Consultancy: Consultant for an Accessibility Audit of the Learning Passport - Education Section, PG, NYHQ/Remote - Req

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

Consultancy Title: Consultancy for an Accessibility Audit of the Learning Passport

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Section, PG, NYHQ/Remote

Duration: January 2022 to May 2022 (65 working Days)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

The Learning Passport (LP) developed in partnership with the Microsoft Philanthropies team, is built on Microsoft Community Training and is already in use by 13 countries with 20 more in development. Being developed with Microsoft technology much of the infrastructure of the application is ‘accessibility ready’, however UNICEF has identified needs in the LP platform that will enable the LP to meet its full potential of becoming a digital platform for all children, including children with disabilities. UNICEF identified the need for visibility on the accessibility issues related to LP and, as such, a specialist consultant is required to support an audit of LP, of LP content and LP users’ experience.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Under the supervision of the Inclusive Education Specialist and with guidance from Education and ICTD colleagues, the consultant will develop an accessibility audit of the Learning Passport, resulting in a technical report on accessibility of the LP to support advocacy and strategy development with stakeholders. The audit should be conducted with feedback from persons with disabilities and include interviews with end-users and key stakeholders to be identified with support from UNICEF. The audit should address the needs of all users with and without disabilities (i.e. vision, hearing, intellectual, communication and mobility) and include the following;

1. Accessibility of the LP architecture (including all navigable features across the platform such as: accessing and viewing content, submission of work, participation in forums, management of profile info, common admin work etc.).
   1. Accessibility of the design.
   2. Accessibility of the controls and navigation.
   3. Examine LP configuration to ensure it is compatible with accessibility features in operating systems (ie. screen-readers), browsers, and automated accessibility checkers.
   4. Support for online and offline accessible formats: Including ePub, WORD, HTML and Accessible PDF.
   5. Support for assistive technologies used by children with disabilities (hardware and software).
   6. Support for ‘learning tools’ (i.e. read-aloud technology, immersive reader).
2. Accessibility of LP content. List common accessibility shortfalls in most used/viewed content.

Deliverables/Outputs:

The consultant will be accountable for the following deliverables:

1. Approved inception report with workplan for the assignment
2. An independent accessibility audit report of the Learning Passport, which would have two sections: audit of LP architecture; audit of LP content. The audit should reflect both global accessibility standards and emerging principles for accessibility of learning materials following best practices (i.e. Universal Design for Learning) and include recommendations to address gaps. The report would need an executive summary.
3. Presentation (including a reusable PowerPoint presentation (PPT)) of the findings of the report to key UNICEF and other stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in education, international development, social sciences or other related fields;
• 5+ years of experience in accessible inclusive education within research and programming in digital learning, including research experience;
• Experience working on equity and inclusion in education;
• Professional experience in developing and writing accessibility audits; and,
• Ability to work within tight deadlines, rapidly accommodating feedback and new data.

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.