E T Consultant

Job #: req38296 Organization: World Bank Sector: Education Grade: EC2 Term Duration: 1 year 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Suva,Fiji Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Fijian Closing Date: 9/18/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.

Because traditional programs that are driven by input often fail to promote learning, WBG’s education strategy highlights the need for a more comprehensive systems approach to education reform, investments, and service delivery. This approach is about increasing accountability and targeting results, as a complement to providing inputs. And it also requires strengthening the knowledge base on education, to highlight where systems are achieving results, where they are falling short, and what the most effective solutions are. These efforts are increasingly guided by the need to invest early, invest smartly and invest for all! Through high-quality analytical work, collection and curation of evidence, and practical know-how in these three areas, the WBG is helping its partner countries accelerate their educational progress

Regional context

The East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) Region comprises more than 20 countries, including MICs, LICs, and fragile states (EAP has the second highest number of fragile states amongst all the Bank regions). In the education sector, while many of the countries in EAP have achieved much in terms of getting their children to attend school at basic levels, they face ongoing challenges regarding the need to provide access at post-basic levels, improve the quality of schooling at all levels and enhance the relevance of education for the workplace!

The EAP Region’s education strategy is consistent with the Bank’s own education sector strategy, with focus on following areas: (a) to strengthen education systems by helping develop institutions that enhance accountability, build information for effective decision-making through M&E and assessment systems and benchmarking; (b) to tailor our approach to country circumstances, specifically by responding to fast-growing countries’ requests to engage in upper secondary and higher education, skills development and vocational training, as well as to those from fragile and small states still trying to complete the EFA agenda; and (c) to use multi-sector approaches, such as conditional cash transfer programs, to achieve educational outcomes.

The education program in Fiji and the Pacific

The World Bank’s education engagement in Fiji and the wider Pacific provides a strong platform for developing the future operational pipeline. The Advisory Support for Pacific Island Region in Education (ASPIRE) program has generated a substantial body of evidence, strengthened relationships with ministries and regional partners, and supported practical reforms spanning early childhood development, teacher professional development, secondary education and TVET, education finance, childcare, and inclusion. In Fiji, this foundation includes ongoing analytical and advisory work on ECE teacher policy and professional development, childcare, education expenditure and planning, secondary teaching quality, school-to-work pathways, and TVET policy.

The ASPIRE Progress Review emphasized the opportunity to translate this evidence and client demand into operational solutions, including options for Fiji’s upcoming Country Partnership Framework, that reflect the Bank’s comparative advantage and provide a sustainable pathway to improved outcomes.

This pipeline development would build not only on ASPIRE but also on lessons from World Bank-financed education operations across the Pacific. These include the Tuvalu Learning Project (TuLeP, P171861), which has used child-development and classroom evidence to strengthen early learning and teacher support; the Republic of the Marshall Islands Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Project II (ECD II, P177329) and Education and Skills Strengthening Project (ESSP), which provide operational experience in integrated early childhood services, inclusion, and education-system strengthening; and the Federated States of Micronesia Skills and Employability Enhancement Project (SEE, P176965), which is supporting secondary-level TVET, skills certification, career counseling, and links between education and employment. Together, this analytical and operational experience creates an opportunity to identify and develop new investments in Fiji that respond to government priorities, are grounded in evidence, complement development-partner programs, and adapt solutions proven in comparable Pacific contexts.

The position

The World Bank is seeking an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) based in Suva, Fiji to support the ASPIRE program and operational business development. The consultant will serve as a core member of the World Bank’s education team for Fiji and the broader Pacific, providing technical inputs, supporting government and stakeholder engagement, and facilitating preparation activities at the country level. This position builds directly on work carried out in FY26 under the Short-Term Consultant (STC) modality, and all tasks are continuous with those activities.

The ETC will report to the Practice Manager for East Asia and Pacific and will be responsible for the following main activities (but not limited to):

1. Support to Business Development

The consultant will support the development of options for a potential new World Bank-financed education operation in Fiji. The scope and sequencing of this work will depend on the outcome of dialogue between the World Bank and the Government of Fiji. Specific tasks may include:

• Supporting exploratory dialogue with the Ministry of Education and other relevant government counterparts on priorities, scope, objectives, and possible design options for a potential new education operation.
• Providing technical inputs on government and World Bank project proposals, concept materials, and related analytical work, including assessing their alignment with sector priorities, feasibility, implementation arrangements, and evidence of likely effectiveness.
• Subject to the outcome of Bank–Government dialogue, supporting preparation activities for a potential operation, including technical contributions to project documents, activity design, preparation missions and workshops, coordination with government focal points, and engagement with development partners and other stakeholders.
• Providing situational awareness and analysis to the TTL and broader team on political economy, government priorities, and implementation readiness in Fiji.

1. Ministry of Education Liaison

The consultant will help maintain the day-to-day dialogue between the World Bank's education team and Fiji's Ministry of Education. This includes:

• Maintaining regular and substantive engagement with MOE senior officials and technical staff across all relevant divisions, including early childhood education, curriculum, teacher training, and education finance.
• Participating as a member of the World Bank team in MOE-convened meetings, workshops, and policy consultations, and providing timely reporting to the TTL on relevant developments.
• Facilitating information sharing between the MOE and the World Bank team, including sharing of government data, policy documents, and implementation updates relevant to ASPIRE and PICTURE.
• Supporting the MOE in building its capacity to engage effectively with project preparation processes, including procurement and environmental/social standards.

1. ASPIRE Program Support — Ongoing Activities

The consultant will continue to support the ASPIRE program's ongoing Fiji workstream, including:

• ECE Hybrid Teacher Training Pilot: Serving as the primary coordinator for the hybrid ECE professional development pilot and its associated evaluation. This includes coordinating with the MOE, local and international consultants, and providing technical and administrative support to ensure smooth implementation and quality monitoring.
• Childcare Study: Supporting the finalization and dissemination of the Fiji childcare study, including facilitating government review and follow-up engagement on policy implications.
• Education Finance Technical Assistance: Supporting technical assistance to the MOE on education budgeting and financial planning, the ongoing Public Expenditure Review, and proposed Functional Review, consistent with the agreed ASPIRE support areas.
• Full-day ECE teacher salary study: Lead the finalization of report and outputs from this study.

1. Development Partner Coordination

The consultant will, with guidance from the Task Team leaders, serve as a liaison between the World Bank team and Fiji's development partner education community:

• Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with key bilateral and multilateral partners active in education in Fiji, including Australia (DFAT/AFEP), New Zealand, UNICEF, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Participating in development partner coordination meetings and ensuring the World Bank's program is well-represented and that synergies — particularly between PICTURE and Australian bilateral programs — are actively pursued.
• Supporting co-financing discussions as relevant, including with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and ADB.

1. Mission Support and Team Coordination

• Managing logistics for visiting World Bank staff and international consultants undertaking missions to Fiji, including scheduling government meetings, arranging transport, and providing briefing materials.
• Participating in regular team meetings for the ASPIRE and PICTURE teams.
• Contributing to reporting requirements, including donor reports (e.g., for DFAT under PSSP/ASPIRE) and World Bank operational reporting.

Selection Criteria

• PhD or master’s degree in education, Economics, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in education sector development, policy analysis, or international development
• Demonstrated experience working with or within Pacific government institutions, particularly the Fiji Ministry of Education
• Strong technical background in early childhood education, teacher professional development, or education systems strengthening
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to convey complex information to diverse audiences including government counterparts and development partners
• Experience supporting World Bank or other multilateral development projects, including knowledge of project preparation processes, is an advantage
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple concurrent tasks under tight deadlines.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

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