National Consultant - Coordinating Development and Review of Open Learning Materials (Open to Myanmar Nationals Only)

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, An Education

UNICEF Myanmar

Scope of Work

UNICEF seeks to hire an individual consultant to coordinate and contribute to quality assurance and review of lower secondary level open learning materials. Under the guidance of an Education Specialist, the overall purpose of the consultant is to:

• Support UNICEF Myanmar Country Office to efficiently carry out quality assurance of the lower secondary-level long-term open learning materials
• Coordinate efforts for the review process across UNICEF team members x Liaise with external stakeholders as needed, and compile their inputs to the review
• Contribute a technical educational perspective as well as editing/proofreading to the review of the materials

The consultant will receive orientation on the long-term open learning materials from the Education Specialist and other relevant team members upon contract.

This will be a full-time consultancy. The duration will be for 11 months from December 2022 to November 2023. The individual consultant will deliver on the following key activities.

1. Review and identify lessons learned from the quality assurance process for the primary-level open learning materials.
2. Facilitate the development of common standards for inclusive education and other technical components for review as relevant, gathering inputs from technical experts within and outside of UNICEF.
3. Maintain a glossary of key terminology, especially for reference by all when translating the materials to Myanmar language.
4. Assist in identifying contributors to the quality assurance in the UNICEF team, and follow up to receive their comments by set deadlines.
5. Support gathering contributions to quality assurance from external stakeholders when relevant, ensure these are compiled, shared, and followed up on in an effective manner.
6. Support the organization of pilot tests of the materials, including consolidating and reviewing feedback from pilot test participants
7. Review a substantial portion of the long term open learning materials, both from educational perspective and for editing/proofreading
8. Maintain an updated file with the review status for each of the materials being developed.
9. Keep records of the locations of all soft copy files, and ensure the most updated version is available to UNICEF team members

The consultant is expected to present her/his overall approach to coordination of the review at the beginning of the consultancy, including identifying common standards to be met throughout the review; these will be presented and agreed with the learning materials development team. The consultant will need to consider how to compile reviews of stakeholders external to UNICEF at several points, and will have a role supporting compilation and sharing of this feedback in an efficient manner. Throughout the consultancy, deliverables will track progress of the review and the consultant’s contribution to it.

The long-term open-learning materials which will be developed include workbooks to cover 30 weeks of learning in two subjects, for three step levels (aligned and supplementary to three grade levels). Accompanying the workbooks are answer sheets for use by facilitators or parents/caregivers, as well as audio for each lesson. Additional audio and visual materials will also be developed to assist children, parents/caregivers and facilitators in most effectively using the materials.

The consultant will support coordination for reviewing all these materials, and will review a substantial amount her/himself.

Duty Station:

Assignment to be carried out remotely/ home-based.

Duration of the contract:

11 months, full-time.

How can you make a difference?

Tasks 1:

• Kick off meeting with UNICEF x Review existing open learning materials
• Discussion with key UNICEF staff and stakeholders on lessons learned from first round of open learning material review
• Present proposed approach for review of open learning materials and timeline

Deliverables 1:

Inception report to include at minimum:

• Open learning materials reviewed
• List of discussions held with UNICEF, long-term open learning materials contractor, and other relevant stakeholders
• Key lessons learned from above discussions
• Proposed approach for review of open learning materials
• Workplan

Timeline: 19 December 2022

Tasks 2:

Develop standards and guidance to be used throughout the review process, including:

• Coordinate the development of UNICEF guidance on standards which will be used in review of open learning materials for their adherence to inclusive education (i.e. gender sensitivity, disability inclusion); the consultant will facilitate inputs of UNICEF focal points and technical partners
• Begin the development of a glossary of standard terms and translations to Myanmar language, to be used as a standard for editing and proofreading throughout the review

Deliverables 2:

• Guidance on review standards for inclusive education approach
• First working draft of glossary for translation of key terms to Myanmar language

Timeline: 18 January 2023

Tasks 3:

• Review the open learning materials for educational approach and for proofreading/editing
• Confirm that revised materials from contractor have addressed all comments
• Coordinate getting and compiling comments from others contributing to the review
• Maintain a tracking spreadsheet with updated status of review across all open learning materials

Timeline:

Monthly reports detailing status of review, including the materials reviewed that month by consultant, description of coordination of others’ feedback, and any challenges and solutions

Timeline: Every month for 9 months

Tasks 4:

• Compile all final files related to the open learning materials review
• Identify any lessons learned and recommendations for review processes for any further rounds of open learning materials development

Deliverables 4:

Final report summarizing achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for review of open learning materials

Timeline: 3 November 2023

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

• Bachelors degree in Education and Social Sciences background or any other relevant field is a minimum requirement.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred. However, in lieu of specific academic degrees, relevant experience may be considered an asset to support this requirement
• 5 years or more experience working in education, project management, or in a similar area of work
• Familiarity with child-centred approaches to education
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of curriculum and teaching methodology
• Knowledge of the existing education situation in Myanmar
• Attention to detail, including ability to keep detailed records
• Demonstrated ability and experience in coordination, and able to work as a team is required
• Highly skilled in interpersonal communication both when speaking and writing to others
• Experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) and Google Drive, Documents, and Sheets
• Fluency in English and Myanmar language is a minimum requirement
• Experience of previously working with the UN or an international organization is preferred

Please complete and attach the following Expression of Interest Form in your applications: 131022 Expression of Interest_Coordination of LT OLR_v2.doc

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:

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.