Full-time Individual Contractor (7 months, home-based): LearnIn Technology Consultant - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Geneva, Switzerland

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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CH Home-based; Geneva (Switzerland)

Application deadline 2 years ago: Friday 18 Mar 2022 at 22:55 UTC

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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, 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 deployment of the LearnIn from technological perspectives. The consultant will provide technical assistance in areas of 1) education system digitalization, 2) frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning, 3) regional/national platforms for digital learning, and 4) connectivity and device access.

1. Education system digitalization in general

  • Promote effective and efficient use of education technology and innovations in education system (e.g., education management information system, digital textbooks, and learning management system) through coordination, knowledge sharing, guidance and technical assistance in collaboration with HQs, ROs and COs and relevant partners including the private sector.

2. Frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning

  • Contribute to the development and updating of global and regional frameworks and strategies on digital learning in coordination with the UNICEF Technology for Development (T4D) sections at HQs and RO and relevant partners.
  • Support COs in developing, adapting and implementing national policies on digital learning, particularly in areas of technology, infrastructure and data privacy and security, in alignment with the global and regional frameworks.

3. Regional/national platforms for digital learning

  • Lead the development and adaptation of the regional instance of the Learning Passport (LP) for education as a capacity strengthening platform with regional resources. The tasks include support for the integration of relevant applications, testing of AI tools, and a rollout of an offline version of LP.
  • Support COs in assessing technical needs of digital learning platforms and developing/adapting national platforms (including but not limited to LP) that are aligned with countries’ needs.
  • Upload regional digital teacher professional development courses to the regional LP repository of digital contents and make these resources available to COs for adaptation and integration with national platforms.
  • Develop guidance for users of the LP-based platforms (the regional LP instance and national LP platforms), which includes use of specific features (e.g., using the offline version, and accessing digital training courses).
  • Support, from a technological perspective, the development and administration of regional and national community of practices for teacher trainers and other relevant stakeholders using digital learning platforms.

4. Connectivity and device access

  • Contribute to the global and regional coordination and partnerships for providing connectivity and devices in close collaboration with the UNICEF HQs.
  • Contribute to the development and updating of global and regional guidance/tools on devices for digital learning (e.g., device specifications), including assistive technology, and support COs in their work on government uptake of the guidance/tools.
  • Support COs in improving school and last-mile connectivity, IT infrastructure and access to devices to bridge the digital divide, such as by supporting data collection and analysis of school connectivity and device access, convening partners to address connectivity and device gaps, and sharing solutions and good practices.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline1. Education system digitalization in general

• Promote effective and efficient use of education technology and innovations in education system through coordination knowledge sharing, guidance and technical assistance.

Monthly status report on support for education system digitalization.Monthly2. Frameworks, strategies and policies for digital learning

• 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.

Monthly status report on coordination for global and regional digital learning frameworks and strategies and support for national digital learning policies.Monthly3. Regional/national platforms for digital learning

• Lead the development and adaptation of the regional instance of the Learning Passport (LP) for education as a capacity strengthening platform with regional resources.

• Support COs in assessing technical needs of digital learning platforms and developing/adapting national platforms.

• Upload regional digital teacher professional development courses to the regional LP repository of digital contents and make these resources available to COs for adaptation and integration with national platforms.

• Develop guidance for users of the LP-based platforms, which includes use of specific features.

• Support the development and administration of regional and national community of practices for teacher trainers and other relevant stakeholders using digital learning platforms.

Monthly status report on

1) the development and adaptation of regional/national digital learning platforms with new applications and contents,

2) guidance on LP-based platforms, and

3) the development and administration of the community of practice.Monthly4. Connectivity and device access

• Contribute to the global and regional coordination and partnerships for providing connectivity and devices.

• Contribute to the development and updating of global and regional guidance/tools on devices for digital learning and support COs in their work on government uptake of the guidance/tools.

• Support COs in improving school and last-mile connectivity, IT infrastructure and access to devices to bridge the digital divide.

Monthly status report on

1) global/regional coordination for connectivity and device access,

2) support for the development and uptake of global/regional guidance and tools, and

3) country-level assistance to improve connectivity and device access.Monthly

  1. Final reportingFinal report summarizing the tasks completed, the deliverables developed, and achievement.By end of contractEstimated Duration of the Contract

7 months (1 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

  • Bachelor's degree in Information Systems Management, ICT management, Digital Education, Instructional Design, Digital Publishing, Computer Science or another related field.
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in identifying, designing and implementing solutions for large-scale projects with technical components.
  • Basic understanding of set-up and administration of ICT services, networks and mobile services.
  • Working experience or good knowledge of instructional design, e-learning platform configuration or digital publishing.
  • Experience in Open Source digital tools, mobile and emerging technology applied to education is desirable.
  • Experience in requirements engineering related to applications for children, educators, and parents is desirable.
  • Experience in supporting and coordinating project activities across a large organization and with other international partner organizations is desirable.

Other skills and attributes

  • Understanding of international development issues.
  • A good understanding of UNICEF programmatic areas including 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.
  • Strong skills in business analysis and technical project management.

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.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org