National individual consultancy for digital learning and ICT equipment with UNICEF in Uzbekistan

Consultant Teaching & Training Programme & Policy IT & Telecom

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, education!

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Promoting systemic approach to digital learning and school connectivity, the Republic of Uzbekistan has been recognized as a UNICEF Learning Pioneer Country and a best practice within the UNICEF global Giga Initiative. UNICEF is currently engaged with the Government in a visioning exercise and school-based modeling of digital learning solutions to unlock digital learning for improving learning outcomes.

Championing digital transformation at school level, UNICEF is currently supporting the Ministry of Pre-school and School Education (MOPSE) of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the upgrading of current specifications and standards for the use of portable digital technologies, integrating ICT into teaching and learning and advancing STEM learning. UNICEF support will enable a proof of concept with the modeling of school-based accessibility and inclusiveness of digital and STEM learning in 50 schools at national level meant to inform the review of current policies and standards needed to sustain inclusive digital environments and supporting outreach for the most marginalized through improved access to personalized digital learning pathways.

Overall Objectives:

Provide technical support in building national capacity for the deployment of ICT, STEM and digital learning for improving learning outcomes in Public Education, through the development of minimum standards and specifications for innovative portable digital devices (focused on inclusivity and quality education services).

The development of standard specifications for identified digital learning devices will be based on the review of international minimum standards on transparent deployment, maintenance, and security and informed by the consultant’s support to a school-based assessment of digital and STEM learning environments.

Scope of Work: UNICEF’s Education section requires a national consultant to support the implementation of activities in the area of deployment of ICT devices, STEM and digital learning solutions in public education. Contractor will work closely with MOPSE, UNICEF CO team and the appointed international consultant to provide support and implement activities in the following areas:

• Support implementation of a school-based assessment of digital learning environments against defined methodology and indicators.
• Development of minimum standards and specifications for innovative portable digital and STEM devices (focused on inclusivity and quality education services) to equip new digital learning labs in schools.

The National Consultant will provide technical/operational support and monitoring throughout implementation of activities to facilitate the management and delivery of results and to strengthen national ownership of the activities, ensuring efficiency, quality assurance and value for money.

The National Consultant will also contribute to ensuring close liaison with the Government at different levels and support UNICEF in the development of TORs and evaluation of tender process in line with established rules and procedures.

Duration of assignment: September 2024 – February 2025

International Consultant will work under direct supervision of Education Officer and in consultation with national partners and government officials.

Tasks - Deliverables - Estimated timeframe

1. Activities related to school-based assessment of digital and STEM learning environments

1) Work closely with UNICEF international consultant and MOPSE to develop methodology and tools for assessing readiness of school for digital and STEM learning - Inputs to Inception report for school base assessment in selected schools of Uzbekistan - 5 days

2) Provide support to organize a field-visit of UNICEF international consultant to selected schools to pre-test methodology for school assessment and tools and guidelines for data collection. Visit schools with international consultant - Agenda of the visit of international consultant is agreed with MOPSE and UNICEF; Inputs to finalize methodology, tools, and guidelines; Process report of the schools’ visit - 10 days

3) Provide support in organization of the training (to be led by international consultant) for research company on school-based data collection. Participate in the training - Agenda of the training; Reviewed and finalized Russian and Uzbek versions of data collection tools and questionnaires; Process report of the training - 5 days

4) Conduct monitoring visits to selected schools during data collection for a school-based assessment to be implemented by research company - Monitoring report and trip reports - 10 days

5) Closely with MOPSE technical team to review school-based database provided by research company before submission to international consultant - Surveys’ database is ready for sharing with international consultant for further analysis - 5 days

6) Work closely with international consultant and MOPSE technical team to finalise base-line school assessment report - Inputs to baseline school assessment report - 5 days

7) Prepare process document including lessons learned on implementation of activities on school base assessment - Process implementation report - 5 days

2. Activities related to development of standards and specifications for equipping schools for digital learning

8) Compile existing legislative and normative documents related to digital requirements/specifications for equipping the schools -Compiled set of documents to be shared with international consultant - 5 days

9) Work closely with UNICEF international consultant and MOPSE to draft and finalize: standard school digital package (list of digital learning devices, equipment, accessories, and software package) for the new digital learning labs; standard specifications for each item of the list as well as software(s) and operating system that will be loaded to the devices - Inputs to draft school digital package for the new digital learning labs and standard specifications for each item of digital package - 10 days

10) Work closely with UNICEF Programme Specialist (Supply Chain) to develop procurement list for equipping new digital learning labs - Procurement list for a standard package for equipping new digital learning labs with estimated prices - 5 days

11) Work closely with UNICEF international consultant to develop standards on transparent deployment, maintenance, storage and security for digital learning devices, software, and operating systems as well as standardized specifications for procurement of devices - Inputs for draft document - 10 days

12) Support the contextualization of the recommendations to be adopted as national guidelines/roadmap for maintenance, storage and use of digital devices, further informing scalability of digital devices with proposed specifications and requirements - Inputs for report including recommendations and roadmap incorporating comments from UNICEF and MOPSE - 10 days

13) Support in organization and participate in all meetings related to activities with MOPSE, International consultant and other stakeholders, provide technical advice (if needed) and prepare minutes of the meetings - Minutes of the meetings - 10 days

14) Prepare process document including lessons learned on implementation of activities on standards and specifications - Process implementation report - 5 days

TOTAL: 100 days

Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Travel: Travel in 14 regions of Uzbekistan

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

• An advanced university degree in Information and communication technology or any other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional working experience in the field of ICT (preferably in education)/digital learning.
• Experience working with digital devices and software tools.
• Fluency in English and Uzbek, spoken skills in Russian.

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.

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Added 14 hours ago - Updated 5 hours ago - Source: unicef.org