Education Expert (STE), ARTF

Introducing Integrity

Integrity is an ethical consultancy and service provider working in challenging and complex environments around the globe.

We help our clients succeed in fragile and challenging environments while building trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We work across all phases of the programme and project cycle, delivering eleven complementary services: monitoring, evaluation and learning / data and knowledge management / research, evidence and analysis / advisory / project management / communications / risk management / technical assistance / capability and capacity development / stakeholder engagement / grant and fund management. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which we were founded, a commitment to providing reliable information and evidence, and expert and high-quality delivery.

Headquartered in London and Washington DC, Integrity also has offices in Jordan, Kenya, and Pakistan. Our multi-national team of over 60 deliver multi-year projects, programmes and consulting assignments to a wide range of government clients, international organisations, foundations and private sector clients.

VISION: To set the international standard for ethically delivered expert services in complex and challenging contexts.

MISSION: We use evidence and learning to provide trusted advice and enable change for a sustainable future.

VALUES:

• Courage: We work on many of the world’s most complex problems. We stand against violence in all its forms. We are unafraid to stand up to illegal or unethical practises.

• Objectivity: We challenge conventional thinking. Our recommendations are not based on assumptions or ideology but evidence and learning.

• Diligence: We incorporate our best individual and collective intellect through rigour, reflection, and collaboration.

• Accountability: We take responsibility for the quality of our work and performance. We hold ourselves to account through clear policy and process, sustained by long-term profitability.

• Sensitivity: We understand the impact of our presence and our work, empathise with people’s situations, and commit to do no harm.

ETHICS: Integrity upholds the highest ethical standards in our work, our employment of staff and our interaction with people. Through adherence to our core values, we ensure the best possible service, and benefit the communities amongst whom we work.

We commit to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where all feel safe and able to progress, contribute and be heard, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital or parental status.

Further information about Integrity can be found at www.integrityglobal.com.

Project Background

Between 2002-2021, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, supported immediate stabilization and reconstruction needs in Afghanistan. It helps to fill the large financing gap in both the operating and development budgets of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Fund also provided a platform for pooled on-budget financing and coordinated implementation support to the government. As of February 2019, 34 donors had contributed a cumulative $11.4 billion through the ARTF to fund Afghanistan’s development priorities through policy-based budget support and investment projects that aim to reduce poverty, service delivery, citizens’ engagement and social inclusion, as well as support of governance and state effectiveness.

As part of the Fund’s administration, the World Bank contracted an independent Monitoring Agent to provide monitoring, financial management, and accountability support for disbursements. The Monitoring Agent was responsible for reviewing disbursements, payments, accounting, and reporting for the activities to be financed by the ARTF. In 2011, the WB expanded the third-party monitoring of ARTF-financed initiatives and contracted an independent Supervisory Agent (SA) to support the Bank’s task teams in monitoring implementation of investment initiatives in widely dispersed locations around the country. The Supervisory Agent helped the teams develop monitoring protocols specific to individual projects and applicable environmental and social safeguards considerations. It deployed monitoring teams that used mobile technology and software to compile and share detailed monitoring data with Afghan government implementing agencies and the Bank task teams. The Supervisory Agent also engaged in follow-up on reported deficiencies to track and verify remediation the agencies and Bank task teams. Both the Monitoring and Supervisory Agents reported monthly, quarterly, and annually on their findings and periodically provided briefings to ARTF stakeholders, at the request of the WB.

In 2020, the World Bank combined the roles of the Monitoring and Supervisory Agents under a new Third-Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA) contract phase, implemented by a consortium that included BDO (the previous Monitoring Agent), ATR, and Integrity Global. The overall goal was to maximize value for money of ARTF-financed programs and provide fiduciary assurance on the Afghan government’s use of grant proceeds and their likely development impact to the ARTF partners, the WB management, the Government, and the public.

For the period 1 January 2022 to 31 July 2022:

During the first extension period, the TPMA contract will focus on supporting the effective transition of the World Bank portfolio from on-budget delivery of financing to financing a core program of basic service delivery via direct recipient-executed grants to United Nations entities and, potentially, international non-governmental organizations, while sustaining ARTF donors’ access to quality information about the monitoring program. In support of this objective, the contractor will conduct a program of work aimed at supporting the orderly suspension and closure of World Bank financing commitments, including if needed support for project implementation completion and results report preparation, designing a program of work to support the implementation of projects envisioned by the March 1 World Bank Board of Executive Directors and the March 10 ARTF Steering Committee decisions, and sustaining field-based data gathering, including as required for key sectoral monitoring initiatives. Regular quarterly and other reporting protocols will be sustained.

For the period 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2024:

The primary objective of this assignment is to assure value for money of ARTF- and IDA-funded investment projects through:

1. Monitoring of Projects Implemented by UN Agencies: Integrated oversight of project implementation performance, and compliance with fiduciary, environmental and social standards. Monitoring project specific Entry Criteria to assess where the conditions for continuing the project are in place, as approved by the management of the Bank and ARTF.
2. Economic Monitoring and Governance Assessment: Field-based gathering of relevant economic data points on a monthly basis. Survey more than two thousand respondents each month, covering at least 50 districts in 22 regionally representative provinces, to collect data about commodity prices and availability, banking sector, trade market activities, labor market conditions and activities, real estate activities, and taxation. Periodic reporting on a range of governance indicators covering changes introduced by the Taliban administration, including those affecting public financial management, public service delivery, and justice and the rule of law.
3. Maintenance and Enhancement of Digital Platform: Develop a mobile application to access monitoring data and reports, functionality for UN agencies to upload sites data and access reports, new dashboards for senior management, maintaining digital platform ensuring information security.
4. Ad hoc Activities: One-time review of the hospital infrastructure in Afghanistan, monitoring of any new projects prepared, and any other ad hoc requirements.

Scope of Work

The Education Expert (STE) will work with our Analysis and Reporting Team to support the design, analysis, and reporting on Education Sector Monitoring and the Education Emergency Response in Afghanistan (EERA) project for the World Bank in Afghanistan. Working closely with the Education Sector Monitoring Focal Point and relevant staff from the World Bank, Physical Monitoring Team, and Financial Monitoring Team, s/he will provide inputs into the design and final Education Sector Monitoring and EERA deliverables. The Education Expert (STE) will work with the Education Sector Primary Focal Point to produce high-quality monitoring products on time, which includes support to drafting and finalisation of the regular and ad hoc reports.

Terms of Reference

Design and Planning

The Education Expert STE provides subject-matter expertise during the development of the Education sector monitoring design phase. Expected activities include:

• In support of activities, conduct a targeted desk review of World Bank and UNICEF documents on the education sector in Afghanistan, grey literature on the current status of the education system, and World Bank and UNICEF's responses to new developments.
• Support the Education Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point in the development of standard analysis and reporting processes, including a detailed analysis plan.
• Conduct a technical review of the monitoring tools, including providing feedback/input on the content and structure.

Technical Delivery

The Education Expert STE will play a key role in the analysis of education sector data and the development of key deliverables. This includes working in collaboration with the Education Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point and other relevant consortium stakeholders.

• Working with the Education Sector Primary Focal Point, conduct a technical review of education sector monitoring data and analysis according to the agreed quantitative and qualitative data analysis processes and identify key trends.
• Attend data analysis discussions for validation and contextualisation of results and trends that inform the monitoring reports.
• Contribute to the drafting of specialist sections of the monitoring reports as required by the Education Primary Focal Point.
• Review the draft Education Sector and EERA Project monitoring reports and provide specialist inputs to make sure the reports are informed by an accurate understanding of the country’s education context.
• In collaboration with the Education Sector Primary Focal Point, prepare and deliver high-level findings presentations for key external stakeholders.
• Prepare and deliver presentations of complete findings to a wider stakeholder audience (once the report is completed), as needed.

Your Experience and Expertise

The Education Expert STE will have:

• 10+ years’ experience working on education sector or project monitoring, evaluation and learning within the international humanitarian or development sector.
• A Master’s degree in a relevant subject within the education sector. A PhD in Education is an advantage.
• Excellent understanding of education sector and project monitoring and evaluation framework design, instrument design, contextual analysis, and analysis plan development.
• Experience designing and delivering education sector research, monitoring and evaluation projects, using qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience of quality control, quality assurance, and analysis of education sector data, leading to the writing of monitoring and learning reports in a variety of different reporting formats.
• Strong proficiency with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; proficiency working with PowerBI, and competency working with qualitative and quantitative analysis software outputs (e.g., Nvivo, SPSS).
• An excellent ability to communicate, work in a team, and collaborate with individuals with diverse technical backgrounds and with external stakeholders including government entities and international agencies.
• Previous work experience in Afghanistan required; post-August 2021 experience preferred.

Languages

• Written and oral fluency in English, with the ability to write clear and compelling narrative.
• Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto preferred.

Required Interpersonal Skills

Competency

User-focused

To be able to ensure that stakeholders gain from the relationship so they can be sufficiently motivated to engage and cooperate.

• Talks to stakeholders to understand issues, what they want and how satisfied they are with our support and/or products.
• Ensures stakeholders know they are working to meet their needs.
• Finds ways to measure and track stakeholder satisfaction.
• Anticipates, meets and exceeds the needs and expectations of stakeholders (internally and externally).
• Works together to build long-term relationships and focuses efforts on delivering increased value.

Adaptable and flexible

The ability to adjust or change to best meet the needs of the situation or environment.

• Engages in continuous learning, adjusting the application of knowledge, skills and abilities while addressing new challenges.

Collaborative

The ability to work co-operatively with a range of stakeholders, to be part of a team, to work together as opposed to working separately or competitively.

• Acts to promote a friendly climate, good morale and co-operation.
• Works to address and resolve conflicts within the team.
• Creates and supports opportunities for cross functional team working.

Organised

The ability to plan and monitor one’s own work and the work of others to ensure achievement of desired results.

• Coordinates ideas and resources to achieve goals.
• Identifies the sequence of tasks and the resources needed to achieve a goal and prioritises key action steps. Anticipates the impacts and risks of decisions and actions.
• Creates realistic schedules and follows them. Evaluates progress against schedule and goal. Evaluates proposed actions and timelines against the project’s theory of change.

Conditions

The Education Expert STE will work remotely and may be required to remotely attend calls/meetings hosted by team members and/or project stakeholders based worldwide, located in time zones such as Australia and the East Coast of the United States. The Education Expert STE should review their attendance of these calls/meetings and coordinate with their line manager and colleagues to ensure any time considerations are shared and their attendance is confirmed in good time for the meeting. The Education Expert STE is expected to retain flexibility in working hours to adjust to meeting and deliverable requirements, in coordination with their line manager.

Reporting

The Education Expert STE will report directly to the Education Sector Monitoring Primary Focal Point.

Location

The position will be home-based, with potential travel in accordance with project requirements.

Level of Effort

The Education Expert STE will draw down on a total of 35 days level of effort from 1 April to 31 October 2023, as required by their line manager.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form at www.integrityglobal.com/apply and attach a CV and Cover Letter, explaining why you are suitable for and want the role. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

We will review candidates on a rolling basis and the vacancy may be filled. We encourage early applications. Please be advised that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Integrity is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital or parental status. We will respect your confidentiality and abide by data protection laws.