Vacancy
NOTE: This is a consultancy assignment (25 working days).
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to play a vital role in strengthening the country’s ability to foster a sustainable and stable security environment, to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s governance, and to encourage its consolidation as a democratic society. The Mission supports political and education reform and works to promote and protect human rights of all citizens of BiH.
The OSCE Mission to BiH supports the relevant education authorities to reform their curricula in line with the BiH Common Core Curriculum based on Student Learning Outcomes and contemporary trends in curriculum development. With an aim to ensure that these changes reach classrooms and enhance teaching and learning experience of all children, the OSCE Mission to BiH also advocates for the continuous professional development of teachers.
Objective
The Mission is seeking to engage a National Education Research Consultant to support a decentralised evaluation into work in the field of education reform. After years of Mission engagement in supporting the educational institutions of BiH, the Mission is conducting an independent, external, decentralised evaluation to evaluate the education programme in its entirety identifying key impact areas of the Missions work in education sector related to its mandate, Mission relevance, assess the project design’s feasibility for reaching the main objectives/results, with the ultimate aim to inform future steps in assisting BiH schools and education authorities in achieving inclusive education, and offer independent recommendations, how to ensure them, and suggest interventions to this end.
Evaluation Methodology
The national consultant will be selected based primarily on their expertise in the BiH education sector and their research experience and ability to conduct analysis in line with the proposed evaluation methods. Desirably the national consultant will have also experience in evaluations and working with international organisations. The methodology will be then finalised in detail at the beginning of the contract through the submission of an inception report, based on feedback by the Mission.
The national consultant, in co-ordination with international lead evaluator, will help define evaluation methodology (background, strategy and approach) and revised questions within a matrix consisting of defined key performance indicators. The national consultant will offer guidance on key issues and limitations for the evaluation to be conducted, integration of cross-cutting issues in the evaluation, assistance in identifying risks, and support development of the overall methodological approach for the evaluation, including timeframe and work plan development. Crucially, the national consultant will provide background and context to education reform in BiH.
Tasks and Responsibilities
Should you be selected for the position, you will, in co-ordination with the international lead evaluator, perform the following duties:
1. Conducting desk research based on review of existing primary and secondary data related to education in BiH;
2. Designing tools for primary data collection among all relevant stakeholders, beneficiaries and interlocutors, and collect the data;
3. Analysing the collected data as per the questions defined within the ToR;
4. Identifying results, progress, strengths and weaknesses of Education Section programming;
5. Formulating recommendations for future Education Section programming, including potential activities and proposals for changes, if any, to be designed/implemented in the near to mid-term;
6. Providing support to the international lead evaluator in drafting the report;
7. Providing interpretation assistance where language issues may present barriers in data-collection or data analysis;
8. Designing the evaluation methodology in line with OSCE criteria ensuring input is gender and human rights responsive;
9. Preparing a detailed evaluation work plan, integrating Mission’s feedback;
10.Drafting the final evaluation report in line with OSCE criteria and quality assessment checklist;
11. Undertaking a desk review of the following data sources: (i) internal Mission’s documents, EDS project documents, and other related material, and (ii) third-party studies and secondary data;
12. Preparing the inception report to define and tailor: (i) evaluation research tools that best fit the evaluation objectives; and (ii) define and tailor evaluation sampling methods in line with the proposed methodology, including solicitation of inputs from both the Mission staff and external stakeholders;
13. Analysing the data and draft a preliminary findings presentation for the Mission;
14. Participating in the workshop to discuss preliminary results of the evaluation research and solicit comment from the Mission staff;
15. Preparing the first draft of evaluation report along with recommendations for enhancing programme implementation, impact and sustainability, for Mission review and comments;
16. Delivering the Final Evaluation Report addressing Mission comments;
17. Analysing the impact of the Mission’s Education Programme through a rigorous evaluation methodology incorporating analysis of all programme cycle phases: identification, conception, formulation, programme design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
18. Identifying the distinct value of Mission’s approach for effective implementation of HDD’s programme in the education sector over the period 2018-2020;
19. Identifying lessons learned and providing recommendations for future education programming.
For more information on the work of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina.
Necessary Qualifications
- University degree in a field relevant to the OSCE’s mandate, such as international relations, political science, social sciences, or a related field;
- Minimum of eight (8) years of research experience in the education sector, with demonstrated ability to synthesize and draft reports, desirably having project/programme evaluation or impact assessments experience; applicable skills include: research (especially in transitional countries), sampling, data collection and instrument development and qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
- Proven experience in the field of education governance and education practices at the school level;
- Familiarity with gender equality, and gender and youth mainstreaming principles in context of governance and experience in conducting gender and youth analysis;
- Knowledge of results-based management systems, and monitoring and evaluation methodologies; including experience in applying SMART (S Specific; M Measurable; A Achievable; R Relevant; T Time-bound) indicators;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and local languages;
- Outstanding writing and reporting skills;
- Ability to work in close collaboration with other experts;
- Ability to travel in BiH.
Remuneration Package
Remuneration will depend on the selected consultant’s qualifications and experience and be in accordance with OSCE established rates.
How To Apply
This position is open to citizens and permanent residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina only.
If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under http://www.osce.org/employment. Please note that offline applications submitted via email, fax, or mail will not be considered.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.
The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.
Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.