Knowledge and Innovation Exchange Programme Consultant

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,

Background and Justification

In 2019, the Ministry of Education and Training held an early childhood education sub-sector diagnostic workshop at national level. This was through a technical support by UNICEF and financial support of Global Partnership for Education. It was through an initiative called Better Early Learning and Development at Scale (BELDS) which used a Conceptual Framework (CF) for the diagnosis of strengths and gaps in Lesotho’s pre-primary education sub-sector. The diagnosis was done by examining 5 core functions which the sub-sector needed for it to strengthen and develop, namely: 1) equitable planning and resource allocation 2) curriculum implementation 3) workforce development 4) family and community engagement and 5) quality assurance. The diagnostic workshop brought out the main challenges as inadequate budget for the sub-sector; outdated curriculum; untrained teachers; inadequate capacity across the sub-sector to monitor quality; and others. So, the overarching strategy to address these gaps was to integrate pre-primary priorities in the Education Sector Plan (ESP) and indeed the pre-primary priorities have been incorporated in the ESP 2021-2023.

As a follow up to BELDS initiative, GPE supported LCO with US$ 160,000 through the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Programme whose focus is knowledge sharing by KIX countries of which Lesotho is one. Each country is expected to document all the events and processes that will have happened during the two years of KIX project and share with the rest of the KIX countries. The Lesotho Country Office requires a technical support to document the processes, write blogs, organize and hold webinars, write human interest stories and share Lesotho’s experiences with GPE and KIX countries. In short, the consultant will be required to implement and manage KIX work plan.

Scope of Work

*Goal and Objective*****: Under the overall guidance of the Chief Basic Education and Adolescent Development, and supervision of the ECD Specialist, the national consultant will support the Ministry of Education and Training to implement KIX work plan, write programme activity reports and help in knowledge sharing, undertaking innovation activities and sharing them with KIX hub, GPE and UNICEF HQ.

Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered: The assignment for the consultancy will contribute to the achievement of the 2021-2022 Rolling Work Plan’s Outcome 1 that says By 2023, young children (0 to 9 years), particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from gender responsive health, nutrition and early learning services; and output 1.3 that says By 2023, improved capacity of the Government (Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development) to provide high quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education.

Activities and Tasks: The consultant is expected to undertake the following key activities:

1. Support Advocacy efforts to enhance political will and financing for ECE

• Organize a 2-day BELDS workshop to follow up on progress since BELDS started in 2019 and introduce Knowledge and Innovation Exchange Project (KIX) and the KIX workplan
• Develop a comprehensive ECE advocacy strategy with focus on strengthening parental engagement and support in collaboration with ECE Technical Working Group
• Work with Communication for Development (C4D) Section to implement activities in the ECE advocacy strategy (and target parents, community leaders, policy makers and practitioners).

2. Strengthen capacity in the ECE subsector

• Facilitate conducting of a comprehensive assessment of the capacity required to successfully implement the ECE ESP targets,
• Document lessons learned to improve the capacity assessment tool in the ECE Accelerator Toolkit
• Solicit support from Regional Office and Head Quarters for them to train relevant Ministry of Education and Training officers on using ECE Accelerator Toolkit
• Conduct 4 x 1- day workshops to strengthen the understanding of the ECE TWG and other key stakeholders on the specific building blocks for a strong pre-primary sub-sector.
• Conduct knowledge exchange, webinars, and country exchanges on ECE
• Facilitate conducting of a 2-day regional ECE costing/financing workshops
• Organize a workshop with ECE TWG and planning stakeholders to familiarize themselves with and validate progress on the ECE priorities in the ESP
• Coordinate with ECE TWG members to align efforts in supporting the implementation of ESP ECE priorities
• Work with the ECD Specialist to support LCE and MOET to strengthen the pre-service and in-service teacher training programme with focus on parental engagement

3. Technical support for ECE implementation and/or ECE review and evaluation

• Support Joint Annual Review (JAR) with focus on monitoring implementation of ECE activities as per ESP 2021-2023.

4. Research, knowledge and data generation, documentation of processes

• Write and publish knowledge reports and blogs and share with HQ, KIX Hub and MOET.
• Regularly report on progress made into KIX M&E tracker spreadsheet
• Write at 3 human interest stories
• Write and submit electronic end of consultancy report clearly showing achievements, challenges (if any), and achievable recommendations

Work relationships: The consultant will work under the guidance of the Chief of BEADS (Basic Education and Adolescent Development) and under the supervision of the ECD Specialist in UNICEF. They will also work with Early Childhood Education Technical Working Group (ECE TWG) and with the Ministry of Education and Training officials.

Duration of the contract: 100 days

Key Outputs/Deliverables: Monthly progress report with deliverables as per the KIX work plan and timeframes in alignment with the scope of work as described above, the consultant will be expected to perform the following activities and deliverables as per the schedule and estimated dates in the KIX Work Plan:

Payment Schedule: Payment is based on satisfactory progress report on achieved deliverables mentioned above.

PERFORMANCE INIDICATORS FOR EVALUATION OF RESULTS

The performance of work will be evaluated based on the following indicators:

• Completion of tasks specified in these TOR
• Compliance with the established deadlines for submission of deliverables
• Quality of work

• Demonstration of high standards in cooperation and communication with UNICEF and counterparts

  Desired profile

Education: Bachelor’s Degree to Honours Degree in communication studies/Media studies/journalism, social sciences, early childhood development/education or related fields. Master’s Degree will be an added advantage.

Experience: 5- 10 years of professional technical knowledge and experience in documenting, blog writing, media communications, report writing, using digital platforms innovatively to produce reports with graphs and various media and uploading them, workshops facilitation and organization or events management.

Competencies: Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing in both English and Sesotho, to varied audiences; is results-driven and a team player; able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment and experience of working under pressure and delivering results; effective use of digital platforms, social media and virtual platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom for effective virtual communication with partners, RO and HQ, crucial in this era of COVID-19.

Language: Fluency in Sesotho and English.

Administrative issues

The consultant is expected to be based in Lesotho. The consultant will work from the UNICEF Lesotho Country Office premises, pending the return to office strategy for consultants and as per the approved footprint plan for the BEAD section and office, keeping COVID-19 safety and preventative measures in mind. If the footprint plan does not allow working from UNICEF premises, the consultant will work from home.

5. As per policy on contractors and individual consultants, the consultant will be expected to complete a list of mandatory training, including policies on Prohibiting and Combatting Fraud and Corruption; Prohibition of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority and other relevant policies for their information and acknowledgment. Within 5 days of the contract commencement, the consultant/individual contractor is requested to complete the applicable mandatory trainings.
6. The consultant will provide own laptop and cell phone.
7. The consultant will be provided with working space in the UNICEF Lesotho country office, but a proportion of the consultant’s time will be spent at the Ministry of Education and Training which is a walking distance from the UNICEF office.
8. The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
9. No consultant may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant
10. The consultant is not entitled to payment for overtime, weekends or public holidays, medical insurance and taxes.
11. During the contract period, the consultant may travel within the country. Travel expenses for official in-country trips, including living costs, will be covered in accordance with UNICEF’s rules and tariffs, by the consultant and reimbursed against actuals, unless otherwise agreed. No travel should take place without an email travel authorization from BEAD section prior to the commencement of the journey from the duty station.
12. Standard UNICEF procedures will apply for invoicing and all other financial management requirements set out in the contract.
13. Standard penalty clauses will also apply for late and poor-quality deliverables. The supervisor of the contract will provide the consultant with the criteria for the evaluation of the quality of each deliverable.
14. Additional details of UNICEF rules, regulations and conditions will be attached to the contract.

15. The consultant will be required to sign the Health Statement for consultants/individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to share an appropriate proof of health insurance (including covering COVID-19), including Medical Evacuation.

    Risks

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are requested to complete an application including profile to the respective advertisement on https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/.

Please indicate your ability, availability and your detailed, all inclusive financial proposal / quote to complete the terms of reference above. Applications without financial proposal will not be considered.

If you have not been contacted within 2 months of the closing date please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.

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.

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.