International Consultant (National Assessment, Education); Dhaka; Bangladesh (Not for Bangladeshis)

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.

Background:

National Curriculum and Textbook Board(NCTB) has developed a continuous curriculum from pre-primary to grade 12 with the aim of building a new generation capable of adapting to the contexts, needs, and challenges of the new world. Assessment is an essential and integral part of the curriculum. This curriculum framework does not limit assessment to the assessment of student learning but also emphasizes the assessment of the effectiveness of the entire education system and the assessment of the learning environment. The scope of assessment has been broadened to include different levels of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and cognitive development of the learners through a comprehensive reform of the existing assessment system, moving away from the memorization-based examination system. Competencies will be the basis of all types of learning assessments.

In the national context of Bangladesh, competency is defined as ‘the ability acquired through the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to adapt to the changing contexts inspired by the spirit of the Liberation War’ (National Curriculum Framework, 2021). This new competency-based education system differs from the old or traditional education system in many ways. At the heart of this new education system is competency, which is a deliberate combination of various interrelated knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes, that are transparent, measurable, and applicable in real-world settings, and strive to empower learners.

The new curriculum has considered assessment as not only a tool for verifying learning outcomes but also for identifying any learning challenges faced by learners during the teaching-learning process and for taking necessary measures to ensure learning progression. In some cases, assessment has even been seen as learning. The new curriculum has considered this holistic approach to assessment while formulating the assessment policies. These policies provide guidance on the nature of assessment, assessment types, methods, management, and overall planning of decision-making regarding learning progression in competency-based learning across various subjects at the secondary level.

In Bangladesh, parallel multiple education streams exist in the current scenario of education administration including public schools, private schools, MPO schools, and Madrasa with different curricula which contributed to inequalities in achieving competency by students due to inequality of adequate resources, teachers’ capacity, and assessment system. Therefore, a holistic approach to teaching-learning methods and assessment is a must. To ensure the proper implementation of the newly developed strategy standardized tools for formative assessment, summative assessment, public exams, record-keeping method, and qualitative reporting card system should be developed and introduced throughout the system.

UNICEF has provided technical support to NCTB in different manners from 2019 in the journey of curriculum framework development to Teaching Learning Material development and implementation in grades 6 & 7. UNICEF Education section has agreed in principle to continue its technical support in alignment with the requirement and request received from NCTB to assign an international consultant for significant deliverables and millstones.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In line with the above, UNICEF seeks an international consultant to:

Review the current status of the national assessment system of Bangladesh including tools, guidelines, and draft national strategy and conceptualize it in light of the newly approved National Curriculum Framework 2021.

Identifying the areas of improvement in the current assessment management system, involving stakeholders, and defining the roles of stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the new assessment strategy.

Support developing performance indicators, standards, tools, and technical guidance for real–time assessment, summative assessment, and performance recording mechanisms in line with competency.

Co-create/ upgrade/ develop/ finalize assessment tools for classroom-based assessment and public exams to make them internationally acceptable.

Support developing report card format to be used for mid-years, end years assessments, and public exams.

Suggest developing application architecture to convert the assessment process into an online version and mobile application.

Suggest comprehensive feedback formula for teachers to ensure students are participating in assessment for learning and no students are lagging.

Support Developing hand notes/guidelines/ training manuals for teachers on assessment.

Support Developing an action plan and management to implement the assessment tools by defining the roles of relevant actors

Conduct consultation meetings and workshops for NCTB officials to build an understanding of assessment and develop their capacity in taking forward the identified task.

You may check the details of tasks and deliverables in the attached TOR.

Brief TOR.pdf

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education, Educational Development, Social Development or other relevant field
• A minimum of [15 years] of relevant professional experience in the development education sector.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in pedagogy and assessment
• Demonstrate knowledge of international central assessment methods for secondary school education.
• Knowledge and experience of education and social sectors in a developing country context.
• Demonstrates, applies, and shares technical knowledge.
• Extensive experience in multi-sectoral collaboration and stakeholder coordination in education.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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 afterward 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, program 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.