Full-time Individual Contractor (6.5 months, home-based): LearnIn Implementation Technical Consultant - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Geneva, Switzerland

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.

For every child, an education

Purpose of the assignment

Learning is an essential human activity, and every child has the right to education and learning. Yet in Europe and Central Asia, a large number of children and adolescents—and disproportionately more poor and vulnerable children—are out of school and, even when they are in school, do not learn adequately. The learning poverty is cumulative across children’s life course, driving inequality in access to education, acquisition of knowledge and skills, transition to the labor market, and well-being. The existing challenges in education were exacerbated by nationwide school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, including the right to education. UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) supports 22 Country Offices (COs) and their government counterparts in strengthening the national and regional capacity to achieve inclusive, quality education and learning for all, with a focus on the most marginalized children, under the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, ECARO supports education system strengthening by providing strategic guidance and technical assistance in several key intervention areas.

Under the key intervention area 2 (digital learning ecosystems), ECARO implements LearnIn, a UNICEF’s regional initiative to harness digital technology, innovation and partnerships for improving inclusive, quality education for all children, with a focus on the most vulnerable. It reflects the belief that education access and quality can be improved by making available an education model that supports the integration of digital learning with the instructional core, building on and improving what teachers know and are accustomed to. The core implementation principles include: leveraging digital technologies and solutions to accelerate education improvement; contextualization, localization, and human-centered design; accessibility and inclusion; flexibility; learners as the target audience; evidence-based; and sustainability and scalability.

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Regional Education Adviser and the project manager of LearnIn, in close collaboration with ECARO Education Section, the consultant will work for the successful operationalization of the LearnIn implementation model. The consultant will provide technical assistance in areas of 1) frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning and the regional implementation model, 2) content for digital learning, and 3) teacher upskilling for quality, inclusive digital learning.

1. Frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning and the regional implementation model

• In coordination with the UNICEF HQs and relevant partners, contribute to the development and updating of global and regional frameworks and strategies on digital learning.
• Support COs in developing, adapting and implementing national policies on digital learning in alignment with the global and regional frameworks including the regional digital learning strategy and the ECAR educators’ digital competency framework.
• Based on the regional digital learning strategy and lessons learned from the implementation of LearnIn and the developmental evaluation, contribute to the updating of the LearnIn implementation plan

2. Content for digital learning

• Based on the regional needs assessment and mapping of digital learning contents as well as content management plan, support COs in developing and administering the content management plans to improve the provision of quality contents for digital learning targeting both children and teachers.
• Based on regional and global guidance for digital learning materials, strengthen the capacity of COs and national stakeholders to develop quality inclusive digital learning materials for both children and teachers by organizing webinars/workshops and providing guidance and technical assistance.

3. Teacher upskilling for quality, inclusive digital learning

• Lead the development of regional guidance, training modules and tools for teacher professional development on quality, inclusive digital learning including the guidance on use of Assistive Technology.
• Support the development and scaling-up of regional and national communities of practice (COP) for teacher trainers and teachers on digital learning.
• Support COs in adapting and using the regional guidance, training modules and resources for teacher professional development to strengthen educators’ capacity to deliver quality, inclusive digital learning.
• Work closely with UNICEF Office of Research (Innocenti) to support monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher professional development on digital learning.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline1. Frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning and the regional implementation plan

• Contribute to the development and updating of global and regional frameworks and strategies on digital learning.

• Support COs in developing, adapting and implementing national policies on digital learning.

• Contribute to the updating of the LearnIn implementation plan.

Monthly status report on

1) contribution to global and regional digital learning frameworks and strategies,

2) support for national digital learning policies, and

3) the updating of the LearnIn implementation plan.Monthly2. Content for digital learning

• Support COs in developing and administering the content management plans to improve the provision of quality contents for digital learning targeting both children and teachers.

• Strengthen the capacity of COs and national stakeholders to develop quality inclusive digital learning materials for both children and teachers by organizing webinars and workshops and providing guidance and technical assistance.

Monthly status report on support for

1) the development and administration of national content management plans and

2) the capacity building for the development of quality, inclusive digital learning materials.Monthly3. Teacher upskilling for quality, inclusive digital learning

• Lead the development of regional guidance, training modules and tools for teacher professional development on quality, inclusive digital learning including the guidance on use of Assistive Technology.

• Support the development and scaling-up of regional and national communities of practice (COP) for teacher trainers and teachers on digital learning.

• Support COs in adapting and using the regional guidance, training modules and resources for teacher professional development to strengthen educators’ capacity to deliver quality, inclusive digital learning.

• Work closely with UNICEF Office of Research (Innocenti) to support monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher professional development on digital learning.

Monthly status report on

1) the development of capacity strengthening resources (guidance, training modules, tools),

2) the development and scaling up of Community of Practice (COP),

3) support to COs’ uptake and use of the capacity building resources, and

4) the monitoring and evaluation of the professional development.Monthly4. Final reportingFinal report summarizing the tasks completed, the deliverables developed, and achievement.By end of contractEstimated Duration of the Contract

6.5 months (16 June - 31 December 2022)

Individual Contractor's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of a monthly invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate an all inclusive fixed monthly fee in USD to undertake this assignment.

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

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education, Teacher Education, Instructional Design, Educational Technology, e-Learning, Communications or another related field
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in designing and implementing large-scale education projects with ICT/digital teaching and learning components.
• Working experience or good knowledge of teacher competencies, instructional design, e-learning materials and courses, learning platforms, and developing or assisting in the delivery of digital learning.
• Experience in supporting and coordinating project activities across a large organization and with other international partner organizations is desirable.
• Knowledge of the situation of children in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region; a focus on education in different social and national contexts of the ECA is preferred.

Other skills and attributes

• Understanding of international development issues.
• A good understanding of UNICEF’s work on education.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills a must. Presentation skills are an advantage.
• Understanding constraints of working with various partners, but also the strengths of representing an international organization.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a monthly rate will not be considered. 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.