Consultant
Organizational Context
UNESCO and UNICEF are collaborating with the Government of Somalia on the Peacebuilding Fund project, focusing on religious education. This initiative aims to foster peacebuilding, social cohesion, inclusive teaching, and safeguarding within traditional and integrated Quranic schools. The project leverages existing peace curricula, government resources, and expertise from UNESCO and UNICEF.
Job Purpose
The consultant will play a crucial role in supporting the needs assessment and focus group discussions for a teacher-training program in Somalia. This involves leading the analysis and reporting of findings to identify teachers' capacities, community expectations, and practical requirements for the subsequent training. The objective is to gather essential data to inform the development of an effective teacher-training program, ensuring it aligns with local needs and contexts. The scope specifically excludes the development of the full training package or the delivery of Master Trainer training.
Responsibilities
The consultant will report to the UNESCO Project Manager in Mogadishu, with guidance from UNESCO and IICBA. Key responsibilities include reviewing existing evidence on peace curricula and educational materials to identify gaps. The consultant will refine research questions, sampling approaches, and data collection tools, ensuring cultural appropriateness and suitability for analysis. They will support tool pre-testing, brief field personnel on methodology and safeguards, and provide methodological support during data collection, monitoring quality and documenting deviations. This includes potentially organizing and conducting focus group discussions. The consultant will process, clean, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, triangulating findings and explaining limitations. Finally, they will prepare an integrated report, presentation, and matrix linking findings to training requirements, contribute to stakeholder consultations, and hand over final reports and data.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of relevant experience is necessary in education research, training-needs assessment, or social research, encompassing survey design, quantitative and qualitative inquiry, and analysis. Prior experience conducting research or consultations in Somalia, with specific knowledge of traditional and integrated Quranic education and the local context, is essential.
Skills
The role requires the ability to collaborate with teachers, government officials, religious scholars, and communities, applying gender-responsive, conflict-sensitive, and safeguarding approaches. Strong analytical, planning, and communication skills are essential. Experience in teacher professional development, peace education, or work with UN/international development partners is considered an asset.