****Purpose of Activity/Assignment:**** As part of the Kosovo Programme for the period 2021-2025, UNICEF focuses on the significant challenges facing children, adolescents and youth at different stages of their growth and development, including with specific focus on quality and inclusive education.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the context and parameters for education overnight, making all schools have to adapt to digital solutions initially overnight. In this context, UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) in rethinking e-education and education overall, with an ambitious vision for blended and distance learning through the adaptation of the Learning Passport to the Kosovo context.

The Learning Passport was initially developed by UNICEF in partnership with Microsoft and the University of Cambridge to provide learning, quality and portability for children whose education has been disrupted by emergencies. It provides continued access to formal and non-formal education curriculums, online. In addition, supplementary content can be populated and offered alongside the curriculum, including digital materials created by Ministries of Education and partners (i.e. content that relates to the curriculum, or alternative content like COVID-19 messaging, digital skills content, etc.).

Through this consultancy, UNICEF will support the establishment of the new digital education division. The Technical service consultant will be placed within the MESTI premises and as such respecting all the MESTI rules and regulations and will collaborate closely with the additional local Learning Passport consultant responsible for the digital and inclusive pedagogy in MESTI.

Scope of Work for the Individual consultancy:

Under the overall supervision of the Education Specialist (UNICEF) and the Director of Pre-University Education within MESTI, as well as through regular consultations with Learning Passport Global Team (UNICEF HQ), the Technical service consultant is required to provide assistance and support to advancing the digital education agenda through enabling and supporting the scaling up and full utilization of the Learning Passport Digital platform and shkollat.org, Kosovo wide, serving as a tool for blended learning approach with a purpose to be used during and beyond pandemic with COVID -19. In addition, the consultant will assist the process of the creation of the new digital division within MESTI.

****Key expected outputs include:**** - Compile, present and support the implementation of the technical aspects of the action plan for operationalization of the Learning passport with clear instructions from the needs assessment for digital ecosystem which is in the process of being conducted by the University of Prishtina. - Close collaboration and coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office with focus on aligning digitalization plans with government strategies. - Deploy additional produced and digitized education learning lessons and video materials by the MESTI for grades 1 to 12 into the Kosovo Learning Passport platform. - Develop and integrate additional video tutorials/instructions for teachers and students on using the Learning Passport and shkollat.org education platform in case they are needed during the engagement period. - Develop and integrate a Monitoring and evaluation framework within the Learning Passport such as registration of students, tracking of individual and class progress through learning pathways and others as relevant. - Regular finetuning and maintenance of the Learning Passport online education system in coordination with MESTI officials - Provide reports on the use of the platform for MESTI officials, school directors and municipal officials and UNICEF (bi- weekly basis) - Documentation of the entire process of implementation, with all the support and assistance provided including challenges and issues faced. - Proper handover and smooth transition of the Learning Passport platform and shkollat.org including on the job facilitation for new focal points and maintenance to the MESTI to be carried towards the end of the engagement.

Work Assignment Overview

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Compile, present and implement the technical aspects of the action plan for operationalization of the Learning passport with clear instructions from the needs assessment for digital ecosystem which is in the process of being conducted by the University of Prishtina.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Action plan developed, shared with MESTI and UNICEF team that will serve for better implementation purposes of the Learning Passport at the school level.

Timeline: October 2021

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Support collaboration and coordination between MESTI and Prime Minister’s Office to align digitalization plans with government strategies through close collaboration with the Prime Minister Office.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** MESTI digitalization plans aligned with government strategies.

****Timeline:**** November 2021-February 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Deploy and upload education learning lessons and video learning lessons for pre- to university education in close collaborations with the MESTI responsible departments

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support.

****Timeline:**** September 2021 – September 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Develop and integrate additional video tutorials/instructions for teachers, and students on using the Learning Passport, M365E and shkollat.org education platform in case they are needed during the engagement period.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Video tutorials /instructions uploaded as per the needs and request by MESTI; Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks,

challenges, and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

****Timeline:**** September 2021 – August 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Maintain regularly the Learning Passport, M365E and shkollat.org education platform.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

Timeline:

September 2021 – September 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Serve as focal point and troubleshot manager for all users in Kosovo, mainly by creation of new users, cleaning of multiple users, creation of schools, groups (classes) and all related tasks on School Data Sync

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

****Timeline:**** September 2021 to February 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Work in close collaboration with MESTI including Municipal Education Directorates (MEDs), and school directors and relevant representatives to collect the necessary data from School level in order to clean, create and maintain the users that are created through school data sync.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress in coordination with National Policies for opening of official email accounts (Agency of Informatics Society/AIS), bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

****Timeline:**** September 2021 – September 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Provide technical assistance and support all requests in regard to Learning Passport, M365E and shkollat.org received via email [email protected] or via phone calls

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

Timeline:

September 2021 – September 2022

Provide technical assistance and support all requests in regard to Learning Passport, M365E and shkollat.org received via email ndihma@shkollat.org or via phone calls

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Develop and integrate Monitoring and evaluation framework within the Learning Passport such as registration of students, tracking of progress through learning pathways and others as relevant and others as relevant.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monitoring and evaluation framework developed, integrated and is fully functional

****Timeline:**** November 2021-January 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Support and provide additional information, inputs for drafting reports to be shared with internal and external stakeholders of the earning Passport M365E (MESTI, MEDs and UNICEF)

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

****Timeline:**** September 2021 – September 2022

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Assist MESTI in close collaboration with Learning Passport content consultant on drafting the documents based on Information Technology Service Management /TIL and other actions to support the establishment of the new Digital Education Division of MESTI while transferring knowledge and know-how to the recruited new staff of the new Digital Education Division.

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges, and actions taken in relation to MESTI support

****Timeline:**** November 2021 – September 2022

Minimum Qualifications required:

Masters

****Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:**** - Senior ICT Consultant with experience in largescale – solution architect: - Bachelor degree in information technology, computer engineering, management from an accredited academic institution is required - At least eight (8) years of professional work experience in Technology related projects – proven with CV and projects with contact details in CV - A certificate as specialist for implementation and maintenance of SQL databases or MCSE: Data or proven experience working with above databases. Management and Analytics or other related SQL certification from vendor (a copy of certificate to be attached with the application pack), - A certificate regarding web-application such as certificate in NET Framework or MCSE Web Applications by Microsoft (a copy of certificate to be attached with the application pack), or proven experience working with .NET and/or MCSE Web. - Excellent technical understanding and familiarity with information management systems (to be proven with CV and project that are managed) - Excellent communication abilities, in both written and oral forms. - Demonstrated ability and experience in coordination, and able to work under pressure is required. - Fluency in English and Albanian is a minimum requirement.

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org