Call for Applications: Situational Analysis Survey on Play-Based STEM Education at Basic Learning Level in Africa (Short Term Consultancy)

The deadline for submission of applications (Technical and Financial proposals) is Monday, 18 July 2022, at midnight GMT to the following address: adea-applications@afdb.org. The subject of the e-mail should be “Short Term Consultant – Situational Analysis on Play-Based STEM Education.”

As the voice of education in Africa and a key network of Education Ministries, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) plays a significant role in the education space as a convenor, knowledge creator, and forum for policy dialogue. ADEA sees its impact in African countries that are empowered to develop education and training systems that respond to their emergent needs and drive Africa’s sustainable socio-economic transformation. Two strategic pillars underpin the implementation of the ADEA Strategic Plan 2028-2022: (1) the Continental Education Platform and (2) the country-based Advisory and Execution Support Services. Both pillars are aligned to the African Union's Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 (CESA 16-25) and the Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 on Education (SDG4).

Under the first pillar, ADEA's Inter-Country Quality Node (ICQN) network enhances collaboration and coordination across stakeholders and national borders through capacity building, peer learning, and the exchange of knowledge and experiences. ADEA also serves as a pan-African knowledge hub for peer-to-peer learning while elevating the voice of Africa on education priorities through organizing or participating in high-level policy dialogue forums at regional, continental, and global levels. The second pillar of Advisory and Execution Support Services provides an opportunity for ADEA to serve the needs of African governments to deliver inclusive, relevant, and equitable quality education by delivering a complete package of services to countries, including the diagnosis of country-level needs, implementation, and monitoring of policies and programs.

The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education is championing and leading the ICQN on Mathematics and Science Education (ICQN-MSE). The ICQN specifically facilitates:

• Sharing of knowledge and collaborative action on thematic issues in education.
• Forging of strategic partnerships for the rollout of identified strategies/programmes in specific areas.

The ICQN-MSE promotes peer learning, exchange, and experience sharing through research studies policy dialogue, and collaborative action among African Ministers of Education and strategic partners to advance quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Africa. The collaborative approach and networking support the exchange of knowledge on concepts, research findings, and capacity building to respond to the varying contexts in which STEM education programs are implemented.

STEM education is a strategic theme that has the potential to transform an economy positively. Human resource incapacity in STEM education on the continent continues to delay the potential benefits to socio-economic development. A situational analysis survey on the status of STEM education at secondary school level in Africa conducted by ADEA ICQN-MSE in 2020 revealed the strategic issues that also pointed to the need for a similar study at primary school level in order to provide a holistic view.

A situational analysis on STEM education in African countries will facilitate strategic interventions. Learning about the interventions and the overall situation of STEM teaching and learning in primary education will also inform education systems as they strategize to enhance children’s access to engaging in effective and motivating STEM learning.

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a Situational analysis survey on play-based STEM education at the basic learning level focusing on primary school education STEM instruction in 10 African countries (Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia) identified from the 5 African Union Regional Economic Communities and language groups. The outcome of this survey will inform policy and practice around STEM education in the continent. In particular, The findings will provide a basis for enhancing greater knowledge creation and sharing across stakeholder types and national borders for improved peer-learning practices in African countries.

ADEA now seeks the services of a short-term consultant to drive this 3-month project. Reporting to the ADEA Senior Programs Officer at the strategic level and to the ICQN-MSE Coordinator at the programmatic level, the short-term consultant will perform the following tasks:

Tasks:

1. Identify country-level STEM education priorities and needs in 10 African countries
2. Map out promising practices and guidelines
3. Organize inception and stakeholder consultation meetings at the start of the project.
4. Undertake a comprehensive literature review, followed by survey tool development and piloting, primary data collection, analysis, interpretation and report writing.
5. Organize a technical meeting to validate the country findings
6. Draft the situational analysis report and submit it to the ICQN on MSE and ADEA Secretariat for feedback.
7. Submit the final report and liaise with the ICQN-MSE coordinator to present the study findings in the upcoming 2022 ADEA-Triennale.
8. Develop a Policy Brief on STEM education at the primary school level

In undertaking the tasks above, the consultant will maintain regular communication and report directly to the ICQN-MSE Coordinator through updates and share periodical progress reports.

Deliverables:

1. Inception report outlining the key project activities, timelines, methodology and primary data collection tools.
2. Report of stakeholder consultation meetings
3. Draft situational analysis report submitted to the ICQN-MSE Coordinator and ADEA Secretariat for feedback.
4. Final Situational Analysis Report.
5. Policy brief on STEM education at the primary school level.

• At least a master’s degree in education, sciences, or related fields and a minimum of 10 years relevant working experience in leading and managing teams in a diverse cultural environment.
• Solid track record in conducting research and studies, developing synthesis reports, and presenting results to a high-level audience.
• Based in Africa, with experience working in African countries with a solid track record of undertaking research work in education, STEM, social sciences
• Prior experience of study/research in STEM Education would be an added advantage.
• Fluency in either English or French language (written and oral) and a working knowledge of the other language.
• Excellent skills in working with computers and using applications such as MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email, internet, communication, and social media.
• Ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, multi-project environment.
• Demonstrated track record of engagement with African governments and diversity of partners in the fields of education and ICT.

Applications (Technical and Financial Proposals) must be sent to the following address: adea-applications@afdb.org no later than Monday, 18 July 2022 at midnight GMT. The subject of the e-mail should be “Short Term Consultant – Situational Analysis on Play-Based STEM Education”.

Due to the high volume of applications, only selected candidates will be contacted through formal correspondence via e-mail. Candidates are strongly advised not to contact ADEA or staff members to inquire about the status of their application.

Duty Station: Remote work possible due to COVID-19 restrictions.