International consultancy to provide technical support for inclusive education policy reform in Uzbekistan

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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.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In June 2021, Uzbekistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and accepted an obligation to ensure inclusive education for all children. The United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) is supporting Uzbekistan to start progressive implementation of UNCRPD within the programme “Transformation of Social Service Delivery: Implementing Human Rights-Based Approach for Children, Youth and Women with Disabilities in Uzbekistan” for 2022-2023 years. For the first time in Uzbek policy, a definition of inclusive education has been included in the Law “On Education”, a road map of development of inclusive education has been approved by the Presidential Decree, and regular schools opened their doors for children with disabilities.

Building on this new road map, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan (MOPSE), as a Chair of Local Education Group (LEG) and UNICEF, as Coordinating Agency for LEG, are currently consolidating efforts of all stakeholders to ensure access to quality inclusive education for every child. To this end, a Partnership Compact for Education Sector Reforms in the Republic of Uzbekistan during 2023-2026 has been developed and endorsed recently, further highlighting key challenges for development of inclusive education.

Although access to school stands at 99.8 per in Uzbekistan, for education access children with disabilities is estimated as only 84-87 per cent. In addition, more than twelve thousand children, who attend schools for ‘children with intellectual impairments’ are not studying at required level, omitting content for secondary and high school. As a result, the school certification at the end of grade 11 for children with disabilities does not allow them to be admitted to vocational colleges or higher education institutions. This directly violates their right to quality education and limits opportunities to develop the potential of children with disabilities to the fullest and join the labour market in the future.

Teachers in Uzbekistan currently lack the knowledge and skills required to identify learners with Special Educational Needs, disabilities, and other vulnerabilities, or to ensure learning and teaching which caters to their distinct needs is planned and delivered. School curriculum and syllabi for most subjects and grades were focused on what is taught, not on what is learnt, mostly describing knowledge and omitting skills or attitudes. De facto, textbooks play a role of both syllabi and teacher’s guides, and overall teaching approach could be named as ‘textbook-centred’. This prevents teachers from seeing a holistic picture of progressive curriculum attainment, which shapes and nurtures children’s cognitive, social, and personal development. Students are expected to learn the same content at the same time with limited opportunities for multiple ways of engagement. There is little or no use of formative assessment to support different learning needs. No pre-service and in-service teachers’ training programme exists on adaptive teaching and addressing learning losses, remedial, and catch-up programmes. Though Uzbekistan is a multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multicultural country, there is no pre-service and in-service teachers’ training on multilingual education and addressing needs of students who speak different languages at home.

Public opinion and professional behaviours are also still dominated by the medical model of disability. The idea of segregating children with disabilities, separating them from the ‘healthy’ by placing them in various boarding institutions, is widespread in society. As shown by a UN Situation Analysis (2019), almost 70% of respondents believed that specialized schools are the best way to educate children with disabilities and only 12% of respondents believed that the best way for children with disabilities to study in ordinary schools and in classes with peers without disabilities. Despite some positive trends, national education legislation still clearly reflects the medical approach. The language of all regulations related to education of children with disabilities further strengthens medical and ‘defectology’ models. Specialized schools are still positioned as the first-choice education for children with disabilities. Moreover, children with severer learning disabilities are being placed in boarding houses under the Ministry of Health, where school education is not provided.

There is no system in place for implementing bridging and catch-up education programmes for children who missed school and/or do not speak the school language, including such categories of children as repatriates (charitable action ‘Mehr’), migrants, self-returnees (a lot of them from Afghanistan), students with a low level of proficiency in academic subjects, and students returned from special educational institutions, including the Republican educational correctional institutions (closed type schools) to regular schools and others.

Along with educational challenges, there is no early detection and intervention system. No system is in place to monitor vulnerabilities and ensure continuous access to education and social services for all children, including inadequate referral mechanisms between the health sector and the education sector for children identified at risk of HIV, requiring PSS, developmental delays, etc.

In terms of infrastructure, children with disabilities continue to face physical barriers and inaccessible infrastructure within preschools and schools. There is no verifiable information about the physical accessibility of both general and special educational institutions for children with disabilities.

UNPRPD supported programme “Transformation of Social Service Delivery: Implementing Human Rights-Based Approach for Children, Youth and Women with Disabilities in Uzbekistan” is aiming to address these challenges through revising legislation to enablе needed reforms. MOPSE, UNICEF and Zamin Foundation, a national civil society organization working in the interests of children with disabilities, have agreed to revise the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers #638 dated from October 12, 2021. The Resolution contains regulations and SOPs for establishing and managing inclusive classes, assessing and admitting children with disabilities to inclusive schools, transferring children from special education institutions to regular schools, providing special education services, home education and others. Within the Compact thematic discussions, stakeholders noted that while this Resolution was a progressive step for further rolling out inclusive education agenda, its implementation showed many gaps and shortages. It is needed to revise mechanisms established by the Resolution adding new SOPs and applying system approach to ensure linkages with curriculum, teaching-learning materials, system of assessment and teachers’ professional development.

UNPRPD supported programme envisages the development of an approach and guidelines (based on the revised Resolution #638 and in line with most recent evidence on effective strategies for inclusive teaching and learning at classroom and school level), a Theory of Change and an action plan for modelling inclusive schools in selected districts, which will be used as a basis to regularly monitor and evaluate the impact, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness of the proposed model.

Commitments from GPE, IsDB and UNICEF to invest in the modelling inclusive schools are secured under the newly developed Partnership Compact for Education Reform. UNICEF and Zamin Foundation have also agreed to include these interventions in the joint work plan. The modelling of inclusive schools, where the new guidelines, standards/requirements and mechanisms for inclusive education will be tested, will also inform the development of new legislation and policies to raise inclusive quality learning to higher standards. These schools of excellence will function as a hub for research, demonstrating, exploring, and disseminating good practice, complementing broader teacher education initiatives. It is planned, that the results of the modelling of a new evidence-based edition of Resolution #638 and strategy for scaling up, will lead to possible endorsement by the Government.

Scope of Work:

Purpose. To provide technical support focused on the development of national guidelines on inclusive education and a roadmap for its modelling and testing that will lead to a revised Resolution #638.

Specific Objectives

1. Develop inclusive education guidelines, with a clear set of standards/requirements, mechanisms and SOPs for inclusive schools ensuring synergy with reforms in areas of capital investment and infrastructure, teacher education, school leader capacity building, and the reforms of national assessment approaches (including classroom-level formative assessment), supported by overarching Quality Assurance mechanisms.

2. Support the testing of inclusive education guidelines through building capacity at systems and school level in the modelling inclusive schools in selected districts, including through development of an action plan for capacity development.

Methodology/Activities

The consultant should undergo all required trainings per UNICEF rules and procedures, follow all ethical guidelines, enhance own knowledge and skills through on-line webinars related to UNICEF and EU communication, visibility and branding requirements.

Management

International Consultant will work under direct supervision of Education Specialist in close cooperation with National Consultant on inclusive education and an international consultant on curriculum and assessment frameworks. The International Consultant will be working in consultation with UNICEF, national and development partners and government officials.

Work Assignments Overview/Deliverables/Timeline:

I. Inception phase (first visit to Uzbekistan + home based) - By the mid of July 2023

a. Introduction with a commissioning team (UNICEF, Ministry of Preschool and School Education and Zamin) on the assignment b. Prepare detailed planning of tasks to implement the ToR c. Desk review of existing legislative and normative frameworks, current programmes, national statistics, conceptual frameworks, studies and evaluations related to quality inclusive education provided by UNICEF and the Ministry. d. Inception visit and meetings with key counterparts to clarify expectations, scope, and methodology as well as existing challenges from perspective of different stakeholders.

1)Inception Report, including the following: - background information of the situation with regards to inclusive quality education; - defined capacity gaps for inclusive education at systems and school levels; - analytical review of the best international practices in transforming education system for disability and vulnerability inclusion; - detailed work plan of tasks and methodology.

II. Development of ToC and guidelines, with a clear set of standards/requirements, mechanisms and SOPs for inclusive schools (second visit to Uzbekistan + home based) - By the end of August 2023

e. Conduct meetings and capacity building workshop with key stakeholders to develop guidelines, with a clear set of standards/requirements, mechanisms and SOPs for inclusive schools ensuring synergy with reforms in areas of capital investment and infrastructure, teacher education, school leader capacity building, and the reforms of national assessment approaches (including classroom-level formative assessment), supported by overarching Quality Assurance mechanisms.

f. In collaboration with international and local specialists, draft ToC, the guidelines and revised version of the Resolution #638

2) Workshops’ reports with inputs for the draft guidelines obtained at the workshops

3) Draft guidelines and training programme and draft revised Resolution #638

III. Development of an action plan and respective ToRs for testing the guidelines through modelling inclusive schools in selected districts (third visit to Uzbekistan + home based) - By the mid of October 2023

g. Develop an action plan for testing the guidelines through modelling inclusive schools in selected districts

h. Map existing tools and guidelines (national, UN and open source) for modification of the curriculum content, the teaching process, assessment, the physical environment, for teachers’ education, for use of technology and assistive devices to help all students to achieve success in the classroom. Recommend those tools which can be used with/without adaptation in the process of modelling and identify tools to be developed

i. Based on the mapping, prepare ToRs for international and national individual consultants and companies to support the modelling and to conduct baseline and end-line assessments and evaluate the impact, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness of the proposed model

4) Action Plan

5) Mapping of existing tools and guidelines with recommendations for their use in the modelling inclusive schools

6) Outlines of consultative meetings with teachers and methodologists

IV. Finalization and reporting phase - By the end of November 2023

j. Based on validation with stakeholders, finalize ToC, guidelines, action plan and ToRs for modelling inclusive schools

k. Prepare a final report of the assignment with documenting the process and lessons learnt

7) Finalized ToC, guidelines, action plan and ToRs for modelling inclusive schools

8) Final report of the assignment with documenting the process and lessons learnt

Travel:

The consultant will be required to travel to Tashkent (3 visits).

Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

• Advanced University degree in education, or in any other relevant Social Sciences.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in education, preferably in school education, including work related experience in inclusive education, school improvement, and teacher training systems. Work experience in Uzbekistan CEE/CIS countries would be an asset (validated by CV and interview).
• At least 5 years of professional experience in transforming education system for disability and vulnerability inclusion.
• Professional experience and expert knowledge in designing curricula, teaching and learning materials, with a focus on student-centred pedagogy and UDL; Good analytical and writing skills (verified by examination of evidence from previous assignment deliverables).
• Excellent written and spoken skills in English, knowledge of Russian will be an asset (verified in interview).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.