National Consultant for Producing Audio and Animated Videos of 44 Stories for Visual and Hearing-Impaired Young Children, UNICEF Myanmar, Home-Based/Field visits

Consultant Teaching & Training Programme & Policy

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, learning

How can you make a difference?

This consultancy assignment is being sought to conduct reformatting of 44 children’s stories already developed in print version into audio/visual version for children with visual impairment/ hearing impairment in Myanmar language

Scope of Work:

UNICEF Myanmar envision that by 2023, children, especially the most disadvantaged, will acquire knowledge and skills in an inclusive, safe, quality learning environment to complete pre-primary, primary, transit to secondary and complete lower secondary education. (UNICEF Myanmar Country Program outcome for Education)

UNICEF Education section is committed that inclusive access to education opportunities is ensured with a specific attention to girls, children with disabilities, refugees, displaced children and other marginalized or vulnerable children. In order to achieve these aspirations, educational services that support children’s holistic development is crucial.

“Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child open up himself to life”, -Maria Montessori. Among various approaches that help child open himself to life, “storytelling is perhaps the most powerful way that human beings organize experience. Some have argued that narrative thinking is the optimum form of thinking for learning and expressing what we know about ourselves and about other people (Bruner, 1986; Schank, 1990)”[1].

“The power of stories has long been recognized in education, and considered an effective teaching/leaning tool, since they can engage, perhaps more than any other medium, people's affective imagination and responses, but, of course, in different ways. Regardless of the type of story (…) the pedagogical importance of storytelling is quite undisputed, as regards its potential to capture the students’ attention, to engage their imagination, and to convey effectively ideas and values (Haven, 2000; Simons, 2006; Truby, 2007). Also, storytelling appears to satisfy all three elements of brain-based learning. [2]

Before the invention of the printed word, humans relied exclusively on orality. Stories played an important role as a mean of conveying knowledge and experience from one generation to the next. However, with the advent of literacy, storytelling almost disappeared (Ong, 1971). Orality was pushed to the background, even though it is, and has been, a human characteristic, and most prominent among young children. However, there has been a renewed interest in stories in the last two decades, with the rediscovery of the “narrative mind’’, and with the reemergence of orality, as a central characteristic of people's - especially young children's – lives (Egan, 2005). Orality has been seen not as a lack of literacy, but rather as a feature upon which the development of literacy can take place (Egan, 1999, 2008). Storytelling, apparently, is an excellent way to develop orality.“[3]

Acknowledging the importance of storytelling for young children’s development, UNICEF Education section has developed children’s story books since 2006. The first series called Let’s Read Initiative has 18 illustrated children’s story books for children under five years old. They are in print formats in Myanmar language and was distributed to preschools and kindergartens throughout the country. The second series of children’s story books in early peace building consists of 16 illustrated children’s story books in Myanmar language. Additional 6 story books were produced in bilingual format, Myanmar and ethnic language. In 2021, 4 children’s story books on resilience were adapted into Myanmar language. Moreover, these story books have been translated into 90-100 ethnic languages.

However, as these are in printed format, children with visual impairment could not enjoy reading these story books.

In terms of children with disability, disability prevalence rate of 5% was reported for younger age 10-29 years old, of which 6.3% difficulties in seeing, 2.4% hearing difficulties (2019 intercensal survey key findings)

UNICEF Education Section is developing “learning passport” as open learning platform through which children will have access to resources for self-learning, to overcome the multiple challenges they are facing due to COVID-19 pandemic and de facto authorities taking over of administration.

By translating stories from print format into audio (for children with visual impairment) and visual (for children with hearing difficulties), and sharing through the “learning passport”, more bring back learning opportunities will be made available to the young children who have been disadvantaged by multiple causes.

The consultant needs to work with expert for describing the illustrations to be understood by the children with visual impairment. The consultant also needs to work with expert to make illustrations more understandable to children with hearing impairment. All products should be field tested with intended beneficiaries, the children with visual impairment and children with hearing impairment.

Consultant also needs to get feedback regularly from a technical team from UNICEF consists of staff members from education, social behaviour change (SBC) and child protection.

Duty Station: Home-based/Field visits

Start Date: 1st May 2022

End Date: 15th December 2022

Number of Days (working): 75 days in 7.5 months

Description of Assignment:

Task 1:

a.) Prepare narration of 44 illustrated story books in total with 852 pages of which 823 are text & illustration and 29 are blank pages. Most texts are one[4] to two short sentences per page (see sample)[5]. Very few have maximal four sentences (see sample)[6] Some books have text in one page and illustration in another while some are mixed in one page (see sample)[7] While some are photo based (see sample)[8], others are drawings.

Task 2:

b.) Field test narration with visually impaired children/ hearing impaired children

15 working days

Home based/Field testing visits

Deliverable 1:

Field tested narration of 44 story books in Myanmar language which is understandable by visually impaired or hearing-impaired children

Task 3:

a.) Voice recording of the narrations using narrator and different characters according to the story

b.) Prepare background music relevant to story

c.) Mixing of the voice record and background music

Deliverable 2:

First draft of the audio file of 44 children story books in star.wav format for mobile app and web broadcasting

Deliverable can be submitted in maximal 3 batches

30 working days

Home based

Task 4:

Field testing of the audio file with children who are visually impaired and editing if necessary and field testing to get final audio version

15 working days

Home based/Field testing visits

Deliverable 3:

Edited final audio file of 44 children story books in star.wav format for mobile app and web broadcasting

Deliverable can be submitted in maximal 3 batches

Task 5:

Develop animation video of each story book for children with hearing impairment with narration appearing in scroll bar

45 working days

Homebased

Deliverable 4:

First draft of 2 D-animation video of each story book

Deliverable can be submitted in maximal 3 batches

Task 6:

Field testing of the animation video file with children with hearing impairment and editing if necessary and field testing to get final version

15 working days

Home based/Field testing visits

Deliverable 5:

Edited two final animation video files of 44 children story books with short narration (for children with hearing impairment) and long narration for children with visual impairment in the following formats:

For master file:

Full HD MP4 Master H.264_1920-1080,

AVI, mpeg4 (HD)

For DVD:

MPEG 2-DVD NTSC DV wide 720*480 29.97 fps

For YouTube and Facebook:

MP4-H.264_1920-1080

MP4-H.264_1080-720

For final audio files: Waveform audio

WAV 4800 Hz, stereo, 16 bits

MP3 Audio: MP3, 128 kbps, stereo

Deliverable can be submitted in maximal 3 batches

Task 7:

Prepare final Report

5 working days

Homebased

Deliverable 6:

Final narrative report (5 pages including purpose, process of development, challenges and key lessons learnt or limitations) with annexes of field testing reports, signed consent forms where needed

One short animation video with maximum 3 minutes introducing 3 categories of stories; Let’s Read, Early Peace Education and Resilience to be used for promotion of animation video in social media

The Expression of Interest form to be completed and included / attach in the application here: 12042022 EOI Story development for visually and hearing impaired children (updated).doc

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

1. Any university degree in one of the following fields is required: Arts and social sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology), child development, childcare, family health, disability inclusion, gender, creative design and productions or other related technical fields.
2. More than 10 years of experience in the field of media, audio-visual material development, community engagement, entertainment education and communications;
3. Demonstrate expertise on working with young children in their natural setting;
4. Demonstrate understanding of needs of children with special needs and gender
5. Experience working with UNICEF or other institutions with a good reputation in media is an asset
6. Able to show examples of similar work done for past clients;
7. Demonstrate ability to deliver on time and with exceptional results;
8. Capable of working in sensitive situations and under tight deadlines;
9. Experience and knowledge of the Myanmar humanitarian and development sectors is an advantage;
10. Willingness and availability to take up the assignment immediately.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

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 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.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/ assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.

More information is available in the Child Safeguarding SharePoint and Child Safeguarding FAQs and Updates

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[1] Storytelling in the First Three Years by Susan Engel, edited from the ZERO TO THREE Journal, December 1996/January 1997. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1057-storytelling-in-the-first-three-years

[2] According to Caine et al. (2005, p. 233) effective learning should be based upon: (a) Relaxed Alertness (i.e., a state of mind created in low-threat atmosphere, which also creates a sense of community), (b) Planned Immersion (i.e., the creation of an environment in which students become involved with the objectives of the lesson) and (c) Active Processing (i.e., utilization of learning methods, which encourage reflection and integration of the information in a meaningful way.

[3] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303562872_Narrative_Thinking_and_Storytelling_in_Science_Education

[4] https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/4436/file/The%20Child%20Who%20Knows%20How%20to%20Bathe.pdf

[5] https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/4391/file/Healthy%20Wa%20Lone.pdf

[6] https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/reports/gagu

[7] https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/reports/rainbow-lunch, https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/4421/file/This%20is%20How%20I%20Learn.pdf

[8] https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/reports/lets-play-massage-daddy

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org