Senior Consultant - Early Childhood Education

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Remote

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 30-JUNE-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background and Rationale

The Government of Balochistan (GoB), through its School Education Department (SED), recognizes the foundational importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE) for lifelong learning and equitable development. Guided by the Balochistan Education Sector Plan (BESP 2020–2025) and the Balochistan Partnership Compact (2024–2028), the province is undertaking comprehensive reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of ECE.

One critical bottleneck impeding ECE quality is the absence of a dedicated, professionalized ECE teacher cadre. Existing early childhood educators often lack the specialized training, career progression pathways, and institutional recognition needed to deliver developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and equitable early learning. While the 2015 ECE Policy initiated a foundation, it did not sufficiently address the systemic need for structured service rules and professional development for ECE teachers.

In response to these critical challenges, the School Education Department (SED), with support from the GPE-System Capacity Grant (SCG), is undertaking a comprehensive reform of its policy framework. This includes the revision of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy, alongside the renewal of the overarching Education Policy and the Gender Equality in Education Policy to ensure coherence, inclusivity, and alignment with provincial priorities and international standards. A key component of this effort is the establishment of a dedicated ECE cadre, supported by the development and notification of service rules for the recruitment, deployment, and professional development of ECE teachers. This initiative aims to strengthen regulatory mechanisms, enhance service delivery, and improve learning outcomes at both the ECE and primary education levels.

Long Description

The professionalization of the ECE cadre under the SCG will also play a pivotal role in enabling the effective implementation of STG interventions. By introducing dedicated service rules for the recruitment and professional development of ECE teachers, the SCG will help institutionalize a qualified, accountable ECE workforce aligned with the goals of the STG. This foundational work will ensure that the expanded ECE services supported through the STG are delivered by trained personnel equipped with appropriate pedagogical skills and guided by clear performance standards. Through this alignment, the SCG not only strengthens systemic capacity but also directly contributes to improving the quality and long-term sustainability of service delivery under the STG.

Objectives of the Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to support the Government of Balochistan, through SED, in the development of a dedicated ECE teacher cadre and accompanying service rules. The consultant shall:

Scope of work and timeline

Under the supervision of IIEP-UNESCO team coordinator, the consultant shall support the following activities:

1) Inception and Situational Analysis

a. Conduct a desk review of:

b. Participate in joint consultative online meetings with the ECE policy and education policy consultants to:

c. Co-prepare and co-facilitate inclusive and participatory consultative meetings and focus-groups with key stakeholders (to be identified) at both national and subnational levels (and including both public and non-public actors) to gather diverse inputs and perspectives on the current status and challenges of the ECE workforce in Balochistan (during a two-week mission in Quetta and/or at distance). Having inputs from ECE teachers and personnel will prove particularly important.

d. Draft an analytical report on the current status and challenges of the ECE workforce in Balochistan, based on data analysis and consultations identifying key elements and opportunities for a cadre framework, including service rules.

Long Description

2) Drafting the ECE Cadre Framework and Service Rules

e. Draft the ECE cadre and service rules framework, including:

f. Ensure coherence with broader education reforms and alignment with the ECE Policy, the Provincial Education Policy and the Provincial Gender Equality in Education Policy.

3) Consultation and Validation

g. Co-design and co-facilitate a stakeholder consultation workshop (virtually) to:

h. Revise the draft cadre framework based on feedback.

4) Finalization

i. Submit the final version of the ECE cadre and service rules framework.

j. Contribute to the synthesis of policy linkages between the ECE cadre, ECE policy, Education Policy, and Gender Equality in Education Policy.

k. Prepare a summary policy brief and a PPT on ECE cadre for government dissemination use.

The development of the ECE teacher cadre(1) will be closely integrated with three key policy instruments: the revised Early Childhood Education (ECE) Policy, the overarching Education Policy, and the Gender Equality in Education Policy. This alignment is essential to ensure consistency across policy objectives and to leverage synergies in planning and implementation.
Establishing strong alignment between these policies and the ECE teacher cadre is critical. The Education Policy will serve as the overarching framework, with the Gender Equality and ECE policies nested within it. Ensuring that the Gender Equality Policy aligns fully with both the Education and ECE policies is a key priority. Accordingly, the sequencing of work is proposed as follows: the ECE Policy will be reviewed first, followed by the development of the ECE teacher cadre framework, then the Education Policy, and finally the Gender Equality in Education Policy.
To avoid duplication of efforts and fragmented monitoring, it is recommended that each policy remain strategic in nature—focused on outlining core priorities, high-level strategies, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Detailed action plans, implementation strategies, and monitoring frameworks will be embedded within the forthcoming Education Sector Plan (ESP). The update of the ESP offers a timely opportunity to consolidate and operationalize these reforms—ensuring that the revised ECE, Education, and Gender Equality policies, along with the ECE teacher cadre, are translated into coherent, actionable plans supported by integrated results matrices for effective delivery and monitoring.

(1)The ECE Policy, the Education Policy and the Gender Equality in Education Policy will be coordinated by IIEP with the support of other experts.

Consultancy duration

The consultancy will run over 9 months: 1st August 2025 – 30 April 2026. Most of the work will be conducted remotely, with one two-week mission in Quetta planned for October 2025.

Over the course of the assignment, the consultant will be responsible for delivering the following outputs:

1) Inception and Situational Analysis (August – December 2025)

2) Drafting the ECE Cadre Framework and Service Rules (December 2025 – February 2026)

3) Consultation and Finalization (February - April 2026)

Payments

All deliverables will be subject to approval by IIEP. Payments will be released upon satisfactory submission of deliverables in English (editable formats may be required). Payment terms will be clarified during contracting.

Travel clause

If feasible, a one-week mission to Quetta, Pakistan will be conducted in October 2025. All travel will follow UNESCO rules and regulations (economy class, standard DSA, self-arranged travel with lump-sum reimbursement).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The consultant shall meet the following requirements:

Academic Qualifications:
Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Education, Human Resource Management, Public Policy, or a related field.

Professional Experience: