scale for consultants. Payment is contingent upon the satisfactory delivery of deliverables within the specified deadlines. The application process requires candidates to submit a current CV, a technical proposal, and a financial proposal in USD, detailing their compensation for the eleven-month contract. Candidates should be aware that travel may be required for in-person meetings, with travel and accommodation costs covered by IIEP.