TERMS OF REFERENCE
UNICEF Myanmar is operating in a complex and evolving context, where protracted political instability, conflict, displacement, and economic hardship continue to severely disrupt children’s access to formal education. Many children— particularly those in conflict-affected, remote, and marginalised communities, face prolonged school closures, repeated displacement, and limited access to safe and functional learning environments. In this context, alternative, community based education approaches are essential to ensure continuity of learning, reduce learning loss, and provide children with access to basic education opportunities where formal systems are disrupted or inaccessible.
To respond to these challenges, UNICEF Myanmar, in partnership with NGOs, CSOs, and community-based actors, implements the Quality Basic Education Programme for Children (QBEP4C), a large-scale, multi-donor supported education programme that delivers informal and non-formal learning opportunities across diverse and often hard-to-reach areas of Myanmar. The programme is designed to reach out-of-school children (OOSC), children with disabilities (CWDs), internally displaced children, and other vulnerable groups through flexible delivery modalities such as learning hubs, community learning centres, and outreach-based education services. Because the programme is implemented across highly varied geographic, security, and operational contexts, it relies on adaptive implementation approaches and strong coordination with multiple partners.
QBEP4C is also a multi-year programme with an extensive results framework and donor reporting architecture. As such, robust monitoring, data management, and annual reporting are essential not only to demonstrate programme results and accountability, but also to meet donor requirements and ensure that evidence generated from the programme is accurate, credible, and useful for decision-making. The programme has made important progress in strengthening its monitoring systems and quantitative data collection, including through improvements in data management processes and the transition to more structured monitoring platforms. However, the scale and complexity of the programme require continued technical support to ensure that data systems, analysis, and reporting remain consistent, reliable, and fit for purpose.
At the same time, quantitative monitoring data alone is not sufficient to explain how the programme is working across different contexts. There remains a significant gap in contextual, qualitative, and on-the-ground information needed to complement and triangulate quantitative findings. This includes information on how programme delivery is adapted in insecure or hard-to-reach settings, what implementation challenges partners face, what enables children to access and remain in learning, and what lessons can be drawn from different delivery models. Such insights are critical to interpreting programme performance more accurately, understanding barriers and outcomes, and demonstrating the full value of the programme to donors and other stakeholders.
Systematically capturing this information remains challenging. Myanmar’s political and security environment places considerable constraints on NGOs, CSOs, and frontline education personnel, limiting their ability to consistently undertake structured documentation, reflection, and knowledge capture alongside programme delivery. In addition, UNICEF education staff and implementing partners face competing operational demands, which reduces the time and capacity available for in-depth synthesis of programme learning, documentation of good practices, and preparation of evidence-based knowledge products.
As QBEP4C enters its final phase, with an end-of-programme review planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, there is a critical need for dedicated technical support to strengthen knowledge management, documentation, data interpretation, and evidence synthesis. This includes consolidating programme learning accumulated over multiple years of implementation, supporting high-quality donor reporting, and ensuring that programme achievements, lessons learned, and operational adaptations are systematically captured and communicated. The assignment is therefore intended to provide time-bound and specialised support to generate clearly defined deliverables that will strengthen documentation processes, enhance the quality of data-informed analysis, support organisational learning, and contribute to a credible and comprehensive end of-programme review.
Scope of Work:
UNICEF is seeking an international consultant to support the UNICEF education team and implementing partners (NGOs/CSOs) under the QBEP4C programme in strengthening high-quality, on-the-ground documentation of programme delivery, equity, quality, and other key implementation aspects. The consultant will also contribute to ensuring the accuracy and quality of donor reporting, development of human interest stories, visual documentation (e.g. photos), and responses to donor queries related to their scope of work.
Under the supervision of the Education Manager, the consultant will:
• Strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and NGO/CSO staff in producing high-quality on-the-ground documentation, human interest stories, and donor reporting.
• Develop analytical documentation and briefs on key programme areas, including delivery modalities, learning pathways, teaching and learning materials, educator training, inclusion of children with disabilities, support to ethnic children, community-based approaches, and classroom monitoring.
• Strengthen knowledge management systems, including the systematic organisation and archiving of programme documentation and visual materials.
• Develop communication products (e.g. briefs, brochures, standard presentations) to effectively communicate programme approaches, results, and learning.
• Support additional reporting requirements, including donor and internal reporting processes, and respond to related information requests.
• As required, support country and field offices in consolidating accurate and timely data and information for programme implementation, donor updates and emergency response.
The consultant will primarily work remotely, with periodic in-country missions to Yangon to support data collection/interviews, consultations, and key programme events.
Minimum requirements
Advance Degree in Education, Education & Development
- Work Experience:
3 years +
Fluency in English
Prior experience working with UNICEF Education Programme, including direct involvement in programme implementation and donor reporting
Demonstrated experience in partner relationship management with major donors such as EU, DFAT and/or ADB/WB Experience in working in South East Asia and/or Myanmar, particularly in complext country’s context such as Myanmar.
Experience in strengthening the capacity of NGOs and local partners, and in effectively engaging, coordinating, and collaborating with NGOs and CSOs in complex operational contexts
Strong background in programme monitoring and good understanding of education data for evidence based decision-making.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
- An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter
Remarks
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All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.