National Consultancy - Learning Passport Tech Specialist, Freetown, 11.5 months

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, Innovation.

Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and here

How can you make a difference?

Background

UNICEF Sierra Leone, in partnership with DSTI and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has launched the Learning Passport (LP) in 2022 to promote a digital future for learning and skills development in Sierra Leone. The Learning Passport is an Online, Mobile, and Offline Platform that enables continuous access to quality education and learning material that serves local, contextualized content as well as global supplementary resources to support learners and educators in Sierra Leone.

Purpose and objective of the assignment:

With the establishment of DSTI by the Government of Sierra Leone, increase focus on the use of innovative approaches to tackle some of the problems facing children and young people in Sierra Leone has become possible. UNICEF aims to support the Government of Sierra Leone to operationalize the Learning Passport and, specifically, to roll it out to empower learners and educators in Sierra Leone.

Therefore, UNICEF seeks the short-term support of a Technical Specialist with experience in information management systems (IMS), Learning Management Systems (LMS), or similar to aid in this process.

The Learning Passport Tech Specialist reports to the Innovation Specialist for general guidance and direction. The Learning Passport Tech Specialist supports the technical planning, managing, monitoring and administration of the Learning Passport program activities carried out by UNICEF Sierra Leone.

Scope of Work:

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Innovation Specialist, the post has the following key functions/accountabilities:

• Monitor and administer all instances of the Sierra Leone Learning Passport to enable maximum availability and usage of the platform to Learners and Educators.
• Upload approved content and organize content in the correct categories.
• Support technically, the deployment and operation of UNICEF nominated Digital Learning Hubs, and other programs, running the Learning Passport, particularly Offline Hubs.
• Support the analyzing of data from Learning Passport instances.
• Support knowledge management, monitoring and reporting activities related to the Learning Passport, including the sending of bi-weekly Learning Passport reports to relevant stakeholders.
• Support UNICEF’s role as a convener to develop the Learning Passport strategy and partnership(s) at country level.
• Provide management and monitoring on programmatic delivery of results.
• Support the mobilizing of resources to enable scale up of Learning Passport in Sierra Leone.
• Work effectively with existing partnerships, including with government, and support developing new opportunities in public and private sector.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical administration for all instances of the Sierra Leone Learning Passport.
• Ensure availability of relevant content on all instances of the Sierra Leone Learning Passport.
• Design & implement on-site technical support visits to designated Learning Passport sites.
• Assist in the drafting and sending of bi-weekly and ad-hoc progress update(s) on the Learning Passport instances to relevant parties, internal and external.
• Create reports for UNICEF Sierra Leone including overview of results and analytics from all the Learning Passport instances.
• Maintain the operation and content on all UNICEF supported Learning Passport Offline Hubs
• Support technical capacity exchange with Learning Passport partners, primarily Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
• Contribute to making the Learning Passport accessible for children with disabilities and children in remote areas.

Please see attached ToR for detailed information ToR - Learning Passport Tech Specialist.pdf

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

• An advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in ICT, Technology, Education, or other relevant field, or A first university degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant field (such as ICT, Technology, Education, or youth innovation) combined with additional 2 years of professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 5 years working experience in ICT, Technology, Education, or another relevant field.
• Experience in working on the planning, rollout, and administration of an IMS or LMS based projects/programmes, is an asset.
• Experience in deploying digital platforms, tools and approaches.
• Experience working with Government is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required, strong written and verbal competency is necessary.

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 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 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:

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.