Consultant – Technical Support on ECD and Learning Recovery, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), Bangkok, Thailand

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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 fulfilling 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, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region. This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

How can you make a difference?

The Education Section, UNICEF East Asia Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) is seeking an international consultant to support the Early Childhood Development (ECD) team on initiatives/activities for transforming the early learning systems by addressing the existing learning crisis and learning loss especially due to COVID and other adversities among children.

Work Assignments:

The selected consultant will support the Education Regional Advisor and the ECD Regional specialist in the following:

Support the family-school alliance in early education as a key strategy for achieving sustainable quality of early learning services: This will include the development of a set of guidelines to complement the learning and development guidelines package with home-based activities. The consultant will define the structure and content of the guidelines and will develop the pedagogical recommendations and key practices to implement across ECCE services but especially through the family-based services, which serve mostly rural and vulnerable populations in the countries.

Support the country level roll out of learning and development guidelines: This will include the roll out plan and development of resources such as training guidance, training materials or other guidelines for supporting the implementation of guidelines in 1-2 selected pilot countries. Consultant will provide the technical support to the countries in understanding how these guidelines can be adapted and implemented in their context. This will help in field testing the content and plan the roll out in other countries.

Support the foundational learning: This will include the development of policy recommendations to support early childhood children's transitions through the school system and a set of pedagogical guidelines to implement evidence-based learning acceleration strategies. These products will be specifically aimed at strengthening the foundational skills of children between pre-k and first grade. The consultant will present the content and structure of the above products, and lead a validation process with one or two countries in the region.

Support the multilingual ECE activities in the region: This will include the support in reviewing the plan for conducting some specific activities such as supporting an initial mapping of dual language learners and multilingual early childhood education practices in the region and from other region to draw key learnings. The consultant will also support in developing and rolling out a regional level advocacy initiative for strengthening multilingual ECE through concrete activities in terms of developing resources, planning country level dialogues, workshops, collecting and disseminating relevant information, and so on.

Work Schedule:

Once on-board, the Supervisor and the Consultant will develop his/her overall Workplan as per the ToR. The consultant is anticipated to work approximately 12 days a month for a period of 11 month. Deliverables will be every 3 months as detailed below.

Timeline

Key Deliverables

31 January 2023

• Pedagogical recommendations and practices to support the family-school alliance in early education as a strategy for achieving sustainable quality of early learning services.

• Review the plan for conducting a mapping of dual language learners and multilingual early childhood education practices and key learnings.

30 April 2023

• Implementation framework of the "early learning and development guidelines" including suggestions for context adaptation and capacity development scheme.

• Agreement with countries on guidelines adaptations and implementation.

• Policy recommendations to support children's transitions through the school system and pedagogical guidelines to implement evidence-based learning acceleration strategies in preschool and grade 1.

• Support the advocacy initiative to support dual language learners and multilingual early childhood education services, including the development of some resources, planning country level dialogues, workshops, collecting and disseminating relevant information, and so on.

31 July 2023

• Mid-process implementation report of the "learning and development guidelines", including learnings, challenges and suggested adjustments.

• Strategy to validate the policy recommendations to support children's transitions through the school system and the pedagogical guidelines to implement evidence-based learning acceleration strategies in preschool and grade 1.

30 September 2023

• Early learning and development guidelines adjusted based on the region's implementation results, including recommendations for extensive implementation.

• Set of products and activities to overcome barriers to the inclusion of children with special needs in ECCE services, with an emphasis on developing family-centered strategies and access support.

End Product(s): Final Consultancy Report.

Duration of Contract: 11 months (12 working days per month)

Official Travel: The assignment may involve official travel, however it will be determined at later stage upon available of additional funding.

Work Location: Consultancy can be performed remotely.

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

• Advanced university degree in Early Childhood Development, Psychology, Education, other Social Sciences or related field.

• Minimum 10 years of solid professional experience working in early childhood development pedagogy and practice, with at least 5 years of experience at international level.

• Proven experience working with educators and instructional leaders.

• Strong understanding and expertise in learning best practices, ECD classroom assessment design, curricula implementation, development of learning assessments policies and strategies.

• Strong strategy development track record, analytical ability, organizational and communication skills.

• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of participatory methods, including remote delivery.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and previous experience communicating with partners at different levels.

• Ability to produce presentations and visual products using MS Office.

• Demonstrated communication skills in English, including professional high-quality writing in English.

• Experience working in the East Asia Pacific region highly desirable.

• Ability to work independently with tight deadlines.

• Experience working for a United Nations organization an asset.

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, and proposed daily professional fee in USD by 27 November 2022****.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

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:

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.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.