Consultant: Costing Refugee Teacher Inclusion in National Education Systems at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

General Background of Project or Assignment, Operational Context:

• The Djibouti Declaration emphasizes the importance of providing equal opportunities for refugee teachers as part of the broader goal of integrating refugees into national education systems. Specifically, it calls for the recognition and upgrading of refugee teachers' qualifications to meet national professional standards and facilitate their recruitment, it also stresses the need to build the capacity of refugee teachers by equipping them with the skills required to teach the national curriculum, providing them with the same training and development opportunities as their national counterparts. Furthermore, the Declaration advocates for the harmonization of pay scales and employment conditions between refugee and national teachers.
• However, a recently published evaluation of progress against the Djibouti Declaration in all IGAD Member States finds that refugee teachers have yet to be fully included into national education systems across the region. This commitment is documented in the Evaluation as one of the most contentious by both member states and the international community. Key reasons include the absence of, or non-recognition of qualifications, lack of clarity regarding the additional costs of integrating refugee teachers, and potential resistance from national populations and teacher unions, particularly in contexts with high unemployment rates.
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Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

• Concise and detailed description of activities, including measurable outputs and delivery date, impact indicators (what qualitative and quantitative results would be achieved upon completion of individual contract), performance indicators (timelines, value of the service rendered in relation to the cost, timeliness) and work plan:
• The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a detailed costing analysis and develop financial projections related to the inclusion of teachers with refugee status in national education systems.

The projections should address the following:

• Refugee teacher qualifications and training, and alignment with the requirements for professional registration and deployment in the country of asylum.
• The extension of national teacher professional development with consideration of mandatory trainings for compliance with national standards; and specific trainings based on the characteristics of refugee schools.
• Development of bridging modules:modules tailored to the specific needs of refugee teachers to deliver the national curriculum.
• Harmonization of refugee teacher payments with national schemes of service (salaries, benefits, and allowance), noting that these may have contextual differences within a country.
• Costs related to work permits, legal documentation, or other administrative fees.

The analysis should also consider:

• The implications of teacher unions and other professional bodies, including potential costs associated with union membership or negotiations.
• Existing coordination, governance, and financing arrangements for refugee teachers and the schools within which they teach, and the shifts that may be required for refugee teacher inclusion to be supported.
• Sequencing and realistic timelines.

Scope or Work

The consultant is expected to perform the following tasks focusing on three country contexts to be jointly identified with UNHCR:

• Develop country briefs on the political economy of refugee teacher inclusion in national education systems.

This work should include focused work on:

• Mapping of refugee teacher qualifications and training, and years of experience.
• Teacher payment structures in refugee schools (compared to national schools).
• Recruitment, deployment, and management arrangements for teachers of refugees versus nationals.
• Governance/stakeholder mapping for refugee teacher inclusion.
• Identify and analyse the specific costs associated with integrating refugee teachers into national systems, based on the eight areas outlined in the objectives. Develop detailed financial projections for each country context, with short-term and long-term scenarios (to be developed jointly with UNHCR).
• Develop policy briefs for each country context, and for regional economic communities, providing clear and actionable recommendations for managing these costs sustainably, including potential funding sources, cost-saving strategies, and policy considerations.

Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the following:

• Inception Report outlining the methodology and work plan, with confirmed country selection and costing scenarios (submitted in digital format 2 weeks after the start date)
• Country Briefs (submitted in digital format 6 weeks after the start date).
• Simulation model and detailed financial protection for selected countries (Submitted in digital format 8 weeks after the start date).
• Policy briefs by country, and regional economic community (submitted in digital format 10 weeks after the start date).
• Online presentation or webinar summarizing the key findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders (TBC).

Required qualifications, language(s) and work experience: Degree

• Reqired Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in education, economics, public policy, international development, or a related field.
• The ideal consultant or team of consultants should possess the following qualifications:
• Strong expertise in education sector costing methodologies, including knowledge of tools such as simulation models, cost-benefit analysis and multi-year financial frameworks.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., Excel, STATA, or R) and the ability to interpret large datasets for financial forecasting.
• Experience working in East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes with a deep understanding of standards, teacher professional development frameworks, and workforce management in low-rescue settings.
• Previous consultancy work with international organizations such as UNHCR, UNESCO IIEP, World Bank, or major bilateral donors in the field of refugee education.
• Ability to synthesize complex information from diverse sources, including government reports, academic literature, and grey research, and produce clear, actionable recommendations.
• Strong report-writing and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical findings to non-technical stakeholders.
• Language required: English
• Monitoring and Progress Controls
• (Mesures put in place to ensure the quality of work the individual contract holder delivers. e.g. report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines, performance indicators, milestone discussions, survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify etc)

No. Deliverable Timeline Payment schedule

• Inception Report 2 weeks after start date 20%
• Country Briefs 6 weeks after start date
• Detailed Financial Projections by Country 8 weeks after start date 40%
• Simulation Model 8 weeks after start date
• Policy Briefs 10 weeks after start date
• PowerPoint Presentation 10 weeks after start date 40%