National Consultant for the Development of OOSC Policy, Strategy and implementation Plan Education section, 5.5 months, Abuja, Nigeria, (Nationals only), Home based

Organizational Context

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them reach their full potential. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, viewing the promotion of children's rights not just as a job, but as a calling. UNICEF fosters diverse career opportunities for professional and personal growth.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria, with UNICEF's assistance, to develop a comprehensive Out-of-School Children (OOSC) policy, strategy, and implementation plan. This initiative is crucial given Nigeria's dual crisis in education: a high number of out-of-school children and a significant learning crisis, where many children lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills. The consultant will build upon the existing OOSC Framework developed in 2022, incorporating current evidence and adapting to the evolving context. This work is intended to contribute to UNICEF's country programme for 2026-2027 and aims to address the challenges of low participation in early learning, poor teaching quality, lack of materials, and ineffective training, ultimately working towards increasing school enrollment, retention, and completion rates.

Responsibilities

The consultant will lead the development of the OOSC policy, strategy, and implementation plan for Nigeria. This involves conducting a thorough review of the current OOSC Framework and integrating recent evidence and contextual changes. The consultant will engage with various stakeholders, including government officials, to gather input and ensure buy-in for the proposed policy and strategy. A key responsibility will be to design initiatives aimed at improving school enrollment, retention, completion, and transition for school-aged children, with a particular focus on foundational literacy and numeracy. The consultant will also be responsible for translating complex evidence into accessible formats for a diverse range of actors. This includes developing clear and actionable recommendations for policy reform and program implementation. Furthermore, the consultant will leverage global best practices and successful models, including those implemented by UNICEF in Nigeria, to inform the strategy. The final output will be a comprehensive document that guides the Federal Ministry of Education and UNICEF's efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve the quality of education in Nigeria, contributing to the UNICEF country programme.

Work Experience

A minimum of 8 years of experience in education sector planning and developing education plans and policy documents. Proven experience supporting government-led education reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa or similar contexts. Demonstrable experience in initiatives tackling drop-out, enrollment, retention, completion, and transition for school-aged children.

Skills

Education sector planning, Strategy development, Out-of-school programming, Policy development, Implementation planning, Stakeholder engagement, Research and analysis, Report writing, Communication (written and oral), Knowledge of global education issues, Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa, Competency-based education standards

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