Headquarters:

URL: http://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. 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 and Context

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) LEAD pillar across Tanzania, Malawi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This initiative focuses on strengthening the leadership capacities of secondary school leaders to foster more effective teaching and learning environments. By 2030, the programme aims to benefit over 14,493 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 4,853,564 students enrolled in secondary education. 

The initiatives of ACSL-LIT-Lead concentrate on four key areas:  

    1. Supporting the development and reform of evidence-based policies and frameworks for school leadership. 

    2. Supporting the delivery of professional development programmes for school leaders. 

    3. Researching to generate insights on school leadership effectiveness.  

    4. Promoting communication and advocacy to disseminate lessons and enhance sector coordination.

ACSL aims to improve learning outcomes and reduce gender and equity disparities in education through enhanced school leadership practices. 

Purpose of the Consultancy 

The Centre seeks to engage an African-led consortium of institutions to provide coordinated technical leadership, methodological rigour, and independent analysis to support the design, implementation, synthesis, and cross-study learning across six potential studies. Further details on the studies can be found: ACSL Impact Studies - Concept Note.

The purpose of this engagement is for the consortium of institutions to: 

• Provide independent technical lead for the design and implementation of the ACSL’s six impact studies. 

• Ensure methodological coherence, quality assurance, and alignment with ACSL’s Theory of Change and the outcomes of the ADEA Triennale in 2025 (See the detailed concept note referenced above for more information; pages 35 to 44).  

• Apply contribution-focused, mixed-methods, and Afrocentric analytical approaches across the portfolio. 

• Generate high-quality evidence products to inform learning, policy influence, and the sustainability of the Centre. 

Required Qualifications and Experience 

Given the multi-country scope, cross-cutting thematic focus, and technical complexity of the six interrelated studies, ACSL strongly encourages applications from qualified consortia of organisations rather than single entities. Applicants are therefore encouraged to form consortia that strategically combine complementary expertise. 

ACSL requires the consortium to be African-led. The lead institution must be legally registered and headquartered in Africa, with demonstrated experience leading multi-countr