National Consultant -- Coordination support for gender-responsive pedagogy training in Lao PDR

Contract

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**OVERVIEW** ------------ Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED) Duty Station: Bangkok Classification of duty station: \[\[filter12\]\] Standard Duration of Assignement : \[\[filter13\]\] Job Family: Education Type of contract : Non Staff Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months Recruitment open to : External candidates Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 07-NOV-2023 (EXTENDED) UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism **OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST** ----------------------------------------- **Nature of the Consultancy** To work closely with an international individual specialist (identified by UNESCO) and coordinate and provide technical support to a local team of technical experts in Lao PDR[\[1\]](#_ftn1) in customizing a training package on gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP) for teacher educators, developing/adapting a training agenda and supporting the subsequent delivery of the training workshop. Specific deliverables of the consultancy will include: (i) a finalized agenda for an initial workshop for customizing the GRP teacher-educator training package, in the Lao language; (ii) reviewed GRP training workshop materials, (i.e. presentations, activity/assignment sheets, training and feedback tools) which have been translated into Lao language; (iii) a customization workshop outcome report that reflects key agreements and feedback received to finalize relevant documents in Lao language for the GRP training workshop; and, (iv) an overall GRP training workshop report in English and Lao languages that documents the workshop process and key outcomes. - - - - - - [\[1\]](#_ftnref1) The local team of technical experts in Lao PDR (approx. 7 to 10 persons) shall comprise a national Individual Specialist (to be recruited by UNESCO within the scope of this ToR), representatives of the Department of Teacher Education (DTE) and selected teacher education institutions (TEIs), and secondary-level schoolteachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). **1. Background and Rationale** In the global Call to Action on Advancing Gender Equality and Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment in and through Education, that emerged from the UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit (New York, September 2022), governments at national and sub-national levels are called upon to transform education by increasing attention to and investment in – among others – teacher capacity for gender-transformative education. Teacher specialization, professional preparation and support all play critical roles in providing transformative education that enables gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment. This is the case for pre- and in-service teachers and their teacher educators who all require preparation and occasional upskilling for their respective roles, whether for mainstreaming gender in their diverse subject disciplines and classroom pedagogy, or for delivering gender-transformative curricula that teaches explicitly about gender and focuses on social and emotional learning for shaping gender-equitable knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. In addition, teachers represent some of the first, strongest role models for students outside the family, challenging harmful gender stereotypes and promoting positive beliefs about women’s abilities, their rights and their choices, be it for their preferred academic progression and future career or for their decisions about their bodies, reproductive health and inter-personal relationships. Enhancing skills of teachers and teacher educators in gender-responsive pedagogy is a powerful strategy for achieving quality education that is gender-equitable and transformative. Gender-Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) refers to teaching and learning processes that encourage equal participation and involvement of students of all genders (girls, boys and gender-diverse), and which takes into account their respective, specific interests, learning styles and needs. In connection with the above, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), in collaboration with the Lao PDR Department of Teacher Education (DTE) and participating local Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) will support the delivery of a national training of teacher educators on gender-responsive pedagogy. The overall goal is to strengthen the capacity of the education system to provide gender-transformative education by enhancing the teacher workforce in this regard. The specific objectives of the GRP teacher-educator training are to: • enhance the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of teacher educators for gender equality in and through education, that are replicated in both their teaching practice and their student teachers; • deepen understanding of the concept of gender-responsive pedagogy, and effective practices in teacher education that ensure that all student teachers acquire this transversal professional competency; • develop practical skills of teacher educators – especially those responsible for training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) – in different aspects of gender-responsive pedagogy, to ensure equal learning participation by students of all genders, and to address harmful gender norms through the teaching and learning process; and, • build a cohort of teacher trainee graduates that enters the workforce adequately trained to apply gender-responsive pedagogy across STEM subjects and CSE, at the secondary education level. This training will target a maximum 40 participants, primarily drawn from selected TEIs, including Teacher Training Colleges (TTC; maximum 8) and University Faculties of Education (FoE; minimum 2). In particular, personnel who teach the following subjects will be targeted: o Life Skills Education; o Applied Sciences (e.g. biology, environment); and, o Technology and ICT The targeted participants of this training will also include the lead trainers of comprehensive sexuality education, especially where this profile may overlap with the subject-teaching roles listed above. To coordinate a co-creation process among a local team of technical experts in Lao PDR and an international individual specialist (lead consultant) for customizing a training package on GRP for teacher-educators and then co-delivering with a local individual specialist the GRP training workshop, UNESCO Bangkok seeks the services of a suitably experienced and qualified national individual specialist. **2. Work Assignment:** Under the overall authority of the Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), the overall guidance of the Chief of Section for Inclusive Quality Education, and the direct supervision of the Regional Advisor on Education for Health and Well-being, the national Individual Specialist shall coordinate a co-creation process among a local team of technical experts in Lao PDR and an international individual specialist (lead consultant) for customizing a training package on GRP for teacher-educators and then co-delivering with the international individual specialist the GRP training workshop. The national Individual Specialist is required to work closely with the international Individual Specialist (identified by UNESCO) throughout the process. The coordinated tasks of the national and international Individual Specialists and the deliverables can be found in [Annex 1](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HQOqwhDynDRo4jX-zwDceqPUM4__whpT/view?usp=share_link). The national Individual Specialist, in collaboration with the international Individual Specialist and the local team of technical experts, shall specifically perform the following tasks: 1\. Prior to the workshops/meetings and any other identified activities: o Review the existing training resources that have been curated by UNESCO Bangkok, particularly in the Lao language, and further advise as to any additional content to be selected for the purpose of consulting with the local team of technical experts on the content of the GRP training package in order to meet the specific training objectives; o Facilitate the coordination between the international Individual Specialist and the local team of technical experts; o Assist the international individual specialist in designing and implementing an approach to, and simple diagnostic tool for assessing the current knowledge, skills, values and perceptions of teacher educators in the participating TEIs in relation to GRP, in order to inform the overall scope, focus areas and relevant activities of the training package and training agenda; o Co-create an agenda for an initial workshop (estimated at 2 ½ days; hybrid format) for customizing the GRP teacher-educator training package with the international Individual Specialist, the local team of technical experts and key local partners working in gender equality in and through education and school-based delivery of CSE and STEM curricula; as well as translate the agenda into the Lao language; o Support the international individual specialist in preparing workshop materials, in consultation with the identified international Individual Specialist, particularly the presentations, activity/assignment sheets, training and feedback tools, as necessary; indicate to UNESCO Bangkok any additional digital and non-digital requirements for enabling efficient workshop delivery; o Review the translated workshop materials that require translations from English to Lao languages (translator to be identified by UNESCO). 2\. During the workshops/meetings and any other identified activities: 2.i The initial customization workshop. o Co-facilitate in person with the international Individual Specialist (remotely), the delivery – in hybrid modality, of the agenda of the initial customization workshop to determine the content of the GRP teacher-educator training package and to co-create the training workshop agenda. The national Individual Specialist and the local participants of the workshop will be together in-person; o Co-facilitate with the international Individual Specialist, the assessment of the original training content by workshop participants to determine any changes to language, data, examples, etc., or other adaptations required to make the training content more contextually-responsive; o Co-facilitate with the international Individual Specialist, the assessment of the original training content for identification by workshop participants of any training content gaps for which any new content requires drafting by appropriate members of the local team of technical experts; o Ensure capacity-building of the local team of technical experts through learning by doing, and encourage their full participation throughout the customization process and to create a sense of ownership of the GRP training package and training workshop. 2.ii The GRP teacher-educator training workshop: o Co-facilitate in person with the identified international Individual Specialist during the face-to-face GRP teacher-educator training workshop (minimum 5 consecutive days); o Ensure capacity building of the teacher educators through learning by doing, and encourage their full participation throughout the training process. 2.iii Both the initial customization workshop and the GRP teacher-educator training workshop o Participate in daily debrief meetings with UNESCO Bangkok and the local team of technical experts, as appropriate to reflect on the progress or challenges of the day and agree on any adjustments to the training activities or agenda. 3\. After the workshops/meetings and any other identified activities: 3.i The initial customization workshop. o Review and provide comments on the draft document(s); o Review the Lao translated version of the GRP training package and training workshop agenda on the basis of the agreements of the initial customization workshop; o Develop a customization workshop outcome report that reflects key agreements and feedback received to finalize relevant documents in Lao language, under the technical guidance of the international Individual Specialist. 3.ii The GRP teacher-educator training workshop: o Transcribe and synthesize the training feedback in the Lao language from the workshop participants, and translate it into English for the use of the international Individual Specialist; Develop an overall training workshop report that documents the workshop process and key outcomes, as a record of the activity, under the technical guidance of the international Individual Specialist. In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, the Individual Specialist is expected to integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible. Long Description ---------------- **3. Work Schedule and Expected Deliverables** The national Individual Specialist shall submit to UNESCO Bangkok the following deliverables: No. Deliverables Timeline 1 A finalized agenda for an initial workshop for customizing the GRP teacher-educator training package, in the Lao language; 20 November 2023 2 A customization workshop outcome report that reflects key agreements and feedback received to finalize relevant documents in Lao language; 29 December 2023 3 Reviewed GRP training workshop materials, particularly the presentations, activity/assignment sheets, training and feedback tools, which have been translated into Lao language; 9 February 2024 4 An overall GRP training workshop report in English and Lao languages that documents the workshop process and key outcomes (max 20, A4 pages per report language), 8 March 2024 Long Description ---------------- All deliverables shall be submitted to UNESCO Bangkok in either English or Lao. Consolidated feedback from UNESCO Bangkok will be provided to the national Individual Specialist within two weeks from the submission date of each deliverable. To the extent possible, the national Individual Specialist shall reflect comments and suggested modifications. **4. Duration of contract:** The national Individual Specialist will be required to work during the period 7 November 2023 to 15 March 2024 (tentatively). The contract shall be concluded by 20 March 2024 at the latest. **5. Location and travel:** The national Individual Specialist will primarily be home based in any location, working remotely. The national Individual Specialist should be available to meet with the UNESCO Bangkok team (online) during office hours of Bangkok, Thailand. The national Individual Specialist may be required to travel on mission directly related to programme/projects and implementation during the assignment. The national Individual Specialist should travel within the country and receive DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). However, lower rates may be paid where negotiated by the staff member responsible for the contract. DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The national Individual Specialist is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations. Travel-related expenses (e.g. travel costs and DSA) must be fixed and agreed between the parties. Long Description ---------------- **6. Supervision and reporting** The national Individual Specialist will be directly supervised by, and report to the Regional Advisor on Education for Health and Well-being, UNESCO Bangkok, in coordination with the Programme Coordinator responsible for the Capacity Development for Education (CapED) in Lao PDR Programme. In addition to submission of contract deliverables, the national Individual Specialist will routinely engage with the Regional Advisor and members of the Education for Health and Well-being team and the CapED team through emails and virtual meetings. Upon commencing the consultancy, the national Individual Specialist will participate in an initial online meeting with UNESCO Bangkok to reconfirm the parameters of the consultancy and to update, as needed, the consultancy approach to work and timeline, to define required sub-tasks and interim outputs to be carried out as national Individual Specialist and the supportive inputs required from UNESCO Bangkok and collaborating partners on the respective country-level activities. UNESCO will provide the national Individual Specialist with: • Curated GRP training materials or other evidence-based operational guidance on GRP, in English and Lao languages; • Timely guidance and feedback in relation to relevant tasks as needed; • Coordination, liaison and communication support, where needed, with the international Individual Specialist and relevant government and non-government education partners in the project country. **7. Eligibility** The consultancy is open to suitably qualified individuals. **COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)** ------------------------------------ Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) Professionalism (C) **-** ----- For detailed information, please consult the [UNESCO Competency Framework](https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/competency_framework_e.pdf). **REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS** --------------------------- ***Education*** • An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in fields such as: general education, teacher education, gender-transformative education, gender equality, sexuality education, pure and applied or social sciences or other, relevant fields. ***Work Experience*** • A minimum of three (3) years of extensive professional expertise, practical involvement and field experience in any of the pertinent technical domains mentioned above. Submission of a minimum two (2) references from projects in the field showcasing proficiency in these subject areas is mandatory. • Experience in the development of training content and materials for adult learners. ***Skills/Competencies*** • Excellent analytical, oral and written communication skills, including the production of written content for both specialist and generalist audiences. • Experience in participatory workshop design, facilitation and evaluation (in-person and remote modalities) • IT infrastructure, software and devices to support remote meetings, communication and online/digital data collection, as appropriate. • Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite or similar common applications. ***Languages*** • Fluency in spoken and written Lao and English. **DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS** ---------------------------- ***Work Experience*** • Strong understanding of UNESCO’s mandate in gender equality in and through education • Experience working in the Lao PDR context and demonstrated understanding of gender-transformative curricula, teaching and learning • Prior experience of working with teacher educators or teacher training institutions • Previous experience working with the UN and/or other multilateral, bilateral and civil society development partners. • Previous exposure to diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, involving coordination with partners in this operational setting. **APPLICATION PROCESS** ----------------------- **Submission of Application** Interested individuals are invited to submit the application and requirements through the UNESCO Careers website at [https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl ](https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl%C2%A0) Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and download and complete the Employment History form (Word document) in ‘Employment History Form / My Documents’. Before uploading the document, at the end of the Word document, please insert the extra pages with the following required information: • An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment. • Short Approach to work (maximum 3, A4 pages) identifying the specific components of these TORs and how the intended objectives/outputs/delivery shall be addressed, and including specific references to relevant examples of successfully undertaking equivalent or comparable assignments. • Consultancy fee, quoted in US dollars as a lump sum with breakdown according to level of effort/ time-on-task or per output. UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money. The complete application shall be submitted on or before **3 November 2023 (Midnight Paris time)**. Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted. Queries of a technical nature about these TORS may be directed to: [[email protected] ](mailto:[email protected]%20) **SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS** ------------------------------------- Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the [UNESCO careers website.](https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl) No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. **Footer** ---------- UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States ([last update here](https://en.unesco.org/careers/geographicaldistribution)) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.