Short-Term Consultancy: The Business Case for Early Childhood Development

About the Organization

The Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) is a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of future generations.

Established in 2012 by the global children’s charity Theirworld, GBC-Education is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leverages the collective power of business, government, NGOs, and today’s youth to achieve the goal of education and opportunity for all.

With a network of more than 150 influential private sector companies committed to best practice in supporting education, GBC-Education has become one of the world’s most effective forums for connecting businesses that aim to make an impact on the lives of young people through education.

Position Summary

The Global Business Coalition for Education is seeking a consultant to research, draft and produce a business case for early childhood development. The business case will be a document clearly outlining how corporate policies and programs which promote early childhood development address material sustainability risks for a company and drive social change.  The final deliverable will be a document for business leaders which clearly:

• articulates the business case for investment in early childhood development and its benefits for business,
• recommends evidence-based policies, programs, and actions corporate leaders could take to promote early childhood development,
• and makes the business case and recommendations simple for an individual in a company to action.

The business case document will serve as the main point of engagement for the business community in a national and global campaign on early childhood development.

Background
The Global Business Coalition for Education and Theirworld are gearing up to launch a global Early Childhood Development (ECD) Campaign in 2023 to drive a global step-change in action taken by governments, businesses, philanthropists, non-profits, and the civic society to increase focus on and investment in the early years. Our aim is to make ECD a public policy priority around the world, resulting in increased funding and action by all stakeholders for the under 5s.

Today, 175 million children are not in preschool, and millions more lack the nurturing care and support, including play, stimulation, protection, health, and nutrition, necessary to thrive and reach their full potential. In rich and poor countries alike, parents and caregivers struggle to get the time, resources, and services necessary to provide their children with nurturing care in these contexts.

The business community has a profound opportunity to drive change in promoting early childhood development through their internal policies, support for employees, engagement in the community where their companies operate, and employees live, and engagement in public policy. Moreover, the benefits of advancing evidence-based policies and practice in a business can drive environment, social, and governance (ESG) metrics, support addressing short and long-term talent shortages, promote economic growth, and support employee recruitment and retention.

Scope of Work
The Global Business Coalition for Education is interested in conducting short-term research to identify current trends, challenges, and opportunities in business communities’ interest and involvement in early childhood development. The purpose of this research will be to consolidate statistics and assessments of how the business community approaches early childhood development, structures its related strategies and goals, works with governments and other stakeholders, and channels its resources and investments in the field.

In short, the final product will clearly articulate the ECD actions companies can take and the benefits they can generate for their bottom line and society at large.

Sample questions the research should answer include (but are not limited to):

1. What is the correlation between early childhood development and critical materials issues businesses face today, including a lack of talent (short and long term); primary caregivers not returning to the workforce; gender pay gap; economic growth; employee morale and retention; productivity; community relations; etc.?
2. What are best-practice, evidence-based corporate policies, and programs which advance early childhood development? These policies and programs should span all aspects of a company’s footprint: human resources, corporate social responsibility, ESG, product development, supply chain, etc.
3. What are the main actions businesses can take to support early childhood development and how can they be clearly presented to companies within a logical framework which incites action?
4. What resources and insights are needed to encourage and empower the business sector to take sustainable and impactful action in early childhood education?
5. Which companies and business leaders are leading the charge in tackling the challenges faced in early childhood education?

Expected Product and Timeframe
A draft of the final report should be ready by February 2023 for feedback, and final edits and updates are to be completed by the end of March 2023.  The expected products of the research will include a report that summarizes the findings and aligns with a call to action for businesses aligned with the Theirworld Early Childhood Development Campaign. A detailed overview of the campaign will be shared with the researcher(s).

Required Skills and Experience

• Excellent writing skills with the ability to write succinctly and clearly for a business and campaign audience. (The tone of the final product should NOT be academic, yet it should have relevant citations and sources.)
• Experience conducting research and working with the business and education sectors.
• Familiarity with corporate social responsibility, social impact, and ESG.
• Experience in early childhood development or education is a plus.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into coherent report presentation.

The Global Business Coalition for Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  The organization’s success depends heavily on the effective utilization of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran’s status, or any characteristic protected by law. We adhere to and promote equal employment opportunity for all.

The Global Business Coalition for Education provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including in the application and interview process.

Qualified candidates only.  No search firms.