Digital Learning Technology Individual Contractor (6 months) MENA Regional Office

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 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, Education.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the closure of schools as a preventive measure, UNICEF in collaboration with Microsoft and the University of Cambridge at the global level launched the Learning Passport to support establishment of country level online/distance learning platforms. The Learning Passport Platform has been developed with full online and offline functionalities and is able to provide a digital educational experience to all children and youth globally, even if they are in an unconnected and resource poor environment. The platform offers educators and trainers with ability to track progress of learners and access to national curricula learning materials, teacher guides and supplementary content such as digital skills trainings.

Since 2011, the MENA region has undergone a dramatic transformation. What was once a middle-income region, where UNICEF was implementing mostly upstream work, has now become the region with the greatest concentration of humanitarian needs in the world. Countries in conflict have experienced a collapse of systems resulting in 15 million children aged between 5-14 years old are out-of-school, and around 12 million children currently in school, are at risk of dropping out. In other words, 3 out of 10 children are either out-of-school or at risk of dropping out.

Since March 2020, the ability to physically attend schools across the 20 countries in the MENA region varied, impacting an estimated 110 million children and youth. The sudden disruption of education and learning for children posed significant challenges for education systems, however, education systems in MENA quickly mobilized with the launch of hybrid learning modalities to ensure continuity of learning of children. While significant progress has been made, reaching the most vulnerable children with hybrid learning opportunities for continued learning remains a challenge.

Scope of Work:

Under the Supervision of the Regional Education Specialist and in close coordination with the HQ Learning Passport team, the UNICEF MENA Regional office is seeking a Digital Learning Technology Consultant to support identification of potential opportunities (existing at global or regional level)to strengthen digital learning in the region, in addition to supporting the ongoing and/or potential deployment of the Learning Passport in respective country offices in the region.

More specifically, the Consultant will support respective Country Offices in the region in developing and identifying inclusive digital and hybrid learning solutions that support continuation of learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children.

The Consultant is expected to:

1. Conduct a desk review of ongoing/existing MENA Edtech and global, digital solutions to support development of MENA Digital Learning Guidance (resource that would provide CO guidance on how to approach Digital learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children and in contexts of limited ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity)
2. Lead MENA Country Offices in the ongoing or potential deployment of the Learning Passport Platform and other potential inclusive digital learning solutions providing technical assistance in assessing country office requirements, localising the technology, curating content and ensuring that it is contextualized and can be effectively used online/offline, coordinating various actors, and provide regular reports to regional education team and global Learning Passport team.
3. Serve as key focal point on Digital Learning to management, content creators, regional and global UNICEF stakeholders
4. Provide technical support to Country Offices in procuring digital content services (e.g. curation, digitization, localization, production), quality assuring their deliverables from a digital perspective;
5. Create and manage a digital learning community among UNICEF staff engaged in deployments, including capacity building for UNICEF staff or UNICEF stakeholders, producing knowledge management resources and organizing activities to ensure collaboration among members of the community and documenting lessons learned, challenges, and good practices;
6. Provide inputs and support the drafting of reports to internal and external stakeholders and funders of the digital learning (grant reports, annual results report, needed updates, etc.) as needed;
7. Scope complimentary ICT for learning and Edtech tools that could be integrated to support technology efforts

Work Assignment Overview

The below tasks are to be performed by the individual contractor through out the contract’s duration. Monthly payments will be process at the end of each month against a list of deliverables as agreed with the supervisor.

1. Conduct a desk review of ongoing/existing MENA Edtech and global, digital solutions to support development of MENA Digital Learning Guidance (resource that would provide CO guidance on how to approach Digital learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children and in contexts of limited ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity)
2. Lead MENA Country Offices in the ongoing or potential deployment of the Learning Passport Platform and other potential inclusive digital learning solutions providing technical assistance in assessing country office requirements, localising the technology, curating content and ensuring that it is contextualized and can be effectively used online/offline, coordinating various actors, and provide regular reports to regional education team and global Learning Passport team.
3. Serve as key focal point on Digital Learning to management, content creators, regional and global UNICEF stakeholders
4. Provide technical support to Country Offices in procuring digital content services (e.g. curation, digitization, localization, production), quality assuring their deliverables from a digital perspective;
5. Create and manage a digital learning community among UNICEF staff engaged in deployments, including capacity building for UNICEF staff or UNICEF stakeholders, producing knowledge management resources and organizing activities to ensure collaboration among members of the community and documenting lessons learned, challenges, and good practices;
6. Provide inputs and support the drafting of reports to internal and external stakeholders and funders of the digital learning (grant reports, annual results report, needed updates, etc.) as needed;
7. Scope complimentary ICT for learning and Edtech tools that could be integrated to support technology efforts

Minimum Qualifications required:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Bachelors Masters PhD Other

Enter Disciplines

Advanced degree in education, information technology, statistics, communication, engineering, or other relevant field. In lieu of a specific academic degree, relevant experience may be considered to meet this requirement.

1. At least 5 years of professional work experience in Technology for Development (T4D) and/or information system development, including mobile and web-based applications, with manifested capacity to manage programmes involving many stakeholders. Specific experience on ICT for learning or digital learning is an advantage.
2. Experience managing user-driven design processes for UX/UI.
3. Experience in digital learning design.
4. Proven training and capacity building skills for a range of stakeholders.
5. Good technical understanding and familiarity with information management systems.
6. Knowledge of at least Teams, SharePoint, GitHub, Trello, Jira, Aha.
7. Excellent communication abilities, in both written and oral forms.
8. Demonstrated ability and experience in coordination, and able to work under pressure is required.
9. Fluency in English is a requirement, knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application.

2. Financial quote as lump sum for professional fees, and lump sum for

travel/administrative/subsistence, if applicable.

3. CV.

4. At least 3 Referees

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

“UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations, 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.”