Terms Of Reference For The Girls Education Advocacy In The Region (Gear) Project Baseline Study
Consultancy, Research Jobs
Job Description
Girls Education Advocacy in the Region (GEAR) project seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable education systems for girls and young women in rural and farming communities of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe through transnational education advocacy. The project will be implemented across the 3 countries from November 2021 to June 2024.
The broad approach employed by the project is to strengthen regional advocacy on the right to education by CSOs that directly work with adolescent girls and young women in rural and farming communities of the 3 countries. The project will resultantly lead to CSOs and communities holding their national governments accountable to global and regional frameworks on education such as SDG 4. Consequently, this will contribute towards addressing the challenges being faced by girls and young women in the rural and farming communities of the 3 countries.
The GEAR projects is designed to contribute to the operating component 3 of the Global Partnership for Education that seeks to create a stronger global and transnational enabling environment for national civil society advocacy and transparency efforts. By design the GEAR project has a significant representation of indigenous young people of Sothern Africa in the core members of the GEAR alliance and this represents a unique opportunity to amplify youth voices in transnational education advocacy by SADC CSOs.
Duties and Responsibilities
The targeted results will be achieved through the following initiatives;
1. Strengthening the capacities of CSOs from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to utilize and review processes on binding transnational frameworks on the right to education
2. Supporting in-country collaborations by CSOs to demand government accountability on the right to education using their commitment to progressive education frameworks
3. Supporting participation by CSOs in the review cycles of progressive educational frameworks
4. Supporting CSOs linking and learning on transnational education advocacy
Purpose of the Baseline Study
The Baseline Study on the state of young women and girl’s access to equitable and inclusive education in rural and farming communities will be conducted in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The consultant is expected to collect both quantitative and qualitative data which shall serve as an information base from which the progress of the project shall be measured and reported on at different intervals along the implementation cycle and after the project. After collecting the data, it shall be captured in the Results Framework of the program by the consultant. The consultant is also obliged to capture the correct data sources in the results framework template which shall be provided.
Scope of the baseline study
The study is intended to provide both quantitative and qualitative data for all the indicators captured in the results framework provided. Therefore, the consultant is expected to employ primary and secondary data collection methods such as desk review and collecting primary data, as appropriate from communities, government departments and other relevant partners and CSOs in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi respectively.
Methodology
The study is expected to collect both qualitative and quantitative data using various methods of data collection, as applicable.
Expected Deliverables
Concept Note/Inception report and Data collection tools: The concept note shall detail the scope of work, methodology, including sampling, data collection methods, data analysis methods, data quality assurance plan, risk management, staffing, and ethical considerations in conducting the study. This must be submitted within a maximum of 7 days after the inception meeting.
First draft report: Expected on the date to be agreed. This shall be done either virtually or face to face during a Validation meeting facilitated by the consultant to discuss preliminary findings.
Final Report: Expected on the date to be agreed. The layout of the report shall be as follows;
Executive Summary
Programme description
Purpose and objectives of the baseline
Methodology
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Annexes (including the list of stakeholders consulted during the baseline, key documents and websites consulted, terms of reference, etc.
A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the contents of the final report will be submitted to SAYWHAT on the date to be agreed
Qualifications and Experience
Required Expertise
Firm/Entity
Mandatory
Mandatory for Firm/Entity to have a minimum 5 years of regional or international experience in research
Mandatory for Firm/Entity to be registered in Africa, or have affiliation with an Africa-based Firm/Entity with presence in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Proven experience in designing and implementing baseline studies within the education sector and in East and Southern Africa, supported by a minimum of three (3) references
Demonstrable evidence of similar work undertaken previously, supported by one work sample which is no more than 5 years’ old
Desirable
Previous experience working with the UN on other assignments
Team Leader
Mandatory
Master’s Degree in any of the following fields: Education, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Health, Evaluation or other related studies; a PhD will be an added advantage
At least 10 years of relevant experience in conducting research at the national or regional level
Proven experience in conducting baseline studies within the education sector, supported by at least two (2) references
Proven experience in data collection, analysis and reporting, supported by at least two (2) references
Desirable
Previous experience working with the UN on other assignments
Failure to meet any of the mandatory criteria will result in disqualification of the submission.
