Consultant(s) to draft a synthesis paper on preparedness and anticipatory action (AA) for education in emergencies

Title : Consultant(s) to draft a synthesis paper on preparedness and anticipatory action (AA) for education in emergencies

Location : Geneva or home-based

Proposed Dates : October 2024 – July 2025 (up to 70 days)

Summary

The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) is recruiting a consultant(s) to draft the 2025 EiE Hub Flagship product The product will take the form of a synthesis paper on preparedness and anticipatory action (AA), as these relate to education in emergencies (EiE). The EiE Hub members publishes a flagship product in line with its mission to support better data and evidence for EiE, as well as its mandate to drive political will, commitment and agenda-setting of governments and partners. The first flagship report in 2022 focused on the funding gap in EiE and was entitled “EiE Financing in the Wake of COVID-19: Time to Reinvest to Meet Growing Needs”. The second flagship report in 2023 focused on the interplay between EiE and the climate crisis and was entitled “Leveraging EiE for Climate Action”. This 2025 flagship product is a concrete way to elevate preparedness and AA as it relates to EiE in global policy discussions. It will underscore the potential of preparedness and AA to limit learning interruptions, and encourage greater political commitment and adequate funding.

Background and rationale

Conflict, violence, the climate crisis, food insecurity, forced displacement and the aftereffects of COVID-19 continue to disrupt education systems around the world, and to deny millions of children in all their diversity the opportunity to learn and thrive. At present, 224 million school-aged children are affected by crisis and in urgent need of quality education, including 72 million children who are out of school.

However, the worst is preventable, and we hold the key to lessen the impacts of predictable crises on children and youth’s education and wellbeing. Forward thinking and action such as preparedness and AA lead to more effective responses that ensure learning continuity and quality, and contribute to the protection of children and youth in crisis situations. Additionally, in the current environment of tightening aid budgets and multiplying and complex crises, it is crucial to ensure that we make the best use of the resources available. Hence, effective and transformative preparedness and AA for EiE are urgently needed.

The 2025 flagship product will a) synthesise existing evidence on the potential of preparedness and AA to support the provision of timely and quality education in emergencies; b) bring compelling key messages to policy makers across sectors and the nexus and peers to support them in understanding the importance of preparedness and AA to ensure learning continuity and quality; and c) contribute to shaping global policy discussions, inspiring ambitious action and funding toward preparedness and AA for education in humanitarian settings.

Scope of work

This joint product by EiE Hub members will:

• highlight the need for urgent and transformative preparedness and AA for education in crisis settings, including across the nexus and sectors.
• synthesise existing research and information in the areas of EiE and preparedness and AA.
• show evidence that preparedness and AA lead to more effective responses that support the provision of timely and quality education and protection of children and youth during emergencies.
• emphasise effective practices and initiatives in policy, funding, and programming that have the potential for scaling up and driving systemic change.
• translate evidence and good practices into coherent narratives that resonate with policy makers across sectors and the nexus and among peers.
• underline the role of children and youth – in all their diversity –, teachers, local communities as agents of change in this realm.
• provide key messages on preparedness and AA for EiE to inform and influence debates, policymaking and funding.
• provide the evidence and key messages for strategic advocacy at global events, such as the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) in March 2025, Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in June 2025, and ECOSOC HAS in June 2025.

Unique added value:

• With numerous reports being released every year, this synthesis paper will provide added value by being developed by a Reference Group and endorsed by all 52 EiE Hub members. This ensures that it represents the EiE sector as a whole, rather than a single entity.
• It will translate evidence and best practices into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers across sectors, including across the nexus, making it easier for them to understand the importance of preparedness and AA for EiE.
• It will elevate the importance of preparedness and AA for EiE in global policy discussion. Additionally, it will serve as a powerful advocacy tool, helping to secure funding and support from stakeholders by clearly demonstrating the significance and impact of EiE in this realm.

Target audience: policy and decision-makers across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, climate actors and funds, development and humanitarian donors, Ministries of Education and other relevant ministries as well as practitioners.

Key moments including but not limited to: HNPW in March 2025, Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in June 2025, ECOSOC HAS in June 2025.

Methodology and management arrangements

The methodology will include a desk and literature review. In addition, the consultant(s) will primarily draw on the EiE Hub members’ knowledge, expertise and work, and reach out to external stakeholders as relevant. The inception report will further detail the methodology to be employed. The final synthesis paper will outline the methodology used, including data sources and limitations.

Guidance and support: The consultant(s) will work under the guidance and support of an EiE Hub Reference Group (RG), including Technical Working Group (TWG) members. The RG will provide strategic and substantive input on the paper development, including feedback on drafts of all the key outputs. The consultant(s) will provide regular updates to the RG on progress. The EiE Hub Secretariat will liaise between the consultant(s) and the RG and coordinate their work.

Deliverables

The assignment will include the following deliverables:

• Inception report (max. 5 pages) to ensure mutual understanding of the consultant(s)’s plan of action and timeline for conducting the consultancy
• One final synthesis paper (max. 20 pages)
• One 1- or 2-pager summarising the key messages of the paper

The overall output will be the final synthesis paper (max. 20 pages), which will include an executive summary, key messages and examples of good practices aimed at the different target audiences.