National Early Childhood Education Consultant to the Parliament of Georgia in Developing an Education Code in Tbilisi, Georgia

Contract

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For every child, Education

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Support the parliament of Georgia with the development of an Education Code by updating the law on Early and Preschool Education and Care (EPEC) with references and interlinks to general education.

Scope of Work:

ISSUE

In Georgia the management and administration of education sector of preschool, general, vocational and higher education is guided by different legal instruments. While the preschool education is administered by a separate law on Early and Preschool Education and Care, general, vocational, and higher education fields are guided by standalone legislations with no conceptual and or structural interlinks between each other to provide policy makers and practitioners with clear vision and mechanisms for children’s meaningful inclusion, active participation and smooth transition to the next level of education.

Besides, legal pieces have been developed in different times; they often represent demands and heritage of the soviet epoch, include outdated approaches and instruments, and hardly respond to the educational needs and requirements of the 21st century.

In planning, decision making and actions, education researchers, policy makers and practitioners for decades have been constrained by no access to a legal framework/educational code that would bring all levels of education sector together with UpToDate instruments and clearly manifested interlinks for effective and smooth participation of children and young people in all levels of education.

ACTION

Having discussed the above legal gaps and constraints, the Parliament of Georgia together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia have come to a decision to fill in the legal gaps by developing an Education Code that would integrate updated legal instruments and bring together all legislations related to preschool, general, vocational and higher education; Education Code will build interconnections between legal pieces necessary for improved transition of children; for example, the Code should highlight fundamental role of school readiness in preparing young children for meaningful inclusion and good learning in schools; likewise, the legislation should regulate the complementarity of curriculum of general and vocational educations ensuring children’s competency based learning at both levels. Similarly, the requirements of higher education should comply with the national school curricula and enable all girls and boys at national level, particularly with special educational needs and disabilities and from socially vulnerable and national minority families to take part and equally participate in education for their social integration and full citizenship in enhancing democratic values and societies in Georgia.

UNICEF was approached by the national partners from the Parliament requesting provision of a technical support in developing an Education Code. UNICEF expressed its strong commitment in providing required support by recruiting two national consultants to work on i) early childhood education and ii) general education issues hand-in-hand with the working group that will be established and working under the auspices of the Parliament Committee on Education and Science.

OVERALL GOAL OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE

Support the parliament of Georgia with the development of an Education Code by updating the law on Early and Preschool Education and Care (EPEC) with references and interlinks to general education.

METHODOLOGY OF WORK

• In the course of an entire service, the selected national consultant will work closely with the working group of the Parliament by sharing of ideas, inputs and drafts for feedback and updates.
• National consultant will work closely with a dedicated lawyer in drafting/developing amendments to of the EPEC law by i. exchanging thoughts and visions, ii. sharing drafts for each other’s feedback and iii. helping lawyer to translate the content into legal provisions, iv. other tasks as required in the process.
• National consultant will prepare presentations (in Power Point slides) and hold regular presentations to update the Parliament, MoES, UNICEF and other key stakeholders about the work process, outputs and deliverables.
• National consultant will keep UNICEF supervisors and Parliament focal points regularly informed through organizing meetings, presentations, individual and groups works, e-communications and sharing of deliverables.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline:

Task 1. Desk review of international legislations/codes on early childhood education and care/preschool education with strong references to European best practices (e.g. Nordic countries, France, etc.), including relevant latest research reports to be shared with the Parliament Education and Science Committee

Deliverable 1. Report on international legislations and codes with demonstration of best practices relevant for the Georgia context

Month 1

Task 2. Detailed review and analysis of the EPEC law, identifying general areas, themes and specific articles requiring improvement/amendments in EPEC law and for building interlinks between the EPEC and general education law, through detailed analysis of both legislative documents; Contributing to define the structure of the Education and Science code.

Deliverable 2. Report on areas, themes and specific articles for improvement/amendments and building interlinks between the laws of EPEC and general education; recommended structure of the Education and Science Code

Month 1 and 2

Task 3. Validating draft report on areas and specific articles for improvement in the EPEC law with a group of early childhood education experts, representatives of municipalities, Ministry of Education and Science, preschools and universities.

Deliverable 3. Transcripts of two focus group discussions conducted with relevant stakeholders; revised report on areas and specific articles for improvement/amendments and building interlinks between the laws of EPEC and general education.

Month 2

Task 4. Drafting the legal outline and the amendments to the EPEC law (as part of the Education Code) with suggested innovations, changes, key definitions, principles and approaches including interlinks to the general education law

Deliverable 4. draft legal outline and amendments of the EPEC law (as part of the Education Code) demonstrating interlinks with the general education.

Month 3

Task 5. Traveling and holding two regional consultations in the selected municipalities for presenting the draft amendments to the EPEC law, collecting participants’ viewpoints and suggestions for improvements

Deliverable 5. Minutes of meetings highlighting key suggestions of stakeholders

Month 3

Task 6. Production and presentation of the first draft of the education code chapter on EPEC to the parliament, MoES, UNICEF, education specialists

Deliverable 6. first draft chapter on EPEC

Month 4 and 5

Task 7. Based on the collected feedback from the presentation of the first draft chapter of the law, update and present the second draft o f the code chapter on EPEC

Deliverable 7. Second draft of the code chapter on EPEC

Month 6

Travel: Travel to two regions will be planned as part of Task 5 (travel destinations to be decided in coordination with Parliament Committee on Education and Science).

APPLICATION REQUIRMENTS

Interested candidates are requested to provide the following documents in their applications to UNICEF:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Names and contact details of three references
• Copies of education research and/or policy reports developed by an applicant
• Detailed action and time plan for fulfilling consultancy service tasks and deliverable given in these Terms of Reference
• Detailed financial proposal in Georgian Lari, including travel costs.

Location: Home-based

Minimum Qualifications required:

Education: Master’s degree in Education/ Early Childhood Education

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the field of Early Childhood Education/Preschool Education.
• Experience working on early childhood education/preschool education policy/legislations development is considered as a strong asset.
• Background and/or familiarity with general education system is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and Georgian is required.

Specific Technical Knowledge Required:

• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in EPEC system in Georgia, knowledge of existing challenges and gaps in policy, legislation, governance, and practice.

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 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.