Expressions of interest to contribute background research to the 2024/5 GEM Report on leadership - now closed

I. Summary

The 2024/5 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report will focus on leadership aiming to address the following questions:

• Role: What are the requirements of good leadership in education and how do they vary between countries and over time?
• Influence: What vision and goals drive leadership in education and what are the signs of exercising positive influence?
• Impact: To what extent and through what practices does the exercise of leadership contribute to better education outcomes?
• Context: What social, cultural, governance or other preconditions are needed for the effective exercise of leadership in education?
• Nurture: What policy levers can be used to help develop leadership skills and how do such policies emerge around the world to respond to need?

The report will cover leadership in three contexts across all education levels – from pre-primary to adult education:

1. Within education institutions
2. At the education system level
3. Outside the education system

GEM Report preparation process

The GEM Report preparation cycle lasts about 18 months and consists of the following stages:

• A concept note sets out the scope of the report and a draft outline by chapter, supported by a think piece, which is used as a basis for consultation (months 1-3).
• About 20 background papers are externally commissioned to fill some of the research gaps and to advance the research and policy discussion in the field (months 4-10).
• The team develops successive drafts of the chapters based on its own research and slots in material from the background papers as they are finalized. In the middle of this period, an expert group reviews an advanced draft and provides feedback to the team (months 5-14).
• The report is edited, fact-checked and copy-edited (months 13-16).
• The report is designed and printed (months 16-18).

The background papers are therefore a key part of this process. Their time frame, from contracting to finalizing, ranges between 6 and 9 months. Over the years, they have spanned a wide range of topics, contributing to the understanding of the report themes. The papers are released, if deemed satisfactory, when the Report is launched each year, e.g. the background papers of the 2021/2 report can be found on this website.

II. Call for expressions of interest Requirements

The GEM Report team invited interested individuals and organizations to contribute to the preparation of background papers to inform the research in one of the areas highlighted below. Research that will have a comparative perspective covering countries is being prioritised.

As described in the concept note, the GEM Report 2024/5 will focus on 5 thematic areas, organized under 3 main parts, across all levels of education.

Leadership within education institutions

1. School leadership roles and standards

• Skills (related to people, instruction and organization) and contexts related to enacting leadership.
• Evidence on the impact of leadership (and of leader characteristics) on the achievement of individual and community education outcomes
• Standards of school leadership and links to governance and accountability regimes

2. Policies on school leader selection, preparation, development

• Appointment processes and practices, talent management systems, alternative paths, locally and central decisions and requirements
• Working conditions, remuneration, non-pecuniary incentives and workplace satisfaction
• Initial preparation programmes, characteristics (duration, timing, sector, location, modality, content, coaching and mentoring), and impact
• Professional development programmes (coverage, offer of practicums, responsiveness to the needs, emphasis on instructional leadership, and the degree of formality as opposed to more collaborative approaches)

3. Teachers, community and school leaders

• Middle leaders (curriculum or grade)
• School management committees and boards
• Students leadership

Leadership at the education system level

4. System leaders at local and central level

• District education officers, inspectors, supervisors, superintendents
• Ministries of education and national implementation agency officials

Leadership outside the  education system

5. Political and non-state leaders

• Political leaders (executive and legislative) vision and tradeoffs with short-term considerations (tenures, coalitions vested interests)
• International organization influence in inspiring education change
• Non-state actors: civil society organizations, activists, teacher unions, employer organizations, think tanks and academics, intellectuals, media

III. Submission of expression of interest

Expression of interest should include:

• A maximum 3-page file including the technical proposal aligned with one or more of the above thematic area, including: a brief description of past experience on implementing research work of similar nature to this required research, proposed methodology, a financial proposal, geographical scope, a suggested timeline and workplan;
• Full CVs of experts involved in the project, including academic record and list of publications, research grants and projects);
• Only for legal entities:  proof of registration as a non-governmental/private organisation including copies of registration certificate(s).  Please place the proposal on your organisation’s  letterhead.

Selection criteria

• Proven record in the field of research in education and leadership.
• Consistency with the approach outlined in the concept note and alignment of the expression of interest with one or more of the above themes.
• Capacity of the organisation or individual expert to implement the project.
• Geographical scope and relevance of datasets.
• Comprehensiveness of the project proposal including the workplan and budget.
• Staff expertise and competencies based on the track record and past experiences.
• Capacity to draft to a high standard in one of the UNESCO working languages, English, or French.

The proposed timeline for reviewing and providing feedback to the submitted contributions is:

• 20 February 2023: Call for expressions of interest published
• 20 March 2023: Deadline for any requests for additional information/clarifications
• 14 April 2023: Deadline to submit expressions of interest
• 24 April 2023: Finalization of review of submissions
• 31 May 2023: Notification of outcome and beginning of negotiation for contracting

Successful contributions may result in commissioned background papers. Commissioning will take place in May 2023 and papers commissioned are expected to be completed by December 2023.

Expression of interest were received in English or French by 14 April 2023 (midnight CEST), along with attachments in one PDF file, to gemrpost@unesco.org, using the subject line "EOI 2024/5 GEM Report". 

Any requests for additional information should be addressed to gemrpost@unesco.org. All responses to any queries or clarification requests will be made available to all the applicants on the GEM Report website via this link.

Participation to this expression of interest does not guarantee the organisation or individual expert will be ultimately selected.

IV. Global Education Monitoring Report

Achieving the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) on education requires sound evidence and analysis to support policy-making, facilitate the sharing of good practice, and hold those responsible to account for fulfilling their commitments. The Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) is the global public good that serves this purpose.

Established in 2002, the GEM Report is an editorially independent report, hosted and published by UNESCO. At the 2015 World Education Forum, it received a mandate from 160 governments to monitor and report on:

• Progress on education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular reference to the SDG 4 monitoring framework
• The implementation of national and international strategies to help hold all relevant partners to account for their commitments, as part of the overall SDG follow-up and review process

The annual GEM Report is based on multiple sources of data, which enables it to provide a macro view of education issues. Through multiple communication channels, it reaches all regions of the world. It serves as a foundation for evidence-based advocacy to promote progress towards SDG 4, including by convening dialogue on education issues among key decision makers that can affect policy change.

With 17 editions between 2002 and 2021, the GEM Report is an indispensable part of the global education architecture. Four evaluations, including one carried out in 2018, have found that it successfully fulfils its mandate, providing rigorous, relevant, high quality and authoritative evidence for its broad audiences. Its users include but are not limited to: governments (including leadership and senior civil servants of ministries of education and finance and implementing agencies); experts (including academic researchers, think tanks and consultants); multilateral, international, regional and national development organizations; teachers and their unions; youth, students and their organizations; civil society and non-government organizations engaged in education; and the general public.