Consultant for the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers - Status Update Report

Job Description

Location: Home Based
Closing date: 8 September 2017
Contract duration: 60 days

Location: Home Based

Fee: £22,000

The Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) takes place on a triennial basis and provides Commonwealth education ministers with the opportunity to discuss key education issues in the Commonwealth in relation to a specific theme. Commonwealth Education Ministers will meet at 20CCEM in February 2018, in Fiji, to consider progress achieved in education in the Commonwealth since the 19CCEM. In particular, after the roll out of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the ministers will take stock of the progress so far achieved by member countries against the agreed SDG4 and deliberate on priorities and emerging issues.

A Thematic Issues Paper, which will provide a guideline for the discussions, is being prepared by the Secretariat, with help of the host government. This paper will provide a detailed background and analysis of the conference theme and also highlight fundamental issues for the Commonwealth Education Ministers to address at 20CCEM. In addition to the Thematic Issues Paper, the Commonwealth Secretariat will issue a Status update report on SDG4 to be distributed at the conference and the key findings of the report will be presented to the Commonwealth Education Ministers. The report will provide data and analysis on the progress and status of SDG4 in the 52 Commonwealth member countries and identify common challenges confronting the Commonwealth as a whole as well as those associated to specific countries, group of countries or regions.

It will begin with an executive summary giving a synopsis of the report and highlighting the main findings. The body of the report will include brief Commonwealth overviews providing a regional perspective where appropriate as well as individual country “report cards”, presented in a standard format. Each report card will show trends and progress against an agreed set of indicators and will include a brief accompanying analysis.

To be considered you will need:

• Preferably a PhD in Education, Economics, Social Sciences or a related discipline, with 10 years’ experience of assignments for leading international development organisations such as UN or bi-lateral donor agencies;
• Full familiarity and engagement with the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and particularly SDG4;
• Past involvement with the MDGs covering monitoring, evaluation or assessments;
• Experience of working with major stakeholders at national and international levels in the field of education;
• Familiarity with issues and challenges faced by Commonwealth countries;
• Respect for diversity and intercultural understanding;
• Excellent research and accurate written communication skills in the English language;
• Highly developed IT skills; and
• Ability to produce high-quality work to tight deadlines with minimal supervision.

Please apply with a proposal in line with the Terms of Reference, containing the following:

• Maximum 2-page cover letter outlining relevant experience; expertise; competence and qualifications of consultant(s) to undertake the work;
• A proposed work plan, with clear milestones and timelines of how the work will be executed
• An all-inclusive budget
• Up to date CV for consultant(s)

Closing date for applications: Friday 8 September at 17:00 BST.

About the Organization

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and development. The world’s largest and smallest, richest and poorest countries make up the Commonwealth and are home to two billion citizens of all faiths and ethnicities – over half of whom are 25 or under. Member countries span six continents and oceans from Africa (19) to Asia (8), the Americas (2), the Caribbean (12), Europe (3) and the South Pacific (10). The Commonwealth, with roots as far back as the 1870s, believes that the best democracies are achieved through partnerships – of governments, business, and civil society. This unique association was reconstituted in 1949 when Commonwealth Prime Ministers met and adopted what has become known as the ‘London Declaration’ where it was agreed all member countries would be “freely and equally associated.” Since then membership has continued to grow. The most recent members are Rwanda - which was admitted at the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Cameroon and Mozambique, which was the first country to join with no historical or administrative association with another Commonwealth country. Beyond the ties of history, language and institutions, it is the association’s values which unite its members: democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all. These values were agreed and set down by all Commonwealth Heads of Government at two of their biennial meetings (known as CHOGMs) in Singapore in 1971 and reaffirmed twenty years later in Harare. At government level, the values are protected by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a rotating group of nine Foreign Ministers, which assesses the nature of any infringement and recommends measures for collective action from member countries. It has the authority to suspend or even recommend to Heads of Government that a member country be expelled. When member countries have been suspended the Commonwealth continues to do everything possible to bring them back into the fold. While CMAG represents one aspect of the Commonwealth’s commitment to democratic principles, many more discreet interventions are made through ‘good offices’ work, where specially appointed representatives conduct quiet diplomacy as part of efforts to prevent or resolve conflicts and build dialogue and democratic structures. As well as Heads of Government, ministers responsible for education, environment, civil society, finance, foreign affairs, gender affairs, health law, tourism and youth also meet regularly. This ensures that Commonwealth policies and programmes represent views of the members and gives governments a better understanding of each other’s goals in an increasingly globalised world. There are three intergovernmental organisations in the association: the Commonwealth Secretariat (which executes plans agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government through technical assistance, advice and policy development); the Commonwealth Foundation (which helps civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding) and the Commonwealth of Learning (which encourages the development and sharing of open learning and distance education). Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Head of the Commonwealth and Kamalesh Sharma, current Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, is the principal global advocate for the Commonwealth and Chief Executive of the Secretariat. Citizen-to-citizen links are as important to the Commonwealth as the contacts between member governments. The Commonwealth’s worldwide network of around 90 professional and advocacy organisations, most of which bear its name, continues to grow with a third of these based outside the UK. They work at local, national, regional or international levels and play crucial roles in policy, political or social aspects of Commonwealth life. One such organisation is the Commonwealth Games Federation, which manages the four-yearly multi-sport event. Commonwealth countries work together in a spirit of co-operation, partnership and understanding. This openness and flexibility are integral to the Commonwealth's effectiveness. Emphasis on equality has helped it play leading roles in decolonisation, combating racism and advancing sustainable development in poor countries. This support network of countries and organisations is involved in a diverse range of work, from helping trade negotiations, building the small business sector and encouraging women entrepreneurs to supporting the quality and quantity of teachers, and increasing understanding of HIV/AIDS. As well as working with each other, member countries and organisations have also built alliances outside the Commonwealth. Commonwealth ideas have been taken up by the World Bank on Small States, by the World Health Organization on the migration of doctors and nurses, by the International Labour Organization on the migration of teachers. Its support and expertise have been enlisted by the European Union (EU) and the African Union on building governance in Africa, and by the EU and the Pacific Islands Forum on building governance in the Pacific. The Commonwealth is part of the world that it serves, sharing the same interests as those of its citizens: democratic freedom and economic and social development.