OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: remote
Classification of duty station:
Standard Duration of Assignment:
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 27-JAN-2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Background
Published every three to four years, the Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education (GRALEs) take stock of adult learning and education (ALE) progress on national, regional and global level, identifies challenges and provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners and researchers and other relevant ALE stakeholders. These reports are expected to present evidence to inform policies, advocate for increasing funding for ALE, promote quality provision and inclusive participation, and share good practice.
The sixth the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE 6) will monitor the progress in implementing the Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA, 2022)โthe outcome document of CONFINTEA VIIโas well as the Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education (RALE, 2015). As a core follow-up mechanism of CONFINTEA VII, GRALE 6 contributes directly to tracking Member Statesโ commitments and identifying emerging priorities for the international ALE community. On behalf of UNESCO, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is mandated to serve as the Secretariat to prepare and publish GRALE 6 in 2027.
Following the structure of previous GRALE editions, GRALE 6 will consist of two main sections: a Monitoring section and a Thematic section. The Monitoring section will be based on the survey data administered across UNESCO Member States coordinated by the officially nominated national focal points. Furthermore, it will provide a structured, system-level analysis of global and regional ALE trends, including governance, provision, participation, quality, financing, and emerging issues. To date, UIL has launched data collection from the Member States through an online survey and will finalize the data collection process in February 2026.
In this regard, UIL is announcing an open call for technical proposals from interested institutions and research teams to support the data analysis and drafting of the Monitoring section.
Under the overall leadership of the UIL Director, the direct supervision of the Team Leader and the management of GRALE 6 Cluster Lead, the main consultant and his/her consultancy team will implement the tasks outlined below.
Long Description
Purpose of the assignment
The consultancy team will be responsible for drafting the Monitoring section of GRALE 6, including developing the methodological and analytical frameworks, analyzing and interpreting the quantitative and qualitative survey data, producing the data visualizations, and formulating clear, policy-oriented findings, with the text totaling approximately 30,000 words. This includes integrating nationally defined information in a responsible and transparent manner and generating meaningful insights for policymakers, researchers, ALE practitioners, and other stakeholders.
As the data collection is ongoing and will be finalized in February 2026, UIL will provide preliminary data extracts and rolling updates as they become available to ensure that the consultancy team can initiate preliminary methodological and analytical frameworks.
To give prospective bidders an indication of the structure and type of data collected in previous cycles, the publicly available GRALE 5 survey dataset can be consulted at https://data.humdata.org/dataset/grale-5-dataset.
Assignments
1. Development of the Methodological and Analytical framework
Develop a methodological framework that guides a coherent analysis of diverse, nationally defined data, including guidance on how comparability may be approached where appropriate. This framework should also outline relevant principles for ensuring data completeness and transparent reporting. Propose a relevant analytical framework with justification. Provide an outline that explains how quantitative and qualitative data will be integrated in a mixed-methods analytical approach, with one or two brief analytical examples demonstrating how the framework will be applied.Long Description
2. Data preparation and analysis
Prepare the analytical dataset (quantitative and qualitative), ensuring that sex-disaggregated data and relevant gender variables are consistently coded and validated where available. Develop full metadata documentation for all variables. Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses following the approved framework, which also explicitly integrates gender analysis, where data permits. Identify global and regional patterns, typologies, and functional equivalences. Produce relevant tables, graphs, and other visual formats with sex-disaggregated results where possible and accompanied by descriptions and analysis of the findings.3. Preparation of the draft Monitoring section
Prepare a full draft of the Monitoring section consistent with the overall GRALE 6 editorial structure. Integrate analysis, metadata explanations, methodological notes, typologies, and visualisations. Co-develop key messages and policy recommendations with UIL and the GRALE 6 Editor. Support the preparation of content for the Executive Summary. Prepare methodological and statistical annexes as needed.4. Revision and finalisation of the Monitoring section
Revise drafts based on feedback from UIL, the Editor, peer reviewers, and other relevant internal review processes. Submit the final draft of the Monitoring section as an integral part of GRALE 6 while ensuring its clear alignment with the overall report structure.Meetings and reporting
The team is expected to participate: in the regular working meetings with the GRALE Core Team and Editor; in at least two strategic meetings with UIL Management; in-person meeting(s) in Hamburg, Germany.Deliverables and contractual arrangements
Integrated methodological and analytical framework (detailed note). Cleaned and structured analytical dataset (quantitative and qualitative) with metadata documentation. First complete draft of the Monitoring section, including key messages and policy recommendations. The main text is expected to have approximately 30,000 words. Improved, revised, and final draft of the Monitoring section that incorporates all the consolidated feedback of UIL, the Editor and peer reviewers. Methodological annex. Statistical annex. A presentation slide deck on the main findings and key messages.Submission deadline
Deliverables
Payment % of total contract
16 March 2026
The final methodological and analytical framework (including one or two brief examples showing how the frameworks are applied in practice).
15%
15 April 2026
Clean and prepared analytical dataset + metadata documentation+ Technical note on typologies and system classifications
20%
21 May 2026
First complete draft of the Monitoring Section
20%
30 June 2026
Final Monitoring Section + Methodological and Statistical Annexes + a slide deck on the main findings and key messages
35 %
30 November 2026
Final Monitoring section ready for copy editing
10%
Payments will be issued in several instalments based on the submission and approval of the quality of the deliverables. All deliverables will remain as the intellectual property of UNESCO and cannot be shared without prior authorization.
Long Description
Supervision
The consultant will be supervised by the Team Leader, Quality Learning Ecosystems programme, and managed by GRALE 6 Cluster Lead and will work closely with a group of other consultants, and other UIL units (Publications and Communications), when required.
Location and travel
The consultancy assignment will primarily be home-based in any location and can be done by working remotely. The team can also visit the UIL office in Hamburg at their own cost if they are based outside Hamburg. The lead consultant and their team should be available to meet with the UIL team (online) during office hours of Hamburg, Germany. If any face-to-face meeting is planned by UIL, the lead consultant will be invited to attend, and the travel arrangements will be made by UIL.
Nature of penalty clause in contract
If the documents are not submitted or confirmed by UIL staff according to the deliverables and timeframe stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld.
UNESCO reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment, if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.
Additional regulations
The UIL Style and Referencing Guide shall be applied precisely with careful attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, abbreviations, referencing, and country names. The final drafts and reports should be submitted at a publishable standard.
The English language of the work shall be of mother-tongue level. The style should be suitable for a policy-oriented publication aimed at policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the field of ALE. Acronyms can be used, but these should be spelled out when used for the first time and accompanied by a table of acronyms. Footnotes should generally be avoided.
Particular attention should be given to the following.
Consistency of style, terminology, editing and presentation; Document structure and hierarchy (headings, sub-headings, numbers); Consistency of bibliography with references in the text; and List of acronyms
All materials developed will remain copyright of UNESCO, and UNESCO will be free to adapt and modify, reproduce or otherwise use them in whatsoever form or language in the future.
Profile of the consultant and team
UIL is seeking a consultancy team with complementary skills required to deliver the methodological development, data analysis, and drafting of the Monitoring section of GRALE 6.
The consultancy team should collectively demonstrate expertise in:
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of large or heterogeneous datasets; Mixed-methods research and integration of findings; Policy-oriented writing for global audience; Knowledge of ALE frameworks, RALE, MFA, and international reporting standards (desirable).Teams may combine these skills with multiple members; however, a clear division of responsibilities should be described in the proposal. The consultancy team should nominate a team lead, who will act as the main focal point for UIL and coordinate communication and workflow across UIL and their team members.
Additional requirements:
Proven record delivering analytical and policy reports for international organizations. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively under tight timelines and with iterative review processes. Strong communication and documentation skills are important.COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C)Communication (C)Innovation (C)Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)Planning and organizing (C)Teamwork (C)Professionalism (C)
- For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application instructions
Interested institutions and teams are invited to submit one consolidated proposal as a PDF document by e-mail, which includes the following information:
A short description, one page only explaining the approach proposed for completing the project assignments. A financial proposal, one page only, for delivering the assignments described in the call. A short description of team composition and specific roles.A short CV of the team members, focusing on previous relevant working experience (e.g. (analytical reports, UN/UNESCO publications, mixed-methods analyses), consultancy assignments and deliverables and relevant expertise to this project.
A sample of previous and relevant publication or consultancy assignments.
The proposal should not exceed 7 pages and should be submitted to grale@unesco.org. Proposals missing any of the above will not be considered.
For any questions, please contact grale@unesco.org
If you apply as an individual (team leader), please upload one combined pdf including your approach to the work, financial proposal and a short CV. This combined PDF should be uploaded in place of the employment history form where the system requests it. Instead of uploading the employment history form, applicants should upload the combined PDF.
The complete application shall be submitted on or before 23:59 CET, 27 January 2026. Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Any questions may be directed to: grale@unesco.org
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an online 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 a competency-based 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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