[Hiring] Consultancy: ECD Programme Learning and Evidence Synthesis @Education Sub Saharan Africa

Role Description

ESSA seeks an individual consultant or consultancy team to assess the ECD programme contributions, review documented evidence, prepare case studies and prepare a publicly accessible learning collection. The assignment will generate credible findings and practical recommendations from four years of investment in African-led early childhood development (ECD) research executed by ESSA in partnership with the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge.

The purpose is to provide a credible, inclusive and practically useful assessment of the ECD programme’s contributions, learning and emerging evidence, supported by traceable and verifiable sources. The assessment will go beyond documenting activities and outputs to examine:

• What has been generated?
• What has changed?
• What have we learned?
• What is happening to the evidence?
• What should happen next?

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in evaluation, education, social sciences, public policy or a related field; equivalent relevant expertise may be considered.
• At least seven years of relevant evaluation or programme learning experience, including substantial work in African contexts.
• Demonstrated application of outcome harvesting and contribution analysis, with examples of substantiation and assessment of alternative explanations.
• Experience assessing research capacity strengthening, research ecosystems, partnerships or evidence-informed policy and practice; ECD experience is desirable.
• Strong qualitative interviewing, mixed-methods analysis, case-study writing and online survey skills.
• Excellent English; access to French and Portuguese will be an added advantage.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating with African researchers, academic partners and programme teams.

Requirements

• Individual consultants must demonstrate the capacity to deliver the assignment and may engage specialists for specific tasks.
• For consultancy firms, they must be legally registered and headquartered in Africa and designate a team lead.
• All support costs must be disclosed and included in the financial proposal.
• Conflicts of interest, including previous programme involvement, must be declared with proposed mitigation.

Benefits

• Competitive salary dependent on experience.
• Opportunity to work on impactful research in early childhood development.
• Engagement with diverse stakeholders in the education sector.

Expected Deliverables

• Inception Report and Detailed Workplan
• ECD Evidence and Learning Inventory
• Outcome Harvesting Report
• Contribution Analysis and Contribution Stories
• ECD Learning and Evidence Synthesis Report
• Evidence-Based Case Studies
• Policy Briefs/Learning Briefs
• Evidence Gaps and Future Learning Priorities
• Learning and Sense-Making Session
• Final Learning and Evidence Package

Application Details

Please ensure your CV and cover letter are saved using your given name and surname. The closing date for applications is 30th November, 2026 at 0900hrs GMT. Start date is 1st December 2026.