Education Sub Saharan Africa: Consultancy: Design and Implementation of ACSL Impact Studies
Headquarters: essa-africa.org
Post Title: Consultancy: Design and Implementation of ACSL Impact Studies Period of Appointment: 2026–2030 Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (Applicants must have the right to work in their location) Reporting To: Senior Research, Evaluation and Impact Manager Salary: Competitive - dependent on experience
About ESSA
Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) improves education using evidence and data from Africa in research, advocacy, and programme design. We take a systems approach by identifying challenges and co-designing solutions in partnership with local education researchers, education leaders, policymakers, funders, and employers to improve education outcomes for young people.
ESSA’s Values:
- Evidence-driven: We are driven by data and evidence to find what works best.
- Solutions-focused: We seek the highest impact for young people and educators.
- Strengthening Trust: We strive to create supportive environments and build trust.
- Always learning: Everyone’s opinion is valuable; we develop solutions through teamwork.
To find out more about ESSA, visit essa-africa.org.
About the Role
Background and Context
The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) was established in 2021 to transform school leadership systems across Africa. ACSL is a coalition of regional and in-country partners, coordinated by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE), and VVOB – Education for Development.
ACSL is currently implementing the Leaders in Teaching (LIT) LEAD pillar across Tanzania, Malawi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. By 2030, the programme aims to benefit over 14,493 secondary schools and approximately 4,853,564 students.
Purpose of the Consultancy
The Centre seeks to engage an African-led consortium of institutions to provide technical leadership, methodological rigour, and independent analysis for six potential studies. Further details can be found in the ACSL Impact Studies Concept Note.
The consortium will:
- Provide independent technical lead for the design and implementation of the six impact studies.
- Ensure methodological coherence, quality assurance, and alignment with ACSL’s Theory of Change.
- Apply contribution-focused, mixed-methods, and Afrocentric analytical approaches.
- Generate high-quality evidence products to inform learning, policy influence, and sustainability.
Required Qualifications and Experience
ACSL strongly encourages applications from consortia of organisations rather than single entities. The consortium must be African-led, with the lead institution legally registered and headquartered in Africa.
The consortium model should demonstrate:
- Defined and complementary roles among partners.
- Clear governance and coordination arrangements.
- Mechanisms for quality assurance and methodological coherence.
- Efficient financial management and accountability structures.
- Designation of a lead institution for overall portfolio coordination.
Collective team expertise required:
- Proven experience in school leadership and/or education systems evaluation in Africa.
- Strong expertise in school leadership, professional development, and policy reform.
- Demonstrated use of mixed-methods, contribution analysis, and systems evaluation.
- Experience with gender-transformative and equity-focused research.
- Strong understanding of Afrocentric and contextually grounded leadership models.
- Ability to manage multi-country, multi-study evaluation portfolios.
- Excellent analytical writing and knowledge translation skills.
Scope of Work
The consortium must collectively deliver six studies:
- Study 1: School leadership practice, data use, and learner outcomes (Tanzania).
- Study 2: Gender, equity, and social inclusion in school leadership (Pan Africa & Tanzania).
- Study 3: Policy and institutionalisation of school leadership professional development (Pan Africa & Tanzania).
- Study 4: Effectiveness of school leadership professional development (Pan Africa & Tanzania).
- Study 5: Research capacity, blended learning trajectories, and evidence use (Pan Africa & Tanzania).
- Study 6: Collaboration, networks, and formative assessment for ACSL Centre establishment (Pan Africa & Tanzania).
Key Tasks
- Inception and Design: Review documentation, validate study designs, and define leadership responsibilities.
- Methodological Implementation: Lead longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation; conduct network mapping and policy analysis; ensure ethical standards.
- Data Analysis and Synthesis: Perform cross-study triangulation, generate contribution narratives, and conduct intersectional analysis.
- Learning and Knowledge Translation: Produce learning briefs, support policy dialogues, and translate findings into advocacy-ready products.
- Portfolio-Level Integration: Ensure coherence across all six studies and produce an integrated impact and learning synthesis.
Key Deliverables
- Inception and Integrated Portfolio Evaluation Design Report.
- Study-Specific Technical Reports and Case Studies.
- Mid-term Learning and Adaptive Management briefs.
- Final Integrated Impact, Learning, and Contribution Synthesis Report.
- Policy, Practice, and Centre Products (briefs and roadmap).
Application Process
Interested consortia/firms should submit:
- Technical proposal outlining approach, methodology, and work plan.
- Team composition and CVs.
- Relevant organisational and team experience.
- Financial proposal (using the ACSL Impact Studies Budget Template).