ThaiNGO

Save the Children International is looking for a consultant for Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) and Education in Emergency (EiE)

JOB TITLE:  CSS and EiE consultancy

TEAM/PROGRAMME: DRR and Road Safety                LOCATION: Thailand

Background

Save the Children in Thailand, in collaboration with Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC), is implementing the “Strengthening Institutional Capacity of Thailand’s Education and DRR Stakeholders on Comprehensive School Safety Framework” project funded by UNICEF. Purposes of the project are to 1) improve and maintain technical capacity on comprehensive school safety and 2) strengthen Thailand Safe School Network and link to ASEAN School Safety Initiatives (ASSI). The project period is 18 months started in September 2015.   

One of many project activities is to have education sector snapshot for Comprehensive School Safety and Education in Emergencies, which will serve as essential background for the following purposes:

·      As a shared, factual starting point for advocates, team members and new staff wanting to support comprehensive school safety and education sector development in Thailand.

·      As an appendix to an appeal for funding for either education in emergencies or disaster risk reduction in the education sector.

·      As part of the Emergency Preparedness Plan, as a document which will be read by both internal and external humanitarian contributors to the education sector to read ‘before their helicopter lands

·      As ‘denominator’ information, providing a baseline against which to assess the adequacy, scalability and sustainability of efforts to integrate DRR/CCA into education sector development efforts.

In this regard, Save the Children in Thailand is seeking a consultant to help on compiling this education sector analysis, and below are potential sources of information:

·     Ministry of Education policies and programs

·     National Disaster Management Organization policies and programs

·     UNESCO, UNCEF and UNDP and UNISDR statistics

·     Reports of national meetings or consultations on Comprehensive School Safety and/or Education in Emergencies

·     Mappings of education sector initiatives and lessons learned

·     Humanitarian working group (or similar) plans

·     Reports of disaster and emergency impacts on education

·     Key informant interviews

·     Focus Group Discussion

·     Filed visits

The objectives of the role are summarized below:

Objectives

·       To compile an Education Sector Snapshot for Comprehensive School Safety and Education in Emergencies for Thailand context.

 To include all relevant appendices in readable formats

Deliverables

·        Education Sector Snapshot for Comprehensive School Safety and Education in Emergencies for Thailand.

·       Supporting documents for the Education Sector Snapshot as annexes. Including relevant denominator information about number and types of schools at subnational levels, and summary mapping of schools/school populations vulnerable to each major hazard to the extent possible.

·       Presentation files of the finidings

·        Identification of gaps in available information.

Consultancy period

·        The consultancy service period for the whole assignment is 50 working days, between 1 February 2016 to 15 April 2016 and the final report should be delivered on 30 April 2016.

Qualifications

·         Thai Nationality

·         Master degree in relevant field

·         Sound experience in education, humanitarian and/or disaster risk reduction

·         Excellent research, reporting, and policy analysis skills

·         Knowledge of disaster management and/or education sector in country and relevant terminology (and willingness to fill in gaps in either sector, with guidance).

·         Good relationships or ability to develop these with education sector and disaster management sector key contacts.

·         Knowledge of country and official language.

Submissions for the consultancy

The submission must address the terms of reference and include:

Name and contact details of the candidate

CV and cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest and suitability

Quotation for the whole assignment

Close date for submissions:

Please send your CV with a quotation by 17th January 2016, to our HR & Admin Manager at jaem.prachoommark@savethechildren.org

 “We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.”

Guide for Compiling an Education Sector Analysis

This section plays role as a guide for Education Sector Snapshot for CSS and EiE assignment. The required sections are specified. The analysis should be simple descriptions of facts and no long explanations. Key information can be presented in the form of tables, charts, bullet points and short descriptions. Further information should be included as appendices.

1. Demographic Context (Required)

Provide population estimate population ages between 6-18, divided by school-age, etc. (Describe the primary and secondary grade levels and which are compulsory, and which are free).

Provide the number of days in the school year.

2. Socio-economic and political Context

Briefly describe the context in terms of economic, political, social, and environmental vulnerabilities impacting on the education sector. This can be drawn from government and various researches and funding sources.

3. Education Sector Policy and Management Context (To be summarized)

Briefly explain the context, e.g. the authority structure and division of responsibilities between national and sub-national education administration and between public and private schools. Explain any fee structures.

Briefly describe overall education sector performance and achievement (matriculation rates, reading levels and similar measures

Briefly describe the policy and management environment in terms of what kind of decisions is made and by whom.

Provide an organizational chart of national education sector management authority, and identify relevant focal points in the organogram (i.e. for each of the 3 pillars of comprehensive school safety, including for educational continuity and education in emergencies).

Provide a typical organization chart for the sub-national education sector management

The cost and financing framework and identify theoretical focal points by position in the organization chart.

Reference any key policies or standards that govern the three pillars of comprehensive school safety, as well as any key partners and progress-to-date.

- Pillar 1: Safe Learning Facilities including construction and buildings

- Pillar 2: School Disaster Management including educational continuity and education in emergencies

- Pillar 3: Risk Reduction and Resilience Education including climate change adaptation in the curriculum (e.g. as part of education for sustainable development, integrated, stand-alone, etc.)

Briefly describe the current scope and capacity of the existing national Education Management Information System (EMIS).

Describe extent of integration or segregation girls and boys, minority language groups, and children with disabilities, within the education system at national and local levels. Include consideration of any structural inequities in distribution of education resources (including urban and rural).

4. Multi-hazard risk analysis to education sector (Required)

Considering both natural and man-made hazards in general as well as conflict, list and describe particular risks in different sub-national jurisdictions, if they differ. (Include, as appropriate: floods, earthquakes, tropical cyclones and storms, pandemics, drought and food insecurity, armed conflict and other risks).

Consider both historical record, as well as potential impacts of hazards on:

 -  Physical impacts on safety of students and staff

 -  Physical impacts on condition of school infrastructure and access to school

 -  Hazard impacts on school enrollment and attendance

 -  Educational impacts on students and quality of education

 -  Psychosocial impacts on students and staff

 -  Management challenges and impacts

Describe level of access to hazard and risk information from National Disaster Management Organization and similar sources, and any link between the EMIS and hazard and risk reduction information.

Describe the impact of recurrent as well as low frequency - high impact disasters on educational continuity (i.e. school days lost, and any adaptations systematically made to adjust the calendar or curriculum to make these up).

Describe impact of previous and potential disasters and emergencies, on child protection.

5. School Facilities (Required)

Do any policies and norms govern safe school site selection, disaster-resilient school design and construction, and school maintenance?

What is the condition of the school facilities? (Type of construction material, space, accessibility)

How about access to school sites (safe routes from school to home)?

How is school construction quality monitored?

Who owns schools?

Who are responsible for maintaining schools, and how is this funded?

6. School Disaster Management & Educational Continuity Planning (Required)

What type of education and training is available to teachers and administrators as far as school disaster management (including disaster response skills) and what proportion have access to this?

Do standard operating procedures exist for building and area evacuation, lockdown, shelter-in-place, and family reunification? What is the scope and quality of guidance for school drills, and how often are these held?

7. Disaster Risk Reduction / Climate Change and Conflict Prevention in the Curriculum (Required)

Briefly describe any curriculum have been in use so far to integrate disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, health and hygiene (to reduce risk of epidemics), and conflict prevention into primary and secondary curricula.

What the curriculum does or does not cover? What ages the curriculum is used for?

What are informal education resources?

8. Development and Integration of Policies (Required)

Briefly illustrate current mechanisms, efforts, and partnerships to support development and integration of policies including monitoring and evaluation of progress on comprehensive school safety.

Briefly illustrate how costing and financing is approached in the education sector in relation to comprehensive school safety.