Development of Guidance on mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings, UNICEF's Learning Innovation Hub, 35 days, Home-based, 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.

Yet the current pace of progress for children will not get us to children-related SDGs targets. This, if left unaddressed, will leave tens of millions of children behind. Unprotected. Uneducated. Unfed. Unable to reach their full potential.

For every child, innovate...

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support the realization of children’s rights are key to improving children’s lives. Worldwide, we innovate to tackle the most pressing problems faced by the most vulnerable children. We take a systematic approach to innovation, applying skills and energy across new tools and technologies, products, innovative financing and new ways of working to boost our impact.

The Office of Innovation is a creative and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, the tools, the know-how and the partners that turn ideas and energy into scalable solutions for children.

Within the Office of Innovation, the recently established UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub based in Helsinki will become a global home for the architects of the future of learning. It will support the Reimagine Education initiative by accelerating and scaling game-changing digital learning solutions that can help solve the learning crisis and provide access to quality education to all children.

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub will develop a digital learning pedagogies toolbox for teachers and school leaders that will include best practices for integrating technology into learning in different country contexts and using various platforms/medium. The toolbox will include various tools that focus on specific areas linked to digital learning. These tools will be developed by experts in the topic.

The Consultant will support the development of a tool or guidance for teachers and school leaders on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings. The tool will be part of the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub digital learning pedagogies toolbox for teachers and school leaders. The expert will use his/her technical expertise to design and develop this tool/guidance, including best practices for using mobile technology to support learning in different country settings.

The mobile messaging technology for learning tool/guidance will be lean and agile and can be updated as new evidence comes up. The Consultant will also participate in learning sessions with UNICEF on the topic of using mobile messaging technology to support learning and provide dedicated technical guidance and capacity development support for selected UNICEF Country Offices.

This role will work under the guidance and direction of the Education Manager of the Learning Innovation Hub, in close collaboration with relevant Learning Innovation Hub colleagues under the overall guidance of the Senior Adviser, Learning Innovation Hub.

Main responsibilities:

1. Undertake a desk review of available research and publications on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings to review good practices and identity possible challenges. The review can use as reference the 2022 UNICEF Innocenti report On Call: Using Mobile Phones to Provide Learning in Emergencies (Kan, S., Dreesen, T. and M. Valenza, On Call: Using Mobile Phones to Provide Learning in Emergencies, UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, Florence, Italy, 2022.), among others.
2. Interview representatives from the UNICEF HQ Digital Learning Team, at least 5 UNICEF Country Offices and 4 Regional Offices who are supporting the use of mobile messaging for learning or plan to use this technology to support learning in order to understand better the needs in the field. The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub will work with the consultant to identify relevant colleagues to be interviewed.
3. Develop the tool/guidance focusing on key processes, considerations and best practices for teachers/school leaders on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings. The content should include guidance for adaptation into different contexts and strategies for implementation. It should also include some guidance on measuring uptake and user engagement; and monitoring and measuring results in relation to learning and desired learning outcomes. It should take into consideration teachers with low digital literacy skills as well as those who might not have strong pedagogical skills. The guidance should include considerations and tips for teachers and school leaders covering early childhood education, primary and secondary education as well as non-formal education programmes for adolescent skills development. The content should include a review of good practices from across different country settings based on the desk review. The consultant will also be required to confer/discuss with a designer who will design a user-friendly tool as part of the broader digital pedagogies toolbox.
4. Present about the tool/guidance and how to make the most use of it as part of knowledge sharing and learning sessions with UNICEF and other key stakeholders. The consultant is expected to participate and make a presentation in at least 3 knowledge sharing sessions, which will also serve as avenues to gather feedback on possible topics for the toolbox as well as improvements to the tool/guidance. The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub will organize these sessions with the UNICEF HQ Digital Learning Team.
   5. Provide 10 days of direct technical support to UNICEF Country Offices that require hands-on technical guidance and support on using mobile technology for learning.

Description of assignment

Tasks****End Product/Deliverables****Time Frame/Delivery date1Undertake a desk review of available research and publications on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings to review good practices and identity possible challenges. The review can use as reference the 2002 UNICEF Innocenti report On Call: Using Mobile Phones to Provide Learning in Emergencies (Kan, S., Dreesen, T. and M. Valenza, On Call: Using Mobile Phones to Provide Learning in Emergencies, UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, Florence, Italy, 2022.), among others.Desk Review report of available research and publications on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings to document good practices and identity possible challenges5 working days2Interview representatives from the UNICEF HQ Digital Learning Team, at least 5 UNICEF Country Offices and 4 Regional Offices who are supporting the use of mobile messaging for learning or who plan to use this technology to support learning in order to understand better the needs in the field. The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub will work with the consultant to identify relevant colleagues to be interviewed.Brief report from interviews5 working days3Prepare the first draft of the tool/guidance focusing on key processes, considerations and best practices for teachers and school leaders on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings. Update first draft based on review by the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub and finalize tool/guidance.Tool/guidance for teachers and school leaders on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings10 working days4Present about the tool/guidance and how to make the most use of it as part of knowledge sharing and learning sessions with UNICEF and other key stakeholders. The consultant is expected to participate and make a presentation in at least 3 knowledge sharing sessions, which will also serve as platforms to gather feedback on possible topics for the toolbox as well as improvements. The UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub will organize these sessions with the UNICEF HQ Digital Learning Team. The consultant will also prepare a short report (maximum 4 pages) on reflections from the sessions.Presentations at knowledge sharing sessions and brief report on reflections from the sessions5 working days5Provide at least 10 days of remote technical support to UNICEF Country Offices that require hands-on technical guidance and support on using mobile technology for learning.Technical support provided to UNICEF Country Offices and a brief report of support provided10 working daysTo qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education or related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in education, combining practical and theoretical application of pedagogical expertise is required.
• Demonstrated strong theoretical and practical knowledge on digital learning approaches, including designing and supporting implementation in various country settings.
• Demonstrated ability to provide guidance on education technologies and pedagogy to inform strategy is required.
• Experience supporting the design and rollout of digital learning solutions, including guidance on pedagogical approaches in the global south, an advantage
• Demonstrated experience in supporting teacher capacity both pre- and in-service linked to delivering digital learning solutions/tools
• Demonstrated experience and know-how of the EdTech global ecosystem is required.
• Some knowledge of global developments in education and international engagement strategies, including the application of the equity lens and human rights perspectives to programming and some understanding of gender and inequity issues in relation to education and development.
• Proven capacity to work with collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills.
• Experience in working (and ideally innovating) with and for children in resource-poor environment is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Payment details and further considerations

• Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed 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. • Desk Review report of available research and publications on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings to document good practices and identity possible challenges – 20% • Brief report from interviews – 10% • Tool/guidance for teachers and school leaders on using mobile messaging technology to support learning in different settings – 30% • Presentations at knowledge sharing sessions and brief report on reflections from the sessions – 10% • Technical support provided to UNICEF Country Offices and a brief report of support provided -30%

All materials created by the Consultant which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, the Contract and any intellectual property rights thereof, including but not limited to patents, copyright and trademarks shall be solely owned by UNICEF. The consultant may not distribute any materials (e.g. photography, video) without written consent from the Head of Office of UNICEF engaging the Consultant and subject to the conditions set out in such written consent.

Duty Station: Home-based

Duration: 35 days

Insurance:

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the consultant’s service. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrollment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work.

How to apply:

• Interested applicant is required to submit a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. Please complete your profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system. • Financial proposal must include travel costs (economy class), daily subsistence allowance (limited to UN official rates), and other estimated costs such as visa and travel/health insurance. Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. • Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

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. 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.