Educational Planner – Class Formation & Automation

This consultant will be paid on a 50% P4 Level according to the following schedule of Deliverables and Timelines:  * Deliverable 1 / End of Month 1 - First Draft: 2026/2027 Class Formation Draft 2026/2027 Class Formation Guidelines/Framework including: planning assumptions, enrolment projections, draft class section tables, and staffing allocation model, for review by HQA and Field teams. * Deliverable 2 / End of Month 2 - Technical Assessment Report Technical assessment of the progress achieved in automating the class formation process, including: inventory of current tools, gap analysis of remaining manual processes, identified risks and constraints, and key recommendations for next steps. * Deliverable 3 / End of Month 3 - Final Report with Next Steps & Roadmap Final document incorporating stakeholder feedback from Deliverables 2 and 3, including: executive summary, agreed next steps, and a practical time-bound roadmap for completing and institutionalising the automated class formation process.

Remote/Home based

3 Months

UNRWA provides free, quality basic education to over 500,000 Palestine refugee students across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The Education Department at HQ Amman (HQA) leads strategic planning, policy development, and technical support to five Field offices. A central pillar of annual education operations is the class formation (school mapping) process, which determines the number and composition of class sections, the allocation of teaching staff, and the optimal use of school space across all Fields. This process is currently supported by a suite of Excel-based tools and partial automation, with ongoing efforts to fully systematise and digitalise the workflow. UNRWA seeks an experienced Educational Planner to support the preparation of the 2026/2027 class formation cycle, conduct a technical assessment of the automation progress achieved to date, and produce a clear roadmap of next steps to complete and institutionalise the automated process. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director of Education “Programme”, the consultant will undertake the following tasks: * First Draft of the 2026/2027 Class Formation - Review existing class formation methodologies, norms, standards, and planning parameters applied across the five Fields. - Consult with relevant HQ and Field education planning staff to consolidate and review lessons learned from the 2025/2026 class formation cycle. - Analyse enrolment projections, staffing ratios, space utilisation data, and applicable policy assumptions. - Produce the first draft of the 2026/2027 Class Formation Guidelines/Framework, including planning assumptions, draft class section tables, and staffing projections. * Technical Assessment of Class Formation Automation - Review existing automation tools, algorithms, databases, and workflows (including Excel-based models and any digital systems) currently used in the class formation process. - Assess the degree of automation achieved to date across the class formation lifecycle (data input, calculation, validation, output generation, and dissemination). - Identify remaining manual processes, bottlenecks, data quality risks, and governance gaps. - Evaluate technical and operational requirements for scaling and sustaining a fully automated class formation process. - Document findings, strengths, constraints, and opportunities in a structured technical assessment report. * Final Document with Recommended Next Steps - Facilitate consultation with HQA Education Planning team and relevant Field focal points to validate findings and recommendations. - Consolidate feedback and define prioritised next steps for completing the automation of the class formation process. - Develop a practical and time-bound roadmap for the next phase of automation development and institutionalisation. - Prepare the final report, incorporating all feedback and including an executive summary for senior management.

* Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an accredited institution in Education Planning, Economics of Education, Statistics, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Public Policy, or a related field. * A Bachelor's degree with significant additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Master's degree. * Experience - Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in education planning, school mapping, enrolment management, or education data systems. Including at an international level of which a minimum of 2 continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport, or a national identity number is desirable. - Demonstrated hands-on experience in class formation, education resource allocation, and/or school mapping processes at system level. - Proven experience in data analysis and the development or use of planning tools, including advanced Excel modelling and/or automated data systems. - Experience in EMIS, education databases, or process automation in the education sector. - Strong analytical skills and capacity to synthesise complex data into clear, actionable recommendations. * Desirable Qualifications - Experience working with UN agencies, international organisations, or refugee education systems. - Familiarity with UNRWA's education system, class formation process, or EMIS. - Experience with automation tools, scripting, or digital planning system development. - Knowledge of education planning in conflict-affected or resource-constrained contexts.

- Excellent written communication skills in English, including the ability to produce concise technical reports and guidelines.

Not available.