Overview
This consultant will support the preparation of the 2026/2027 class formation cycle, conduct a technical assessment of automation progress, and produce a roadmap for completing and institutionalising the automated process.
Key Responsibilities
- Review existing class formation methodologies, norms, standards, and planning parameters.
- Consult with HQ and Field education planning staff to review lessons learned.
- Analyse enrolment projections, staffing ratios, space utilisation data, and policy assumptions.
- Produce the first draft of the 2026/2027 Class Formation Guidelines/Framework.
- Review existing automation tools, algorithms, databases, and workflows.
- Assess the degree of automation achieved to date.
- Identify remaining manual processes, bottlenecks, data quality risks, and governance gaps.
- Evaluate technical and operational requirements for scaling and sustaining a fully automated process.
- Document findings, strengths, constraints, and opportunities in a structured technical assessment report.
- Facilitate consultation with HQA Education Planning team and Field focal points to validate findings and recommendations.
- Consolidate feedback and define prioritised next steps for completing automation.
- Develop a practical and time-bound roadmap for the next phase of automation development and institutionalisation.
- Prepare the final report, incorporating all feedback and including an executive summary.
Required Experience
- Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in education planning, school mapping, enrolment management, or education data systems. Including at an international level of which a minimum of 2 continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport, or a national identity number is desirable.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience in class formation, education resource allocation, and/or school mapping processes at system level.
- Proven experience in data analysis and the development or use of planning tools, including advanced Excel modelling and/or automated data systems.
- Experience in EMIS, education databases, or process automation in the education sector.
- Experience working with UN agencies, international organisations, or refugee education systems (desirable).
- Familiarity with UNRWA's education system, class formation process, or EMIS (desirable).
- Experience with automation tools, scripting, or digital planning system development (desirable).
- Knowledge of education planning in conflict-affected or resource-constrained contexts (desirable).
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an accredited institution in Education Planning, Economics of Education, Statistics, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Public Policy, or a related field. A Bachelor's degree with significant additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Master's degree.
