Consultant - Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 15 - JAN - 2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

A.    BACKGROUND
Robust Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) are a cornerstone of evidence-based education policy, effective system governance, and progress towards SDG 4. As education systems increasingly leverage digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data architectures, Ministries of Education face growing opportunities and challenges related to data integration, interoperability, ethics, inclusion, and governance.
UNESCO supports Member States in strengthening EMIS as part of its broader mandate on education planning, governance, and data systems, including through initiatives such as Sound Data for Good Governance in Education, EMIS-PATT, the international Community of Practice on EMIS and data systems in education, and partnerships with GPE, UNICEF, the World Bank, and other stakeholders.
To foster sustained peer learning, south-south cooperation, and collective problem-solving, UNESCO is scaling up the global Community of Practice (CoP) on EMIS. In parallel, UNESCO plans to convene a high-level international conference on EMIS in the era of AI by June 2026, to consolidate lessons learned, shape policy directions, and strengthen global coordination.

Long Description

B.    PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY
The purpose of this assignment is to (1) Manage an international EMIS Community of Practice, facilitating continuous knowledge exchange, collaboration, and capacity development among Member States and partners; and (2) Lead the conceptualization, organization, and delivery of an international conference on EMIS in the era of AI, ensuring high policy relevance, technical depth, and strong global visibility by 30 June 2026.

C.    MAIN DUTIES/TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Within the framework of UNESCO’s work in education sector-wide policy and planning, under the overall authority of the Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems (PLS), the guidance of the Chief of Section for Education Policy (EDP), and the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer in charge of the EMIS portfolio of activities, the Consultant will be engaged in the following activities:

EMIS Community of Practice (CoP) Management

• Implement the overall CoP strategy and operating model, including objectives, governance, thematic pillars, membership modalities, and engagement mechanisms.
• Manage the CoP digital collaboration space (e.g. platform structure, content taxonomy, moderation guidelines).
• Coordinate and animate regular CoP activities, including:
  o    Thematic webinars
  o    Peer-learning sessions and country showcases.
  o    Expert talks and thematic deep dives (e.g. EMIS architecture, AI use cases, interoperability, unique identifiers, data governance, ethics, inclusion, crisis contexts).
• Curate and disseminate knowledge products (case studies, briefs, recordings, toolkits) in collaboration with UNESCO teams and partners.
• Foster active participation and cross-regional exchange among Ministries of Education, UNESCO Field Offices, Institutes, and development partners.
• Ensure alignment of CoP activities with UNESCO’s strategic priorities, including SDG 4, Right to Education, digital transformation, and data governance.
• Monitor CoP performance using agreed indicators (participation, diversity, engagement, outputs) and propose adjustments as needed.

Long Description

International Conference on EMIS in the Era of AI 

• Conceptualization and programme design
  o    Develop the conference concept note, objectives and expected outcomes.
  o    Design a policy- and practice-oriented programme, balancing strategic discussions and technical depth.
  o    Identify and structure key thematic tracks (e.g. AI-enabled EMIS, governance and ethics, crisis-resilient data systems, interoperability, capacity development).
• Stakeholder engagement
  o    Identify and liaise with high-level speakers, country representatives, experts, and partners.
  o    Coordinate inputs from UNESCO HQ, field offices, specialized institutes and partner international organizations.
  o    Support strategic partnerships and co-branding opportunities, as relevant.
• Operational coordination
  o    Coordinate logistical planning (format, agenda flow, session formats).
  o    Coordinate preparatory tasks linked to event logistics (room booking, interpretation, travel arrangements, etc.).
  o    Coordinate speaker briefings and background materials.
  o    Ensure coherence between conference outputs and CoP activities.
• Knowledge capture and follow-up
  o    Oversee the preparation of conference outputs, such as:
      Conference report
      Policy recommendations or declaration
      Synthesis briefs and multimedia outputs
  o    Ensure systematic integration of conference outcomes into the EMIS CoP for sustained follow-up.

The consultancy is expected to last 7 months, commencing on 15 January 2026 and concluding on 15 July 2026. The specified dates for the deliverables indicated below are subject to adjustment.

The contractor should ensure that all visibility materials are produced in line with UNESCO’s branding guidelines. Please refer to the UNESCO Style Manual for citation style, terminology and spelling, abbreviations, references, etc.

In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, the contractor is expected to integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender analysis and mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

•    Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent/ PhD preferred) in education, public policy, public administration, governance, international development, data science, statistics or related fields.
•    Relevant experience in education planning, policy development, monitoring and evaluation.
•    Demonstrated experience managing international networks or communities of practice.
•    Excellent facilitation, communication, and writing skills.
•    Familiarity with UNESCO tools (EMIS-PATT, LASER, etc.) is highly desirable.
•    Proficiency in English and good knowledge of French. 
•    Other UN language skills are an advantage

Long Description

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Long Description

Interested candidates will need to submit one consolidated PDF document which includes the following information:
•    A short description, one page only, explaining the approach proposed for completing this project.
•    A financial proposal, one page only, for delivering the activities described in the call;
•    A short CV, focusing on previous relevant working experience, consultancy assignments and deliverables and relevant expertise to this project.

The full proposal should not exceed 5 pages. Proposals missing any of the above will not be considered.

The complete application shall be submitted on or before 23:59 CET, 7 January 2026. Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Selection process

A shortlist of the three most suitable applicants will be drawn up, and the selected candidates will be contacted by the UNESCO Section for Education Policy (ED/PLS/EDP) team. The successful candidate will be selected and offered a contract based on the application review.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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