National Consultant – Sector-wide Planning, Funding and Reporting Systems Study for NESP 2021-30

Call for Consultancy

National Consultant – Sector-wide Planning, Funding and Reporting Systems Study for NESP 2021-30

Terms of Reference

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Date Issued: 16 September 2020

Organizational unit: UNESCO Myanmar Project Office

Duty Station: Yangon, Myanmar (with possible travels to Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar)

Title: National Consultant

Duration of the contract: 1 October 2020 to 30 November 2020 (2 months)

Application deadline: 23 September 2020

I. Introduction

One of the challenges in implementing and measuring the impacts of government-wide and DP funding for NESP 2016-21 has been the lack of aligned planning, funding and reporting systems across Ministries involved in the provision of education in Myanmar. In recent years, this has improved in some sub-sectors, such as university education, with the establishment of the Rectors’ Committee, which is tasked with coordinating all 174 Universities funded by 9 different Ministries. However, cross-Ministry coordination in other sub-sectors, such as early childhood education and TVET, remains weak and this has undermined planning, monitoring and reporting of programs, and ultimately, implementation. A significant amount of government and DP funding under partner Ministries is currently not being documented and measured against NESP outcomes and targets, and therefore, the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is unable to get a comprehensive, sector-wide understanding of achievements and impacts and coordinate effectively to improve education provision across Ministries.

II. Objectives

• Identify the Ministries involved, and their specific roles, in the planning, funding and reporting in the education sector

• Assess the degree of understanding among educational administration and its stakeholders about each other’s roles and activities

• Examine the existing formal and non-formal, internal and external communication mechanisms, and whether dialogue and coordination structure exist, and their effectiveness

• If relevant, assess the evolution of relationships and coordination structures between Ministries

• Propose mechanism to improve coordination between Ministries that will strengthen planning, funding and reporting across the education sector

• Support the Ministry of Education in establishing an official partnership mechanism for improved coordination informed by the institutional analysis

III. Scope of Work

The Sector-wide Planning, Funding and Reporting Systems study involves a methodological approach to assess the institutional environment of the education sector in Myanmar, based on an institutional analysis framework developed by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO-IIEP). It would focus in particular on the identification of challenges and constraints in regards to coordination in planning, funding and reporting in the education sector. Coordination within sectors and across institutions is necessary for effective service delivery. Policies and programs in the education sector often span multiple actors, including within the public sector. These various actors might have different understandings of their respective roles, and the exchange of information and coordination of activities may be weak.

The assessment to be performed would help identify strategies to improve the way in which the education sector in Myanmar reaches its goals through a more conducive and harmonized institutional environment.

The approach will include a combination of methods:

1) Document analysis (e.g. official documents, reports and reviews)

2) Surveys, and

3) Key informant interviews with officials who can provide insights on the opportunities and constraints of coordination in the education sector. Key informants will be identified alongside the Ministry of Education. They could include high-level and mid-level managers of the educational administration, high- level and mid-level managers of other Ministries or public institutions that provide education services or perform activities which are related to the education sector (e.g. health), members of existing coordination structures in the education sector, etc.

The Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement will list the following information:

(1) A list of NESP 2 Components that each partner Ministry agrees to implement to support NESP 2 through using their annual Ministry budgets;

(2) A Statement of Commitment for NESP 2 Funding — explaining that the MOE and all line Ministries will aim to secure funding under their annual budgets to implement their NESP 2 Components;

(3) A Statement of Commitment for NESP 2 Performance Reviews — explaining that the MOE and all line Ministries will actively participate in the MOE Annual Performance Review and Annual Budget Review Meeting to review their achievements and challenges, and discuss future budget commitments for NESP 2;

(4) Completed Component Outline Template documents for each identified partner Ministry Component; and,

(5) Other information recommended by the expert team for listing in the Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement.

IV. Work Assignment

Working closely with an International Consultant, the Individual Specialist’s responsibilities include the following:

1. Provide coordination support to the Ministry of Education in engaging other line Ministries involved in the education sector for the overall purpose of the study

2. Assist in the documentary analysis (e.g. official documents, reports, review) and desk review of other resources relating to planning, funding and reporting systems in the education system

3. Conduct key informant interviews at the national level, with officials from the Ministry of Education and other line Ministries, managers of public institutions that provide education services or perform activities related to the education sector, members of existing coordination structures

4. Assist in the analysis of data collected from the surveys and key informant interviews

5. Provide rough translation of key documents, reports, survey findings, and key informant interview notes from Myanmar to English or English to Myanmar

6. Assist in collecting and integrating feedback from the Ministry of Education and other Ministries into the draft institutional analysis report

7. Through the MOE arrange high-level meetings in Nay Pyi Taw, or online if the sanitary conditions do not allow for in-person meetings, with line Ministries to present and discuss their support for NESP 2. These meetings are:

i. All TVET line Ministries – coordinated by DTVET;

ii. All Higher Education line Ministries – coordinated by DHE and Rectors’ Committee; and,

iii. All ECCD and Monastic Education partner Ministers – coordinated by DBE

1. Request all interested line Ministries in TVET, HE, ECCD and Monastic Education to nominate Focal Points to work with the expert team undertaking the study

2. Work closely with partner Ministry Focal Points to identify Components for listing under NESP 2 and consult with partner Ministry Focal Points and senior officials in Nay Pyi Taw to identify practical systems and procedures that will improve information sharing, annual planning, monitoring and financing for NESP 2021-30

3. Work closely with partner Ministry Focal Points to draft Component Outline Template documents for each partner Ministry Component or to update existing Component Outline Templates

4. Produce a first draft of the institutional analysis to inform the Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement

5. Consult with partner Ministry Focal Points and senior officials in NPT to draft an Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement covering the sections listed above

6. Through the MOE, arrange a meeting in NPT with all line Ministries (TVET, HE, ECCD and Monastic Education) and Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry (MoPFI) to present and discuss the draft institutional analysis and Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement

7. Finalise the institutional analysis Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement based on comments from line Ministries and MoPFI

8. Support the MOE to hold a signing ceremony to launch the Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement.

V. Deliverables and Timeframe

1. Minutes of meetings in NPT with line Ministries to present and discuss their support for NESP 2 (MYN and ENG)

2. A list of Focal Points from line Ministries (MYN and ENG)

3. A list of NESP 2 Components that line Ministries agree to implement to support NESP 2 (MYN and ENG)

4. Completed Component Outline Template documents for each partner Ministry Component (MYN and ENG)

5. 1^st draft Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement, covering information listed above (MYN and ENG)

6. Minutes of meeting with all line Ministries to discuss and review the Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement (MYN and ENG)

7. 2^nd draft Sector-wide Planning, Funding and Reporting institutional analysis report and Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement, covering information listed above (MYN and ENG)

8. Documentation of the signing ceremony to launch the Education Sector Ministries Partnership Agreement.

V. Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in education, social sciences, public administration, or related fields;

• Professional experience in project coordination, research and education. Experience working with the UN and at the international level is desired;

• Possess good knowledge of Myanmar’s education system;

• Possess working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint);

• Excellent writing and communication skills in Myanmar and English language;

• Experience in working with government officials in Myanmar