1. About the consultancy

The IIEP Education Finance cluster, which sits under the Technical cooperation team, helps UNESCO Member States manage their education funding more effectively. We provide i) technical support and training to education and finance ministries to improve how they gather, distribute, and utilize financial resources, ii) research and analysis on education financing best practices, and iii) tools and methods to better understand and evaluate education costs. Our goal is to strengthen national education systems by promoting efficient, equitable financial management.

As part of its 2025 workplan, the Education finance cluster is looking for a senior consultant to support its diverse portfolio of country-facing projects and knowledge production for a duration of 5 months between end February and July 2025. The consultant will be mainly tasked with supporting the following two activities.

i) Support the IIEP-AFD-GPE global report on aid effectiveness in the education sector

In direct partnership with Agence Française de Développement and Global Partnership for Education, is undertaking a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Paris Declaration principles in the education sector over the past twenty years (2005-2025). This review comes at a critical juncture when education financing faces severe constraints, yet the principles of aid effectiveness remain highly relevant to today’s development challenges, particularly in the education sector. The study aims to examine how the Paris Declaration’s principles of aid effectiveness have been implemented in the education sector, identify good practices, analyze obstacles encountered, and explore their relevance for emerging financing instruments. A key component of this report involves conducting detailed country case studies to provide empirical evidence on the implementation of aid effectiveness principles in different contexts.

As part of this assignment, the consultant will be specifically responsible for the following tasks:

• Support the finalization and deployment of the research protocol developed specifically for the report, including the conduct of semi-structured interviews.
• Collaborate with the consultants in charge of producing the case studies by providing oral and written feedback to preliminary drafts of the case studies.
• Support the drafting of the report, by providing original written inputs based on qualitative and quantitative data analyses and synthesis of the literature on the topic of aid effectiveness in the education sector.
• Support strategic monitoring about the report in connection with the major events planned for 2025 to anticipate opportunities for dissemination and promotion of the report.
• Participate in regular meetings with technical and financial partners who support the preparation of this report.

ii) Support the upcoming education public expenditure review in Guinée-Conakry

IIEP has been selected by the Government of Guinea and its development partners to provide technical support on 3 activities: a review of public expenditure (PER) in the education and training sector, a mid-term evaluation of the sector plan (ProDEG), and an update of the latter, including a simulation model and a results framework. The consultant will be primarily responsible for supporting the PER which is expected to be conducted between March and August 2025. More specifically the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Support data collection and analysis for at least two chapters of the PER including on macro-fiscal framework and PFM contexts, and the analysis of equity and efficiency of education spending in Guinea.
• Support the write-up of two chapters aforementioned.

2. Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following outputs:

• At least 20 semi-structured interviews conducted in direct collaboration with IIEP.
• Written feedback provided for at least two preliminary drafts of the case studies.
• Attend at 3 technical meetings with the with technical and financial partners who support the preparation of this report.
• Finalization of at least two chapters of the report including one on systematic review of the literature on aid effectiveness and another on qualitative data analysis.
• Finalization of two chapters on including on macro-fiscal framework and PFM contexts and public financing of education, and the analysis of equity and efficiency of education spending in Guinea.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced degree (Master’s minimum) in economics / political science / international development/ public financial management, or related fields.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in international development, public financial management or education economics with specific expertise in education sector financing.

Competencies

• Demonstrated understanding of education sector planning and budgeting processes.
• Strong knowledge of international cooperation and development financing instruments and mechanisms.
• Excellent policy research and analytical skills, including quantitative analytical skills, as shown by prior substantive contributions to policy reports and/or academic publications.
• Strong interview and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Excellent drafting skills, including the ability to translate data insights into simple narrative/papers.

Language

• Strong command of both French and English (written and spoken).

3. Timeframe and supervisory arrangements

This is a full-time contract starting on 24 February 2025 and ending on 25 July 2025. This consultancy will be remote / home-based, with possibility to work in IIEP office in Paris. He/she will report to the Education Finance Lead.

4. Application Process

Candidates who meet the required qualifications are invited to send: i) a technical proposal outlining approach and methodology, ii) a financial proposal, and iii) a CV highlighting relevant experience to consultancytc@iiep.unesco.org by 16 February 2025. The subject line of the email should be “IIEP Consultancy: Education Finance, 5 months”.

5. Intellectual Property

All materials produced under this consultancy will become the property of the commissioning organization. The consultant will ensure proper attribution of all sources and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

Only retained candidates will be contacted.

Payment is conditional on the completion of the monthly tasks as assigned by the lead of the IIEP Education Finance Cluster and the satisfactory submission of the deliverables within the deadlines defined above, unless otherwise agreed with the project leader.