National Consultancy to Develop a Costed National Action Plan for the Expansion of Pre-Primary Education and a Multisectoral Early Childhood Development (ECD) Coordination Framework

The consultant will develop a comprehensive and costed national action plan for scaling up access to quality pre-primary education and a multisectoral ECD coordination framework. The role involves strategic planning, stakeholder consultations, costing analyses, and ensuring child safeguarding integration in education expansion efforts in Eritrea.

Responsibilities

• Review relevant national education policies, ECE strategies, sector plans and implementation frameworks.
• Review national ECD-related policies, strategies and coordination mechanisms.
• Analyze available EMIS data and demographic information relevant to pre-primary education.
• Review previous studies, assessments and reports relevant to ECE and ECD.
• Analyze the Government's current strategy for expanding community-based pre-primary centres.
• Review national child protection policies, policy on persons with disability, safeguarding frameworks, referral pathways, and relevant legislation affecting young children.
• Identify key opportunities, challenges and policy implications for expansion.
• Collect and review plans submitted by all Zoba Education Offices.
• Analyze regional requirements for establishment of new pre-primary centres, rehabilitation or upgrading of existing facilities, teacher recruitment, training, learning materials, furniture, supervision, and quality assurance.
• Identify disparities and priority areas across Zobas.
• Develop national projections and targets for phased expansion of pre-primary education.
• Assess child protection and safeguarding risks associated with expansion.
• Facilitate consultations with multiple ministries, local government, community representatives, development partners, and organizations of persons with disabilities.
• Develop a comprehensive and practical National Action Plan with phased implementation priorities, targets, responsibilities, timelines, financing requirements, and monitoring frameworks.
• Develop a detailed costing and investment framework covering infrastructure, furniture, learning materials, human resources, quality assurance, community engagement, and ECD coordination.
• Develop a multisectoral ECD coordination framework including governance, accountability, roles, referral pathways, and monitoring indicators.

Requirements

• Advanced University Degree (Master's level or above) in Early Childhood Education; Education Planning; Education Economics; Public Policy; Development Studies; Social Sciences; or Related fields.
• Strong strategic planning and analytical skills.
• Excellent research and report-writing skills.
• Experience in education sector costing methodologies.
• Knowledge of ECE and ECD programming.
• Understanding of multisectoral coordination mechanisms.
• Knowledge of child safeguarding and inclusive education.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.
• Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in education planning, ECE, ECD, policy development, or sector analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in developing national education strategies and action plans.
• Experience conducting education costing and financing analyses.
• Experience facilitating stakeholder consultation processes.
• Strong understanding of the Eritrean education system.
• Experience working with Ministries of Education and development partners.
• Experience with UNICEF or other UN agencies is an asset.

Skills

• Early Childhood Education
• Education Planning
• Education Economics
• Public Policy
• Development Studies
• Strategic Planning
• Analytical Skills
• Research
• Report Writing
• Education Sector Costing
• Child Development Programming
• Inter-sectoral Coordination
• Child Safeguarding
• Inclusive Education
• Stakeholder Engagement
• National Education Strategy Development
• Education Costing Analysis
• Financing Analysis
• Stakeholder Consultation Facilitation
• Knowledge of Eritrean Education System

Languages

English