TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Children Believe (CB) is an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) that provides children with the tools and training they need to access education, overcome barriers and be a voice for change. For 60+ years, we have brought together brave young dreamers, caring supporters and partners, and unabashed idealists. Together, we are driven by a common belief: creating access to education inside and outside of classrooms is the most powerful tool children can use to change their world. We work through five (5) pathways to change namely Education; Health and Nutrition; Child Protection and Participation; Youth Employability and Women Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. Each year we impact the lives of more than half a million children, youth, and families in six countries - Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nicaragua and Paraguay. At Children Believe, we focus on breaking barriers to inclusive and quality education for girls and boys. Children Believe prioritizes Early Childhood Education (including early learning) in its work in Ghana in recognition of the importance of “starting right” under our Centre of Excellence initiative.

Children Believe (CB) is committed to improving the lives of children by contributing to access to quality early childhood education in Ghana.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Financed by KOICA, the “Quality and Inclusive Early Childhood Education Services for all Children Phase 2” (QAIECE 2) project is implemented in the East and West Mamprusi Municipalities of the North East region by a consortium of organizations; ChildFund Korea, Children Believe and AG Care Ghana. The QAIECE 2 project builds on the successes of Phase 1 and seeks to enhance quality and inclusive early childhood education services for children aged 4–5 years in targeted municipalities in the North East region. The project focuses on three key outcomes:

• To enhance quality and inclusive ECE educational environment.
• To Improve teaching capacity of teachers.
• To strengthen the support system of parents/caregivers and the government to implement ECE.

As part of the infrastructure support component, the project has constructed and equipped modern kindergarten (KG) blocks, gender-sensitive sanitation facilities, child-friendly play areas, and age-appropriate furniture. These facilities were strategically provided to reduce infrastructure deficits in remote and underserved communities, enhance school readiness, and support children's physical, cognitive, and social development.

While these investments represent a major step forward in improving access to quality Early Childhood Education (ECE), their long-term sustainability and functionality require deliberate efforts to enhancing ongoing care, regular maintenance, and shared ownership by the communities and stakeholders who use and manage the KG facilities daily.

In recognition of this need, Children Believe is initiating the development of a comprehensive, user-friendly manual that will serve as a practical guide for the management, routine maintenance, and effective use of the ECE facilities. The manual will be targeted at school authorities, community leaders, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees (SMCs), caregivers, and local government officials, equipping them with tools, knowledge, and guidance to ensure that the facilities remain safe, clean, child-friendly, and functional for years to come.

This initiative aligns with the broader QAIECE Phase 2 objective of strengthening community ownership and participation in early learning delivery and creating inclusive, protective, and resilient ECE environments across the North East Region.

PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive, user-friendly, and context-specific manual that offers practical, actionable guidance for the effective management, upkeep, and routine maintenance of Early Childhood Education (ECE) school facilities constructed by Children Believe and CFK in selected communities within the North East Region of Ghana.

This manual is intended to serve as a standardized reference document for a wide range of stakeholders, including school authorities, caregivers, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees (SMCs), local government officials, and community leaders. It will outline clear procedures, tools, and roles to ensure the proper use, preservation, and sustainability of the ECE infrastructure and related facilities - such as classrooms, latrines, urinal, water systems, play areas, and furniture.

The manual will also support the promotion of community ownership and responsibility, helping stakeholders to understand their collective and individual roles in maintaining a safe, clean, and child-friendly learning environment. In addition, it will contribute to safeguarding investments, improving school readiness, and enhancing the overall quality and inclusive early childhood education services for children aged 4–5 years in targeted municipalities in the North East region

Ultimately, the consultancy seeks to embed a culture of preventive maintenance and shared responsibility that enhances the longevity, safety and functionality of ECE facilities ensuring that children continue to benefit from these investments for years to come.

OBJECTIVES

The consultancy is expected to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. To review existing best practices and policies on school infrastructure management and maintenance, especially for ECE settings.

2. To assess current facility use, maintenance gaps, and management challenges in beneficiary communities.

3. To develop a comprehensive and user-friendly manual that outlines:

• Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders (e.g., school authorities, community members, local government, PTA/SMC).
• Routine maintenance procedures including cleaning & repairs of the equipment).
• Reporting and accountability mechanisms.
• Tools, checklists, and community-friendly guidance materials.

1. To validate the manual with stakeholders and train key users on its application.

2. Finalize the facilities maintenance manual and submit same to Children Believe.

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Conduct a Desk Review of Relevant Literature, Policies, and Manuals (National and International) – The consultant will be expected to:
   • Gather and analyze existing documentation related to the management and maintenance of ECE or basic school infrastructure, with attention to Ghanaian policy frameworks (e.g., Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, UNICEF Ghana, Ministry for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA)
   • Review global standards and case studies from organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, Save the Children, and others to identify models that can inform a context-appropriate manual.
   • Extract lessons, tools, and successful approaches that can be adapted for use in the North East Region.
2. Undertake Field Consultations with Selected Communities, Schools, and Local Authorities – as part of the assignment, the consultant will be required to:
   • Visit a representative sample of communities where ECE facilities have been provided.
   • Engage key stakeholders through interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and informal observations. Stakeholders will include headteachers, caregivers, PTA/SMC members, assembly members, district education officials, and community leaders.
   • Document current practices, perceptions, challenges, and locally-driven maintenance initiatives (if any).
   • Identify knowledge gaps, capacity needs, and resource limitations that could affect manual implementation.
   • Ensure that consultations are participatory, inclusive, and culturally sensitive.
3. Draft the Management and Maintenance Manual – after the review and field visits, the consultant will be required to:
   • Develop the first draft of the manual informed by the desk review and field consultation findings.
   • Ensure the manual is practical, easy to read, and designed for a range of users - including those with limited literacy.
   • Key sections should include:
   • Purpose and scope of the manual.
   • Roles and responsibilities of different actors (school authorities, caregivers, community leaders, district officials).
   • Routine and periodic maintenance procedures for classrooms
   • Routine and periodic maintenance procedures for toilet
   • Routine and periodic maintenance procedures for urinal
   • Routine and periodic maintenance procedures for furniture
   • Waste management and WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) guidelines.
   • Reporting, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms.
   • Tools, templates, inspection checklists, and illustrated job aids.
   • Ensure alignment with national education and infrastructure standards, including Ghana's WASH in Schools Guidelines and ECE quality benchmarks.
4.  Validate the Manual: to ensure appropriateness of the content and context, and to enhance the quality of the manual, the consultant will need to validate the manual by
   • Soliciting reviews and feedback from subject matter experts, or technical persons with relevant experience in the management of school facilities.
   • These subject matter experts will review the content for accuracy, clarity, relevance, practical applicability and compliance with standards.
   • The researcher will then integrate the feedback from the subject matter experts into the revised manual for finalization
5. Finalize and Submit the Manual along with an Abridged Version and Implementation/Training Plan: to close up the assignment, the consultant will;
   • Produce a final version of the manual, incorporating validation feedback and feedback from the commissioning organization.
   • Provide both a full manual (technical version) and a simplified version for community-level use (with visual aids and translated/local-language elements where necessary).
   • Develop a concise implementation plan outlining recommended steps for rollout, capacity building, and community sensitization.
   • Submit a final summary report detailing the methodology, findings, stakeholder inputs, challenges encountered, and recommendations for sustainability.
   • Provide the final soft copies of editable templates/tools for replication.

DELIVERABLES

REPORTING AND SUPERVISION

The Consultant will work directly with the Project Manager for the QAIECE 2 project with oversight provided by the Program Manager and the Country Director of Children Believe. AG CARE team will provide field coordination support.

The Consultant will collaborate closely with the Project Manager - QAIECE 2 and will keep both the Program Manager and the Country Director of Children Believe copied on all communications related to the assignment. At the field level, the Consultant will engage with the QAIECE 2 Project Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Project Officers, and the Partner Program Manager to facilitate the exercise.

All reports and related documents must be submitted in English and in electronic format using Microsoft Word. The submission must include all raw data sets and relevant templates as separate attachments.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

All activities must adhere to Children Believe and ChildFund Korea’s child protection and safeguarding policies. The consultant must obtain informed consent, ensure data confidentiality, and avoid harm to participants, especially children.

ChildFund and Children Believe, its Board and staff make no express or implied representation or warranty as to the currency, reliability, or completeness of the information contained in this ToR. Nothing in this ToR should be construed to give rise to any contractual obligations or rights, expressed or implied, by the issue of this ToR or the submission of an Expression of interest in response to it. No contrast would be created until a formal written contract is executed between Children Believe and a selected consultant. Accordingly, the key informants consent form includes a clause permitting the use of the data for future research purposes, subject to ethical standards and data protection requirements.

DURATION AND TIMELINE

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 30 business days from the date of signing the contract. A detailed timeline will be agreed upon during the inception phase.

1. CONSULTANT PROFILE

Core Competencies - Commitment to ChildFund Korea and Children Believe’s values, vision and mission. S/he shall have great team culture, good communication skills, be professional, accountable, adaptable and flexible in their operation.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Development Studies, Building Technology, or related fields is required; a PhD in any of these fields will be an added advantage

• Proven experience in developing practical manuals or toolkits, particularly in school infrastructure or WASH programming.

• Knowledge of Ghana’s education sector and ECE landscape.

• Strong facilitation and participatory research skills.

• Excellent writing, communication, and reporting abilities.

• Fluency in English; working knowledge of local languages in the North East Region is an added advantage.

1. APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested consultants should submit the following:

• A cover letter and detailed technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, methodology, and work plan.

• Financial proposal (including professional fees and related costs).

• CV or profile highlighting relevant experience.

• Sample of similar work or manual previously developed.

• Both individual consultants or consultancy firms are encouraged to apply.

• Contact details of at least two referees.

Hard copies of application should be submitted in English to the address below no later than 5:00pm of Thursday September 4, 2025.

The Office Administrator

Children Believe, Ghana Country Office

Choggu Block VI, Behind IPA/Gariba Lodge

Naa Luro Estate

Tamale N/R Ghana

Children Believe and ChildFund Korea Ghana do not require interested candidates to submit copies of certificates, ID cards or any other information at this stage.

Children Believe and ChildFund Korea  has a strict Child Protection Policy and background checks will be undertaken prior to engagement of the consultant. All candidates should submit two professional referees including their current or most recent client.

ChildFund and Children Believe Ghana are an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply for any vacancies published.