Consultant for Teacher Training and Support (for Afghan Nationals)

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, Knowledge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbkJiMmvKqk

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

The quality of student learning is worryingly low in Afghanistan. 65 per cent of Afghan students, after four years in primary school, fail to fully master the grade one language curriculum, and less than half only the grade one mathematics curriculum. 93 per cent of primary-aged children are not proficient in reading, whereas 87 per cent of children cannot achieve the Minimum Proficiency Level. The situation, therefore, merits serious attention.

One of the major reasons for the low learning gains is the education system lacking critical school inputs that determine learning i.e., skilled, motivated, and supported teachers and prepared learners, and effective school management, directly affecting teaching and learning. Teacher training and support that lacks practical applications and effective mechanisms to mentor and motivate teachers in their place of work is a challenge. Research suggests that teacher training is most effective if combined with adequate coaching, supervision, and complementary resources at the school level, to convert the competencies introduced during training into more effective pedagogical practice and learning-focused performance in the classroom.  Teacher preparation and continued support will be paramount to enabling all children to return to stay and learn in school. Given the extraordinarily unsettling situation over the last three years, first due to COVID-19 that led to prolonged school closures between June 2020 and August 2021, followed by the change in governance with a direct negative impact on financial support to public schools, many of the teachers have been without support to improve their teaching and learning practices.  These teachers, therefore, are in desperate need of robust and continuous professional development and support.

The de facto Ministry of Education is working towards the development of a nationwide integrated program for in-service teacher training and support to be rolled out throughout the country. UNICEF has received funding to support the roll-out of the TDS program and has identified the need to provide technical support to operationalize the concept, review and adjust contents, and training manuals, develop and improve tools to support to facilitate a large-scale roll-out.

For this assignment, the consultants will be expected to do the following:

1. Provide technical support to the UNICEF Afghanistan Education team and de facto MOE’s Teacher Education and Professional Development Directorate (TE-PDD) in the roll-out of the school-based program for teacher training and support.

2. Enhance the quality of the existing training material by meticulously editing for accuracy and clarity and incorporating high quality illustrations and leveraging best practices from similar contexts to maximize learner engagement.

3. Create high-quality reading materials for teachers, headteachers teacher educators, in Dari and Pashto by translating and adapting relevant English resources.

4. Foster collaboration between international technical service providers and teacher educators to build their capacity and co-create and implement effective training programs for teachers and headteachers.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education, teacher education, ECD, Social studies, development studies, language, or related fields.   
  Minimum of 10-12 years of work experience with INGO and government organization in delivering education intervention such as training workshops, training material development, and curriculum development.
• Experience in translating instructional materials from English to Dari and Pashto or vice versa.
• Experience in developing and refining teacher training materials.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s program and implementation approach will be an asset.
• Excellent writing skills in English, Dari, or Pashto are required.
• Fluency in English and Farsi/Dari or Pashto is required.

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:  

Interested consultants are required to apply online, indicating availability and all-inclusive lump sum fee to undertake the terms of reference.

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.