The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The IRC has worked in Syria since 2012 and is one of the largest providers of humanitarian and early recovery assistance in the country, delivering health, protection, economic recovery, water and sanitation, and education programming, including as a partner to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
SYRIA EDUCATION PROGRAMME III (SEP III)
Building on SEP I (2018–2022) and SEP II (2022–2027), which supported primary educatio in Idleb and Aleppo, FCDO plans to procure a new Technical Assistance (TA) contract, SEP III, to support the Syrian Ministry of Education (MoE) in implementing its nationally-led reform agenda, complementing the Ministry's wider reform programme, including support provided through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Since December 2024, the MoE has begun to reunify a fragmented education system, but progress has been constrained by limited institutional capacity, a lack of data, weak policy development processes and the absence of a clear long-term strategy for recovery. Unlike earlier phases, which focused primarily on service delivery in northwest Syria, SEP III will work directly with the MoE and local Education Directorates, generally at national level and directorate level, in partnership with Ministry officials, to help the Ministry translate its policy and process reforms into practice through technical advice, capacity building, coaching and support to implementation.
SEP III has two components. The first, which is the subject of this contract, is politically informed TA to the MoE and Education Directorates to strengthen inclusive, effective and evidence-based policy making. The second is non-formal education (NFE) for returning refugees and internally displaced persons, which is outside the scope of this contract and will be delivered by a separate provider. The TA supplier will be required to work collaboratively with the NFE component.
The exact scope of the TA work will be determined jointly with FCDO and the MoE through a demand-led, co-designed and flexible approach. No reform priorities are set in advance; they will be identified with the Ministry during inception. The work is expected to focus on strengthening the education system to improve foundational learning outcomes for primary-school-aged children across Syria, delivered through: 1) Services and Analysis to inform TA and policy decisions; 2) Foundational Learning thematic TA (for example teacher development, coaching and supervision, safeguarding, learning data generation and use, and inclusive education); and 3) Education Systems Strengthening TA (sector planning and prioritisation, policy development, financial management, and monitoring and accountability). Given the difficult fiscal choices likely to shape the sector over the coming years, the programme is also expected to support the Ministry's public finance and value-for-money decision-making. Illustrative technical priorities include: supporting policy reform and Ministry-led coordination, standard-setting, and system strengthening; supporting the roll-out of child safeguarding and Codes of Conduct; improving the quality and consistency of teaching through professional development and a…