Individual National Consultancy to review & analyses the grade 9 and 10 curriculum (Nepalese Nationals Only)

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.

Triple burden of malnutrition is an emerging issue among school aged children/ adolescent girls and boys in Nepal. As per Nepal National Micronutrient Status Survey, 2016, 32 percent adolescent girls and boys are stunted in Nepal. Whilst 23.3 precent of adolescent boys and 14.0 percent of adolescent girls are thin for their age, 1 percent adolescent boys and 0.7 percent adolescent girls are obese. 20.5 percent adolescent girls and 10.5 percent adolescent boys are anemic.

Key disparities that are affecting the adolescent nutrition status in Nepal includes age, gender, ethnicity, education attainment, ecological-zone, place of residence and wealth. Contributing factors to the malnutrition among adolescents includes low compliance with healthy dietary practices, child marriage, early pregnancy and infection. Less than half of adolescent girls and boys are consuming diets with the recommended diversity for optimal growth and development. The diets of adolescent girls and boys reflects an increase intake of processed foods high in sugar and fats and sweetened beverages, (21.2 percent among adolescent boys and 12.7 percent among adolescent girls). Higher rates of overweight are significantly associated with consuming “unhealthy” food (sweet food, saturated fats, and sugar-sweetened beverages), and low rates of physical activity.

The pathway to take appropriate action to ensure the right of nutrition among the middle-aged children/ adolescent girls and boys is providing nutrition education through grade courses in schools. However, there is limited content on nutrition is available in 9 & 10 grade courses under book title “Health and Physical Education (Voluntary Course)” and “Health, Population and Environment Education (Mandatory Course)”. Under this context, it is imperative to review and analyze the grade courses for its completeness to provide nutrition education following life cycle approach, sex education for preventing early child marriage and early pregnancy and no one leave behind to receive nutrition education through GESI lens (including disability) with the support from external consultancy so that next revision of the grade curriculum addresses the gap on age & grade specific nutrition education.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of the consultancy is to review the grade 9 and 10 curriculum and grade books in order to identify and suggest key areas of curriculum and grade book revision so that updated grade book remains transformative for current knowledge on development in nutrition with special focus to life cycle nutrition, prevention of early child marriage and early pregnancy and gender equality and social inclusiveness. The key objective of the consultancy is as follows:

1. To review the curriculum and gradebook of grade 9 and 10 from nutrition, and GESI lens.
2. To identify the key areas of improvement in the grade 9 and 10 curriculum and grade book to improve its content in nutrition aligning with global development in nutrition.
3. To provide the content that need to incorporate in the updated version of curriculum and gradebook of grade 9 and 10 aligning with the global guideline on middle childhood/adolescent girls and boys nutrition

Specific Tasks Under the direct supervision of Nutrition Officer of UNICEF NCO Nepal, and overall supervision of Chief of Nutrition Section, UNICEF NCO Nepal, the national consultant will accomplish following activities and tasks within the stipulated timeline.

Task 1: By 30 June 2022, develops a desk review document on the content of curriculum of grade 9 and 10 examining the curriculum for nutrition related content with reference to global guideline on school health and nutrition focusing on middle childhood/ adolescent girls and boys nutrition.

Expected Output 1: By 30 June 2022, a desk review report on the curriculum of grade 9 and 10 available highlighting the existing content of nutrition in curriculum of grade 9 and 10.

Task 2: By 31 July 2022, develops a matrix highlighting existing gap in curriculum of grade 9 and 10 from nutrition and GESI lens with suggested changes in the grade curriculum to make it transformative in the educational content on life cycle nutrition, prevention of child marriage, prevention of early pregnancy and gender equality and social inclusion (including disability).

Expected Output 2: By 31 July 2022, a report with matrix of changes in the curriculum that makes the grade curriculum transformative from the angle of life cycle nutrition, gender equality and social inclusion (including disability) available.

Task 3: By 31 August 2022, Facilitates in organizing joint meeting between Nutrition Team of Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Nepal and Curriculum Development team of Curriculum Development Center (CDC) to share the key findings of the review and situation analysis of grade curriculum for sensitizing them on the need to revise the grade curriculum from the prospective of life cycle nutrition, nutrition education, prevention of child marriage, prevention of early pregnancy and gender equality and social inclusion (including disability).

Expected Output 3: By 31 August 2022, Final report available on sensitizing the nutrition team of Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Nepal and curriculum development team of curriculum development center on the areas that require to change in the grade curriculum to promote nutrition education, life cycle nutrition, prevention of child marriage, prevention of early pregnancy and gender equality and social inclusion (including disability).

Duration of the contract:

The total duration of the consultancy is for 63 working days within the period of 3 months tentatively starting from 20 June 2022.

Deliverables:

1. Desk review report of curriculum of grade 9 and 10 for nutrition related content.
2. Matrix on existing gap in curriculum of grade 9 and 10 from nutrition and GESI lens
3. Final reports including meeting minutes between Nutrition Section of MoHP and Curriculum Development Center of MoEST.

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

Minimum Qualification Required:

Master’s degree in Nutrition

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required: Knowledge: a. Well verged with the current development in nutrition. b. Knowledgeable about middle childhood/ adolescent girls and boys nutrition. c. Knows about curriculum development for grade schools with special focus to Nepal. d. Knowledgeable about the food, health, education, social protection, and agriculture systems in Nepal.

Special skills:

• Content review and analysis, interpretation, report writing and matrix presentation skill.
• Professional level skill on reading, writing, and speaking in English and Nepali language.

Competencies:

List of competencies required for the individual to effectively complete tasks

• Technical competency on nutrition, education and GESI with special focus to education curriculum development.
• Good analytical, networking, coordination, and communication
• Persuading and influencing

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, 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.

Remarks:

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 health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

Please submit the financial quotation for this assignment in Nepalese Currency. The quotation should be based on deliverables for this assignment.

NOTE: Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are encouraged to apply.