Individual Consultant - Development of a Resource Mobilization Strategy
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Level 3 Consultancy Close on 30 Oct 2025
Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Yangon
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 30-Oct-2025
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
Myanmar’s education sector is facing severe disruptions due to the compounded crises with ongoing political instability and natural diesters. Political instability, economic downturns, and security challenges have significantly hindered the delivery of education services. In this context, international aid has become an essential source of support for education continuity, system resilience, and future recovery.
Given the changing geopolitical and global funding landscape and emerging educational disruption, UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon (hereafter UNESCO Office) in collaboration with national and international partners seeks to develop a comprehensive Resource Mobilization Strategy (RMS). This strategy will aim to align with humanitarian and development principles, education development goals and the evolving needs of learners and service providers across Myanmar including conflict-affected and marginalized regions. The strategy will serve the education sector referring to development and humanitarian partners, working for the sector amidst the ongoing educational disruption.
In line with UNESCO Office is seeking a qualified national or international consultant to develop the Resource Mobilization Strategy for Myanmar’s Education Sector. The primary objective of this assignment is to develop a strategic and results-oriented Resource Mobilization Strategy that will enable the Myanmar’s education sector with the followings;
• Increase the volume, diversity and sustainability of financial and technical resources to support implementation of Joint Response Framework for Myanmar’s education.
• Enhance donor coordination and engagement by providing clear funding priorities, structured entry points and accountability mechanisms.
• Strengthen strategic communication and advocacy with action plans for the following years to promote continued international investment in the Myanmar’s education sector.
The objective of the assignment is to develop a framework for resource mobilization to support implementation of the Joint Response Framework (JRF) for Myanmar’s Education that sets out strategic programmatic priorities to ensure access to quality and equitable education amidst educational disruption caused by the protracted political crisis.
This strategy should be based on an evidence-based analysis of the changing global financial landscape, including an assessment of emerging financing opportunities for the Myanmar’s education. To that end, the consultant is expected to:
• Analyze best practices and lessons learnt from the past and current joint and individual resource mobilization strategies and efforts
• Assess and quantify the changing financial flows to Myanmar’s education
• Review emerging and innovative resource mobilization approaches globally
• Offer operational recommendations on increasing the financing opportunities, establishing new and innovative joint financing instruments and strengthening the cohesive and coordinated resource mobilization across the Myanmar’s education sector.
The UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon is looking for a national or international expert to develop the Resource Mobilization Strategy for Myanmar’s Education Sector. Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the direct supervision of Head of UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon and the guidance of the Partnership Officer of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the contractor is responsible for carrying out the development of resource mobilization strategy closely working with the relevant partner organizations. The following section outlines potential components to be carried out during the strategy development process that would further be discussed and determined with the expert in the inception phase.
Scope of Resource Mobilization Strategy
• Review the current situation of the education sector with a focus on educational investment, the effectiveness and fairness of resource allocation. Specifically, the analysis will include assessing the current situation of the global aid environment and how resources have been distributed across different sub-sectors and organizations and identifying disparities if needed. Examine how Myanmar as fragile and conflict-affected country has been position in the international aid area including the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and other bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Provide a comprehensive mapping of current and potential sources of external financing for Myanmar’s education sector. In this context, the mapping will assess current and planned aid flows to Myanmar, identify strategic entry points for engagement with new sources and highlight underutilized opportunities to diversify and sustain international support for education. Particular attention will be paid to the emerging shifts in the global education financing landscape, including how donor priorities are evolving in response to global economic pressures, geopolitical shifts and the growing emphasis on localization, equity and resilience in education funding.
• Identify priority education interventions drawn from the JRF and other materials provided by UNECO Office and estimate realistic resource needs. This analysis will be disaggregated by sub-sector, region, and target group where possible. It will identify and categorize a broad range of stakeholders, including bilateral and multilateral agencies, global education funds, philanthropic foundations, international NGOs and private sector actors based on their relevance, funding priorities and engagement history with Myanmar.
• Define the vision, guiding principles, strategic objectives and propose resource mobilization approaches tailored to different donor profiles and funding instruments. Develop communication and advocacy strategies to support international outreach and partnership building, including platforms to attract and engage with potential funding opportunities.
• Facilitate consultations with education authorities, development partners, NGOs and local stakeholders and organize validation workshops and integrate feedback into the final strategy. Lead Strategy dissemination process to ensure alignment and engagement with all key stakeholders.
* It is important to highlight that the expected scope of the consultancy outlined above will evolve in response to emerging needs from stakeholders over the course of consultancy period.
| No | Deliverable(s) | Timeline |
| 1 | Draft and final inception report, including workplan, methodologies | Week 2 |
| 2 | Stakeholder consultations, draft and final analysis of situational and funding landscape | Week 5 |
| 3 | Draft resource mobilization strategy and stakeholder validation workshop | Week 9 |
| 4 | Final resource mobilization strategy and dissemination workshop | Week 10 |
a) The assignment is primarily home-based in any location, working remotely with potential travel to Yangon or within Myanmar depending on security conditions.
b) The Individual Specialist may be required to travel on missions directly related to projects and implementation during the assignment. The Specialist should travel economy class and receive DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The Specialist is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations. Travel-related expenses (e.g. the cost of tickets, terminal fares and DSA) must be fixed and agreed between the parties. The Individual Specialist is responsible for obtaining UNDSS security clearance prior to each approved mission.”
The contractor is expected to have specialized knowledge in education and research expertise in education economics and policy analysis, with experience at a country-wide scale and in international development contexts, particularly in politically sensitive environments.
• Master’s or higher degree in Education, Public Policy, International Development, Economics or related field.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in developing and implementing resource mobilization strategies, especially in the education or development sectors.
• In-depth understanding of education systems, education financing mechanisms, and sector-wide approaches (SWAp), preferably in Southeast Asia or conflict-sensitive contexts.
• Experience working in politically sensitive or fragile contexts, with understanding of Myanmar’s education and socio-political landscape.
• Strong ability to synthesize complex information and develop clear, actionable strategic documents and presentations in English.
Languages
• Ph.D. in Education, Public Policy, International Development, Economics, or relevant fields.
• Over 12 years of progressively responsible experience in developing and implementing resource mobilization strategies, especially in the education or development sectors.
• Familiarity with Myanmar’s education sector, Joint Response Framework and donor landscape.
• Knowledge of how to align resource mobilization with measurable results and performance tracking.
• Direct experience engaging with major donors (e.g., GPE, UNICEF, World Bank, bilateral agencies) and aligning national strategies with global funding frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and facilitate collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, donors, and local communities.
Languages
• Working knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.
Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and upload the following documents as a single PDF document in place of the Employment History Form.
1) An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.
2) Written technical and financial proposals (in English):
• Approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment, a detailed workplan showing a timeline for completion of activities, the assignment’s important activities/deliverables and milestones/deadlines and comments on the Terms of Reference, in brief, if any, and
• The proposed daily or monthly rates or the amount/budget to be charged for the assignment, including all necessary costs in detailed budget breakdown which should be quoted in USD. Please show any travel costs separately.
• Two (2) relevant examples of previous work related to resource mobilization strategy or/and analysis to inform decision making, preferably from development and/or education context or documented evidence.
3) Contact details of three (3) referees, including names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of individuals familiar with your professional work.
UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money.
Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Additional Information
• Travel costs should be included in the financial proposal.
• This contract is for a period of 4 months, with the possibility of extension. Estimated start month is November 2025.
Assessment
• Only applications providing the information requested in the application procedure will be considered.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.
Note:
• Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.
• Please submit your application through SuccessFactors. Only if you are unable to attach requirements in the system, please inform us at yangon.bgk@unesco.org.
• Queries of a technical nature about these TORS may be directed to: yangon.bgk@unesco.org.
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.
UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.
Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members 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. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals 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. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.
UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.
