Local Consultancy with travel: Senior Education Consultant, Bratislava, Slovak Republic (68 days between March and August 2024)

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.

For every child, education

As of 8 January 2024, more than 114,000 refugees from Ukraine are recorded in Slovakia. Approximately 37,061 are children aged 0-17. As of 31 October 2023, 11,990 Ukrainian children are enrolled in schools and kindergartens across Slovakia (1,887 in kindergartens; 7,779 in primary schools; 2,324 in secondary schools, including special schools). This means that about two-thirds of children are not in school.

Based on data from the November 2023 Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) conducted by UNHCR, in the academic year 2022/2023, 68% of school-age children reported having been enrolled and attending school in Slovakia. 75% of children reported accessing distance learning in Ukraine, while overall 48% of children reported attending both in-person schooling and online education. Furthermore, the State School Inspectorate’s report of 2023 highlights a few challenges to the integration of Ukrainian children: language learning is still priority, schools need professional (psychological, special-educational and socio-pedagogical) support in the Ukrainian language, teaching assistants in Ukrainian language are needed, learning support for Ukrainian pupils needs to be strengthened, schools needs to provide students with appropriate learning materials, provide teachers with quality professional development and support in working with foreign pupils.

As the uncertainties of the war in Ukraine persist and given that sustained periods of online education may lead to social isolation, mental health issues and learning difficulties, it is important to continue efforts to enrol children in schools while at the same time strengthening the quality of education offered to enrolled children. In addition, adolescents and young people need opportunities for quality, inclusive non-formal learning and skills development.

UNICEF is working with national systems and institutions in the Slovak Republic to welcome and integrate Ukrainian children in education, through (1) ensuring supportive school environments in pre-primary, primary and secondary education (including provision of learning supplies; capacity building of teachers around inclusive, safe and intercultural learning environments; capacity building aimed at psychosocial support to students and teachers; acquisition of Slovak language; learning support, etc.); (2) improvement of social inclusion and peer relations through organisation of summer camps, buddy programmes and non-formal learning, etc.; (3) increasing institutional capacities to plan, implement and monitor the integration of Ukrainian learners in education systems; and (4) supporting the expansion of preschool capacities and introduction of diversified early learning provisions in affected/selected municipalities.

UNICEF Slovakia Ukraine Refugee Response Office is seeking a Senior Education Consultant with experience in Education, Early Childhood Development (ECD)/Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) to provide coordination and technical support on the Education, ECD and ADAP refugee responses in the Slovak Republic. The consultant will report to the Emergency Coordinator of UNICEF Slovakia Ukraine Refugee Response Office.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Emergency Coordinator, and in close collaboration with Education, ECD and ADAP colleagues of the Slovakia team, as well as with other colleagues in child protection, health and social policy, the consultant will provide advisory and technical support on the Education, ECD and ADAP refugee responses in Slovakia. More specifically, the consultant will:

1. Support Education Programme Coordination

• Support the establishment of a network of education focal points in municipalities, organize regular monthly meetings and exchange of best practices on education of refugees, inclusive education etc.
• Support education programme monitoring, reporting and documentation

2. Support information sharing and engagement with Youth

• Support City of Bratislava with establishment of Youth Center and deliver capacity building for outreach to Ukrainian community
• Provide strategic and technical guidance on the design and implementation of the CESTY initiative in Slovakia (including advice on the contextualization and feasibility of the programme).
• Provide support to implement key education activities of the UNICEF Slovensko National Committee (anti-bullying in schools and UNICEF Youth Ambassadors)

3. Provide advisory support, technical support, including innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Provide technical advice to key government partners, NGOs, UN system and other partners on strategies and best practices to influence approaches and policies aiming at the inclusion of Ukrainian refugee children and other children from vulnerable groups (as per request for technical assistance from the Government).
• Support the planning and implementation of capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders to promote sustainable results on education, ECD, ADAP and related programmes/projects.

Work assignment overviewDeliverableTimelineSupport Education Programme coordination and monitoring 1. Establishment of a network of education focal points in municipalities, organize regular monthly meetings and exchange of best practices on education of refugees, inclusive education etc. (7 days by 31 March 2024)

2. Programmatic visits and field monitoring visits (related to EDU, ECD and ADAP activities and partnerships) conducted as per plan (5 days by 31 August 2024)

3. Inputs provided for all donor reports and Situation Reports during the consultancy period (3 days by 31 August 2024 )

4. Work of UNICEF in Education, ECD and ADAP documented – Case Study produced (3 days by 31 August 2024)

18 daysSupport information sharing and engagement with Youth1. Support City of Bratislava in establishment of Youth Center and deliver capacity building for outreach to Ukrainian community (5 days by 31 May 2024)

2. CESTY Initiative concept contextualized for East Slovakia (including feasibility of the programme) (7 days by 31 August 2024)

3. Scenario of one day workshop with children in schools developed and NatCom staff trained for implementation (3 days by 30 April 2024)

4. Training developed for Youth Ambassadors of NatCom (5 days by 31 May 2024)

5. ADAP Guidebook for municipalities developed and municipalities trained (5 days by 30 April 2024)

25 daysProvide advisory support, technical support, including innovation, knowledge management and capacity building 1. Technical advice provided to and technical consultations organized with partners and UNICEF staff working on technical support to the MoE in the areas of ECE, inclusive education, drop-out prevention, desegregation, ADAP, etc. (10 days)

2. Technical advice and revisions provided for preparation of the Public Expenditure Review in Education (jointly with Social Policy) (5 days)

3. Content of trainings for teachers revised and inputs provided (3 days)

4. Back to school campaign organized with partners for the new school year 2024-2025 (7 days)

   25 days, by 31 August 2024Estimated Duration of the Contract

68 working days between mid- March and end August 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be office-based in the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Bratislava, Slovakia.

As part of this assignment, several travels within Slovakia are foreseen (2 trips for programmatic visits and field monitoring, 1 travel for the case study, 2 trips for the CESTY initiative, 2 travels for technical consultations). The consultant will arrange their travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed based on actuals.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned 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.

Please submit a cover letter, CV and financial proposal (in EUR) based on 68 working days to undertake this assignment. Please do not include travel fees as these will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

Required:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education, Early Childhood Development, Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Social Sciences, Pedagogy or other related field
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience in programme planning, management, research in Education, ECD/ECE, ADAP or a similar field.
• Understanding of global Education, ECD and ADAP agendas.
• Experience working within refugee settings.
• Experience working with state and NGO partners.
• Fluency in English.
• Experience working with or in UN organization.
• Experience in a high-income context

Desired:

• Understanding of policies and strategies to address issues related to resilience and conflict situations
• Fluency in Slovak 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 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:

Please include a full CV, Cover Letter and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and professional fee (in EUR) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a proposed professional fee will not be considered.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.