Consultant_ Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 15-JAN-2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

A. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

UNESCO supports Member States in strengthening their education management information systems (EMIS) to improve planning, monitoring, and decision-making processes. Within this framework, and in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), UNESCO is enhancing its support to countries such as Ukraine and is revitalizing its global coordination efforts through a renewed EMIS Community of Practice (CoP). The EMIS Progress Assessment Tool (EMIS-PATT) is central to UNESCO’s technical assistance, helping countries assess and improve their EMIS maturity. There is a need to provide technical guidance over its implementation at country level and to expand this tool with new thematic modules as well as to complement it with a human competency framework for sustainable EMIS development.
Moreover, UNESCO is seeking to expand its Higher Education Policy Observatory, hosted by the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO IESALC), and development of related policy analyses. The further development of the Observatory is foreseen in the 43 C/5 and is part of a two-year Funds-in-Trust agreement between UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay on promoting change in higher education policymaking.
The Higher Education Policy Observatory is a global platform for systematic analysis of higher education systems and policies, currently integrating data from 146 countries and efforts are underway to enlarge this number. The platform integrates national profiles with global and regional analytics, enabling users to examine and compare how higher education systems are structured, governed and perform, contributing to a more robust evidence base in higher education.

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B. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall authority of the Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems (ED/PLS), and the direct supervision of the EMIS Programme Lead, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

1) EMIS-PATT module development and technical backstopping

• Draft two new thematic modules for integration into the EMIS Progress Assessment Tool:
   Inclusion Module, addressing system governance, data architecture, and integration with national EMIS.
   Education in Emergency module, leveraging existing frameworks developed by ED/E30/EME and IIEP teams.
• Finalize EMIS PATT module on higher education.
• Align modules with UNESCO’s global EMIS framework and standards.
• Provide technical guidance over EMIS-PATT country implementations foreseen within the consultancy period: Kenya, Lebanon, Vietnam, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Nauru

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  2) Competency Framework for EMIS Personnel

  • Finalize a draft Competency Framework for EMIS-related staff within Ministries of Education through a participatory approach involving UNESCO network and members of the UNESCO EMIS International Community of Practice.
  • Propose institutional mechanisms for implementation, such as job descriptions and capacity-building plans.

    3) Technical support for preparation and delivery of an international conference on EMIS in the era of AI (foreseen June 2026)

    • Contribute to conference conceptualization and programme design
    • Participate in the delivery of conference activities, including moderation of some of the sessions.

      4) Technical Support to GPE-Funded Project in Ukraine

      • Support implementation of project activities linked to e-governance and EMIS strengthening in Ukraine.
      • Support preparation of project narrative report.
      • Liaise with partners, contractors and UNESCO field office teams to ensure timely delivery and monitoring.

        5) Further development of the Higher Education Observatory platform

        • Enhanced visualizations:
           Develop visualization concepts for the integration of statistical indicators on higher education from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) into world overviews page
           Development of new visualizations concepts allowing to cross statistical and policy indicators
           Designing clear and standardized downloading templates for all indicators for openness and accessibility
           Continuous monitoring and improvement of the site to ensure visibility and user-friendliness
        • Policy indicators:
           Presentation refinement: revising methodological notes and items, improving visualizations for specific policy indicators
           Development of at least two new comparative policy indicators to increase the range and depth of information available
           Integrating data updates from continuous reviews carried out by UNESCO IESALC
        • Clarity:
           Collaborate with IT partners to develop an API for other websites to use Observatory data
           Codifying Observatory backend processes and establishing guidance to ensure platform sustainability (focus on country data reviews, policy data updates, country document update, policy indicator and visualization template updates, statistical indicators updates)

          COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C)Communication (C)Innovation (C)Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)Teamwork (C)Results focus (C)

          - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

          REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

          • Advanced university degree (PhD) in education planning, information systems, statistics, public administration, or a related field.
          • At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in EMIS development, data systems, or education sector planning.
          • At least 8 years of relevant experience in higher education policy and comparative analysis at the international level
          • Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative research
          • Proven expertise in developing analytical tools, frameworks, and guidelines for national education systems.
          • Familiarity with higher education system governance and legislative systems
          • Familiarity with EMIS capacity development strategies and international standards in education data.
          • Familiarity with IT development processes, backend systems and HTML coding
          • Familiarity with data visualization methods
          • Experience with international organizations, preferably in multilateral settings.
          • Excellent drafting and communication skills in both French and English. Knowledge of Spanish would be an asset.

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          DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

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          APPLICATION PROCESS

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          SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

          Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

          The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.

          UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

          Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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