Tenders are invited for Programme Design & Results Framework Consultancy Resilient Schools Initiative To support UNICEFs inception phase by leading consultations, validating the programme design, and establishing the baseline foundations for project implementation. Location Hybrid Duration 150 days Start Date May 18th 2026 Reporting to Education Specialist Background: The Caribbean is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change, with hurricanes, flooding, and extreme weather frequently disrupting education and threatening childrens safety and their continuous learning. Recent disasters, including Hurricanes Maria and Irma (2017), Lisa (2022), Beryl (2024), and Melissa (2025), have highlighted longstanding structural vulnerabilities of school infrastructure and limitations in emergency preparedness and education continuity planning. In addition to sudden-onset disasters, the region is also facing slow-onset stressors such as rising sea levels, prolonged droughts that worsen water and food insecurity and increasing temperatures that are further expanding the spread of vector-borne diseases. These events have repeatedly demonstrated not only the fragility of school buildings but also the underlying risks faced by girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized groups, whose learning, safety, and wellbeing are disproportionately affected. Recognizing these challenges, the Caribbean region has strengthened its collective efforts to advance education system resilience. A significant milestone in these efforts is the Caribbean Safe School Initiative (CSSI), the first regional framework dedicated to embedding resilience across education systems. Since 2017, CSSI has provided a unified platform for 19 Caribbean governments to coordinate around the Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF) and drive action across its three pillars: 1. Safe learning facilities, 2. School disaster management, and 3. Risk reduction and resilience education. The CSSI Roadmap (20222030) elevated these commitments by defining regional indicators, strengthening multisector coordination, and calling for systemic uptake of standards for resilient school design, safe operations, and climate responsive teaching and learning. The 2025 Safe School Coordination Review further emphasized the need for stronger backbone support, more robust monitoring systems, and enhanced national focal point leadership to ensure consistent implementation across countries. Regional organizations, including Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), play central roles in advancing policy harmonization, capacity building, curriculum reform, modelling resilient school infrastructure, and strengthening emergency preparedness mechanisms. These partnerships are critical to scaling good practices, sharing knowledge regionally, and leveraging joint monitoring systems that align with the CSSI Roadmap indicators. The Strengthening Resilient Schools and Education in the Caribbean Programme, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by UNICEF, builds on this regional momentum. Designed as a five year, multicounty initiative (20262030), the programme scales system-level reforms and invests in resilient schools as essential community anchors capable of protecting childrens right to safe, continuous, and quality learning, even amidst escalating climate and disaster risks. The programme adopts a systems strengthening approach that integrates resilient infrastructure, policy institutionalization, risk reduction education, school-based safety mechanisms, and regional coordination capacities. Implementing Countries: 7 Official Development Assistance (ODA)-eligible countries (Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, Suriname, St Vincent & the Grenadines). Purpose UNICEF seeks a consultant firm or consortium, to lead and coordinate the inception phase analytical and validation processes, ensuring that programme outputs, indicators, partnerships, and implementation pathways are fully co-developed with countries, regional bodies, and partners. Specific Tasks & Methodology: The consultant will apply a participatory, evidence-driven, and system-strengthening methodology to deliver all analytical, consultative, and planning outputs required for the inception phase, in alignment with UNICEFs programme design standards and the obligations outlined in the Grant Arrangement (e.g., baseline establishment, stakeholder engagement, and results framework refinement) 1. Country Engagement, Evidence Collection & Validation Processes Tasks · Conduct structured consultations with Ministries of Education, Climate Resilience/Environment across all participating countries to gather input on status of implementation of the CSSI in countries and across the region covering all three pillars and including needs/gaps, capacities, policies, and existing school safety and resilience initiatives. · Facilitate regional dialogues with CDEMA, OECS, CARICOM, UNESCO, Global Partnership for Education (GPE), UNDRR, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and other partners to capture regional priorities, existing coordination frameworks, and opportunities for harmonized implementation. · Document findings, climate resilience, and inclusion considerations as well as gender analysis are integrated into the inception phase analysis. · Utilize the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES) Safe School tool to benchmark country progress in Safe School Implementation. Suggested Methodology · Mixed methods of consultations (virtual, hybrid, or in person where feasible) can be used, supported by validated interview protocols. · Apply a participatory approach ensuring contributions from government, technical agencies, civil society, youth advocates and regional bodies. · Synthesize evidence in a structured format feeding into the Theory of Change (ToC), logframe, and baseline assessment. 2. Theory of Change (ToC) Refinement & Results Framework Validation Tasks 1. Validate and refine the preliminary Theory of Change, revisiting assumptions, causal pathways, risks, and enabling conditions. 2. Facilitate a regional validation meeting (virtual or hybrid) to secure consensus on the refined ToC. 3. Validate and adjust the results framework (logframe), ensuring alignment with programme outcomes, CSSI Roadmap indicators, and GAC performance indicators Suggested Methodology · Apply a results-based management (RBM) approach ensuring clear vertical logic (impact outcomes outputs). · Use evidence from consultations, desk review, and regional frameworks to adjust indicators and strengthen measurability. · Align indicators and definitions with UNICEF corporate guidance and GAC reporting requirements. 3. Baseline Data Collection, Analysis & Reporting Tasks 1. Develop a baseline assessment plan and tools aligned with the programme performance measurement framework outlined. 2. Conduct a comprehensive desk review of national policies, Education Management Information System (EMIS) data, infrastructure assessments, curriculum integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)/climate resilience, and gender inclusion practices, as they relate to elements of resilient schools or the CSSI/CSSF. 3. Compile and analyze data to produce a consolidated Baseline Data Report with disaggregation (sex, age, disability). Suggested Methodology · Combine secondary data review with targeted primary data obtained through country consultations. · Use standardized UNICEF data quality and validation procedures. · Ensure baseline indicators are fully aligned with outcomes in the validated logframe. 4. Regional/Country Output/Outcome Mapping & Stakeholder Mapping and Roles Definition Tasks 1. Map regional roles, responsibilities, and expected contributions across entities such as CDEMA and OECS to optimize coherence with CSSI coordination frameworks. 2. Undertake country level stakeholder analysis of all relevant partners and institutions relevant for implementing the various elements of the schools safety framework, including private sector and professional associations including their roles, highlighting any gaps in roles 3. Produce a partner/stakeholder mapping and roles matrix defining scope, coordination lines, knowledge sharing responsibilities, and mechanisms for regional and country oversight. 4. Integrate this mapping into the workplan and ToC to ensure regional mechanisms actively support and reinforce national implementation. Suggested Methodology · Conduct targeted interviews with regional agencies to identify mandates, existing commitments, and alignment opportunities. · Use system mapping tools to illustrate flows of accountability, collaboration, data, and technical support. · Validate mapping with stakeholders during a regional review process. 5. Development of the Detailed Programme Workplan Tasks 1. Develop the multiyear, activity-level workplan required for submission to Global Affairs Canada, including sequencing, timing, responsibilities, and country-specific interventions. 2. Integrate crosscutting requirements such as gender equality, child protection, climate environment safeguards, and monitoring and evaluation expectations, including periodic programme reviews. 3. Include risk assessment, mi Tender Link : https://www.unicef.org/easterncaribbean/work-united-nations-childrens-fund-unicef
