Consultants for Developing Self-Assessment Tool and Curricula Analyses

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and gender parity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

Considerable progress has been made in the implementation of inclusive education (IE) in Serbia since the introduction of legal reforms in 2009. Under the leadership of the Ministry for Education (MoE), with continuous UNICEF support over the past years, reform measures have been taken with focus on developing a comprehensive institutional and policy framework for inclusive education (IE), as well as investment in teacher competencies for inclusive education through pre-service and in-service training.

The purpose of this assignment is to contribute to UNICEF’s efforts to continue increasing the capacities of education pre-university professionals (teachers, expert advisors, pedagogical assistants, special pedagogues) through enhancement of the initial teacher training curricula, so as to better include inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy principles, individualization, diversification of learning and classroom management to include children from vulnerable groups and provide them with quality learning opportunities.

Work Assignment Overview:

The consultants will develop a self-assessment tool for curricula analyses on the (a) Faculty of Philosophy, University of Nis, and (b) Teacher Education Faculty, University of Belgrade, and will analyse selected curricula, in terms of representation of inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy principles and practices. The developed self-assessment tool and the analysis will be presented to universities across Serbia. In the process of development of the self-assessment tool, the consultants will cooperate with the international expert selected by UNICEF, who will provide peer-review of the tool.

The consultants will present finalized tool and the analysis with recommendations for curricula enhancement to the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis, the Teacher Education Faculty in Belgrade, and colleagues from universities in Serbia.

Duration of the assignment: June – November 2024 (part-time, remote)

Task description:

Task 1: Development of the self-assessment tool for analysis of faculties’ curricula:

• Development of the self-assessment tool draft
• Cooperation with the international expert to obtain peer review
• Finalization of the self-assessment tool

Deliverables:

• Draft Self-Assessment Tool (5 days)
• Finalized Self-Assessment Tool (2 days)

Task 2: Analysis of selected curricula:

• Selection of curricula for analysis
• Analysis of the selected curricula, based on the use of the Self-Assessment Tool, with recommendations for enhancement.
• Roadmap for enhancement of analysed curricula

Deliverables:

• List of selected curricula (1 day)
• Analysis of the selected curricula with recommendations (10 days)
• Roadmap for curricula enhancement (5 days)

Task 3: Disseminate and promote the self-assessment tool and its usage through presentation to other universities in Serbia and academia society:

• Present the self-assessment tool, analysis of selected curricula and roadmap for analysed curricula enhancement to the governance and expert bodies on respective faculties,
• Present the self-assessment tool, and the process of analysis of selected curricula to universities in Serbia, through maximum online sessions.

Deliverables:

• Presentation and report on presentation to faculties (2 days)
• PPTs for online presentation to universities in Serbia (6 days)

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• PhD in education, pedagogy, psychology, or other human sciences
• University professor with more than 10 years of professional experience in teaching in the areas of psychology, pedagogy, methods and didactics
• More than 10 years of professional experience in teaching based on inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy principles and practices
• Knowledge of the study programs and curricula of the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis and Teacher Education Faculty in Belgrade
• Ability to respond flexibly to changing circumstances, priorities, and deadlines
• Excellent knowledge of English, fluency in Serbian
• Work experience with UNICEF and /or other international organizations would be considered as an advantage

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing separate fees for each of the tasks:

1. Task 1
2. Task 2
3. Task 3

Important notes:

• Please do not forget to specify your name in the financial proposal file while saving (to be uploaded online under the “Financial Proposal” tab).
• Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark "n/a” or “00" under the fee-related questions in the online application form.
• Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability.

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.