National Consultant (Education)

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level : Level 2 - Middle

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Liberia

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 4 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC±0 (UTC) Time) : 15/11/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW

The Government of Liberia recognizes Early Childhood Education (ECE) as a critical component of children’s holistic development, supporting their cognitive, physical, language, social, and emotional growth while laying a strong foundation for school readiness, lifelong learning, and well-being. Quality ECE can also contribute to improved learning outcomes throughout the education cycle when supported by inclusive provision, effective teaching, and continuity of learning.

Liberia has made significant progress in expanding access to education following years of disruption caused by civil conflict, disease outbreaks, and other emergencies. However, the ECE sub-sector continues to face several challenges that affect both access and quality. These include disparities in access between urban and rural areas, inadequate learning facilities and teaching materials, insufficient numbers of trained ECE teachers, weak quality assurance mechanisms, limited financing, and inadequate coordination among institutions responsible for early childhood development and education services. Additionally, existing policy and regulatory frameworks require strengthening to respond to emerging priorities, ensure coherence across interventions, and provide clear guidance for stakeholders involved in the provision of ECE services.

The Ministry of Education has identified the need to develop a comprehensive Early Childhood Education Policy that will provide a clear strategic framework for the growth and development of the sub-sector. The policy is expected to articulate a national vision for ECE, establish standards and quality benchmarks, clarify institutional roles and responsibilities, strengthen governance and accountability mechanisms, promote inclusion and equity, and guide investments and partnerships in support of quality early learning opportunities for all children in Liberia.

The development of the policy is particularly important as Liberia continues to implement education sector reforms aimed at improving foundational learning. Evidence from national and international assessments highlights the importance of investing in early learning as a means of addressing learning deficits and improving educational outcomes at later stages. A dedicated ECE policy will therefore support the integration of early learning priorities into broader education sector planning and ensure that interventions are aligned with the needs of Liberian children and communities.

Long Description

To support this process, UNESCO, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders, seeks to engage a National Consultant to provide technical assistance in the development of the ECE Policy. The consultant will facilitate a participatory and evidence-based policy development process, including a review of existing legislation, policies, strategies, and research; stakeholder consultations at national and sub-national levels; analysis of challenges and opportunities within the ECE sub-sector; and preparation of policy drafts and validation materials.

The consultancy will ensure that the policy development process reflects international good practices while remaining responsive to Liberia's unique social, economic, cultural, and educational context. The resulting ECE Policy and Implementation Framework will provide a roadmap for improving access, quality, equity, governance, financing, and monitoring of ECE services and will contribute to ensuring that every Liberian child has the opportunity to benefit from quality early learning experiences and succeed throughout their educational journey and beyond.

Under the overall authority of the Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for West Africa in Dakar and in coordination with the UNESCO technical team, the consultant will provide technical assistance for the development of Liberia’s national ECE Policy, aligned with the wider education policy. The consultant will work under the technical guidance of the Bureau of Early Childhood Education (BECE), Ministry of Education of Liberia, and support the preparation of an accompanying three-year implementation plan for 2027–2029.

The consultant shall provide technical assistance in the following areas:

• Inception phase: Preparing an inception report with a detailed, Liberia-contextualized work plan for developing the ECE Policy and its three-year implementation plan, specifying the methodology, activities, stakeholder-engagement approach, timelines, responsibilities, dependencies, and deliverables.

• Situation analysis: Participating in the conduct of a quantitative and qualitative situation analysis of ECE issues in Liberia and in the preparation of a situation analysis report;

• Policy document preparation and cost simulation:

• • Policy framing and cost simulation: The consultant will contribute to the development of a framing document outlining the proposed policy orientations and contextualize the existing sector-wide simulation model to reflect Liberia’s ECE context. The consultant will also develop cost projections and alternative implementation scenarios to inform a costed three-year implementation plan accompanying the ECE Policy.
  • Drafting and revising an ECE policy and a three-year implementation plan for Liberia in relation to the overall education policy, based on the results of the situation analysis and stakeholder consultations.

SCOPE OF WORK

SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will work closely with UNESCO’s technical team, the Ministry of Education, and relevant stakeholders to support the review, drafting, validation, and finalization of the National Early Childhood Education (ECE) Policy and its implementation framework.

Inception phase

The consultant shall prepare an inception report that contains a detailed, contextualized workplan on the development of ECE policy and three-year implementation plan for Liberia highlighting the methodology, timelines and key deliverables. The work will be conducted in consultation with the focal point for this project of the Ministry of Education and UNESCO technical team.

Situation analysis

The situation analysis will use ECCE-PATT and UNESCO’s Education Sector Analysis (ESA) methodological guidelines. The analysis should combine stakeholder-based assessment with quantitative evidence to examine policy and governance, access and participation, quality and relevance, and the ECE workforce. The inception report should specify the data sources, indicators, county-level and urban–rural disaggregation where data permit, analytical methods, stakeholder coverage, limitations, and how findings will inform policy priorities, cost scenarios, and the monitoring framework.

Long Description

To this effect, the consultant will:

• Familiarize her/himself with the ECCE-PATT and ESA tools
• Collect reference documents (e.g. legal frameworks, policies, guidelines, statistical reports, studies) and databases (EMIS, financial data, etc.) that will be needed for the analysis.
• Support BECE in organizing the process of the situation analysis (e.g. setting up four thematic working groups composed of relevant stakeholders), including the organization of the ECCE-PATT workshop that will take place back-to-back with the launch event with the presence of the UNESCO mission.
• Lead and facilitate the situation analysis workshop, together with the UNESCO mission; and ensure the collection and compilation of the results of the thematic group work and plenary discussions.
• Prepare a draft ECE analysis report (approximately 40 pages without annexes) based on the results of the above-mentioned workshop and in line with the report outline proposed by UNESCO.
• Support BECE in preparing the agenda for the workshop to finalize the ECE situation analysis report, including the presentation of findings, discussion of recommendations, and validation of the report. BECE will determine the participants, and the consultant will facilitate the discussions and document agreed revisions.
• Finalise the ECE analysis report integrating final comments and recommendations generated from the above-mentioned workshop.

Long Description

Policy document preparation and cost simulation

• Draft a framing document that will provide broad orientations for developing an ECE policy, based on the findings, recommendations and priority actions identified through the ECE situation analysis and consultation with national team. UNESCO technical team will provide guidance and support for undertaking this task.
• Discuss the draft framing document with BECE and revise the document in light of BECE’s observations and recommendations.
• Support the development or adaptation of the ECE simulation model under the guidance of UNESCO’s technical team. The consultant will contextualize the model using available Liberian data and locally relevant unit costs, document assumptions and data gaps, and develop transparent cost projections and implementation scenarios aligned with the agreed policy orientations.
• Support BECE in preparing the agenda of the workshop to discuss the framing documents and development scenarios. The consultant will contribute to facilitating the discussions during the workshop, which will be led by the UNESCO mission. The consultant will compile the results of the workshop that need to be reflected in the revision of the framing document and development scenarios.
• Revise the framing document and development scenarios in light of the observations and recommendations generated from the above-mentioned workshop; and elaborate a draft ECE policy and a draft three-year implementation plan in alignment with the revised framing document and development scenarios. UNESCO will provide guidance and support for this task.
• Support BECE in the preparation of the agenda for the workshop on finalizing the ECE policy and three-year implementation plan. The workshop will be attended and facilitated by UNESCO.
• Finalize the ECE policy and the implementation plan, which will be ready for official presentation and validation. UNESCO will provide guidance and support for this task.
• Support BECE in the preparation of the agenda for the meeting to officially validate the ECE policy and three-year implementation plan. The consultant will participate in the meeting.

Description longue

Deliverables

1 Inception report ( Submission date: 2 December 2026) 10% of contract amount

2 ECE analysis report ( Submission date: 15 January 2027) 30% of contract amount

3 ECE framing document and development scenarios ( Submission date 2 February 2027) 20% of contract amount

4 Draft ECE policy and three-year implementation plan (Submission date 26 February 2027) 40% of contract amount.

Duration of Assignment and Reporting

The assignment will be completed over 55 working days distributed across the period from November 2026 to February 2027. The workplan should identify the expected level of effort for each deliverable, review and revision periods, and dependencies between deliverables. The consultant will report to the UNESCO technical team and coordinate closely with the designated Ministry of Education focal point.

UNESCO Dakar inputs and support

To carry out this work, UNESCO will provide the consultant with all the analytical documentation available in relation to the work. UNESCO will provide guidance and technical support throughout the period of the assignment.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or higher) in Education, Early Childhood Education, Educational Planning, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Specialized training or certification in Early Childhood Education, education policy, curriculum development, educational research, or related areas and previous work with the Ministry would be an added advantage.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the education sector, with demonstrated experience in policy development, education planning, research, or sector reform.Demonstrated experience in conducting education policy analysis and policy dialogue and developing policy documents and action plans (at least five examples).
• Demonstrated experience working with Ministries of Education on education programmes and reforms (at least two examples).
• Experience in supporting the development of national Early Childhood Education (ECE) policies and strategies will be an asset.

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative research, data processing and analysis, preferably related to the field of education
• Demonstrated proficiency in developing or adapting spreadsheet-based simulation models (including Microsoft Excel) and conducting scenario analysis relevant to the education sector. Demonstrated proficiency in this area in relation to the ECE subsector will be an asset.
• Excellent understanding of education sector planning, governance, financing, monitoring, and implementation frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of Liberia's education system, policies, institutional arrangements, and current challenges.
• Ability to produce high-quality policy documents, implementation and monitoring frameworks, technical reports and briefing notes.
• Strong skills in interpersonal communication, presentation and facilitation vis-à-vis diverse stakeholders.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of cross-sectoral approaches to ECE, including linkages with health, nutrition, child protection, and social welfare services.
• Experience supporting education reforms in post-conflict, low-resource, or developing country contexts, particularly in Liberia or West Africa.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted.

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course.

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.