POST TITLE: Consultancy: ACSL System Design and Set Up for Management and MEL
HOURS OF WORK: Part-time (12-24 weeks)
PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT: 6months -1 Year
LOCATION: Kenya and Ghana (other countries in sub-Saharan Africa can be considered)
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, higher education leaders, policymakers, funders and employers to improve education outcomes for young people. Our research generates actionable insights that inform decisions, policies and practice and strengthen education systems.
ESSA’s values are at the heart of everything we do, and they are:
• Evidence-driven: We are driven by data and evidence to find what works best, building an evidence alliance for education in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Solutions-focused: We seek the highest impact for young people and educators in sub-Saharan Africa with the cost-effective funds we invest.
• Strengthening Trust: We strive to create supportive environments, building trust with the communities we work with.
• 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
The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) was established in 2021 to transform school leadership systems across Africa. The Centre’s mission is to collaborate with governments and regional institutions to provide high-quality, contextualised professional development services, conduct research, and offer policy advice to enhance school leadership, teaching, and student outcomes. By developing school leaders and improving educational practices, ACSL seeks to foster positive changes in the education sector, enhancing learning environments, student well-being, and overall academic quality at national and Pan-African levels. Further details about ACSL can be found on the ACSL website (African Centre for School Leadership).
ACSL functions as a coalition of regional and in-country partners implementing donor-funded projects, and four key Pan-African organisations coordinate it: 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. In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, ACSL launched the Foundation Phase Project (2023-2024), which spanned Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana. This initiative focused on two central themes: the intersection of gender and school leadership and the emerging Ubuntu leadership model. These areas guided the Centre's work in promoting inclusive, innovative, and collaborative school leadership practices across the continent.
ACSL is actively engaged in implementing the Leaders in Teaching (LIT) model across Tanzania, Malawi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This initiative focuses on strengthening the leadership capacities of secondary school leaders, thereby fostering more effective teaching and learning environments. By 2030, the programme aims to benefit over 9,053 secondary schools, including both public and non-state institutions, in LIT expansion countries and throughout the Pan-African region.
Through targeted School Leadership Professional Development (SLPD), school leaders will be better equipped to support teachers and drive improvements in student learning outcomes. The initiative is expected to affect approximately 2,029,976 students enrolled in secondary education.
The initiatives of ACSL-LIT-Lead concentrate on four key areas:
a) Supporting the development and reform of evidence-based policies and frameworks for school leadership.
b) Supporting the delivery of professional development programmes for school leaders.
c) Researching to generate insights on school leadership effectiveness, and
d) Promoting communication and advocacy to disseminate lessons and enhance sector coordination.
ACSL aims to improve learning outcomes and diminish gender and equity disparities in education through an enhanced school leadership practices.
Purpose of the Assignment
Effective project management and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) are essential for ensuring accountability, tracking progress, guiding adaptive decision-making, and demonstrating results to stakeholders. However, the current mechanisms for project planning, reporting, data capture, and learning are fragmented, making it difficult to coordinate activities, consolidate performance information, and generate timely evidence for management and partners.
To address these gaps, the organisation seeks to develop an integrated Project Management and MEL Support System that enables seamless planning, activity tracking, data management, analysis, reporting, and learning. A consultant with strong expertise in programming, digital MEL systems, information management, and organisational processes is needed to lead this system design and set-up.
The overall purpose is to design and establish a user-friendly, scalable, and adaptive system that supports both project management/activities and MEL functions, ensuring improved efficiency, data quality, and evidence-based decision-making.
The consultant will:
1. Review existing project management and MEL processes, tools, and data flows.
2. Develop an integrated system architecture that supports:
• ACSL planning and activity scheduling.
• ACSL grant award and management.
• Output and outcome indicator tracking (PANA and Country level)
• Data collection, storage, and analysis
• Document management and knowledge sharing.
• Reporting and dashboards for project and MEL activities insights
• Learning, reflection, and adaptive management
3. Configure the platform to align with ACSL requirements.
4. Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidance documents for the designed system use.
5. Build dashboards and reporting templates for management and other needs.
6. Train staff and facilitate system rollout, including troubleshooting.
7. Provide a sustainability and governance framework for ongoing maintenance.
SCOPE OF WORK AND KEY TASKS
The delivery includes but is not limited to, the following tasks:
a) Inception Phase
• Conduct a needs assessment through stakeholder consultations.
• Map existing workflows, tools, and data needs.
• Produce an inception report with methodology and system requirements.
b) System Design and Architecture
• Develop system architecture and functional specifications.
• Define user roles, access levels, and permissions.
• Recommend platform options with cost-benefit analysis.
• Define integration requirements with existing systems.
c) System Development and Configuration
• Set up and configure the selected platform.
• Align platform with the development templates (i.e. project plans, workplans, indicator performance tracking, grant awards and reporting).
• Develop data entry forms, data validation rules, and automated workflows.
• Build analytics dashboards for real-time performance tracking.
d) Documentation
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), user manuals, and troubleshooting guides.
• Produce a system governance and sustainability plan.
e) Capacity Building
• Conduct training for staff and project teams.
• Provide hands-on system orientation and troubleshooting support.
• Facilitate a pilot test and incorporate feedback.
f) Handover and Final Reporting
• Provide a final report summarising system set-up.
• Deliver complete documentation, datasets, admin credentials, and technical files.
KEY DELIVERABLES
• Inception report with system requirements and work plan.
• System architecture and design specifications.
• Fully configured project management and MEL system.
• Training sessions and training materials.
• Standard Operating Procedures, system manuals, and governance framework.
• Final report and system handover package.
DURATION AND LEVEL OF EFFORT
The assignment is expected to last 12 to 24 weeks, depending on the complexity of the system and feedback cycles. As this is a part-time role, the consultancy firm/individual will be expected to work 20 hours a week.
MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING
The consultancy firm/individual will report to the ESSA Senior Research, Evaluation and Impact Manager, and work closely with the ACSL Head of Research and MEL Manager.
They will maintain regular engagement with the team throughout the assignment, including bi-weekly catch-up meetings (virtual or in-person, as applicable) to review progress, address emerging issues, and align.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Person Specification
The required individual should meet the following profile:
• Advanced expertise in system design and digital solutions.
• Experience with project management methodologies (For example, Agile, PMP).
• Proficiency in MEL digital tools.
• Strong analytical and process mapping skills
• Excellent communication and training facilitation skills.
• Experience working with NGOs, international development projects, or donor-funded programmes.
• Education in Management Information System, Information Technology, Computer Science or any other related discipline.
Firm Specification
The required firm should meet the following profile
• Firm portfolio in place of a cover letter.
• Team members’ profile in place of a Resume.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All materials, modules, and tools produced under this consultancy will remain the property of ESSA, VVOB, and ADEA under the ACSL partnership. The consultant will treat all information confidentially and not use it for any other purpose without prior written consent.
PARTNERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This consultancy is implemented under the African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL), a collaboration between ESSA, VVOB, and ADEA, committed to advancing school leadership research, capacity, and policy impact across Africa.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) underpins our mission and values at ESSA. We prioritise inclusion and celebrate the breadth of knowledge and experience working across diverse cultures brings to the organisation.
EDI at ESSA is embodied in the current composition of our Board of Trustees and our workforce, which strongly reflects the communities we work in, and we actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Qualified and experienced firms/consultants are invited to submit a 10-page technical proposal and a financial proposal (in USD) to undertake this assignment.
Please ensure your CV and cover letter are saved using your given name and surname. For example, firstname.surname CV. The closing date for applications is the 17th of December 2025 at 0900hrs GMT.
DISCLAIMER
This Terms of Reference (ToR) is issued solely to solicit proposals for the ACSL System Design and Set Up for Management and MEL described herein. The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) reserves the right to amend, withdraw, or cancel this ToR at any time without prior notice and without providing any reason. The issuance of this ToR does not constitute a commitment by ACSL to award a contract or to fund any submitted proposals.