INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT

1. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Ministry of Education in Ghana, through the NaCCA and the NTC, sent a request for technical assistance to the RTIA Facility in May, 2025. Following the approval of the request, two experts from the RTIA Facility went to Accra in June 2025 to co-develop the Ghana Country Action Plan (CAP).  One component of the CAP will focus on green skills, looking at enhancing teachers’ knowledge, skills and capacities in environmental education and protection; the other component will aim at developing a policy for teachers’ mental health and wellbeing.

1.1 MAIN OBJECTIVES 

General objective

The CAP is addressing both the area of teachers’ governance and teachers’ education and professional development. The two components target teachers from KG to senior high; as both the green skills framework and the mental health and well-being policy include generic components for all teachers.

The policy for teachers’ mental health and well-being requires a large buy-in from the education stakeholders. The planned process includes multiple and continuous consultations with teachers’ Unions, representatives of different education personnel, as well as intermediate validations by the authorities. 

Understanding teachers’ perspectives is essential for this policy to respond to their needs, as well as to contribute to the following strategic objectives and priorities:

Strategic Priority 2 of the ESP: “Improved quality of teaching and learning at all levels,” through Sector Outcome BE 2.3: “Improved learning environments, including health and sanitation, child protection, and guidance and counselling.”

Inclusive Education Strategy 2.4, which promotes the orientation and sensitization of educational personnel and communities on inclusive practices.

In the Ghana Partnership Compact, Output 2.1: “Safe and violence-free schools,” and Output 3: “Better school and community governance,” particularly through the provision of psychosocial support and counselling for teachers and school leaders.

Specific objectives

Before starting the development of the policy, it was decided to carry out a study, based on a small-scale opinion research, to collect qualitative data from teachers; and a benchmark of similar initiatives/ policies in Africa. This study will remain internal and serve only to inform technical discussions and policy formulation.

More specifically, the piece of research aims at collecting teachers’ views on their different realities and gaining insights into their perceptions about their well-being, looking at contributing and alleviating factors to stress. The selection of teachers will look at several criteria to get a diversity of situations and points of view (gender, age, experience, urban/ rural areas, level of teaching:  in KG, primary, junior or senior the level; teachers in classroom/ in administration etc.). Through engagement with mental health agencies/counselling units, the study will also identify opportunities for teachers in need to get support.

The study will include :

1. a desk review (existing data, studies and reports in Ghana)
2. an online survey targeting teachers;
3. focus group discussions with teachers  
4. consultations with teachers’ unions;
5. consultations with heads of schools and school supervisors;
6. consultations with mental health services and counselling units’ representatives;
7. a benchmark on existing initiatives/ similar policies addressing teachers’ mental health and well-being in other African countries.
   

1.2 METHODOLOGY & GENERAL APPROACH 

The general approach and methodology described below are indicative and non-exclusive. The expert must develop the methodology he/she intends to use in his/her application

General approach:
The international expert will work closely with the NTC. A national expert will also be involved in the study to contribute to the contextualization of tools as well as to provide information on the context enabling a more accurate data analysis. Consultation and coordination between the two experts will be expected throughout the consultancy, to define the division of tasks, harmonise schedules and joint interaction with national counterparts in the NTC and other MoE departments, services or agencies. 
A participatory approach with the NTC partners is essential, to ensure that what is proposed is in line with their needs. In particular, it is recommended to the experts to co-develop the tools with technicians of the NTC, and also to collaborate on the data analysis. The main purpose being for the NTC to be confident about the study results and take ownership.

Methodology: 
To carry out the study, the national expert recruited must :

• Review the main policy documents of the Ghanaian education system (in particular the sector strategy and teaching policy).   
  
• Participate in a scoping meeting with the NTC focal points, the national expert and the Facility. Following this meeting, the expert will propose a brief note describing the work to be carried out, including the methodology and an updated timetable taking into account logistical constraints, particularly those related to distance and travel. This note will describe precisely the specific and respective responsibilities of the national expert and the international expert.
• Develop the necessary tools for the survey, FGD, and planned consultations, with the national expert and the NTC technicians
• Carry out the fieldwork with the national expert
• Co-facilitate with the national expert a debriefing session in country with the NTC
  

Throughout the study, the two experts are expected to have technical discussions with the Facility. The deliverables will be validated by the NTC and the Facility.

1.3 STAKEHOLDERS 

The NTC will be the lead implementing national partner for the component on teachers’ mental health and well-being policy.
The main stakeholders involved in the study will be the Ghana Education Services, the decentralised education authorities, the teachers’ Unions, the teachers themselves, as well as the school directors and supervisors. Other stakeholders might include mental health specialists and counselling units representatives.

1.4 MAIN DELIVERABLES 

The main deliverables for this consultancy work are as follows

1. Inception report - methodology note including an outline of the work to be carried out (no longer than 2-3 pages). This international expert will agree with the national expert on respective tasks and responsibilities to be included in this report.
2. PP presentations: debriefing session of the first findings of the study with the NTC at the end of the field mission. The debriefing session is co-facilitated by the international and the national experts.
   
3. Study report including
   1. A desk review of existing reports/ studies in Ghana relevant to the teachers’ mental health and well-being policy development
   2. an analysis of the data collected through the survey, FGD and consultations
   3. a benchmark of existing initiatives/ policies in Africa (and in other countries if relevant)
   4. recommendations for the teachers’ mental health and well-being policy (key elements to take into account in the design and approaches).
      

2. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

The NTC is responsible for : 

• Providing all the documentation required for the desk review and the preparation of the field work
• Facilitating the organization of meetings with relevant stakeholders  
• Facilitating the logistics for the fieldwork (authorization to access schools, information shared with participants etc.)
• Commenting on and approving deliverables.  
  

The RTIA Facility is responsible for :

• Contracting and facilitating the integration of the expert by providing all available documents and resources  
• Supporting and monitoring the expert's work from start to finish  
  
• Acting as the expert's main resource person  
• Ensuring quality control of deliverables in collaboration with the NTC’s focal points  
• Acknowledging final validation of deliverables by all parties  
• Evaluating the expert's overall performance under this mandate.  
  

The expert is responsible for :  

• Reviewing and commenting on these Terms of Reference (ToR)  
• Ensuring that all deliverables comply with the guidelines set out at the scoping meeting, in line with the agreed timetable 
• Informing the Facility immediately of any difficulties encountered in implementing the mission 
  
• Ensuring that stakeholders are consulted throughout the assignment  
  
• Behaving with the highest level of personal integrity and committing to the required standards of conduct.