Consultancy announcement

Catalyze EduFinance DRC Assessment

USAID/DRC Mission Strategic Support Program
Short Term Assignment

Company Profile

SoCha is an international development company based in the United States with field offices in Kinshasa and Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Our name is based on a combination of the words Social and Change. We provide a variety of professional services to multilateral and bilateral donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and global clients that need analytical and technical services. In the last decade, we’ve delivered 50 contracts to 17 clients in 28 countries that address global health, economic growth, agriculture and trade, education, biodiversity and climate change, urban programs, women in development, youth, and collaborative partnerships.

USAID/DRC has tasked SoCha through the Mission Strategic Support Program (MSSP) to provide a range of program support services to advance the Country Development Corporation Strategy (CDCS). MSSP’s technical and advisory services serve to measure progress towards USAID’s development objectives and improve the achievement of the mission’s outcomes.

Background

USAID recognizes education as a foundational driver of development and self-reliance. Equal access to high-quality education can create pathways for greater economic growth, improved health outcomes, sustained democratic governance, and more peaceful and resilient societies.

It is in this context of growing unmet demand for education and limited public management that USAID has an effort to improve learning outcomes among disadvantaged students (children and youth) by mobilizing private capital for the low-fee, non-state education sector. One such effort, Catalyze EduFinance-DRC, focuses on two primary components: (1) technical assistance to financial institutions for developing sustainable education lending products for low-income families and low-fee, non-state schools; and (2) technical assistance to school administrators and teachers for strengthening school management and teaching and learning outcomes.

As Catalyze EduFinance in DRC matures, USAID needs a better understanding of its contributions as well as gaps in project design and implementation that can inform potential prospective programming.

Scope of Work

Objectives Of The Assignment

MSSP is seeking a team leader with a strong background in the education sector and experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative studies to lead this study. The study aims to inform the future design of school funding programs that lead to improvements in education outcomes for low-income populations. The team leader will perform the following tasks during the assignment.

Specific Objectives

Specific objectives of this study include:
I. To build on the existing learnings from EduFinance DRC (i.e., Market Assessment, quarterly and bi-annual reports, pause and reflect reports) to further understand the realities of financing and school management practices of the low-fee, private primary education sector in the DRC and its impact on education outcomes.

II. Identify CATALYZE EduFinance-DRC design and implementation gaps and successes and make recommendations to guide the design of new mechanisms.

Assessment Questions

The study will address the following four questions:
1. What are the key constraints and opportunities that financial intermediaries face in developing education finance products for low-income clients in DRC and how did EduFinance-DRC influence the overall landscape and ability to support non-state education?
2. To what extent would financial institutions in DRC be willing to buy-down interest rates and/or provide concessionary loans to the private education sector? If they aren’t currently prepared to do so, what would be entailed to reach this point of agreement?
3. To what extent did Catalyze EduFinance in DRC adapt its implementation approach to address lessons learned and what key learnings could be applied to future programs?
4. Are there alternative financing models and options for increasing access to education via the private sector besides Catalyz EduFinance-DRC that should be considered?

Required Qualifications and Competencies

• Advanced degree (Masters/PhD in Education, Finance, Economics, International Relations, or a closely related field;
• Have solid experience in cost analysis/modelling in education.
• Experience in evaluating educational programs in the Francophone SSA context.
• Be resident in the DRC or must be willing to travel to DRC to undertake this assignment.
• Minimum of ten years of experience designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative research in Education, Finance or Economy.
• At least 8 years’ experience leading studies and surveys and expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data analysis software , SPSS and STATA etc.)
• Previous experience synthesizing and analyzing large amounts of qualitative data to produce high-quality reports in English.
• Professional fluency in French, and English is required.

Duration and Place of Performance

The expected duration of the assignment is estimated at sixty (60) working days between August 2023 and November 2023, unless revised in a mutually agreed upon timetable between the Consultant and MSSP. The Team Leader will be allocated office space at the MSSP premises in Kinshasa during this assignment.

Reporting

The Team Leader will work under the overall direction of the Deputy Chief of Party with guidance from the USAID Education Office. The Team Leader is expected to demonstrate commitment during the assignment to ensure the timely preparation and submission of all deliverables.

How to apply:

Interested Consultants should submit their application which should contain:

• Cover letter (1 page) explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for this assignment.
• Updated CV to include qualifications/competencies.
• Copies of similar studies the Consultant has authored.

To submit your application, please apply directly on our recruitment page on our website, using this link : https://jobs.socha.net/catalyze-edufinance-drc-assessment-team-leader/07/11/2023/

Candidates will only be considered if they apply directly on our website. The deadline for submitting applications is December 11, 2023. Review of applications will be on a rolling basis.

Evaluation of Applications

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the minimum criteria will progress to the pool for short listing. Shortlisted candidates will then be assessed and scored against the following technical evaluation criteria and interviews will be conducted accordingly.