Consultant; South , Learning and Scaling), Education Outcomes Fund, remote

Overview

Consultancy:
Consultant (South Africa, Learning and Scaling)

Duty Station: UNICEF Hosted Funds, Education Outcomes Fund

Duration: 01 February 2026 – 30 September 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world’s leading children’s rights organization. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, water and sanitation, quality basic education, and protection of children from violence, exploitation and AIDS. UNICEF is funded by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF employs staff in multiple countries worldwide.

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment: In partnership with the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) launched Fund 1.0 to support Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) and collect monitoring and evaluation data. EOF aims to learn how to improve ECCE quality, foster innovation, and inform the design of a future Fund 2.0. The consultant will be a full-time member of the South Africa country team, leading learning, scaling and evidence synthesis for Fund 1.0.

EOF will transition to another host on or before 30 September 2026; the successful candidate is expected to be transitioned to the new host to continue supporting ongoing implementation. Further details will be provided in the recruitment process.

The consultant will work with EOF’s South Africa ECCE Outcomes Fund during Fund 1.0 and will address the objectives below:

• Shape Fund 2.0 by engaging with the DBE and national partners to determine learning priorities and questions for launching Fund 2.0, including analysis of the ECD market and opportunities for sector-wide value addition.
• Collaborate with implementing partners (IPs) and pre-financers to surface learnings through data collection and peer-learning engagements.
• Synthesize findings across learning pillars into coherent evidence to inform strategic decisions for DBE and EOF during and after implementation.
• Disseminate key learnings and influence the broader ECD ecosystem by sharing evidence with sector stakeholders and strengthening coordination of related initiatives.

These objectives form the learning, scaling and evidence synthesis agenda, a component of a two-pillar learning framework for Fund 1.0. External researchers will also study ECCE interventions and outcomes-based financing; the consultant will synthesize findings from all pillars and liaise with learning partners, ECCE stakeholders and the DBE.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

1. Learning & Scaling Agenda Co-design

Facilitate a high-level co-design process with DBE, EOF and national stakeholders to finalize the Learning & Scaling Agenda for Fund 1.0 learnings and to provide inputs for Fund 2.0. This includes surfacing priority questions, specifying decision cycles, and identifying validation and use roles. Prepare background materials, convene the main multi-stakeholder workshop, and produce a Year 1 learning roadmap. Deliverables should preserve peer-learning mechanisms and show how findings feed into DBE decision-making.

• Workshop background note (4–6 pages) and workshop agenda.
• Participant list and stakeholder engagement log.
• Workshop report (5–7 pages) with agreed learning priorities, research questions, and decision cycles.
• Short Year-1 learning roadmap (2–3 pages).

Deliverables date: 30 Jul 2026.

Conduct a structured desk review and ~20 targeted stakeholder interviews to inform Fund 2.0 concept development. Synthesize lessons from prior initiatives and surface financing/partnership options for scale, including risks and mitigation strategies.

• 15–20 page analytical report: landscape & financing models, interview summaries, risks & mitigation, and 3–5 Fund 2.0 options.
• 2-page executive summary for DBE/EOF leadership.

Deliverables date: 30 Sept 2026.

Co-develop a practical Data & Reporting Framework that standardizes learning outputs across IPs and pre-financers, aligns with DBE National Data Observatory, and clarifies governance and data sharing. Produce templates, a data dictionary and governance note.…