Consultancy Title: Report writer: Multi-Country Case Study – Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Responses, 2 months, Home-based (Remote) with MENARO- Jordan

Consultant Teaching & Training Programme & Policy

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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.

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For every child, care

As a follow-up to the joint report prepared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank (WB) on “COVID-19 Learning Losses – Rebuilding Quality Learning for All in the Middle East and North Africa” (December 2021), this Multi-Country Case Study in Jordan, Lebanon and the State of Palestine (SoP) will review stakeholders’ support to National Education Responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate how established enabling environments and policy responses are contributing to the overall system strengthening for building back better resilient education systems. The case study will also unpack to what extent children’s rights are protected in a rapidly evolving digital age towards building a more inclusive and equitable digital society for all children. The above three countries were prioritized based on earmarked funding secured from the donor.

How can you make a difference?

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted education systems all over the world, affecting millions of students and forcing school closures and the use of remote learning modalities. The speed, depth, and global scale of the disruption to education is significant, with a high likelihood of continuing to deepen the learning crisis.

Education system disruptions are expected to reduce long-term economic opportunities for this generation of students, losing an estimated $10 trillion in labour earnings over their work life, or around 10 percent of annual global GDP, due to pandemic-related learning losses, lost months of schooling and higher dropout rates.i,ii

At the onset of the crisis, most countries around the world closed their education institutions as a means of containing the spread of the epidemic, leaving over a billion students out-of-school. In MENA, all 20 countries in the region closed their schools by the end of March 2020, affecting an estimated 110 million students enrolled in pre-tertiary education. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly two-thirds of children in the MENA region could not read with proficiency by age 101.

Emerging evidence across the MENA region underscored the importance of providing affordable and equitable education policy responses for all, combining high-tech, low-tech and low-cost solutions based on country specific contexts and the availability of resources including accessibility to digital technologies, especially for the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Beyond the education domain itself, children’s socialization and emotional well-being needs were part of an integrated and holistic response.

Government efforts focused on setting-up immediate responses, while putting steps forward in building and strengthening overall education systems to be more resilient and prepared for any future school disruptions in terms of: i) education systems’ preparedness to shocks; ii) capacity of key education stakeholders— i.e. capacities of teachers and parents to support their students’ and children’s learning; iii) equity of access to multiple learning opportunities— i.e. availability of relevant digital learning content, devices, and internet connectivity for the most vulnerable learners;

Children, with low access to required resources are at risk of being excluded or left behind as school closures drag on and the world faces the possibility of a future where such outbreaks, conflicts and other shocks to education become a more regular occurrence. Relevant mitigation measures such as social safety nets (SSNs) exist to tackle external factors towards improving the lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and or economic challenges as a result of the social-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will also have a specific focus on marginalized groups such as the poorest children, girls, refugees, IDPs, migrants, children with disabilities, and rural communities to dig further into the extent to which those groups were particularly affected.

More relevant information and evidence is needed to help countries to better understand gaps in existing education policy responses towards recovery education and building back better shock resilient education systems. Best practices, lessons learned and challenges in establishing functional Monitoring and Evaluation systems covering both formative and summative assessment of learning and how the use of existing assessment data by teachers is supporting education recovery— i.e. learning loss, reduction in the number of out-of-school children, reduction of learning inequalities, and supporting children’s socialization and well-being.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the Multi-Country Case Study is to review, analyze and consolidate the COVID-19 responses in education including: 1) Stakeholders support to National Education Responses during the COVID-19 pandemic; 2) Identifying the challenges and lessons learned towards recovery of education and building back better resilient education systems; 3) Identifying “promising scalable practices” for affordable, equitable and scalable solutions for the continuation of learning during school disruptions; 4) Recommendations or emerging system level reforms and strategies to be implemented in support of national education system strengthening; (5) Findings of the multi-country case study will inform the joint webinar on COVID-19 Learning Losses – Mitigation Strategies & Good Practices in MENA; (6) Document the enabling factors for the continuation of learning of marginalized groups— i.e. Identifying “promising practices and enabling factors” for affordable, equitable and scalable solutions for the continuation of learning during school disruptions including for vulnerable groups; and (7) Document national efforts in building effective and innovative monitoring systems and the use of assessment data by teachers in fostering effective teaching and learning practices towards effective education recovery.

The consultant will carry out the following tasks:

• Participate in a virtual kick-off meeting with UNICEF staff to agree on the parameters of the consultancy, sequence and timelines for the submission of key deliverables

• Establish the methodology and propose a detailed workplan for review and input from UNICEF staff

• Conduct key activities in close consultation with UNICEF

As part of the assignment, the consultant is expected to:

1) Develop a methodology and propose a detailed workplan

2. 2. Prepare a report that includes:

a. Description of the methodology

b. Data analysis, interpretation and preparation of a PowerPoint presentation with key findings

c. 3 Case studies –Jordan, Lebanon and the State of Palestine

d. Record lessons learned from educational disruptions

e. Formulate clear policy and programmatic recommendations for building resilient education systems to shocks in MENA based on lessons learned

The consultant will be responsible for compiling information and resources made available to him or her and to take minutes during meetings of all the comments/feedback that have implications for the assignment.

The consultant will produce a chapter per deliverable for final review of the MENARO education section. The consultant will also produce a final document reporting on all the comments/feedback received from UNICEF, both in writing and during the formal and informal meetings and communication through email, Skype and or Zoom. The document will also include whether comments have been incorporated and if not, what is the rationale.

Suggested Methodology

1. Research Questions

The below guiding questions will direct the management of the multi-country case study:

Ensuring continuity of learning

▪ What were national education responses to the COVID-19 pandemic?

▪ How were teaching and learning affected by the disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how was this mitigated by implemented measures, across and within countries?2

▪ The extent to which required resources were available to enable the continuity of learning

▪ Perception on the success of national government responses to school closures

▪ Access to education learning opportunities and student and teacher engagement - monitoring mechanisms

Lessons learned from education disruption

▪ What lessons did we learn on educational recovery following the disruption of education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? (e.g. learning loss, learning assessment, remote learning delivery systems, teacher capacity and preparedness)

▪ What are the factors and measures that influence the success of national responses ensuring the continuity of learning for students across countries?

Building resilient education systems / Preparedness for remote learning

▪ The extent to which education systems have been challenged, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, across and within countries

▪ To what extent were education systems were prepared and resilient to shocks?

Student and teacher wellbeing

▪ What is the impact and or effects of the education disruptions on schools, teachers, students and parents, including their well-being? And how were these mitigated by measures at school and household level?

▪ What was the contribution of parents in supporting remote learning?

Resilience of specific marginalized and vulnerable groups

▪ Who were the students at risk as a result of education disruption, to support building resilient education systems? Were they affected differently?

2. Mixed approach and data collection

This study will use a mixed approach combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative assessment will be through key informant interviews of relevant national and international stakeholders and the quantitative analysis will rely on secondary analysis of existing datasets from surveys and routine data collection exercises which generated information and evidence on how countries, schools, teachers, students, parents reacted and or responded to education disruption and how they are prepared for remote learning in times of school closures for ensuring the continuity of learning opportunities for students. No intensive primary data collection is envisaged. However, in case critical qualitative data gaps present themselves, data could be collected through non-representative data collection using online data collection instruments or phone surveys or Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). If the study involves KIIs, UNICEF is open to receiving proposals on how to approach primary data collection.

3. Potential data sources

The below datasets will be considered:

▪ Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures – Technical Cooperation Group on the Indicators for SDG 4 (UNESCO, June 2020, October 2020, April 2021)

▪ COVID-19 Learning Losses Rebuilding Quality Learning for All in the Middle East and North Africa (UNICEF, UNESCO, The World Bank, December 2021)

▪ Dashboards and Policy Briefs: UNICEF https://data.unicef.org/topic/education/covid-19/; UNESCO https://covid19.uis.unesco.org/global-monitoring-school-closures-covid19/country-dashboard/;

4. Key deliverables

▪ 3 case studies—Jordan, Lebanon and the State of Palestine

▪ Consolidated report summarizing the 3 case studies

▪ PowerPoint presentation with key findings

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Relevant experience in education or related field (minimum 5 years)
• Advanced degree in education, communication or related field including social science
• Demonstrated experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research and capacity to collect and analyze diverse data sets
• Capacity to work independently yet with ability to share information, receive feedback and engage in dialogue with other partners
• Expertise in report writing
• Previous work with the UN or International Organizations is an asset
• Proven track record of research and report writing in education
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English
• Familiarity with UNICEF Mission and mandates is a key asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org