Individual consultancy -Technical support in Education and Youth, 72 days, Riyadh, Gulf Area office

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, education

UNICEF Gulf Area Office work with Governments and partners across Bahrain,Kuwait,Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to deliver the priorities of the 2019-2023 programme of cooperation. These priorities include child protection, with a focus on violence against children, scaling up early childhood development policies and services, supporting social policy work that contributes to improved services for all children as well as improving the Gulf region’s quality and availability of data as relates to child-focused indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The COVID-19 crisis, however, has since elevated a new set of issues facing children around the world, including, the Gulf countries. Children in the region have had to adjust to disruption in the way learning is offered and schools function. While countries in the sub-region have been able to transform and to adopt to new methodologies for reaching learners through online platforms, television and other such modalities, there is recognition that this “reach” does not necessarily translate into accessing learning opportunities or that effective teaching and learning is taking place that results in reaching pre-defined learning outcomes as well as the acquisition of life skills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF GAO was approached by a number of Gulf countries to provide technical support in their COVID-19 response and recovery interventions. Areas of support included training of teachers, measures of safe reopening of schools and addressing learning loss of children caused by the COVDI-19.

The Gulf countries has a unique opportunity to contribute to the global discourse around how education may be transforming in the long-term. They are able to do so by helping to take stock of factors that have been effective during this crisis, including digital learning, new ways of engaging parents and families in learning, re-examining the role of technology in learning, as well as a critical review of how children may learn in the not-so-distant future. This global discussion is timely – as the countries of the Gulf each undergo national efforts to strengthen the skills of adolescents and young people for the employment landscape of the future. These efforts have focused on transferable or life skills, global citizenship, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and other related capacities.

Given UNICEF Gulf Area Office does not have in-house expertise on education policy and support, it is seeking experienced, short term support that is well-versed in evidenced based education policy and in providing strategic guidance for education programmes at national level including for young people skills development, early education and inclusive education. The individual consultant will also support preparations and follow up to the Transforming Education Summit which is taking place in Sep 2022.

How can you make a difference?

The individual consultant will be responsible of the following key tasks :

- Facilitate and support the UNICEF GAO engagement with the governments of the gulf states, together with UNESCO, on the Transforming Education Summit (TES). This will include supporting the national consultations and reporting processes led by the government as well as follow-up after the Summit

-Prepare monthly updates (internal and external) of the Gulf countries engagement and preparation for the TES;

-Provide immediate technical support to help take stock of the situation across the countries in response to COVID-19 – gathering qualitative and quantitative data on who is accessing learning opportunities and what challenges remain;

-Support UNICEF GAO in two areas of engagement with governmental partners in KSA: development of resource packages on Early Childhood Education (ECE) and implementation of the UNICEF-MOE road map for safe schools in KSA;

-Facilitate and manage the youth portfolio in the Gulf Area Office. This includes mapping of youth organizations in KSA and UAE, preparation of concept notes for joint interventions including in the area of skills building and social entrepreneurship and supporting joint UN activities;

-Support climate change work with youth in the Gulf states, particularly supporting the conceptualization, development and operationalization of youth led initiatives;

-Prepare 2-3 concept notes/proposals, in collaboration with the UNICEF team and partners, as opportunities arise in the area of education and skills learning of young people.

The individual consultant would have a set of priorities for each month, in consultation with programme leads in each of the GAO country offices, in line with the areas outlined above and submit a monthly report of activities and outcomes. Country reports, briefs and documented partner discussions would be annexed. These progress reports against the monthly plans would be used for payment. It is estimated that an average of 12 working days per month would be required to complete the tasks.

Duty Station: Riyadh, KSA

Duration: 72 working days, intermittent, 1st August 2022 – January 31, 2023

Deliverables, Timeframe, Payment Schedule

Tasks/Milestone:Deliverables/OutputsTimelineEstimate BudgetPrepare monthly report covering activities and actions taken, and annexing reports of consultations, partner discussions, and itemizing technical guidance providedMonthly reportMonthly Mapping of youth networks in KSA and UAE, TES updates, ECE/Safe schools updateMapping of youth networks report, monthly progress report on ECE and Safe schoolsEnd of Month 233%2 Proposal/Concept note for potential youth work initiatives, ECE/Safe schools update Proposal/concept note, monthly progress report on ECE, safe schools, and youth initiativesEnd of Month 433%1 joint event with UN, an operational plan for youth projects, ECE/Safe schools updateJoint UN event, monthly progress report on ECE, safe schools, and youth initiatives End of Month 633%

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

• Advanced university degree in education, social science or any other related discipline;
• A minimum of 5 years related professional experience. Experience in working with young people is an asset;
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 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.

Evaluation Process

Only Individual Consultant application will be accepted

Qualified candidates are requested to submit before the 04/07/2022 through this link

• CV and Cover letter
• Financial quote as lump sum for professional fees , and lump sum for travel/administrative/subsistence, if applicable.
• Examples of previous, relevant work as applicable
• Proposed methodology/approach to managing the project.
• At least 3 Referees

*****Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered*****

Successful applicants may be invited for further technical assessment.

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 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.

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.