Expression of Interest /Senior Education Consultant Pool- Damascus

1. About the Programme

The International Rescue Committee, as Grant Agent for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) System Capacity Grant (SCG), is supporting the Ministry of Education to strengthen its leadership of education sector reform in Syria. The programme focuses on strengthening government capability in education sector analysis, planning, financing, monitoring, and institutional development, supported by targeted technical assistance. To support this work, IRC is establishing a pool of senior consultants who may be engaged on short-term assignments throughout the life of the programme. This Expression of Interest is the first stage of the recruitment process. It is intended to identify qualified consultants who may later be invited to submit a technical and financial proposal for specific assignments.

1. Consultancy Opportunities

Applicants may express interest in one of the following consultancy lots.

Lot

Consultancy

Estimated level of effort

1

Senior Education Sector Analysis

Up to 35 days

2

Senior Education Sector Planning Adviser

Up to 15 days

3

Senior Education Finance and Public Financial Management Adviser

Up to 20 days

4

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Results Adviser

Up to 15 days

5

Senior Institutional Development and Capacity Assessment Adviser

Up to 10 days

6

Senior Technical Advisory Roster (multiple)

Call-down assignments throughout the project

Assignments are expected to take place between September 2026 and May 2028.

1. About the Assignments:

Lot 1: Senior Education Sector Analysis

Support the Ministry of Education to undertake the Education Sector Analysis and the GPE Enabling Factors Analysis, facilitate stakeholder consultations and support the evidence-based identification and prioritisation of sector reforms, and provide the analytical foundation for the Partnership Compact (PC) and the Emergency and Strategic Education Plan (ESEP).

Typical outputs include:

• Education Sector Analysis
• GPE Enabling Factors Analysis
• Evidence synthesis and options for priority reform
• Technical presentations to the Ministry and Local Education Group

Lot 2: Senior Education Sector Planning Adviser

Support preparation of Syria's Emergency and Strategic Education Plan (ESEP), including strategic priorities, implementation arrangements and operational planning and integration of costing and financing inputs developed with the Education Finance and PFM Adviser.

Typical outputs include:

• ESEP framework
• Strategic priorities
• Implementation roadmap
• Operational planning guidance

Lot 3: Senior Education Finance and Public Financial Management Adviser

Support the Ministry of Education to strengthen education financing and public financial management and inform the costing and financing of the ESEP. The assignment will examine how education policy priorities are translated into budgets and how budget decisions inform investment.

The assignment may include analysis of the education budget cycle, domestic and external financing flows, recurrent and capital expenditure, institutional roles and decision-making processes, and financing gaps. It will also support the development of medium-term financing scenarios and the costing of the ESEP.

• Education financing and PFM analysis
• ESEP costing model
• Financing gap analysis
• Budget scenarios
• Education financing chapter / input to the ESEP
• Recommendations for strengthening education financing and PFM systems

Lot 4: Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Results Adviser

Design the ESEP results framework and monitoring and learning arrangements, including mechanisms to support implementation monitoring, evidence-informed decision-making and Joint Annual Reviews.

Typical outputs include:

• ESEP Results framework
• Indicator reference sheets
• Monitoring and learning framework
• Reporting and review arrangements
• Joint Annual Review framework/guidance

Lot 5 Senior Institutional Development and Capacity Assessment Adviser

Support the Ministry to assess institutional capacities and identify practical measures to strengthen organisational systems, functions and technical capabilities. The assignment will build on existing institutional assessments and undertake targeted additional analysis where evidence gaps remain. Typical outputs include:

• Synthesis of existing institutional and capacity assessments where they exist
• Targeted institutional capacity assessments
• Capacity strengthening priorities and recommendations
• Capacity strengthening and technical assistance plan

Lot 6: Senior Technical Advisory Roster

IRC is also establishing a roster of senior specialists who may be engaged on short-term assignments to respond to emerging Ministry priorities and strengthen institutional systems and the technical capacity of MoE personnel during implementation of the GPE System Capacity Grant.

Assignments may include the following thematic areas:

• Assessment and quality assurance
• Teacher policy and professional development
• Instructional Leadership
• TVET
• Curriculum
• Public administration and institutional development
• Governance
• Digital transformation

1. Who We Are Looking For

Applicants should demonstrate:

Essential

• Advanced university degree in education, public policy, economics, public administration, statistics, social sciences or another field relevant to the selected lot.
• Demonstrated experience delivering comparable assignments for governments or education-sector programmes.
• Ability to produce concise, decision-ready analytical and policy products.
• Experience working with government institutions and strengthening institutional systems
• Willingness and ability to undertake in-person work in Damascus, as required by the specific assignment.
• Professional fluency in English is required for Lots 1–5. Arabic/English Language requirements for Lot 6 will depend on the specific assignment.

Desirable

• Arabic proficiency is strongly desirable and may be required for assignments involving direct facilitation or extensive engagement with Ministry counterparts.
• Experience working with ministries in Syria;
• Experience supporting GPE, UNESCO, the World Bank or comparable education sector programmes.

1. Key Working Relationships:

• Reports to: GPE Programme Director
• Key IRC Contacts: GPE Programme Coordinator, Education Technical Advisors, M&E, operations, grants and finance teams,
• Key Ministry of Education Contacts: Heads of divisions and technical departments or directorates.

Travel: Assignments will primarily support the Ministry of Education in Damascus, with potential travel to education directorates in respective governorates. Where travel is required and authorised under the specific assignment, IRC will arrange or reimburse approved travel, accommodation and per diem in accordance with IRC policies.

6. Recruitment Process Recruitment will take place in two stages.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest: Interested consultants are invited to submit:

• A brief cover note (maximum 1 page) including:
  • consultancy lot applied for;
  • summary of relevant experience;
  • current location;
  • availability;
  • language proficiency.
• An updated CV, not exceeding three pages.
• One or two relevant, publicly shareable or appropriately redacted writing samples, in either English or Arabic, demonstrating experience relevant to the selected lot. Contact details for two referees.

Stage 2 – Request for Proposal: Shortlisted consultants will be invited to submit a technical and financial proposal for a specific assignment once the scope of work has been agreed with the Ministry of Education.

Please note: Inclusion in the consultant pool does not constitute an offer of employment or guarantee an assignment. Engagement will depend on program needs, the agreement of specific scopes of work with the Ministry of Education, consultant availability, available funding, satisfactory due diligence, and completion of IRC contracting requirements.

1. How to Apply

Please submit your application to the link and read the JD well.

Professional Standards: IRC consultants must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Accountability to Clients: IRC consultants must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.

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   Estimated levels of effort are indicative and will be confirmed through individual scopes of work. They do not represent guaranteed days of engagement.