UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Education…

The Ministry of Education, with support from United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), is embarking on reviewing and developing a new National Girls’ Education Strategy in an all-inclusive and participatory manner. The current strategy was developed in 2018, with a timeline of 2018-2023. Since it expired last year, the Ministry of Education plans to work with partners to review its implementation, challenges, and lessons learned. This review will guide identifying the major bottlenecks and barriers towards accelerating progress on girls’ education, equity and inclusion as the evidence base for the development of a context specific, doable and comprehensive new strategy. The strategy aims to provide a guiding framework for quality girls’ education, equity and inclusion in education programming, resource mobilization, allocation, utilization, and reporting, as well as coordination and monitoring of progress toward meeting national and international girls’ education standards.

At the expiration of the 2018-2023 National Girls’ Education Strategy, it is imperative to review the current strategy to guide the development of the new national girls’ education strategy that incorporates lessons and addresses emerging contexts, especially since Malawi has experienced multiple and overlapping emergencies such as COVID-19, Cholera and Tropical Cyclone Freddy. These have worsened the existing challenges that girls face to access, be retained, and complete their education at all levels. Malawi has also gone through various policy and legal framework changes that have a bearing on girls’ education. The need for a new Girls’ Education Strategy to incorporate new aspirations in view of these new policy changes, such as the Malawi 2063, Malawi Implementation Plan 2030 and National Education Sector Investment Plan (NESIP 2020-2030) cannot be overemphasized.

Additionally, reviewing the strategy will position the Ministry of Education and its partners to explore funding opportunities, including those from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)’s Girls’ Education Accelerator. This funding supports initiatives that help girls attend school and learn, driving transformational change. In this case, the Girls’ Education Accelerator provides resources to support gender equality and inclusion, where girls’ education has been identified as a main challenge. It is based on this background that as a key partner in girls’ education, the Ministry of Education, has requested UNICEF, within its mandate on education systems strengthening, to mobilize high-level, senior technical assistance in reviewing and developing the new national girls’ education strategy.

How can you make a difference?

The national consultant will jointly work closely with the Directorates of Policy and Planning and Secondary Education to provide technical expertise in reviewing the National Girls Education Strategy and developing the revised version.

He/She will undertake the following activities.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Academic qualification:

• Advanced University degree in Education, Social Sciences, Gender and Development, Womens laws or relevant disciplines. 

Work experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in strategic planning, and analysis, program design of the Gender and adolescent girls’ sector
• Demonstrable previous working experience designing multi-sectorial Girls’ Education interventions and innovation.
• Previous experience reviewing/developing Girls’ Education strategies in the youth/education sector review/development of policies in Malawi and Southern Africa Countries would be an advantage.
• Proven ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research.
• Proven ability to work under tight timelines.
• Proven ability to build consensus among a broad range of high-level stakeholders, including development partners and government, both from within and outside the sector.
• Experience in developing budgets and costing scenarios and identifying financial mechanisms to support girls’ education across all levels, including adolescent and youth programmes, would be considered an asset.

Knowledge, technical skills, and competencies:

• Knowledge in development of strategic frameworks
• Drive for results.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team to achieve goals.
• Ability to develop new and nurture existing internal and external networks, partnerships and relationships which deliver results.
• Ability to communicate confidently and persuasively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to analyze information, solve problems and make decisions in various contexts.
• Strategic thinking.
• The highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to adhering to required standards of conduct.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and participatory approaches for convening and leading workshops and written communication skills in English, computer literacy, and effective advocacy skills. 

Language Proficiency

Excellent written and spoken skills in English required. Knowledge of the one or more of the local languages of Malawi is an asset.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference  Terms of Reference_ National Girls Education Strategy Consultant.pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s 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.

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.

HOW TO APPLY…

Interested Individual Consultant should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Academic certificates
3. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the Individual Consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment
4. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees, stationery, communication, and other miscellaneous costs).   ANNEX I – Financial Proposal.xlsx Complete the attached form.
5. References details from three most recent supervisors.

Remarks: 

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.