VVOB – education for development is a non-profit organisation with over 40 years of experience in improving the quality of education systems from a rights-based perspective. VVOB has currently long-term partnerships with education actors in eight countries in the South (Cambodia, Ecuador, Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda) and in Belgium/Flanders.

VVOB’s vision is to strive for a sustainable world based on equal opportunities through quality education. For VVOB quality education means: “… an education that provides all learners with capacities they require to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies and enhance individual wellbeing.”

In pursuit of quality education, VVOB works on two components, professional development of teachers and professional development of school leaders.

To realise these objectives, VVOB focuses on capacity development of its operational partners: ministries of education, teacher training institutions and organisations focusing on professional development. Partners range from national and regional governments to institutions, individual schools, school leaders, teachers and students.

Assignment background

While primary school enrolment in Zambia increased the last few decades, learning outcomes remain low. This is a cause of concern as cumulative gaps in learning in the early grades is likely to persist. To remedy the low literacy and numeracy levels in the country, VVOB through the Ministry of Education with the support of partners adopted and piloted the Teaching at the Right Level methodology, popularly known as Catch Up in 2016. Implementation of the programme, which is evidence- based, was initially in two provinces (Eastern and Southern) covering eighty schools, and later scaled up in a space of three years to cater for 1800 schools with the aim of continued scale. Current implementation by the MoE supported by VVOB is in eight provinces with approximately 5022 schools. The overall programme is implemented in partnership with UNICEF, TaRL Africa and VVOB, as well as with World Vision and ZOCS.

Prevail Fund have shown significant interest in supporting Catch Up in Zambia and are funding implementation in six provinces at the start of 2026 and seven by the end of 2026. There are opportunities for further funding from Prevail. As a partner, they require a strong technical point person to help lead and guide the team and the project. With the scale that Catch Up has reached, for it to be sustained and gains to be deepened, there needs to be a clear overall vision and direction of the Catch Up programme, which this assignment will seek to ensure is developed and embedded across the team and the ministry.

Objectives of the Assignment

The Strategic Education Advisor consultant reports to the Country Programmes Manager and is part of the Strategy Department. You work closely together with the broader team of Strategic Education Advisors, helping to lead, guide and coordinate them as well as with the programmes team including Education Advisors and the Education Manager. You also collaborate with the MEAL and Research team.

The role works closely with the Ministry of Education as well as partners and donors.

This role will focus on foundational and remedial learning within Zambia but also supporting regional work such as in Malawi and be part of the overall team of Strategic Education Advisors.

The main objectives of this assignment are:

• Lead the development and articulation of VVOB’s vision for foundational and remedial learning in Zambia, whilst also contributing to similar initiatives in other VVOB countries, particularly Malawi and ensuring alignment with our projects in Uganda.
• Oversee the design and ensure quality implementation of scalable and sustainable foundational and remedial learning programmes, collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Provide expert guidance in foundational and remedial learning and providing technical support to programme implementation, while mentoring the SEA team with the Country Programmes Manager.
• Serve as the main point of contact for strategic donors ensuring a close collaboration and understanding of projects and its alignment with the overall vision for Foundational and Remedial Learning.
• Work with staff, and consortium partners to strengthen staff and government capacity for quality foundational and remedial learning.
• Stay updated on policy trends, research, and international best practices through networking.
• Collaborate with Strategic Education Advisors locally and internationally to unlock the VVOB Learning Unlimited Strategy and to lead the strategic development of existing and new areas of work particularly on foundational learning and remedial learning.
• Represent VVOB in Zambia, fostering partnerships and positioning the organisation as a trusted partner in the education sector.
• Contribute to internal and external knowledge development and learning, by supporting innovation, reflection and learning and proactively supporting sharing of lessons learned between partners, colleagues and other VVOB country teams.
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to the development of high-quality proposals.

Key Deliverables

• Donor engagement and compliance - regular meetings and close follow up with Prevail ensuring close alignment on programme delivery and supporting the team to deliver on all agreed funding bars.
• Ensure quality programme delivery – working with the overall Prevail team, ensure the programme is delivered to a high degree of quality across all areas including trainings, mentoring, coaching, materials and in MEAL.
• Capacity strengthening of the Prevail team – work closely alongside the EAs, MEAL and PCs on Prevail to support quality delivery of the project and to strengthen capacity on programme management, delivery, foundational learning, etc.
• Mentor the SEA team – working alongside the CPM, support the coordination and mentoring of the overall SEA team to ensure quality support to programme delivery.
• Project development and proposal writing – support the development of projects and proposals within foundational and remedial learning taking a leading role where agreed.
• Network and represent VVOB on key platforms and develop and maintain strong relationships with the Ministry of Education, donors, partners and other stakeholders.

Duration of the Assignment

The consultant will support VVOB as soon as possible for a fulltime engagement until December 2026. The maximum number of days for the assignment is 180.

Required expertise and experience

• Master’s degree in education, human sciences, or related field or equivalent experience;
• At least ten years of relevant working experience including at least five years of international working experience;
• At least two years of experience supporting the Zambian Ministry of Education on foundational and remedial learning;
• In depth understanding of the foundational and remedial learning including experience in material development and capacity development;
• Understanding and experience of the Teaching at the Right Level approach;
• In depth knowledge of Zambia’s Catch Up programme;
• Experience leading on piloting, innovation testing and vision building;
• In depth understanding of and experience in recent evolutions related to foundational learning and remedial education;
• Experience in programme and/or project & change development and management. Experience in organisational and institutional capacity development;
• English proficiency: CEFR level C1 / based on country needs.

Matching competences

VVOB core competences:

• Result-oriented
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation

Function specific competencies:

• Strategic N

• Lead the development and articulation of VVOB’s vision for foundational and remedial learning in Zambia, whilst also contributing to similar initiatives in other VVOB countries, particularly Malawi and ensuring alignment with our projects in Uganda.
• Oversee the design and ensure quality implementation of scalable and sustainable foundational and remedial learning programmes, collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Provide expert guidance in foundational and remedial learning and providing technical support to programme implementation, while mentoring the SEA team with the Country Programmes Manager.
• Serve as the main point of contact for strategic donors ensuring a close collaboration and understanding of projects and its alignment with the overall vision for Foundational and Remedial Learning.
• Work with staff, and consortium partners to strengthen staff and government capacity for quality foundational and remedial learning.
• Stay updated on policy trends, research, and international best practices through networking.
• Collaborate with Strategic Education Advisors locally and internationally to unlock the VVOB Learning Unlimited Strategy and to lead the strategic development of existing and new areas of work particularly on foundational learning and remedial learning.
• Represent VVOB in Zambia, fostering partnerships and positioning the organisation as a trusted partner in the education sector.
• Contribute to internal and external knowledge development and learning, by supporting innovation, reflection and learning and proactively supporting sharing of lessons learned between partners, colleagues and other VVOB country teams.
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to the development of high-quality proposals.
• Donor engagement and compliance - regular meetings and close follow up with Prevail ensuring close alignment on programme delivery and supporting the team to deliver on all agreed funding bars.
• Ensure quality programme delivery – working with the overall Prevail team, ensure the programme is delivered to a high degree of quality across all areas including trainings, mentoring, coaching, materials and in MEAL.
• Capacity strengthening of the Prevail team – work closely alongside the EAs, MEAL and PCs on Prevail to support quality delivery of the project and to strengthen capacity on programme management, delivery, foundational learning, etc.
• Mentor the SEA team – working alongside the CPM, support the coordination and mentoring of the overall SEA team to ensure quality support to programme delivery.
• Project development and proposal writing – support the development of projects and proposals within foundational and remedial learning taking a leading role where agreed.
• Network and represent VVOB on key platforms and develop and maintain strong relationships with the Ministry of Education, donors, partners and other stakeholders.

• In depth understanding of the foundational and remedial learning including experience in material development and capacity development;
• Understanding and experience of the Teaching at the Right Level approach;
• In depth knowledge of Zambia’s Catch Up programme;
• Experience leading on piloting, innovation testing and vision building;
• In depth understanding of and experience in recent evolutions related to foundational learning and remedial education;
• Experience in programme and/or project & change development and management. Experience in organisational and institutional capacity development;
• English proficiency: CEFR level C1 / based on country needs.
• Result-oriented
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation
• Strategic N

• Master’s degree in education, human sciences, or related field or equivalent experience;
• At least ten years of relevant working experience including at least five years of international working experience;
• At least two years of experience supporting the Zambian Ministry of Education on foundational and remedial learning;