Call for Consultancy: National Consultant for Learning Assessment, Monitoring & Evaluation Coordination

Organization: UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon
Duration: September 2025 to May 2026
Start Date: 22nd September 2025 (Estimated)
Application Deadline: 20th August 2025
Terms of Reference
I. Background
Under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education Sector Program Implementation Grant (ESPIG), UNESCO has secured funding to implement activities towards the attainment of the undermentioned three (3) outcome areas:
Outcome 1: Ensuring safe and equitable access to learning for children and youth in Myanmar;
Outcome 2: Ensuring quality teaching and learning for children and youth in Myanmar by strengthening the capacities of education staff and fostering context-responsive, equity-focused learning resources and modalities adapted to the evolving situation; and
Outcome3: Ensuring systems strengthening, management, coordination, and monitoring.
In support of Outcome 2, UNESCO, together with UNICEF and Save the Children International (SCI) conducted the first round of a learning assessment in 2024 using the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Survey. A total of 9,737 children (4,895 girls and 4,842 boys) were assessed, including 3,069 students in non-formal education settings reached by UNESCO. A second round of assessment is planned, with data collection expected to commence in October 2025, covering 3,000 children (ages 6–15) who participated in the baseline. As with the first round, a third-party contractor will administer the assessment, with UNESCO providing oversight, partner coordination, and data quality assurance.
In parallel, UNESCO is strengthening programme monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to better track progress across all ESPIG-funded activities as the programme enters its final implementation year. This includes supporting the design and refinement of monitoring tools, consolidating reports from partners, strengthening capacity of partners to collect data, conducting remote and field-based monitoring, and ensuring timely data flows for decision-making. These efforts will also feed into the final evaluation of ESPIG, ensuring robust evidence on results achieved across the three outcome areas.
II. Work Assignment
Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the direct supervision of the Head of the UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon and in close collaboration with the ESPIG programme team, the individual consultant will support UNESCO’s oversight of the ASER learning assessment, including data quality assurance and partner coordination. The consultant will further contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the ESPIG programme, encompassing the refinement of monitoring tools, partner engagement and coordination of UNESCO’s inputs to the final programme evaluation. The consultant will carry out the following tasks:
• Planning and coordination: Support the planning, preparation and coordination of ASER learning assessment implementation, including developing schedules, performing quality control, document review and translation.
• Partner engagement: Liaise with UNESCO implementing partners, ESPIG Grant Agents and the contractor to ensure smooth coordination of the learning assessment and monitoring activities. This includes attending relevant meetings with partners and contractors.
• Data quality and reporting: Conduct data verification and provide feedback to the contractor; review draft ASER reports and collate UNESCO’s technical feedback.
• Programme Monitoring activities:
o Support the design, revision and application of monitoring tools, trackers, dashboards and templates.
o Liaise with implementing partners to collect data and coordinate their inputs into the final evaluation of ESPIG.
o Review implementing partners’ monitoring reports and suggest areas for improvement and develop 3-5 success stories for each ESPIG outcome area. Success stories must reflect diversity in location, gender and thematic focus.
o Update programme result frameworks on a periodic basis.
o Scheduling of implementing partners and beneficiaries to ensure their participation in relevant key informant interviews, focus group discussions and surveys as part of the final evaluation of ESPIG.
o Review UNESCO’s mobile school data collection and support system and recommend improvements to App to strengthen its capacity as a tool for improving school management.
o Assist in preparing for and carrying out monitoring of future grant-funded activities.
o Conduct remote and field-based monitoring (to accessible areas deemed safe by UNDSS).
o Implement user satisfaction surveys and other offline and remote monitoring tools for users of the Myanmar Teacher Platform and the Myanmar Youth Platform. Prepare survey reports and document relevant impact stories.
o Support monitoring of broader ESPIG activities and consolidate findings for programme reporting to the Global Partnership for Education, the Education Sector Group and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT).
• Coordination of evaluation inputs: Coordinate UNESCO’s contribution to the ESPIG Final Evaluation, ensuring evidence, data, and analysis are timely and comprehensive.
• Review of final evaluation report: Provide feedback to the contractor; review draft final evaluation report and collate UNESCO’s technical feedback.
• Capacity strengthening: Work with partners including providing training sessions to enhance monitoring systems, data collection and reporting quality.
• Documentation and knowledge management: Support the maintenance of monitoring and learning assessment records and datasets in SharePoint.
• Translation and interpretation: Provide Myanmar-English technical translation and interpretation for meetings and reporting as needed.
• Promote a culture of learning: Identify lessons learnt and best practices from M&E activities and sharing them with relevant stakeholders.
III. Deliverables and Timeline

Workplan, and schedule for revising and/or developing updated ESPIG monitoring tools (trackers, dashboards, templates etc.)
Risk management matrix for ASER assessment implementation (potential risks, likelihood and impact)
by 30th September 2025
Report on coordination meetings with the contractor and implementing partners to plan for ASER and monitoring activities Draft ESPIG monitoring tools
by 31st October 2025
Report on how Class Map App can be improved to strengthen data collection and monitoring
Report on remote and/or field monitoring activities conducted with UNESCO’s implementing partners and beneficiaries Finalized ESPIG monitoring tools
by 28th November 2025
Submit draft surveys and interview questions for dissemination among users of the Myanmar Youth Platform (MYP) and the Myanmar Teacher Platform (MTP)
Partner follow-up report and data quality verification summary of the ASER data collection process
4 Success Stories (no more than one A4 page)
by 31st December 2025
Develop survey/monitoring report analyzing user satisfaction with the MTP and MYP, including recommendations on how both Platforms can be improved to reach a wider audience
Checklist of all relevant progress reports, monitoring reports, success stories to ensure timely provision for the ESPIG Final Evaluation
by 30th January 2026
Consolidated UNESCO contributions to the ASER Learning Assessment
Report on remote and/or field monitoring activities conducted with UNESCO’s implementing partners and beneficiaries
by 27th February 2026
Comprehensive monitoring report on ASER implementation and other programme monitoring activities (ESPIG)
4 Success Stories (no more than one A4 page)
by 31st March 2026
Final comprehensive report on remote and/or field monitoring activities conducted with UNESCO’s implementing partners and beneficiaries in preparation for ESPIG reporting to GPE
Consolidated UNESCO contributions to the ESPIG Final Evaluation
by 30th April 2026
Updated ESPIG monitoring tools and appropriate visuals showcasing the programme’s progress over the 3-year implementation period
Three concise case studies (no more than 5 A4 pages) showcasing UNESCO’s progress against each ESPIG outcome area. Case studies should include visuals, tables and photos and address – context/problem addressed, activities/interventions, key results/impact, lessons learnt
Documentation of lessons learnt and recommendations for improving programme monitoring and future learning assessments
by 29th May 2026
IV. Location and travel
The individual consultant will be partially home-based. She/he is required to telework from home with occasional work at the UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon.
V. Fees
The lump sum is established on the basis of a daily or monthly rate based on UNESCO rules and regulations on Level of Assignment and Remuneration and depending on qualifications.
VII. Qualifications for Specialized Knowledge/Experience
Required qualifications
• A Master’s degree in education, international development, management, economics, statistics or a related field.
• At least 3 years’ experience in the international development (education) sector including supporting either learning assessments, evaluations or major quantitative research studies.
• Advanced understanding of Microsoft Excel.
• Strong understanding of and familiarity working with complex data sets.
• Familiarity with the education development context in Myanmar including working with non- government education providers.
• Adaptability and flexibility in working approach.
Desirable qualifications
• Advanced understanding of Power BI
• Experience working with CSO and /or other UN agencies and INGOs.