National Sociologist Expert (Romania)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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.

How can you make a difference?

During 2022, UNICEF intends to enhance capacities of governmental institutions and civil society organizations to develop and implement policies ensuring access to quality inclusive education for all children, with a special focus on the most vulnerable (Roma children, children with disabilities, children from vulnerable families, children from rural areas), and enhancing the protective environment for children, as well as change attitudes and practices among parents and local service providers to ensure the full realization of child rights.

The European Commission places the school desegregation priorities higher on the political agenda and lobbies the MoE in an attempt to accelerate implementation of activities and progress on school desegregation at system level in Romania. MoE also places a high priority on school desegregation and decided in December 2019 not to test the methodology in three counties (as earlier planned) and, instead, to launch it at national level. In May 2020, the MoE decided to include the indicators of the school segregation monitoring methodology in its EMIS (SIIIR) and thus to be able annually to calculate them and provide an overall picture on school segregation phenomena in the Romanian system of education.

Considering all of the above, specific consultancy and additional support is needed for UNICEF CO in the next 9 months (from March to December 2022), to effectively and efficiently support the efforts of the Education Specialist and the Education Equity Specialist for the specific technical assistance requested by MoE on school desegregation in the area of indicators, scoring, school evaluation and sociology of school desegregation, equity and quality inclusive education. The consultancy implies technical assistance that will have the school desegregation, equity and inclusion focus and will consist of implementing key strategic actions included in the MoE-UNICEF Cooperation Protocol on School Desegregation and the TSI Proposal:

1. Support for the implementation of school segregation monitoring methodology and if need be provide the necessary adjustments to the current methodology (on data, indicators, indicator’s calculation, scoring and school evaluation);
2. Support for the development of the methodology for the prevention and intervention in cases of school segregation (contribute with feedback on specific technical inputs related to the sociology of school desegregation);
3. Support for testing both methodologies prior to their launch at national level (in the consultant’s area of specialization);
4. Provide technical inputs for the development of the training packages for the professionals (school principals, teachers, county school inspectors, and staff of MoE/members of NCSDI Commission) in the education system on the new legal and policy framework on school desegregation. Training packages are ready for the school segregation monitoring methodology. As such within this activity the training packages to be developed within this consultancy concern the methodology for the prevention of school segregation or interventions in such cases;
5. Training delivery to selected target groups identified by MoE;
6. Support for education evidence generation in the areas of equity, inclusion and quality of education;
7. Other specific activities that will be established by the Education Specialist.

Methodology

Working under the supervision of the Education Specialist and closely with the Education Equity Specialist, the Sociologist Expert will be expected to produce the below mentioned deliverables, in English or Romanian (it will be specified for each task).

Expected deliverables

The expected deliverables will be planned and agreed with the supervisor according to the calendar of implementation of the technical assistance delivered by UNICEF Romania to the Ministry of Education on school desegregation:

• A finalized/ adjusted (if needed) scoring and evaluation component of the methodology for school segregation monitoring. The scoring and evaluation component must be developed taking into account its statistical relevance;
• Technical assistance with the translation of the scoring and evaluation system into the IT application (SIIIR);
• Technical assistance with specialized inputs for the development of the methodology for the prevention, and intervention in cases, of school segregation;
• Technical assistance with the indicators, scoring and evaluation component during the piloting stage of the methodology for school segregation monitoring or with specialized inputs during the piloting stage of prevention, and intervention in cases, of school segregation;
• Technical assistance on data aggregation at county level for the County School Inspectorates;
• Technical assistance on data aggregation at national level for the National Commission for School Desegregation and Inclusion;

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

• University degree in sociology, statistics or other related fields;
• Experience in the sociology of school desegregation is a critical asset;
• Track record of experience with evaluation and scoring systems and/or with data analysis;
• Previous work experience with an international organization is an asset.

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.

Application procedure:

The application will be made in the dedicated UNICEF platform and it must include:

1. an updated CV focused on the skills and experience requested by the current consultancy;
2. a cover letter underlining the motivation for applying for the position and how the candidate’s experience, skills and experience match the requirements of the position;
3. a financial offer, specifying the requested Gross daily fee in RON - as per the template Financial template_mar 2022.docx

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.