Research Coordination and Facilitation Consultant

Schools with effective leaders tend to have better learning outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that female school leaders may adopt practices that contribute to better educational outcomes for both girls and boys (Bergman, Alban, and Brossard, 2022). Better learning performance in female-led schools has been observed in Lao PDR (UNICEF Innocenti & Ministry of Education, Lao PDR, 2020), in Kenya (Freudenberger and Davis, 2017), and in four countries in francophone Africa (PASEC, 2020). Having female role models is also key to the education of girls. Research shows that exposure to female leaders reduces negative stereotypes about the roles of women, increases parents’ aspirations for their daughters, and helps reduce the educational attainment gender gap (Sperling et al., 2015).

Despite these promising findings, women remain largely underrepresented in school leadership roles. In Ethiopia, in 2020, 35% of primary school teachers were female, yet only 6% of head teachers were female, representing barriers for female teachers to rise into leadership positions.

The Women in Learning Leadership (WiLL) research aims to generate high-quality evidence for a better understanding of effective women's school leadership, the promotion of equitable gender representation in school leadership positions, and to promote the scale-up of effective school leadership practices, among both women and men. WiLL’s research activities combine quantitative and qualitative methods (mixed methods) and follow a co-creation approach, finetuned and conceptualized from the outset with Ministries of Education and other relevant stakeholders in each participating country.

UNICEF Innocenti | Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight

How can you make a difference? 

The WiLL Research Coordination and Facilitation Consultant will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will

(i) support UNICE Innocenti, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Office (CO) and the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia (MoE) to co-create the WiLL research to increase government ownership and maximise research findings take-up,

(ii) coordinate all stages of the WiLL research through direct field support and facilitation activities with in-country partners

iii) monitor the implementation of WiLL research activities in Ethiopia, and

iv) gather data to feed into regional and global evidence products on school leadership.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  ToR - WiLL Research Coordination Consultant Ethiopia - Nov 2024 - EXT.pdf

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

• A University degree in Social Sciences, development studies, education, communications, or other related discipline.
• At least five years of work experience at national or international levels in fields relevant to education, development studies, governance, or other social sciences.
• Knowledge of the education sector in Ethiopia.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Amharic.
• Previous experience working with government stakeholders.
• Previous experience conducting research (qualitative or mixed-methods) in Ethiopia.
• Ability to work well as part of a team and to forge and manage partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
• Fluency in English required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.