Teaching policy_DRC_national consultant (M/F) At Expertise France

NATIONAL EXPERT RECRUITMENT

SCOPE OF THE MISSION

The mission targets preschool and basic education. It must contribute to achieving the objectives defined in the 2024-2029 five-year plan and the 2016-2025 sector strategy. The mission aims to develop a teacher policy for preschool and basic education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This policy must meet the specific needs of the Congolese education system, taking into account ongoing reforms and priority challenges. It must also integrate innovative approaches to strengthen teachers’ digital skills and promote gender equity.

1.1 MAIN OBJECTIVES

The teacher policy document will be based on the national education policy and will take into account other sectoral and cross-cutting policies. It will propose concrete solutions for recruiting, training, assigning, motivating, and supporting teachers throughout their careers. Action synergies are to be expected with key stakeholders in the education sector, particularly with regard to initiatives aimed at revitalizing the teaching force through retirement and strengthening training. The roadmap for the reform of initial training and UNESCO’s initiatives regarding continuing training will have to be taken into account.

The start of implementation of the action plan is planned for September 2025.

The main objectives of the mission are:

Assess the current state of the constituent elements of an existing teaching policy in the DRC: analyze existing policies, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Develop a teaching policy : Develop an inclusive and equitable policy, integrating digital skills and innovative teaching approaches.
Validate the teaching policy : Ensure the adoption of the teaching policy by stakeholders.

1.2 METHODOLOGY & GENERAL APPROACH

The consultation will be carried out by a team of experts (an international and national pair), remotely and in the field. The international and national experts are recruited separately (each expert must submit a bid individually), but an already established team is eligible. The international expert will be the mission leader. The consultancy mission will revolve around two major axes:

Inventory (in several phases):

Preparation phase (analysis of national and international strategic documents);
Framing phase (framing meeting with stakeholders);
Information collection/data analysis phase (conducting interviews, field visits and field visits);
Technical validation phase (validation of the inventory of initial training for preschool teachers and a technical validation report);
Rapport final.

Teaching policy (in several phases):

Phase of collecting additional information (conducting surveys, interviews and field visits);
Technical validation session (validation of the reference framework);
Official validation workshop for the teacher skills framework;
Finalization phase and overall report of the mission (drafting and transmission of the final report detailing the process).

The expert’s mission will be organized and managed in the field by the SPACE focal point and a reference department (the DEP) in conjunction with the Facility. The HRD will also be directly involved in developing the teaching policy.

1.3 STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders to be involved at a minimum in the collection of information and in the development of deliverables:

Human Resources Department (HRD). This department will more specifically monitor the mission
Directorate of School Programs and Teaching Materials (DIPROMAD),
Directorate of Teacher Training and School Management Offices (DIFORE BG), Directorate of Studies and Planning (DEP).
National Teacher Training Service (SERNAFOR) for preschool, primary, secondary,
National Directorate for the Control of Teachers’ Pay (DINACOPE)
Administrative and Financial Department (DAF)
Technical and financial partners will also be consulted. It will be necessary to ensure complementarities and synergies, particularly with UNESCO, UNICEF, and the French Development Agency (AFD). Complementarity with the progress of implementing the Partnership Pact will be given particular attention.
Parents’ Association
NGOs and civil society organizations
The teachers

1.4 MAIN DELIVERABLES

The specific deliverables under this consultation are as follows:

Deliverable #1: Framing note.
Deliverable #2: Status report on teaching policy.
Deliverable #3: Technical validation report of the inventory report.
Deliverable #4: Preschool and basic education teaching policy document.
Deliverable #5: Technical validation report of the policy document.
Deliverable #6: Final report including the monitoring data table transmitted by the Facility.

Deliverables must be submitted electronically (Word and PowerPoint) and validated by the focal point, the referring management, and the Facility. A maximum of 2 weeks is required for validation of each deliverable. The expert must ensure that the documents are clear, concise, and meet the defined requirements.

2. IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

2.1 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF DAYS AND GENERAL TIMETABLE

The national expert will have 15 working days (15 hours/day) for the inventory and 25 days (25 hours/day) for the development of the teaching policy according to the indicative distribution below.

Inventory (in several phases):

Preparation phase ( 3 days );
Framing phase ( 1 day );
Information collection / data analysis phase ( 8 days );
Technical validation phase ( 1 day );
Final report ( 2 days ).

Teaching policy (in several phases):

Additional information collection phase ( 13 days );
Technical validation session ( 6 days );
Official validation workshop for the teacher skills framework ( 2 days );
Finalization phase and overall report of the mission ( 4 days ).

2.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship (MINEDU-NC )

The Ministry, via its focal point at SPACE and the reference department (DEP), will be responsible for:

Provide documentation
Facilitate meetings with relevant stakeholders
Organize workshops and working sessions and provide a workspace
Comment on and approve deliverables
Share deliverables with key stakeholders
Ensure ownership of deliverables by the national party and implementation of the next steps

The RTIA Facility

The Facility will be responsible for:

Contract and facilitate the integration of the consultant by providing all available documents and resources
Monitor the consultant’s work from the start of the mission to its completion
Act as the primary contact for the consultant
Ensure quality control of deliverables in collaboration with the Ministry’s focal point for this consultation
Contribute to internal and external knowledge management
Evaluate the consultant’s overall performance for this mandate

The experts

The experts will have to:

Review and comment on these Terms of Reference (ToR)
Ensure that all deliverables comply with the guidelines formulated during the mission scoping meeting, in accordance with the agreed schedule
Implement all steps of the validated methodology
Compile and submit the final report
Meet the requirements of monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance with regard to the collection of data relating to the methodology and the deliverables produced (expert feedback, participant evaluation and feedback from the technical team within the ministry).
Ensure that stakeholders are consulted throughout the mission
Conduct yourself with the highest levels of personal integrity and commit to upholding the required standards of good conduct
Immediately inform the Regional Teachers’ Facility of any difficulty in implementing the mission

Distribution of roles between the international expert and the national expert:

The International expert , as head of mission:

Will be responsible for the entire mission and guarantee the quality of deliverables
Will lead the start-up phase, including the document review and the scoping meeting
Will oversee and participate in data collection and analysis
Will lead the working and validation workshops
Will draft deliverables and reports with the support of the national expert and will be responsible for their submission
Will ensure ongoing stakeholder consultation

L’expert National :

Will assist the international expert in all phases of the mission.
Will facilitate and be heavily involved in field data collection
Will contribute to data analysis and drafting of deliverables.
Will liaise with local stakeholders.

Project description or context

3. PRESENTATION OF THE FACILITY

The Regional Teacher Initiative for Teachers in Africa (RTIA), a programme funded by the EU/EC through the Education Section (G3) of DG INTPA, aims to improve learning outcomes and the socio-emotional development of children in Africa by having a more competent, motivated and inclusive teaching workforce in basic education.

The RTIA will specifically seek to achieve the following results over the next 6 years:

Improve the governance, management, attractiveness and gender balance of the teaching profession, with a strong focus on increased digitalization and innovation.
Improve the quality, relevance and effectiveness of initial and continuing professional development for teachers, including through digital education, peer-to-peer learning approaches and regional collaboration.

Under the RTIA, the Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) Facility will support teacher policy and improve teacher training and professional development systems by i) providing capacity building at the national level through technical assistance; ii) promoting innovation and scaling up of effective pedagogical solutions; iii) increasing the generation and use of data and evidence; and iv) promoting the use of regional frameworks, evidence-based practices and joint learning at the regional level.

The Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) Facility will achieve the above objectives through 3 types of instruments or “windows”: i) a window to provide technical assistance on teacher governance and teacher training and professional development based on demand from eligible partner countries, ii) a window to test and scale effective teacher training and professional development programs in the thematic areas of digital skills, gender, green skills and pedagogical skills, including in the context of refugees and displaced populations, iii) a research window to create new evidence and support the integration of evidence into the policy decision-making process and the design of teacher training and professional development programs.

In addition to these windows, the Facility’s knowledge management and communication activities will further contribute to the sharing of knowledge, evidence and best practices related to the overall results of the Initiative.

The Facility is funded by the European Union and co-implemented by the Partnership formed by three Member State agencies: Expertise France for France, Enabel, VVOB and APEFE for Belgium, EDUFI for Finland. Expertise France has been designated as the Coordinating Agency of this Partnership. With the governance scheme of the Facility serving as the governance scheme of the Initiative, it is expected that the Partnership will work in close collaboration with UNESCO and the African Union Commission (AUC), in charge of the other 2 components of the European Union (EU) Initiative.

The duration of the action is planned from 01.02.2024 to 31.01.2027 (36 months) with a budget of EUR 46,000,000.

4. CONTEXT

4.1 EDUCATION SECTOR

The education system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has undergone numerous policy reforms and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education, particularly for teachers. The main reforms are discussed below.

Policy reforms and policy design processes

In 2015, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) adopted an education sector plan entitled the Education and Training Sector Strategy (SSEF), covering the period 2016-2025. This strategy emphasizes adherence to reforms, management based on consultation and partnership, equity in interventions, transparency in the allocation and use of resources, as well as accountability of stakeholders.

The Partnership Pact

In September 2022, a Partnership Pact was validated, highlighting a priority reform: “to provide the Congolese education system with competent, motivated and available teachers. These teachers, key players in the transformation of the education system, are committed to a culture of quality to ensure the academic success of all students, without distinction of gender, background or vulnerability (displaced children, refugees, living with a disability, etc.).

The three strategic axes of this reform are:

Revaluing the teaching profession: motivating teachers and attracting more women into the profession,
Merit-based recruitment and continuing professional development: ensuring relevant and effective professional development, focused on priority challenges, the success of all and gender equality
Improving teaching and learning conditions: creating environments conducive to learning, particularly for girls, in order to ensure successful schooling.

In October 2023, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Board of Directors approved $112.5 million in funding for education system transformation and $25 million for accelerating girls’ education, totaling $137.5 million. In addition, revised triggers were approved to access an additional $50 million allocation. The co-agent partners for this funding are the World Bank (PEQIP project, USD 69 million) and AFD (EFFICACE project, USD 68.5 million).

The Partnership Pact, signed in March 2022, aims to revitalize the teaching profession for a resilient and efficient education sector in the DRC.

Policy implementation and sectoral coordination

The implementation of educational policies in the DRC is marked by a dynamic of consultation and partnership between the various stakeholders in the sector (Sectoral Strategy for Education and Training 2016-2025). Sectoral coordination is ensured by the Permanent Secretariat for Support and Coordination of the Education Sector, which ensures the alignment of the interventions of technical and financial partners. To achieve its objectives, the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship has developed a Five-Year Plan 2024-2029, focused on five main axes which are built around the priority reform “Quality Teachers and Teaching”: transformation of infrastructure and educational resources (axis 1), improvement of the quality of learning (axis 2), strengthening of governance and management of the education system (axis 3), promotion of citizenship and republican values (axis 4), innovation and sustainability (axis 5).

Progress in the implementation of educational policies

The DRC has made significant progress in implementing education policies, particularly with the increase in the education budget and the implementation of the free primary education policy implemented since 2019. This has enabled more than two million children outside the system to access school and has enhanced the role of teachers by eliminating school fees. However, it poses many challenges, particularly in terms of the quality of education.

A reform of Initial Teacher Training has also been underway in the DRC since 2022. The action plan and activities that will be developed in connection with initial training will have to take this reform into account and be linked to the new mechanisms that it brings, in particular with the reformed pedagogical humanities and the Institutes for Training in Teaching Professions (IFME).

4.2 CONTEXT OF THE PAP – ARTICULATION WITH PREVIOUS WORK

On September 16, 2024, the Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) Facility received a request for technical assistance from SPACE (Permanent Secretariat for Support and Coordination of the Education Sector), an interministerial coordination body responsible for the coordination, monitoring of the implementation and evaluation of education sector policies and strategies. This request was the starting point for technical exchanges and participatory work between the Facility team and the Ministry, which resulted in the design of a country action plan (PAP) responding to the needs expressed in the initial request. This plan is structured around 4 main technical areas: (1) teacher governance, (2) digital skills, (3) initial training of preschool teachers (4) teacher evaluation.

Desired profile

5. PROFILE OF THE NATIONAL EXPERT

Academic qualification

Master’s degree in education or equivalent experience within the Congolese education system

General professional experience

Minimum 10 years of experience in the field of education with excellent knowledge of the Congolese educational context and local dynamics

Specific professional experience

The candidate must demonstrate proven experience in the following areas:

Initial and continuing training of teachers, preferably in preschool and/or basic education:

Direct experience as a trainer or educational supervisor in initial or continuing teacher training schemes in the DRC
In-depth knowledge of national curricula and teaching practices applied in Congolese preschool and/or basic education.

Participation in educational reforms in the DRC:

Significant contribution to teacher training reform projects or programs, ideally linked to the pedagogical humanities or Teacher Training Institutes
Conducting field surveys and collecting data:
Experience in planning and implementing qualitative and quantitative surveys in the education sector, including conducting interviews, focus groups and field visits
Ability to analyze collected data and draw operational recommendations from it.

Knowledge of the Congolese educational context:

Very good understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities of the education system in the DRC, particularly in the preschool and/or basic education sub-sector
Experience working with national structures such as the General Inspectorate, DIPROMAD, DIFOR BG, DEP, or SERNAFOR.

Language proficiency

Fluency in French (written and oral)
Fluency in English is an asset

Interpersonal and general skills and experience:

Ability to work in a team and communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
Skills in capacity building and workshop facilitation.
Experience in technical and political dialogue, with an ability to navigate local institutional contexts.

Assets

Work experience in preschool within the Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education or the Ministry of Education and New Citizenship
Ability to integrate local perspectives into recommendations and deliverables, ensuring their relevance and feasibility.
Sensitivity and knowledge of gender and inclusion issues: Sensitivity to gender and inclusion issues in education, ability to promote gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups.

How to apply

Please attach the following to your application:

your CV (using the Europass template ) and
a technical offer (maximum 8 pages)
If possible, please attach a sample of previous work similar to the assignment above (1-3 work samples; excerpts from full deliverables are accepted). In each case, you must specify your role (lead author, major contributions, minor contributions, etc.).
Please apply via this link: 24-COD-1-A-1.2.3_ TEACHING POLICY_RDC_national (M/F)

The applicable daily rate will be in accordance with the Facility’s current fee schedule. It will depend on the expert’s status and experience.

➔ Application deadline: 08/10/2025 Paris Time (UTC+2)

The evaluation of the offers received will be based in particular on the following criteria: (i) the candidate’s diploma, (ii) the candidate’s experience in carrying out missions relevant or similar to those specified in this call for applications, (iii) the candidate’s understanding of the expectations of the mission and the proposed intervention methodology.