Senior Education Consultant – 2026 Global Report on ECCE (Paris, France) contract

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 3- Senior

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Paris

Work location : Remote

Duration of contract : 9 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+1 Time) : 20/02/2026

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

Since the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education organized by UNESCO in 2022, culminating in adopting the Tashkent Declaration, UNESCO’s work on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has expanded. The Tashkent Declaration mandated UNESCO to strengthen collaboration with key partners such as UNICEF, WHO, OECD, ILO and the World Bank, support Member States and monitor the implementation of the Declaration. Activities planned includes producing biennial global reports, providing technical guidance and assistance, establishing norms and standards, and fostering international cooperation to advance SDG 4.2 and the commitments of the Declaration. 

The Individual Specialist will work under the authority of the Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems (ED/PLS), the supervision of the Chief of the Section of Education Policy (ED/PLS/EDP), and in regular contact with the Programme Specialist responsible for ECCE at UNESCO.

Building on the preparatory work undertaken in 2025, during which UNESCO strengthened partnerships with key institutions and co-publishers, mobilised chapter contributors and Member State inputs, and initiated the development of case studies and technical contributions, the 2026 Global Report on ECCE has already been advanced through an initial compilation process resulting in a zero draft (Draft 0). This Draft 0 constitutes the baseline manuscript and shared reference point for subsequent drafting, review, validation and quality assurance processes.

For this assignment, the Individual Specialist will serve in the Report development for the 2026 Global Report on ECCE and will support UNESCO in coordinating, developing, editing and finalising successive versions of the Report and associated advocacy products starting from the existing Draft 0 with particular attention to the thematic focus on financing to achieve inclusion, equity and quality, and ensuring coherence, consistency and timely delivery across all review rounds.

A.      Desk research, evidence review and analysis

For this assignment, the Individual Specialist will:

1. Conduct desk research on global, regional and national ECCE trends, with a particular focus on financing for inclusion, equity and quality, and on addressing identified evidence gaps in the current draft of the Global Report.
2. Compile, review and synthesise policy documents, background papers, partner inputs, and case studies received from Member States, regional networks, co-publishers and partners (including UIS, UNICEF, OECD and GEM) for integration into relevant chapters.
3. Analyse quantitative and qualitative data on ECCE access, quality, equity and inclusion, drawing on UNESCO-UIS datasets, household surveys, national data systems and partner datasets, including regional disaggregation of financing data where feasible.
4. Review, extract and summarise external technical inputs and datasets, ensuring they are ready for editorial integration (tables, figures, text boxes, annexes, references).
5. Identify data gaps, limitations and inconsistencies and propose options to address these in the Report narrative and recommendations.

B.      Coordination with contributors and partners

For this assignment, the Individual Specialist will help:

1. Coordinate with chapter leads, contributors, co-publishers, and partners to secure timely inputs, clarify outstanding gaps, and ensure technical consistency across submissions.
2. Consolidate and incorporate feedback from UNESCO management, co-publishers, the Editorial Board, Review Committee, contributors and Member States across successive drafts.
3. Maintain a structured comments and revisions tracking system (e.g., comment matrix) documenting feedback received, decisions taken, and changes incorporated per version.

C.      Editorial development, drafting and quality assurance

For this assignment, the Individual Specialist will:

1. 1. Draft and provide substantive editing of selected sections (including financing analysis, regional perspectives, conclusions and recommendations, and case studies), as agreed with UNESCO.
   2. Ensure coherence, clarity, flow, consistency of terminology, and alignment with UNESCO editorial and quality standards across the full manuscript (including avoidance of repetition and improved cross-referencing).
   3. Prepare clean, review-ready versions for internal and external review rounds (Version 1, Version 2, Version 3 and Final).

D.    Presentation, consultations and dissemination support

For this assignment, the Individual Specialist will:

1. Participate in and support the preparation of global and regional consultations, TAG meetings, webinars and other ECCE-related events, including the preparation of briefing notes, slide decks and short meeting reports/summaries.
2. Contribute to the development of advocacy and dissemination materials derived from the Global Report (key messages, talking points, slide decks and other communication products aligned with validated findings).
3. Track, review and constitute the database of relevant analytical texts and resources that may be used for the preparation of a separate regional report on ECCE in Africa.

3. Organisation of the Work

• The Individual Specialist will work in an accurate and timely fashion, work effectively to tight deadlines, and be responsive, professional and constructive. The Individual Specialist will be responsible for arranging their own computer equipment, office space, and telecommunications fees.
• The work shall follow the UNESCO Style Manual for English: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001418/141812e.pdf
• The Individual Specialist shall ensure that deliverables will not be circulated or published in any form until the public release by UNESCO, if relevant.
• As per Article XII.6 of the General Terms and Conditions of the present contract, the author shall provide UNESCO with written evidence of permission to reproduce or otherwise use texts, graphs, tables and other third-party materials to be included into the Work and for which he/she is not the copyright holder, using the Permission Consent Form attached to the present contract.
• While Generative AI (GenAI) offers great opportunities for productivity, GenAI-generated content must not be used in any official UNESCO publications, communication materials or websites. Until further notice, the use of content generated by GenAI is not permitted across all UNESCO communication and publications.
• All deliverables will be submitted to UNESCO for review and feedback prior to formal submission for payment.

4. Deliverables, Timeline and Instalments

·       Deliverable 1 – Version 1 Edited internal draft prepared for review (20 March 2026)

·       Deliverable 2 – Version 2 (V2): Consolidated draft with incorporated feedback and coordinated reviews (30 April 2026)

·       Deliverable 3 – Version 3 (V3): pre-final draft, validations and advocacy package ( 30 July 2026)

·       Deliverable 4 – Final Version: (30 August)

·       Deliverable 5 – Leaflet content and advocacy messages (30 September)

·       Deliverable 6 – Proofreading after layout (31 October)

·       Deliverable 7 – Presentations and all relevant preparations for the launch of the report (30 November)

5. Travels (missions)

The assignment may include three (3) to four (4) travels, subject to UNESCO’s approval and programme needs.

9 months

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Strategic thinking (M)
• Managing performance (M)
• Building partnerships (M)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

EDUCATION

•    Advanced degree in Education, Social Sciences, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

•    At least 10 years of experience in education policy particularly in ECCE research, or related fields at Global and regional / national level. 
•    Demonstrated ability to analyse and synthesize data, produce high-quality reports, and integrate diverse stakeholder inputs. 
•    Familiarity with global ECCE frameworks, the SDG agenda, and regional contexts. 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

•    Proven experience working with international organizations and facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations. 

LANGUAGES

•    Excellent drafting, data analysis, and communication skills in English. French is an asset. 

Interested candidates should submit: 
•    . Your written proposal should comprise: (a) A Technical Proposal consisting of an up-to-date curriculum vitae, and an approach and methodology for the assignment, and a workplan; b) The amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars or in euros only. Please note that any travel costs will be discussed and integrated later in addition.   
•    Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in English.  
•    UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organisation best value for money. 
•    It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that his/her proposal is received by the deadline. 

Candidate should submit the above-mentioned proposal in one PDF document and upload it in the place of “Employment History Form”, to ensure your successful submission, please also send a copy of the proposal to ecce@unesco.org by 20 February 2025.
 
Thank you for your interest in this UNESCO assignment; and we look forward to receiving your proposal.

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.