National Consultant: Education Consultant- Digital and Innovation, Kathmandu, Nepal (Open for Nepali nationals and internationals)

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, result

Nepal has made significant progress in improving access to schools and achieving universal primary education, there are still thousands of children out of school across the country. In 2020, the gross enrolment rates for grades one to five, had increased to 119.3 per cent, however, this decreased slightly in 2021 (118.2). This progress is unevenly distributed with the majority of the out-of-school children belonging to disadvantaged ethnic and caste groups, particularly girls and children with disabilities. At the beginning of 2020, a shocking 8.4 per cent of students in grade 5 could only meet the grade-level reading proficiency as defined by the Government , and the average score of these students on numeracy was 37.2 per cent, with some provinces (Karnali and Sudurpachhim Provinces) scoring an average as low as 25 per cent (ERO, 2020). Weaknesses in access, ethnic diversity and multiple spoken languages in communities and the quality of teaching have been further exacerbated by the extended school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving rise to worrying learning losses among the country’s most disadvantaged children. Initial analysis of pre and post Covid data done by ERO, identified an overall loss of 26% across all five core subjects which include numeracy and literacy skills. It should be noted that this would be proportionally higher for vulnerable groups like children from remote communities who had little or no access to alternative learning opportunities during school closures and children with disabilities.

Digital learning is an important priority under the SESP and also a key intervention under the new country programme for UNICEF. One of the key objectives in the SESP states the “proper management of ICT tools and digital learning resources and capacity building of teachers on embedding ICT as an integral part of teaching and learning”. The SESP also aims to set up data centres and digital laboratories to expand the use of ICT in learning. This includes the training for teachers and staff through blended modes and developing interactive digital resources for different grades, interactive digital materials for people with different forms of disabilities and ensuring the provision of digital copies of curriculum and textbooks. As part of our support to the government, UNICEF will provide technical assistance to support the implementation of different digital learning initiatives including the capacity building of teachers on blended learning pedagogies.

Purpose of the Assignment:

Under the supervision of the Education Specialist (NOC), the consultant will conduct the following activities:

• Provide administrative and technical guidance to schools and non-formal centers to implement digital learning initiatives
• Support the planning, deployment and implementation of digital learning initiatives in participating education institutions and non-formal learning centers
• Build pedagogical capacity of teachers and facilitators on digital learning.
• Monitor and generate evidence on UNICEF Nepal’s digital learning initiatives.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following activities:

• Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of UNICEF’s digital innovations focusing on language learning, teacher capacity, and accessible digital textbooks, coordinating with partners and ensuring adequate in-school supervision is implemented.
• Liaise with the implementing partners and local governments to ensure timely set up of these digital learning initiatives.
• Set up and update a project management tool that includes timeline, activities, responsibilities, milestones, budget, expenses, risks and mitigation actions, to ensure activities are completed on time, on budget, and with the expected quality;
• Write a monthly update with key implementation and progress information.
• Document the planning, testing, and delivery of digital learning initiatives, including challenges, good practices, and lessons learned;
• Liaise with CEHRD, CDC and other stakeholders on implementing the accessible digital textbooks initiative.
• Provide technical and administrative support to implementing partners, schools, non-formal learning centres and local governments to conduct workshops and orientation sessions on the different digital learning initiatives.
• Work closely with the Education team to develop implementation plans for UNICEF’s digital initiatives.
• Provide technical assistance to ensure schools and non-formal learning centres implement the digital learning initiatives effectively.
• Work closely with the selected schools to ensure the digital language labs are set up and functional.
• Provide technical inputs to observe and monitor teacher training sessions on blended learning
• Support the management, oversight, and coordination of partnerships (with government and civil society) and related contracts (IT enterprise, Telecommunications, private sector)
• Work closely with field offices and implementing partners to ensure teachers and facilitators receive on-going support to implement blended learning teaching practices in classrooms.
• Follow up with implementing partners and local governments to ensure proper implementation of digital learning activities.
• Monitor activities and document evidence that includes at least one human interest story/case study per quarter.

Duration of Contract: The total duration of the contract is for 12 months tentatively starting from 14 July 2024.

Duty Station: The consultant will be based in Kathmandu with regular travel to the field.

Deliverables:

Tasks/Milestone:****Deliverables****Timeline****Proposed Fee- Liaise with Education team, field office, CEHRD, CDC and partners to develop an implementation plan and timelines on the implementation of UNICEF Nepal’s digital innovation initiatives. - Liaise with Education team and partners to develop a communication and dissemination plan for UNICEF’s digital initiatives. - Develop checklists and distribution plans for IT devices. - Ensure all resources are in place for dissemination as per agreed plans. - Provide technical input to the teacher training resources. - Coordinate with CEHRD, CDC, schools, learning centres and implementing partners to roll out the digital initiatives. - Review timelines in liaison with CEHRD and partners - Develop a quarterly progress report.

• Submission of Implementation plan, including checklist for distribution of resources
• Submission of Communication and dissemination plan
• Submission of revised teacher training resources

• Quarterly progress report

  By end October 2024 - Liaise with implementing partners and FCO to finalise timelines for implementation.

• Finalise training plans in collaboration with schools, learning centres and partners.
• Document risks, challenges and lessons learned during start-up of initiatives.
• Coordinate with CDC, CEHRD and partners to ensure effective implementation of all digital initiatives.
• Support the delivery of training sessions.
• Develop quarterly progress report.

• Support the M&E officer to develop robust M&E plans for the initiatives.

• Submission of revised timelines

• Finalized training resources
• Submission of risk and challenges report
• Submission of M&E plan
• Submission of training reports

• Submission of Quarterly progress report

  By end Jan 2025 - Facilitate orientation and training sessions.

• Observe and monitor classrooms.
• Provide follow up support to teachers and facilitators on implementing blended learning in classrooms.
• Develop at least one Human Interest Story/case study.

• Develop quarterly progress report

• Submission of event completion reports

• Submission of training/visit reports
• Submission of minimum one HIS

• Submission of quarterly progress report

  By end April 2025 - Observe and monitor classrooms and non-formal centres.

• Facilitate refresher training sessions for teachers and facilitators.
• Provide follow up support to teachers and facilitators on implementing blended learning in classrooms.
• Develop at least one Human Interest Story/case study.

• Develop progress report.

• Submission of event completion reports

• Submission of training/visit reports
• Submission of minimum one HIS

• Submission of progress report

  By end July 2025 To qualify as an advocate for every child the consultant will have…

Academic Qualification:

• Advanced university degree in Education or social sciences or discipline relevant to equity and inclusion.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working for education projects
• Familiar with the education context of Nepal including all federal structures
• Sound knowledge of government education policies especially related to ICT and innovation.
• Sound foundational learning activities, with a focus on English language teaching and learning and Digital literacy.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and rapport building skills including the ability to facilitate diverse groups (Government, CSOs, Technical Expert)
• Strong working knowledge of Nepali and English (at least at B2/C1 level)
• Experience in the capacity building of partners at the national, regional, and district levels

Skills required:

Teacher training, Strategic thinking, analytical skill, high-level coordination, networking, and facilitation skills

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:

The consultancy is open to Nepali nationals and internationals who have a valid working status in Nepal.

Request to submit financial proposal based on the deliverables for this assignment.

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.