Call for Consultancy to conduct a study on the
State of Peace and Education in Africa
Save the Children has a small global advocacy office in Addis Ababa (alongside offices in Brussels, Geneva and New York) that is registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the name of “Pan African Office”. The office has responsibility for (i) engaging with international and regional institutions such as the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and (ii) providing support to Save the Children programmes across the African continent. The office also hosts a number of technical advisors who are focused on a full sub-Saharan Africa portfolio. Save the Children Pan Africa Office is looking for a Consultant to conduct a study on the State of Peace and Education in Africa as per the TOR specified below.
Peace and Education in Africa: A study of the state of protection of education from attacks and military use in Africa
Terms of Reference
1. Background/Introduction
The African Union (AU) envisions among others, a peaceful and prosperous Africa, integrated, and led by its own citizens and occupying the place it deserves in the global community and in the knowledge economy. Inspired by this vision and the aspirations of AU’s Agenda 2063, the Continental Education strategy (CESA 16-25) (expected to deliver the necessary human capital for the realization of the AU’s vision) recognises peace and a secure environment as one of its pillars under the mission of reorienting Africa’s education and training systems to meet the knowledge, competencies, skills, innovation and creativity required to nurture African core values and promote sustainable development at the national, sub-regional and continental levels.
CESA 16-25 is operationalising its programmes through clusters, presently 12 in number, among which is the Peace and Education Cluster. The mandate for this Cluster includes, among others, formulating national policies on peace education and conflict prevention; training stakeholder as peace actors and mediators; learning lessons and developing and disseminating materials on peace education; and reinforcing initiatives and activities of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)’s Inter-Country Quality Node (ICQN) on Peace Education.
An innovative practice by CESA 16-25: ensuring continuous education for children affected by armed conflict
CESA 16-25 underscores the importance of protecting schools and universities from attacks and military use in order to ensure the continuation of education during war and in post conflict situations in Africa. According to Education For All Global Monitoring Report in 2013 by UNESCO, 44% of the world’s 28.5 million children affected by armed conflict are out of school in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority – 95% – live in low and lower-middle income countries of which Africa hosts significant proportions. Girls, who make up 55% of the out of school children, are the worst affected, as they are often victims of rape and other sexual violence that accompanies armed conflicts. Moreover, a number of violations are perpetrated against girls and boys during armed conflict. The violations include recruitment and use of children; killing or maiming of children; sexual violence against children; attacks against schools or hospitals; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access.
In response to attacks on schools and universities, and their military use which predisposes them for attacks, CESA 16-25 condemns the practice by both national forces and non-state actors and has identified the Cluster on Peace Education as the appropriate platform to facilitate continuous education during wars and in post conflict situations, towards the attainment of the continental education strategy’s goals and objectives.
Progress made at the AU on the protection of education from attacks and military use
Save the children Pan Africa and AU liaison has been working with the AU Commission to influence policy decisions at the Commission’s department for Human Resources, Science and Technology (AU/HRST) and that of Peace and Security Council (PSC). In the past 3 years, apart from the issue of attacks on education being recognised by CESA and having indicators on monitoring and evaluating attacks adopted in the CESA compendium of indicators; African Ministers of Education in October 2107 adopted a decision on safe schools calling for all member states to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) and implement its Guidelines.
Again, the PSC has condemned the phenomenon of attacks on education in at least 5 of their Open Sessions and called for more member states endorsing the SSD. The Council has also recommended for the issue of protecting children during wars to be escalated to the AU Summit level. In addition, the establishment of a Group of Friends of children affected by armed conflict, co-convened by the Ambassadors of Nigeria and Liberia, both members of the PSC, underscores the importance attached to the issue at the AUC. With an informal mandate for leading advocacy at the AU on prioritising issues affecting children in wars and consolidating gains made in respect of making schools safe, the Group is scheduled to be launched officially in April, 2018 in Addis Ababa.
The safe schools Guidelines is useful as a tool for preventing attacks on schools as well as for protecting education during and after armed conflict situations. To date, only 20 out of the 55 African member states have endorsed the SSD.
2. Scope of the study
This TOR seeks to define the guiding framework for the AU Cluster on Peace and Education by conducting a desk study to assess the state of peace and education in Africa that will inform the strategic directions of the Cluster.
The study will be in two categories:
i) Review of progress, lessons learnt and challenges of the work of the ADEA ICQN on the Peace and Education focus areas.
Specific areas of review will include the following:
· Existence and the relevance of content of a policy framework for Peace and Education Cluster
· The extent of integration of peace and education in Global Citizenship Education into the national curriculum of targeted AU member states
· Promising practices and programmes on Peace and Education, Prevention of Violent Extremism, Global Citizenship Education, and Peacebuilding
· The extent of integration of peace education in co-curricular activities in target countries
· Teacher training and development for peace and building in target countries
For each of these ICQN focus areas, the study will be limited to broad areas such as the problem; practical interventions undertaken through the ICQN and other actors; progress and lessons learnt; challenges and way forward.
ii) Assessment and analysis of targeted member states’ education and defence policies in providing continuous education during emergency situations, especially armed conflict.
Specific areas of the study will include;
· The extent of implementation of the principles of the Safe Schools Guidelines/protection of education from attacks and military in the 20 AU member states that have so far endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.
· Existence and operationalization of reporting mechanisms on the implementation of the Safe Schools Guidelines or any mechanisms for providing continuous education at all times in target member states
Target countries include all the 20 AU member states that have endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. They include Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, CAR, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, DRC, and Kenya. The rest are Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan and Zambia.
3. Goal and specific objectives
The overall goal is to contribute to the formulation and implementation of continental and national policies for peace and secure environment for education in Africa.
Specific objectives of the study are;
i) Documented state of delivery of the mandate of the ICQN on Peace and Education in CESA 16-25
ii) Improved curriculum on peace education by ensuring secure environments for continuous education before, during and after armed conflict situations in Africa.
iii) Improved and systematic advocacy for peace education delivery through the development of a database on national education policies and curricula with well domesticated international instruments on peace education and conflict prevention in school and university environments.
4. Methodology
i) The study processes
The consultant is expected to conduct a desk study to collect and analyse information through, but not limited to the following:
· Review literature, including reports from targeted sector ministries, organisations and individuals.
· Propose a budget, calendar and activities for the study.
· Communicate with potential respondents through email and conduct interviews with contact persons via skype, webinar or telephone calls.
· Identify 1-3 strategic countries for face-to-face engagements and interactions with children affected by armed conflict.
· Develop a questionnaire for the collection of information.
· Propose other innovative ways of collecting data and information.
ii) Post study processes
· Consultant shares findings of the study as a contextual basis for the development of a strategy/roadmap by the Peace and Education Cluster.
· African Union adopts the findings as a key document for CESA 16-25
· African Union reports on activities of the Peace and Education Cluster at AU Summits
5. Schedule of Deliverables
Deliverables | Date |
1. Selection process of a Consultant | May 29 – June 1st,2018 |
2. Screening and interviewing candidates | June 4th – 7th, 2018 |
3. Successful consultant selected | June 11th – 13th,2018 |
4. Consultant submits to SCI weekly reports on findings based on interviews, and researches undertaken by the consultant. |
TBD |
5. Submit field visit reports, 3 days after completing each visit. Each field visit should take a maximum of 4 days | Specific dates should be proposed by Consultant for discussion. |
6. Submit a final narrative and power point draft reports supported with photos and videos | TBD |
7. Consultant receives feedback on the report and finalises the reports. Use 1 day to finalise report. | TBD based on date in item No.5 |
8. Consultant participates and presents the report to the Peace and Education Cluster at the Pan Africa strategy meeting | TBD |
6. Payment Terms
Payment would be subject to taxation as per the government of Ethiopia’s regulations. Terms and conditions will be discussed after the interview process.
7.
Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:
a) Master’s degree in social science, education, law or related field
b) A minimum of six years of relevant professional work experience with projects related to child protection, policy analysis, humanitarian and education, and research. Experiences in working with children affected by armed conflict, including refugees is a bonus.
c) Abreast with latest development in the field of child protection
d) Demonstrable familiarity with child protection in emergencies would be beneficial, including advocacy programming at local, national, regional and Pan Africa levels.
e) Excellent planning and organizational skills
f ) Strong communication skills in English - both oral and written. Oral and written Communication in French is an advantage.
Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:
a) Master’s degree in social science, education, law or related field
b) A minimum of six years of relevant professional work experience with projects related to child protection, policy analysis, humanitarian and education, and research. Experiences in working with children affected by armed conflict, including refugees is a bonus.
c) Abreast with latest development in the field of child protection
d) Demonstrable familiarity with child protection in emergencies would be beneficial, including advocacy programming at local, national, regional and Pan Africa levels.
e) Excellent planning and organizational skills
f) Strong communication skills in English - both oral and written. Oral and written Communication in French is an advantage.