Technical Expert - Capacity Development Plan & Implementation Plan (Home Based)

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**OVERVIEW** ------------ Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED) Duty Station: Baghdad Job Family: Education Type of contract : Non Staff Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months Recruitment open to : External candidates Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 05/02/2022 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism **PROJECT BACKGROUND** ---------------------- UNESCO has undertaken to support the development of a 5-year national capacity development plan for education with an accompanying 3-year implementation plan, in alignment with the new National Education Strategy, as part of the project “System building and capacity strengthening of Ministry of Education (MoE) and its sub-national Directorates of Education for effective delivery of quality education outcomes”. The project is being jointly implemented in partnership with UNICEF Iraq, with funding support from the European Union. The 5- and 3-year plans will determine the strategic capacity needs across the education system most able to support key objectives of the National Education Strategy, and pertain to the project’s second and third strategic objectives, namely: • SO2: To strengthen the capacity of MoE at central and governorate level to improve education services delivery (UNESCO at National Level, UNICEF at governorate level) • SO3: To enhance the quality of teaching and learning by operationalizing the capacity development plan and developing teachers’ capacities at central and governorate levels. (UNESCO at central level and UNICEF at governorate and school level). A large-scale capacity needs assessment has already been conducted for the education sector, to identify the capacity needs required to meet key objectives of the National Education Strategy. Subsequently, a basic capacity needs assessment report was produced which led to the development of a draft 5-year capacity development plan and 3-year implementation plan for the Ministry of Education. UNESCO now seeks a qualified expert to provide technical assistance to review, revise and finalize the capacity needs assessment report to incorporate a more critical reflection of needs assessment findings and address in more detail issues of organizational and institutional factors, and to include detailed analysis and weighting on different assessment respondents and responses. The expert will also review and finalize the existing draft 5-year capacity development and 3-year implementation plans, inclusive of a monitoring and evaluation framework. **MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** ------------------------------------ In the framework of this Project, and under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Office for Iraq, and the direct supervision of the Chief of Education and guidance of Associate Project Officer, the technical expert shall undertake the following: • Provide lead technical assistance for the finalization of a comprehensive 5-year capacity development plan and accompanying 3-year implementation plan for the education sector in Iraq; • Conduct a comprehensive literature review on the education sector in Iraq to support the finalization of the capacity needs assessment report and capacity development plan development, including but not limited to: o The existing Capacity Needs Assessment report and draft 5- and 3-year Capacity Development and Implementation plans; o The draft new National Education Strategy; o Governorate Education Sector Plans produced as part of the same project by UNICEF; o Previous work supported by UNESCO on teacher training, higher education, curriculum development, and literacy. • Prepare a brief report on the findings of the literature review, detailing gaps to be addressed in the existing Capacity Needs Assessment report and methodology for finalization of the 5- and 3-year plans; • Revise Capacity Needs Assessment report to reflect more critical analysis of needs assessment findings, inclusive of an institutional analysis of the central-level Ministry of Education and addressing issues of institutional and organizational factors in addition to individual capacities. Where necessary this may require the conducting of structured interviews with key MoE counterparts. • Conduct high-level consultations with key Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning and other relevant line ministry management to review key capacity challenges and needs to redefine the scope and scale of the capacity development plan, and subsequently to present revised 5-year and 3-year plans for feedback and inputs; • Finalise existing 5-year and 3-year draft plans and M&E framework, with a view to: (i) streamlining and prioritizing the identified training needs and identifying interventions other than trainings where appropriate; (ii) ensuring alignment with priority programmes identified in the new National Education Strategy and with the governorate-level sector plans developed by UNICEF as part of the same project; (iii) ensuring that the implementation plan complements work undertaken as part of the project’s third strategic objective - the development of training materials for teachers. **DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME** ------------------------------ **1.** **Initial report** based on literature and document review, identifying analytical gaps to be addressed in the draft needs’ assessment report, and outlining a methodology for finalization of the 5-and 3-year plans (Month 1). **2. revised capacity needs assessment report**, based on the literature review and where necessary on interviews with Ministry of Planning staff, and other key stakeholders (Month 2, finalized report submitted for Month 3) **3. A finalized 5-year national capacity development plan**, differentiated by sub-sector, identifying critical capacity issues and strategic levers to respond to them, identifying time frames, dependencies, responsible parties, inputs and costs (First revised draft submitted in Month 3, an updated draft revised according to MoE and UNESCO inputs and feedback in Month 4; final draft submitted in Month 5)**.** **4. A finalized 3-year implementation plan & M&E framework for the national capacity development plan,** detailing specific costed plans and actions identified as priorities by the MoE, and a draft training scheme detailing key training interventions for pilot development and delivery, based on specific needs identified through the national-level capacity needs assessment, and through the governorate level-development of GESPs by UNICEF (First revised draft submitted in Month 3, an updated draft revised according to MoE and UNESCO inputs and feedback in Month 4; final draft submitted in Month 5). **5. Monthly reports describing work undertaken,** deliverables and outcomes achieved, a work plan for the coming period, any challenges to implementation and risks. **MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE** ----------------------------------------- **Education:** • Advanced university degree in Education, Public Policy, Public Administration and management, Social Sciences, or another related field. **Professional experience:** • At least 15 years of proven relevant experience in education policy and reform, with demonstrated experience at the international level; • Strong knowledge of and technical expertise in education sector policy, planning and management, and teacher professional development. Additional experience in Higher Education, TVET or early-years education an advantage; • Demonstrated experience in capacity development programs, preferably within education systems in a post-conflict/ post-disaster (PCPD) context; • Demonstrated experience in providing strategic advice to and working with high-level officials within government; • Excellent facilitation and representation skills at technical working groups and consultation meetings; • High-level analytical and report writing, written and oral communication skills; • Excellent knowledge of English; knowledge of Arabic a distinct advantage; • Ability of work effectively in a multicultural/ multi-national environment; • Previous experience in the Middle East will be an advantage; • A commitment to UN values of non-discrimination on the basis of race, gender, economic status or religion. **CORE COMPETENCIES** --------------------- • Accountability • Communication • Teamwork • Innovation • Results focus • Planning and organizing • Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement **APPLICATION PROCESS** ----------------------- Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information in English: Upon completing the Word file with all the requested information above, upload the file at the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application form. Only applications with the above-requested information will be considered. I. A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment. II. A Technical Written proposal (4 Pages Maximum) consisting of: •A description of your proposed approach and methodology for undertaking the assignment; •Work plan with detailed milestones and key deliverables/activities; •Comments on the Terms of Reference, if any (in brief); •An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV), and a statement indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment. •List of work assignments and/or THREE (03) contacts as references – to be filled and returned to UNESCO as part of the submission. •A Financial proposal is attached to the application. To be filled and attached with the submission proposal. The proposal must be in English. **SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS** ------------------------------------- Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the [UNESCO careers website.](https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl) No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. **Footer** ---------- "UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts." "UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process".