Individual Consultant for the External Final Review of the MAWHIBA-UNESCO Online STEM Oasis Project

JOB DETAILS

Type of contract :Consultant Contract

Level :Level 3 - Senior

Hiring Unit :Sciences Sector (SCS)

Duty Station :Beirut

Work location : Remote

Duration of contract: 1 month

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+3 Time) :27/11/2026

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

BACKGROUND

The MAWHIBA–UNESCO Online STEM Oasis project is a joint initiative of Mawhiba and the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, with a total project budget of USD 250,000. The project seeks to strengthen extracurricular learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for students in grades 7 to 12 in the Arab region, with particular attention to girls’ participation. Its first phase targets Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.
The project combines digital learning resources with stakeholder engagement to support STEM learning beyond the classroom. Its planned components include an online portal featuring short STEM videos and quizzes, outreach materials, stakeholder networks and national consultations in the four participating countries. Through these complementary components, the initiative aims to expand opportunities for students to engage with STEM content and to support dialogue among relevant stakeholders on its use and further development. Gender equality, accessibility and inclusion are important considerations across the project’s activities. Gender equality, accessibility and inclusion are important considerations across the project’s activities.
Planned Results and Implementation Status
The project’s planned outputs and reported delivery as of 30 September 2026 are summarized below. The table identifies the corresponding indicators and supporting monitoring evidence to inform the final review.

Project component What was planned Current status Videos and quizzes Produce 350 STEM videos with accompanying quizzes All 350 videos are produced and uploaded, with quizzes for each video. LMS portal Create an online learning portal to host videos and quizzes The portal is online and open for registration. Testing is planned during the consultations, followed by the official launch in December 2026 or January 2027. National consultations Hold four consultations in Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon Jordan is confirmed for 2-3 November 2026. Responses from Lebanon, Iraq and Syria are pending. Outreach and visibility Promote the portal and its learning resources No outreach activities have been implemented yet. Visibility activities are planned during the consultations and around the official launch in December 2026 or January 2027. Coordination with national partners Engage National Commissions and Ministries of Education to prepare the national consultations Preparatory meetings have been held with National Commissions and Ministries of Education to coordinate the consultations.

Long Description

The initiative brings together UNESCO’s education and science areas of work through its focus on STEM learning and digital educational resources. UNESCO’s Regional Office in Beirut and Mawhiba are the principal institutional partners, while students in grades 7 to 12 constitute the intended beneficiary group. Stakeholders engaged through the project’s networks and national consultations provide perspectives on country needs, implementation experience and prospects for the continued use of project resources.

In connection with project completion, UNESCO intends to commission a final review by an external consultant. The review will provide a focused, evidence-based assessment of implementation and available results, distinguishing completed outputs and demonstrated achievements from planned activities and anticipated benefits. It will draw on available project documentation, financial and implementation records, platform information, selected learning materials and stakeholder consultations.

The final review is designed as an assessment proportionate to the project’s scale and available resources. It will document achievements, implementation challenges and lessons learned, and provide practical recommendations to UNESCO, Mawhiba and relevant partners to inform project closure, the sustainability of project outputs and possible future programming.

PURPOSE AND USE

In connection with the completion of the MAWHIBA–UNESCO Online STEM Oasis project, UNESCO is commissioning a final review by an external consultant to take stock of implementation, assess available results and identify lessons for future programming. Following consultation with UNESCO’s IOS Evaluation Office, a final review has been identified as an appropriate assessment modality given the project’s scale, its USD 250,000 budget and the time and resources available for this exercise.
The purpose of the review is to support accountability, learning and informed decision-making by examining what the project delivered against its agreed objectives and planned outputs across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. It will consider the relevance and usefulness of the project’s digital learning resources and stakeholder engagement activities, implementation challenges and prospects for the continued use of project outputs, with attention to girls’ participation, accessibility and inclusion. Findings will be grounded in available evidence and will distinguish verified achievements from anticipated benefits and results that cannot yet be established.
The primary intended users are the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut and Mawhiba. They are expected to use the findings and recommendations to inform project completion reporting, identify priorities for maintaining and using the online portal and learning materials, and guide decisions on possible follow-up support or future phases. Relevant national stakeholders and partners in the four participating countries may also use the findings to strengthen engagement with the project’s resources and inform future extracurricular STEM learning initiatives.
The review will produce practical, prioritized recommendations proportionate to the evidence available, with clear identification of the stakeholders best placed to take them forward.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE

The final review will assess project implementation and available results, identify lessons learned and provide practical recommendations for project closure, the continued use of project outputs and possible future programming. It will draw selectively on the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability, applying them proportionately to the project’s scale and the resources available for the review.
The specific objectives and guiding review questions are:

Long Description

Relevance Assess how the project responds to the needs of its intended beneficiaries in the participating countries.
•    To what extent did the project’s design and activities address extracurricular STEM learning needs, particularly those of girls and learners facing barriers to access and participation? Coherence Examine the project’s complementarity with relevant national and partner initiatives.
•    To what extent was the project aligned with relevant national STEM education priorities and complementary to other digital and extracurricular learning initiatives, including efforts to promote gender equality and inclusive access? Effectiveness Examine delivery against the project’s agreed objectives and planned outputs and identify available evidence of early results.
•    What outputs and early results were achieved, whom did they reach, and what factors—including UNESCO’s and partners’ contributions—supported or constrained achievement and equitable participation? Efficiency Review the use of financial and human resources, implementation arrangements and delivery timelines.
•    To what extent did resource allocation, management and partner coordination support timely delivery of accessible and inclusive project outputs, and what practical improvements can be identified? Sustainability Assess the prospects for the continued availability and use of project resources.
•    What ownership, capacities, resources and follow-up arrangements are in place or needed to sustain the portal, learning materials and stakeholder engagement, including continued access for girls and underserved learners?

Long Description

The final review will cover the following:

• Time period: The full project implementation period, from the approved start date to the agreed evidence cut-off date, including any approved extensions. The exact dates will be confirmed by UNESCO during inception. The review will incorporate the outputs of the four national consultations.
• Project and thematic components: The online STEM portal; a purposive sample of STEM videos and quizzes; outreach materials; stakeholder networks; and national consultations. The review will also examine the management, coordination, delivery timelines and use of resources supporting these components. Gender equality, human rights, accessibility and inclusion will be considered throughout.
• Geographical coverage: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. The review will examine country-specific implementation experience and develop a cross-country synthesis, taking account of differences in context and available evidence. The assignment will be home-based, with consultations conducted remotely unless otherwise agreed.
• Beneficiaries and stakeholders: Students in grades 7 to 12 constitute the intended beneficiary group, with particular attention to girls and learners facing barriers to access and participation. The review will assess beneficiary reach and available evidence of engagement through project records, platform data and existing feedback. Consultations will involve relevant adult stakeholders, including representatives of UNESCO, Mawhiba and national partners. Direct data collection with minors is not envisaged.
• Issues outside the scope: The review will not undertake a financial audit, a comprehensive technical audit of the portal, a representative student survey or an assessment of unrelated initiatives. It may identify early indications of impact and unintended effects where evidence is available but will not measure long-term impact or establish causal attribution of changes in student learning to the project. Evidence gaps and their implications for the findings will be clearly documented.

DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

The final review will adopt a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and available quantitative evidence to answer the review questions. The design will be proportionate to the project’s scale, the assignment’s timeframe and budget, and the availability of reliable data. It will examine implementation and available results against the project’s agreed objectives and results framework, distinguishing verified achievements from anticipated benefits.
The consultant will propose and justify the most appropriate methods in the inception report. These may include:

• Desk review of project documents, workplans, budgets, progress and financial information, contracts, deliverable records, outreach materials and national consultation outputs.
• Analysis of available platform data, including usage and engagement information, with attention to data quality, coverage and limitations.
• Review of selected digital learning resources and user journeys, using a purposive sample of STEM videos and quizzes and testing selected portal functions where access is provided.
• Remote key informant interviews and, where useful, small group discussions with UNESCO, Mawhiba, national partners and other relevant adult stakeholders.

Sampling will be purposive and designed to capture perspectives from all four participating countries, relevant stakeholder groups and different project components. The consultant will explain the selection criteria and seek balanced gender representation and perspectives on barriers affecting underserved learners. The sample is expected to include a purposive review of approximately 20–30 of the project’s 350 STEM videos, with the final sample proposed and justified in the inception report. It will support a focused review and will not be presented as statistically representative. No field missions are envisaged; any travel would require UNESCO’s prior agreement.
Gender equality and human rights considerations will be integrated into the review questions, sampling, consultation tools and analysis. The review will examine equitable access, participation, accessibility and non-discrimination, particularly in relation to girls and learners facing participation barriers. Where available and reliable, data will be disaggregated by sex, country and other relevant characteristics. Consultations will ensure informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and appropriate protection of personal data. Direct data collection with minors is not envisaged.
The consultant will triangulate evidence across sources and methods, prepare country-specific findings and develop a cross-country synthesis. Evidence gaps, potential biases and limitations will be explicitly documented, including their implications for conclusions on early results, sustainability and emerging indications of impact.
The inception report will set out the proposed review matrix linking questions to evidence sources and methods, sampling approach, data collection tools, analysis plan, ethical safeguards and workplan. The methodology will be finalized in consultation with UNESCO, while preserving the consultant’s responsibility for impartial analysis and evidence-based findings.

ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES

The final review will be managed by the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, under the supervision of the Senior Programme Specialist, Sciences. Responsibilities will be allocated as follows:

External Consultant

The consultant will be responsible for designing and conducting the review and delivering all agreed outputs. This includes preparing the inception report, reviewing documentation and selected digital resources, conducting remote stakeholder consultations, analysing and triangulating evidence, and preparing the preliminary findings presentation, draft report, final report and presentation.

The consultant will arrange interviews with support from UNESCO, manage the practical requirements of the home-based assignment, and ensure informed consent, confidentiality and secure handling of data. The consultant will address consolidated feedback while retaining responsibility for impartial analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations, and will disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut

The Senior Programme Specialist, Sciences, will manage the assignment, serve as the consultant’s principal contact and approve deliverables upon satisfactory completion. UNESCO’s project team will provide available background documentation, including project documents, workplans, progress reports, financial information, deliverable records and national consultation outputs, and facilitate access to platform information where applicable.

UNESCO will introduce the consultant to Mawhiba and relevant country stakeholders and facilitate remote consultations. The consultant will remain responsible for scheduling and conducting these consultations. Any exceptional travel will require UNESCO’s prior authorization and agreement on logistical arrangements.

UNESCO will coordinate review of the inception report, preliminary findings and draft final report, and provide one consolidated set of comments at each agreed stage. Quality assurance will consider the appropriateness of the methodology, accuracy and completeness of evidence, integration of gender equality and human rights, and clarity and feasibility of recommendations. Approval will confirm that deliverables meet the agreed requirements while respecting the consultant’s impartial findings.

Evaluation Focal Points and IOS Evaluation Office

UNESCO Beirut’s Evaluation Focal Points and the IOS Evaluation Office may provide methodological advice and review selected deliverables, subject to agreed arrangements and availability. Their support may include review of the revised Terms of Reference, inception report and draft report to help maintain a credible and feasible approach proportionate to a final review. Relevant UNESCO guidance on inception reports, reports and quality assurance may be used selectively and adapted to the assignment.

Mawhiba and Relevant National Stakeholders

Mawhiba and relevant national stakeholders will be invited to provide documentation and contextual information, participate in consultations, verify factual information and comment on the practicality of proposed recommendations. UNESCO will coordinate their input to avoid duplication and support ownership and use of the findings.

Stakeholder engagement and feedback will be coordinated through the review manager; a formal Evaluation Reference Group is not envisaged. UNESCO and Mawhiba, in consultation with relevant partners, will consider the final recommendations and identify appropriate follow-up responsibilities.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The assignment will require approximately 22 working days over 8–9 calendar weeks, commencing after completion of the four national consultations and UNESCO’s provision of the core project documentation. The calendar period includes time for stakeholder feedback, quality assurance and revisions. The detailed schedule will be confirmed during inception.

Long Description

Deliverable Expected content Timeline 1.    Short inception report Brief outline of the review’s purpose and scope, proposed methods, stakeholder selection, ethical and inclusion considerations, limitations and workplan. Include a concise review matrix and data collection tools. Maximum 5 pages, including the review matrix and tools. The consultant will address UNESCO’s consolidated comments before proceeding with the main data collection. Submit within 5 working days of the assignment’s start. UNESCO will provide consolidated comments within 3 working days; the consultant will submit the revised note within 2 working days of receiving comments. 2.    Preliminary findings debrief Remote presentation and discussion of emerging findings, relevant country differences, evidence gaps, preliminary conclusions and possible recommendations. The debrief will allow UNESCO and relevant stakeholders to clarify facts and provide feedback before submission of the draft report. By the end of week 5. 3.    Draft review report Executive summary; brief project background; review purpose and scope; methodology and limitations; findings organized around the review questions; conclusions; lessons learned; and practical, prioritized recommendations. Maximum 20 pages, excluding annexes. Country differences will be discussed within the findings, without separate country annexes. Supporting annexes will be limited to essential material, such as the review matrix, sources consulted and data collection tools. By the end of week 7. UNESCO will provide one consolidated set of comments within 5 working days of receipt. 4.    Final review report  Revised report addressing UNESCO’s consolidated comments, maintaining the 20-page maximum, excluding annexes. Recommendations will identify proposed responsible stakeholders and indicative timeframes. The consultant will provide a brief response to comments explaining how substantive feedback was addressed. Within 5 working days of receiving UNESCO’s consolidated comments, normally by the end of week 9.

Long Description

All deliverables shall be submitted electronically in English, in editable formats, with the final report also provided in PDF.

Meetings and presentations will be conducted remotely.

UNESCO will coordinate stakeholder feedback and provide one consolidated set of comments at each review stage.

Deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the Senior Programme Specialist, Sciences, UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut.

Any changes to the agreed schedule arising from delays in access to documentation, consultations or feedback will be agreed with UNESCO.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The assignment shall be undertaken by one external individual consultant with expertise in project reviews or evaluations, mixed-method research, and education or digital learning. The consultant must demonstrate the capacity to assess project implementation and available results across the four participating countries and deliver practical, evidence-based recommendations within the agreed timeframe.

• Education: An advanced university degree in education, STEM education, evaluation, social sciences or a related field.
• Professional experience: At least seven years of relevant professional experience in project reviews, evaluations or applied programme research, including responsibility for designing and conducting at least two comparable reviews or evaluations.
• Methodological expertise: Demonstrated application of qualitative and quantitative methods in at least two assignments, including document review, stakeholder interviews, analysis of monitoring data and triangulation of evidence. Ability to develop a review matrix, assess evidence quality and clearly explain methodological limitations.
• Technical expertise: Demonstrated experience in at least one assignment involving education, STEM learning or digital learning, and the ability to assess the relevance, accessibility and usefulness of educational resources and interpret available platform usage data.
• Regional knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of education systems and implementation contexts in the Arab region, supported by professional experience in at least one of the four participating countries: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon or the Syrian Arab Republic.
• Gender equality and human rights: Demonstrated experience integrating gender equality, inclusion and human rights considerations into at least one review, evaluation or research assignment, including attention to barriers to access and participation.
• Ethical practice: Demonstrated understanding of informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and personal data protection in stakeholder consultations and research.
• Language and communication skills: Excellent analytical writing and communication skills in English and Arabic, including the ability to conduct stakeholder consultations in Arabic and prepare clear, well-structured reports and presentations in English.
• Availability: Confirmed availability to complete approximately 22 working days over 8–9 calendar weeks, in accordance with the agreed schedule.
• Independence: No previous involvement in the design or implementation of the MAWHIBA–UNESCO Online STEM Oasis project. The consultant must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience reviewing or evaluating extracurricular STEM education initiatives targeting adolescents, particularly girls and underserved learners.
• Experience assessing online learning portals, digital educational content or learner engagement data.
• Experience conducting multi-country assignments and remote stakeholder consultations.
• Previous assignments for UNESCO, other United Nations entities or international development organizations, and familiarity with their roles and ways of working.
• Familiarity with UNEG norms, standards and ethical guidance, and their proportionate application to project reviews.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants shall submit:

1. An updated Curriculum Vitae specifying qualifications, relevant assignments, countries of experience, dates and responsibilities.
2. Two recent review or evaluation reports led or substantially authored by the applicant, with a brief explanation of their contribution. Redacted reports may be submitted where confidentiality restrictions apply.
3. Contact details for two professional references able to verify relevant experience.
4. A technical proposal demonstrating understanding of the assignment, the proposed approach and a feasible workplan.
5. A separate financial proposal in United States dollars (USD), specifying the total fee and a breakdown by deliverable, inclusive of all costs required to complete the assignment.
6. Written confirmation of availability, independence from project design and implementation, and disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
7. Evidence of the required academic qualification.

Selection will be based on an assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, relevant experience, work samples, technical proposal, professional references and financial proposal. Failure to meet any mandatory criterion will result in disqualification. Desirable qualifications will inform the technical assessment but are not prerequisites for eligibility.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.