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For every child, inspiration.

Bangladesh’s education sector has achieved remarkable gains in access and parity over the past decades. However, learning outcomes remain below desired levels, and systemic challenges—particularly in teacher recruitment, development, and management—impede progress. Over the years, Bangladesh has implemented a range of initiatives to improve teacher quality, including the introduction of both foundation and in-service training programs such as the Certificate-in-Education and Diploma in Primary Education, along with multiple targeted courses under the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework. New teachers were recruited to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio, and some effort was made to upgrade teacher training institutes and strengthen leadership at school and district levels. However, these measures have often been fragmented and overly theoretical, with limited practical support for classroom application. The absence of a unified teacher policy, insufficient alignment between training and career advancement, weak supervision structures, and challenges in ensuring accountability have further constrained the effectiveness and sustainability of these programs. 

Recognizing the centrality of teachers to learning improvement, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), in consultation with education stakeholders and the Education Local Consultative Group (ELCG), has identified “Teacher professionalization for effective teaching towards enhanced learning outcomes” as the priority reform under the Partnership Compact (PC). Through this priority reform, the GoB aims to transform the teaching profession by strengthening teacher policies, training, career pathways, and support systems. This reform is closely aligned with the GPE 2025 strategic plan, the country’s Enabling Factor Analysis (EFA), and national sector planning frameworks including the Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4), the draft Preliminary Development Program Proposal (PDPP) for PEDP5, and the Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP). 

Bangladesh is now preparing to apply for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) System Transformation Grant (STG)—an allocation of up to USD 48.85 million—to support the identified priority reform. GoB, through the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME), as Chair of the ELCG recently endorsed UNICEF and UNESCO’s joint Expression of Interest (EoI) to become joint Grant Agents (GA) for the GPE’s STG. These Terms of Reference outline the scope of work and expected deliverables of a consultant to develop a comprehensive application for the STG, consistent with GPE-STG guidelines and reflective of the national context, policies, and objectives. 

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is three-fold: 

1. Coordinate and consult with Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and Ministry of Education and the development partners and develop a complete programme document and accompanying application to operationalize the Partnership Compact (program design, theory of change and results chain including monitoring indicators, implementation arrangements, timeline, budget, risks and mitigation strategies, and other supporting documentation) for the GPE STG in Bangladesh, adhering to pre-agreed programme outline, GPE guidelines and templates. 

2. Ensure that the programme document effectively addresses the country’s key education sector challenges, with a special focus on teacher professionalization and its catalytic contribution to system-wide learning improvements and is aligned with ongoing and planned sector-wide initiatives such as PEDP5/SEDP among others. 

3. Incorporate and effectively integrate cross-cutting themes such as social and behavioral changes, gender, equity, inclusivity, and climate resilience in the programme document and application to critically reflect local realities and concerns. 

The objectives include:

1. Review of available situational and gap analysis

• Review available situation analysis of existing national policies, strategies, research studies, and education programs relevant to the priority reform on teacher professionalization and development.
• Identify gaps, bottlenecks, and opportunities in alignment with GPE’s strategic pillars, Enabling Factor Analysis, the Partnership Compact, and government priorities.

b) Facilitate stakeholder engagement

• Engage government counterparts, development partners, civil society actors, teacher training institutes, teachers, and other stakeholders at the national and subnational level for inclusive input and co-creation of the proposal development.
• Incorporate feedback and build consensus on key components of the STG proposal.

c) Align STG design and implementation processes with existing education sector initiatives

• Map out ongoing interventions, funding flows, and key stakeholders across PEDP, SEDP, and other partner-led programs to identify complementarities and avoid duplication.
• Develop an accompanying framework that defines how STG will interface with ongoing projects, ensuring consistency in policy direction, financing, and monitoring processes.

d) Design a comprehensive and robust STG grant proposal and application

• Develop the program design, including theory of change, results framework, monitoring & evaluation plan, governance and coordination structure, and risk management approach.
• Propose costed interventions that strengthen teacher policies, training, career pathways, deployment, management, and overall professionalization in Bangladesh’s primary and secondary education subsectors.

e) Ensure compliance with GPE guidelines and inform national requirements for approval 

• Align all deliverables with GPE’s STG Grant guidelines, Quality Assurance Review (QAR) process, ensuring coherence with the GPE 2025 Operating Model, EFA findings, and the national Partnership Compact.
• Inform the development of the Government of Bangladesh’s Technical Assistance Project Proposal (TAPP) or Development Project Proposal (DPP) format as appropriate.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall guidance of the Grant Agents (UNICEF and UNESCO) and in close collaboration with the relevant ministries (Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Education), the Consultant’s main tasks include: 

4.1. Inception Phase 

4.1.1 Conduct a desk review of relevant documents, including but not limited to: 

• The Bangladesh Partnership Compact, Enabling Factor Analysis (EFA), Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2020–2025, Education Sector Analysis (ESA 2020) and the Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4). 

Draft PDPP for PEDP5, Draft ESA (2025), SEDP documents, teacher training frameworks, or other national strategies focusing on teacher development. 

• Review available situational and gap analysis.
• Review GPE guidelines for developing the STG proposal and QAR process. 

4.1.2 Submit an Inception Report detailing the methodology, work plan, data collection tools, and a timeline for completing each deliverable. 

4.2 Consultative Research and Analysis 

• Map existing teacher-related policies, programs, initiatives and studies, identifying gaps and synergies, especially concerning teacher policy, training curricula, recruitment, career pathways, supervision, and accreditation. 
• Conduct focus group discussions and interviews to gather inputs for programme design with government officials, teacher training institutes at national and sb-national levels (e.g., National Academy for Primary Education, National Academy for Educational Management, Primary Teachers’ Training Institute, Upazila Resource Centre, Teacher Training College etc.), sub-national education offices, teachers’ associations, civil society, and development partners. 
• Integrate gender, disability, and inclusion considerations by identifying constraints and good practices in teacher professionalization from an equity lens. 
• Summarize key findings in a Situational Analysis Report that will inform the program design. 

4.3. Program Design and Development 

• Multi-stakeholder consultations: Conduct workshops to co-create and build consensus on key elements of the STG proposal, delivery arrangements, accountability structures, and key performance indicators.
• Theory of Change & Results Framework: Develop a robust theory of change that clearly links activities on teacher professionalization to improved teaching quality and learning outcomes; define outputs, outcomes, and impact indicators (including gender-sensitive ones). 
• Implementation Arrangements: Propose institutional and governance structures, detailing the roles and responsibilities of central, sub-national, and school-level authorities, teacher training institutes, and other relevant stakeholders, including the respective roles and contribution of the grant agents (UNICEF and UNESCO) based on comparative advantage and capacity, both technical and operational. 
• Budgeting and Financing: Develop a budget aligned with both GPE and national financial regulations, ensuring cost-effectiveness and sustainability, including results-based financing (RBF) mechanisms, especially GPE’s use of performance-based triggers, and propose feasible indicators and milestones aligned with country systems.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Identify contextual, fiduciary, and programmatic risks, along with mitigation strategies. 
• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Define key performance indicators (KPIs), data sources, collection frequency, and responsibilities for tracking progress. 
• Draft project document and application: Prepare an initial draft of the project document and GPE STG proposal in line with GPE’s standard format; and inform the development of the Government of Bangladesh’s Technical Assistance Project Proposal (TAPP) or Development Project Proposal (DPP) format as appropriate.

4.4 Stakeholder Validation and Finalization 

• Present the draft proposal to the Grant Agents (UNICEF and UNESCO), government officials, and the ELCG for review and feedback. 
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops to validate and refine proposal elements. 
• Incorporate feedback and finalize the GPE STG proposal, ensuring alignment with GPE QAR requirements. 

5. Methodology 

• Document Review: Analyze all relevant policies, frameworks, and reports (national, international, GPE). 
• Stakeholder Interviews: Conduct structured interviews, consultations, and focus group discussions at national and sub-national levels involving teachers, teacher educators and supervisors and headteachers. 
• Co-creation Workshops and Validation Sessions: Engage key stakeholders (government, teacher training institutes, CSOs, donors, and teacher organizations) to co-create, review, and refine proposal components. 
• Collaborative Drafting: Circulate draft versions to the Grant Agents (UNICEF & UNESCO), Ministries (MOPME and MOE), and the ELCG at agreed times for iterative feedback before finalization. 

Please go through the following TOR for more details:  TOR-GPE-STG proposaldev.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Master’s degree in education, social sciences, public policy, international development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in education sector planning, policy development, teacher development, or related areas. 
• Demonstrated track record in designing and/or managing large-scale donor-funded educational programs, preferably in low- or middle-income countries. 
• Proven experience in developing proposals and strategic plans for multilateral agencies (e.g., GPE, World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO) or other major donors. 
• Familiarity with GPE guidelines, including the Quality Assurance Review process. 

Skills and Competencies: 

• Strong analytical and writing skills, with experience producing high-quality technical documents. 
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to synthesize diverse inputs and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops. 
• Ability to integrate gender, equity, climate-resilience, and inclusion considerations into project designs.
• Fluency in English is required. Bangla language skills are an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.