Apply Now! UNICEF: Consultant – Education Outcomes Fund (REMOTE WORK) (2026)
Apply Now! UNICEF: Consultant – Education Outcomes Fund (REMOTE WORK) (2026)
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world’s leading children’s rights organization, working in over 190 countries and territories to promote the survival, protection, and development of every child. For more than 70 years, UNICEF has partnered with governments, civil society, and the private sector to deliver lasting impact across health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, and child protection.
Funded entirely by voluntary contributions, UNICEF combines global expertise with local action, employing more than 12,000 staff across 145+ countries. At the core of UNICEF’s work is a commitment to equity—reaching the most disadvantaged children first—and to innovation that strengthens systems for long-term, sustainable change.
About the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF)
The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) is a UNICEF Hosted Fund dedicated to improving education outcomes through outcomes-based financing. EOF partners with governments, service providers, investors, and funders to design and implement innovative financing models that reward results, strengthen service delivery, and generate evidence for scale.
EOF launched the ECCE Outcomes Fund – Fund 1.0 in December 2025. Over a three-year period, Fund 1.0 will:
- Open approximately 1,400 new Early Learning Programmes (ELPs)
- Support around 600 existing ELPs
- Work with five implementing partners (IPs)
- Use outcomes-based financing to improve ECCE quality and access
Fund 1.0 is designed not only to deliver results, but also to generate learning, test innovation, and inform the design of a future, scalable ELP Fund 2.0 aligned with national ECCE strategies.
Consultancy Overview
UNICEF Hosted Funds is seeking a Consultant (Learning and Scaling) to serve as a full-time member of the EOF country team, leading the learning, scaling, and evidence synthesis agenda for Fund 1.0.
This role sits at the intersection of policy, evidence, partnerships, and system reform, and is central to ensuring that lessons from Fund 1.0 directly inform:
- Government decision-making
- The design of Fund 2.0
- Broader Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector reform
The consultant will act as a strategic connector between implementing partners, pre-financers, research partners, national stakeholders, and government authorities.
Important note: EOF is expected to transition to a new host organization on or before 30 September 2026. The successful candidate is expected to transition to the new host to continue supporting the programme.
Purpose of the Assignment
The primary purpose of this consultancy is to lead the learning, scaling, and evidence synthesis agenda for Fund 1.0, ensuring that implementation insights, data, and research are transformed into actionable evidence for:
- Scaling high-quality ECCE provision
- Informing national ECD policy
- Designing sustainable outcomes-based financing mechanisms
The consultant will work closely with EOF, implementing partners, pre-financers, research partners, and government authorities to surface learning, strengthen coordination, and influence the broader ECD ecosystem.
Scope of Work
The consultant will support the EOF ECCE Outcomes Fund across five integrated workstreams:
1. Learning & Scaling Agenda Co-Design
- Facilitate a high-level co-design process with stakeholders
- Define priority learning questions aligned to policy windows
- Establish decision cycles, validation roles, and evidence-use pathways
- Design peer-learning mechanisms across partners
Deliverables: Workshop background note (4–6 pages), participant list, workshop report (5–7 pages), Year 1 Learning Roadmap (2–3 pages)
Deadline: 30 July 2026
2. Desk Research & ECD Landscape Analysis
- Conduct structured desk review and ~20 targeted stakeholder interviews
- Analyse prior initiatives and identify financing and partnership models
- Surface lessons for scale, risks, and mitigation strategies
Deliverables: 15–20 page analytical report with annexes, 2-page executive summary
Deadline: 30 September 2026
3. Data & Reporting Framework Co-Development
- Standardize Data & Reporting Framework with stakeholders
- Align reporting with national data observatories
- Define governance, data-sharing protocols, and validation processes
- Recommend and support setup of a shared data platform
Deliverables: Draft templates, final framework (5–7 pages), validation documentation, operational data platform updates
Milestones: Draft framework: March–April 2026; Final framework: July 2026; Data platform live: September 2026
4. Market-for-Scale & System Readiness Diagnostic
- Assess market readiness for scale across access, workforce, registration, and finance
- Conduct research, interviews, and case studies
- Identify barriers, risks, and policy-relevant solutions
Deliverables: Diagnostic plan, Market-for-Scale Diagnostic Report (up to 20 pages), provider case summaries, Fund 2.0 action roadmap
Deadline: 30 September 2026
5. Peer Learning, Annual Reporting & Final Synthesis
- Convene quarterly peer-learning exchanges among partners
- Produce preparatory briefs, facilitation materials, and summary notes
- Consolidate findings and produce an integrative synthesis for dissemination
Deliverables: Session packages, summary notes, final synthesis report
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Required Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, International Development, Social Sciences, Project Management, or related field (required)
- Master’s degree (preferred)
Experience & Expertise:
- Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in education, international development, public policy, consulting, or government
- ECD experience required, through policy, research, academia, or direct implementation
- Experience engaging with government education authorities
- Understanding of education systems strengthening, preferably ECCE
- Demonstrated ability to translate implementation data into policy-relevant insights
Skills & Competencies:
- Analytical, synthesis, and report-writing skills
- Facilitation and stakeholder engagement capabilities
- Strategic problem-solving and solution-oriented mindset
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system
- Academic credentials
- Financial proposal (USD), including costs per deliverable and total, travel/subsistence if applicable, other estimated costs, and availability timeline
- APPLY ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE HERE.
YOU CAN CHECK OTHER JOBS HERE!
UNICEF Values and Safeguarding
UNICEF upholds the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and child safeguarding. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and are expected to adhere to UNICEF’s zero-tolerance policies on misconduct.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from qualified individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided throughout the recruitment and assignment period.
Why This Role Matters
This consultancy offers a unique opportunity to:
- Shape the future of ECCE financing and delivery
- Influence national policy through evidence and learning
- Work at the forefront of outcomes-based financing
- Contribute to scalable solutions improving early learning outcomes for children
Apply by: 03 February 2026
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
