CfBT - Education Trust >

Work with us >

International Opportunities & Consultancy

International Recruitment

For more information about our offices around the world and their job opportunities, please visit their websites:

Consultancy

CfBT works with ministries, donors, education institutes and NGOs to promote the development of education policy and education systems around the world. CfBT is continually looking for highly qualified, experienced and dedicated professionals with a varied mix of operational and technical skills. We welcome CVs from potential consultants with practical work experience in development co-operation in the following fields:

  • Education Policy Development (Policy Analysis and Advice)
  • Education Strategy Development (at national, local and institutional levels)
  • Development of Education Systems
  • Education Management
  • Teacher Training
  • Curriculum Development
  • Development of Teaching and Training Programmes and Materials
  • Monitoring and Evaluation

We work in all fields of education from Basic Literacy to highly specialised Vocational Training:

  • Literacy and Post-Literacy
  • Non-Formal Education
  • Primary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Tertiary Education
  • Higher Education
  • Distance-Learning
  • Vocational Education and Training
  • Management Training

Consultancy Registration

Opportunities exist for junior and senior consultants to work with us on both long-term and short-term assignments. Should you be interested in being registered on our CV database for future job opportunities, please click here

Please note that any information you submit to us will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy.

What happens after I have registered with CfBT?

When we have a consultancy opportunity that matches your skills and experience we will contact you to ask if you are interested, and send you terms of reference and any other information we have on the work. If your name is put forward for selection, we will let you know the outcome as soon as possible. If the client selects you, we will tell you which of our Project Officers will be responsible for organising your contract and logistics. At the end of the assignment we are always interested in feedback on the process and/or the job itself. This helps to make sure that, in future, we send you information on the most suitable or interesting assignments for you.

Our Consultancy Unit

Focus Area 1: Local Authority and School Support Services

We have seven full-time consultants (two principal consultants and five senior consultants) who work both in the UK and internationally providing local authority and school support services. They are:

 

John Stannard

Schools Minister, Andrew Adonis, announced that John Stannard is the new National Champion for the Young Gifted and Talented (YG&T) programme on 1 November 2007.  

The new YG&T National Champion is an important ambassador and figurehead for the Young Gifted and Talented (YG&T) programme in both political and educational circles.  Starting November 2007, the YG&T Champion aims to build and enhance the position of YG&T as a world leading programme in gifted and talented provision in the UK and internationally, engaging with learners aged 4-19 years. 

This is a very significant role in gifted and talented education. With a far-reaching remit, the YG&T Champion works strategically with key networks for schools, colleges and the government, strongly supported by a group of YGT advocates to be drawn from YGT Academy members and young, successful people at large.  

Starting 6 November 2007, the tenure of the YG&T National Champion will run for one year in the first instance, subject to review, on a part-time basis.  John’s first priority will be to target the 300 secondary schools which still do not identify any gifted and talented pupils, so that every school has in place extra provision to meet their needs.

Background:

John Stannard began his career as a teacher in primary and middle years education, then moved into teacher education. Further to the posts of primary adviser specialising in the Early Years of education for Lancashire Education Authority and district inspector for primary and nursery schools in the Inner London Education Authority, John was appointed Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools in 1987.  He then went on to become the specialist English Adviser for the Office for Standards in Education. 

The success of John’s work on the pilot National Literacy Project gave rise to his appointment as Director of the National Literacy Strategy in 1997.  The Strategy had a significant impact on standards of literacy in primary schools in England and saw John awarded with the CBE for services to education in 2000.

Currently, John provides consultancy services to clients in the field of education. He continues to work as a Principal Consultant for CfBT, advising nationally and internationally on school improvement and standards, with particular reference to the development of literacy in the Gulf, S.E. Asia and Canada.

John has written numerous articles, reviews, publications and papers on various aspects of education. Most recently is the book that he co-wrote, The Literacy Game: the story of the National Literacy Strategy, which was published this year.

Expertise:

> Management of strategic change in education at national and LEA (school district) levels

> School improvement and leadership

> Standards and pedagogy in Language and Literacy nationally and internationally

> Early years and primary education

 

Robin Attfield is a CfBT principal consultant with over thirty years of successful experience in education, working as a teacher and headteacher in two different settings, as a local authority adviser/school improvement officer, including work as a senior adviser in a large shire county. Prior to working with CfBT he was Assistant Director at the National College for School Leadership where his responsibilities included the leadership and management of NPQH, the professional mandatory requirement for aspirant headteachers, which thrived under his direction. He is a governor of a large high school in a challenging environment.

Robin has also worked as a visiting lecturer in two universities and as an Ofsted inspector in all phases of education taking part in over 20 Ofsted inspections as well as local authority inspections and acted as a Performance Management Consultant and External Adviser. He led on aspects of Local Authority Review as a member of the senior management team in the advisory division.

His particular interests in education have always been improving the quality of teaching and learning, meeting individual needs, international development, staff development, leadership and value for money. Robin holds a doctorate in education.

Robin’s involvement internationally includes a six week study trip to the USA as part of his Masters’ degree, leading a study trip of teachers to Pakistan, hosting international visits to NCSL, international speaking and consultancy work with a number of countries. Over the last two years Robin has personally led the development of leadership development and training in Thailand, involving training, framework development, consultancy, coaching and the development and hosting of an eight-day programme for senior Thai ministry education officials. He has just returned from training and coaching a team of central mentors. He worked in a similar way with Chile and is currently working on the development of a leadership approach to improve standards in a large Canadian state. Robin has also led some work on the development of a European network to develop school leadership and led workshop sessions at the inaugural meeting last year.

Robin is accustomed to working with a range of stakeholders in consultancy and LA work and through work with NCSL, has been working with local authorities, HE, DfES and professional associations on a regular basis.

Robin sets high value on client-centred consultancy, working in partnership, stakeholder involvement and ownership, delivering to agreed timescales and quality and integrity.

 

Carole McBride is a CfBT principle consultant who has spent all her working career in primary education. She has taught in both key stages and has served as a deputy head, acting headteacher and headteacher for three primary schools in Liverpool. She was employed for six years as a primary schools inspector for an LA prior to becoming a Director of Primary Associates (a former subsidiary of CfBT). She has had extensive experience in the areas of management training, the provision of training under the Headlamp initiative, induction of newly qualified teachers, governor training and as a registered or team inspector on many OFSTED inspections.

Carole has a great deal of experience in writing and presenting training materials to senior managers and teachers. She is also an accredited External Adviser, Threshold Assessor and Performance Management Consultant. Carole is an Ofsted Registered Inspector and a consultant for Investors in People.

 

Jack Hagan is a CfBT senior consultant who has worked in primary education for 28 years as a teacher, deputy head and headteacher of two schools. He also spent one year seconded to an LA as an adviser for primary schools prior to taking up the post of senior primary schools inspector in another LA. He led this service for seven years prior to starting Primary Associates.

He has had extensive experience in the areas of management training, the provision of training under the Headlamp initiative, induction of newly qualified teachers, governor training and as a registered and team inspector on numerous OFSTED inspections. Jack has a wide range of experience in dealing with personnel issues and is also an accredited External Adviser, Threshold Assessor and Performance Management Consultant. Jack is an Ofsted Registered Inspector and a consultant for Investors in People.

 

Dr Jeff Jones is a principal consultant with CfBT. Jeff’s career at CfBT began in 1998 as School Development Adviser, providing training and consultancy services to government agencies and to schools, both in the UK and overseas. For the last three years, he has also been Head of CfBT’s Training and Consultancy Unit. Jeff came to CfBT from the post of Principal Lecturer in Higher Education, where he was responsible for the coordination of research and for continuing professional development. Before this he was a Senior Inspector in an LA, responsible for pupil assessment, teacher appraisal and professional development, as well as for Governor Services.

Formerly a Director of a Professional Development Centre, Jeff has also held the post of LA Advisory Teacher. He is an accredited Threshold Assessor, Performance Management Consultant, External Adviser and NPQH trainer. He is an active researcher and writes extensively in the areas of professional development, school management and governance. Jeff is an Associate Tutor for a number of Higher Education Institutions, a Visiting Professor in Education Management at the University of Wolverhampton and is currently Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Surrey’s Roehampton Institute. He is a governor of two schools, an international boarding school and a large high school.

Jeff can provide specific support to LAs in areas such as:

  • Leadership and management
  • Pastoral care
  • Research and evaluation
  • Continuing professional development

Chris Taylor is a CfBT professional adviser specialising in School Improvement and Continuing Professional Development programmes. Chris comes to CfBT from a background of LA advisory work. He has spent four years as a County Adviser for Staff Development as well as nine years with responsibility for Humanities.

At CfBT Chris wrote the core documentation for structuring the relationship between schools and the School Improvement Service in Lincolnshire (Moderated School Self-Review). He also re-designed the LA’s provision of CPD of school-based staff in East Sussex and wrote a handbook for the school-based mentors of Fast Track Teachers.

As County Adviser for Staff Development for Devon LA, Chris produced an annual programme of training for serving teachers and school support staff. In addition, he also managed the LA components of induction for newly qualified teachers and delivered a programme of training for school-based induction tutors.

Chris is an OfSTED Registered Inspector and was a member of a national advisory group that produced the 'slimmed-down' National Curriculum in history. He has been involved in the teaching profession for 30 years, beginning his career teaching history in secondary schools.

Chris can provide specific support to LAs in areas such as:

  • CPD for school based staff
  • School self-evaluation
  • Advanced Skills Teachers: training and management

To discuss the availability of these consultants, please contact Fiona Hayward (+44 (0)118 902 1606 or fhayward@cfbt.com).

Focus Area 2: Government and Aid Agencies Support Services

We have three in-house consultants who provide consultancy, training and advisory services within the UK and internationally in the three following areas of expertise:

1. Education Sector Reform and Management, Policy and Strategic Planning (Including Sector Wide Approaches) (curriculum reform, textbooks, examinations, teacher training and management, school improvement, gender, HIV/AIDS, distance education, and capacity building and institutional strengthening);

2. Non-State Provision and Public-Private Partnerships in Education Service Delivery (the role of non-state providers – community and religious groups, parents associations and the private sector; and the management of EdInvest (Click here to link to Edinvest website www.ifc.org/edinvest, the education investment information facility in the World Bank, providing information for making private investment possible on a global scale); and

3. Education Economics, Aid Modalities and Education Sector Financing and Planning (developing sector wide approaches, 5-10 year costed education strategic plans, detailed education budgets and medium-term expenditure frameworks, long-term financial and policy models for the education sector to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and effective financing and aid delivery mechanisms for achieving Education For All; cost-benefit analysis, economic policy training).

 

Dr Harvey Smith is the Principal Adviser, International and Consultancy Group, CfBT. As well as providing advice and support within the Group, he undertakes consultancies in the areas of sector-wide approaches (SWAps), capacity development, monitoring and evaluation, impact studies, project and programme design and appraisal, education policy development, strategic planning and management, and education quality improvement planning. Since 1975 Dr Smith has worked on a variety of programmes, projects and consultancies in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

He is an expert in the management of complex education sector programmes and projects and has specific experience of post-conflict contexts: from 2001-05 he headed the £13 million Rwandan Education Sector Support Programme for the Rwandan Ministry of Education and DFID, and from 1992-97 he headed the DFID-funded education support projects in Cambodia. He has also worked on many other projects and consultancies funded by the Asian Development Bank, Danida, DFID and the EU.

His recent consultancies have included leading on the Review of the Education Sector Support Programme in Malawi (DFID), appraising the baseline research on the situation of teachers being undertaken by Education Action International in Angola, providing sector-wide approach expertise to the Targeted Budget Support to Basic Education Reforms Programme in Cambodia (EU), supporting the Kenyan Ministry of Education on the development of a Secondary Education Strategic Plan (DFID), and leading the Evaluation of the Alternative Approaches to Basic Education Projects in Somaliland (Danida). Dr Smith has a strong interest in research and development and has presented and published a number of papers relating to education sector reform.

 

Michael Latham is the CfBT Principal International Consultant and he has worked with CfBT since 1982. Over the past two and a half decades he has worked in Asia, Africa and the USA/Caribbean in an operational and business development capacity. He has served on numerous consultancies for bilateral and multilateral agencies in many countries. While President of the CfBT USA (1998-2004) he was seconded to the World Bank Group’s Economics of Education Thematic Work Group, while in Malaysia (1993-1998) he had responsibility for overseeing the Henley Management College’s business programs, including its MBA programme.

His main area of focus is conducting research, providing consultancy and overseeing operations that involve the development and delivery of complementary models of education. From a research angle, he is leading on a number of research projects that involve delivery of basic education to underserved populations and regions in India. From the consultancy angle, he has been advising a number of governments on strategies for meeting the challenges of Education For All, most particularly through garnering support from Non State Actors and using existing resources in a more efficient manner. From the operations angle, he is managing the CfBT operations in India and the USA. In India this involves overseeing the two offices in Chennai and Hyderabad through which CfBT delivers its Whole School Improvement Programme of education services. HSBC Bank is using these technical support services to enable its loan scheme for schools that cater to low-income families. In the USA, CfBT has an association arrangement with EdInvest, an education research entity that is located in the International Finance Corporation’s Private Education and Health Group. [click here to link to EdInvest website www.ifc.org/edinvest]

He regularly presents papers and conducts training in the field of Public Private Partnership. This training has been delivered on behalf of such agencies as the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Institute for Development Studies, the World Bank Institute and Harvard University. As a member of the World Bank’s Economics of Education Thematic Group he worked with the EdInvest team in the development of a Handbook and Toolkit on Non Government Participation in Education. He started his working career as a teacher first in Canada and then for over a decade taught in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

 

Susy Ndaruhutse is CfBT’s Education Finance Specialist. She is a Development Economist by training with a strong quantitative background, but most of her professional work has been undertaken in relation to the education sector. The focus of much of her work is how both aid and national systems of public finance can be used most efficiently and effectively to deliver education services to the poor in the context of achieving the education Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and the Education for All (EFA) agenda. In recent years, she has worked in Rwanda, Guyana, Ghana as well as undertaking advisory work for aid agencies and NGOs.

She spent nearly four years working with the Ministry of Education in Rwanda where her responsibilities included advising the Ministry on strategic financial planning, budgeting and developing Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEFs), performance monitoring and evaluation systems, and cost-sharing alongside public-private partnerships. She led the work on producing an overall financial framework for the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) including detailed costing of sub-sector policies. She has been involved in similar work in Guyana, assisting the Guyanese Ministry of Education to put together a fully costed plan for achieving Universal Secondary Education (USE) ensuring regional equity.

More recent work has included providing technical advice to DFID UK on the economics and financial aspects of EFA and participation in the Finance Working Group for the Fast Track Initiative (FTI); preparing and delivering training materials for a 4-day “Economic Learning Programme” for Save the Children country offices and staff at headquarters covering all aspects of development and economic policy and their likely impacts on children; desk-based analytical research looking at aid predictability in developing countries in the context of those countries needing greater volumes of more predictable aid to achieve the MDGs; support to the Save the Children Bulgarian office and in-country team of consultants in designing a methodology for a comparative study on the costs and benefits of inclusive versus exclusive education for children with special needs in Bulgaria; and specific research work on appropriate aid modalities for the provision of education services in fragile states.

To discuss the availability of these consultants, please contact Fiona Hayward (+44 (0)118 902 1606 or fhayward@cfbt.com).

Recent Research

Recent research undertaken by our consultants can be downloaded here:

EdInvest – Suzanne Roddis

In addition to our in-house consultants, we have a staff member based in Washington DC, Suzanne Roddis, who heads up EdInvest and is also available to provide consultancy services in relation to private education.

Suzanne Roddis is Manager of EdInvest, a joint venture between CfBT and the International Finance Corporation (www.ifc.org). Ms. Roddis undertakes research and analysis on a number of private education issues. Specifically, she profiles emerging markets and provides current information and data in the following areas: regulatory environment, the presence of the exiting private sector, quality and access, administration and demographic trends. Other topics researched include public-private partnerships and student financing.

Prior to joining CfBT, Ms. Roddis worked in the World Bank for 10 years, most recently on rural development issues in Africa. She also worked on education and social issues, including the coordination of gender and education components of rural energy projects. She has field experience in Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Ethiopia. In Canada, Ms. Roddis assisted Aboriginal communities in assessing their educational needs and obtaining corresponding government funding. She also held the position of International Schools Liaison Officer at the University of Sussex, England. Ms. Roddis is a graduate of Carleton University and is fluent in French.

Other Consultants, Networks and Partnerships

In addition to our three in-house consultants, we have a database of international and regional consultants, as well as several experts on long-term contracts with us who retain their independence but also undertake other work for us, all of whom can be called upon at short notice to provide advice, capacity building or support services across all of the additional following areas of expertise:

· Education Policy, Planning and Strategy Development (Particular Expertise in Fragile States and Post-Conflict Situations)

· Teacher Training, Management, Development and Recruitment (Including Distance Learning, E-learning and Continuous Professional Development)

· Curriculum and Standards Development

· Textbook, Materials and Software Development

· Developing Educational Responses to HIV/AIDS and Providing HIV/AIDS Education

· Developing Relevant Education Programmes to Increase Access to Education by Girls and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs)

· Designing Monitoring and Evaluation Systems and Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)

· Capacity Building, Change Management, Human Resource and Institutional Development

· Assessment, Inspection, Costed School Development Planning and Whole-School Improvement

Our range of consultants have expertise covering all levels of the education system from pre-primary to higher education, and can provide advice nationally, locally and at institutional or school level.

On average, we send out around 100 consultants to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East each year for assignments lasting from 1 week to several years. In addition we have close links with several other companies that we regularly partner with giving us even wider access to additional experts. Please contact David Knott (+44 (0)118 902 1613 or dknott@cfbt.com), or Amanda Clark (+44 (0)118 902 1614 or aclark@cfbt.com) for further details.