International Consultant – Curriculum, Instruction, and EdTech Consultant (For Non – Bangladeshi Nationals only)

The Curriculum, Instruction and EdTech consultancy will be part-time (3 days per week) and will be working remotely. The intended duration of the assignment is four months. There is expected to be one, two week visit to Cox’s Bazar in January 2025.

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, a champion.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. UNICEF is the leading agency in the education sector response supporting 10 implementing partners who provide education in 31 camps in Cox’s Bazar in 3,298 learning facilities and in 12 schools in Bhasan Char to 241,177 learners (115,838 girls and 125,339 boys). UNICEF’s direct programming contributes to more than 85 percent of the overall Education Sector achievement for the Myanmar Curricula. In UNICEF’s programmes 48 percent of learners are female and 52 percent are male but for secondary education only 22 percent of learners are female.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Under the guidance and general supervision of the Education Manager (P4) who leads the Education programme in Cox’s Bazar, the consultant will support the integration of technology into teaching practice to connect pedagogy and technology use to improve teaching as well as to facilitate and improve teacher training, and data reporting activities. Areas of EdTech use with the Rohingya population include:

1. Deliver of blended teacher training for teachers of Myanmar curriculum in the Rohingya camps
   1. Teachers are given tablets that provide access to Learning Passport platform where teacher training courses are available and accessible offline. These tablets are managed by an MDM platform that ensure the devices are secure and support with monitoring of the device. A total of 5,000 tablets have to be deployed in the field for teachers.
2. Digitization of record keeping for attendance and learning progress data of each learner
   1. The Tangerine platform is used to collect attendance daily and the teachers also enter formative assessment data to track learning process. The application for the platform is made available through the tablets that are provided to teachers.
3. Providing instructional support to teachers with the interactive audio instructions (IAI) developed from third party organization called Bengal Creative Media.
   1. 300 IAI lessons were developed for grades 4 to 7 and additional IAI content is being developed for science subject and for grade 8 during 2024.

In host communities, EdTech interventions should enhance the digital skills of adolescents and young people. This recognizes digital literacy as a 21st century skill for adolescents to thrive in a transforming world marked by technology, migration, climate change, and conflict. Digital literacy encompasses a set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that empower children in an increasingly digital world. The consultant will support planning, development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of EdTech initiatives within the Rohingya education response. The consultant will provide technical guidance to the Education section within Cox’s Bazar and UNICEF Implementing Partners (IPs) working in the education sector as well as manage and quality assure deliverables from contracted vendors and technical partners. The consultant will be managing the progress of EdTech initiatives and contributes to the achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results-based management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework. The consultant will line manage one position.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

1. Technical lead for the technology component of education programme development and planning.
   1. Support the preparation, design and implementation of education programmes including the use and application of EdTech. This includes guiding UNICEF’s strategic policy, advocacy and development efforts in education programmes.
   2. Help the supervisor set priorities, strategies, design, and implementation plans to strengthen use of EdTech in the education programme to strengthen pedagogical approaches, inclusion, education administration, youth and adolescent skills development. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency and delivery and maintain current technical knowledge on application of technologies in education.
   3. Participate in strategic programme discussions on the planning of education programmes and the use of EdTech to support teaching and learning, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), education data and school administration, the participation of parents, caregivers, and communities in their children’s education as well as youth and adolescent skills development.
   4. Formulate, design, and prepare programme proposals for the Education Section in Cox’s Bazar, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Programme and coherence/integration with the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.
   5. Work closely and collaboratively with internal colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine priorities to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results for student learning especially through technology-based interventions in the camps.

II. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results including PD and grant management.

1. Determines required action to be taken for achieving results for education technologies interventions by communicating, and coordinating with the Education and PMR teams, with Implementing Partners, the Cox’s Bazar Education Sector, government, and other counterparts.
2. Manage the partnership with the EdTech technical implementing partner, International Rescue Committee, who is responsible for developing a research framework and conducting study on the UNICEF EdTech initiatives in the field as well as for using MDM to manage device deployment in the camps. In addition to providing technical guidance and quality assurance, the partnership will be managed as per the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) approach to improve accountability of resources and management for results. It is a mandatory procedure where compliance by all country offices is required, together with use of global tools (e-WP, e-Tools, e-PD, eZHACT, Insight) for planning and monitoring of implementation.
3. Manage the institutional contracts with EdTech services providers – Bengal Creative Media for developing interactive audio instructions and RTI for the Tangerine platform which supports digitally recording attendance and learning progress – this includes working with technical specialist and officers in the team for ensure timely resolution of bottlenecks and completion of deliverables.
4. Identify lessons learned and emerging evidence on the use of technology in education and use knowledge gained for planning timely intervention to achieve goals.
5. Actively monitor programmes/projects by working with the Education Technology UNV through timely data collection processes, and exchange information with stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.Manage the Education Cannot Wait grant, which includes strategic EdTech activities, by engaging with the coordination mechanisms in place and consortia members while internally collaborating with PMR and Education section manager.

III. Technical and operational support to integrate and harness technology approaches in programme implementation to overcome challenges of access, inclusion, quality of instruction and learning loss.

1. Provide technical guidance and operational support to UNICEF implementing partners, UN system partners, country office partners and donors on EdTech approaches, Myanmar curriculum implementation, teacher training programs to support education program delivery. Additional guidance should be given on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices to support inclusive, quality teaching and learning in education and on programme management, implementation, and delivery of results.
2. Provide technical guidance and review of the activities and outputs from the PD with IRC, and institutional contracts with Bengal Creative Media, and RTI as well as teacher training programmes.
3. Develop and execute implementation plans for EdTech initiatives by working within UNICEF, with field-based implementing partners, and with technical partners.
4. Develop and provide orientation on device governance policies in consultation with UNICEF ROSA and HQ. 
5. Arrange/coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely and appropriate support throughout the programming process.
6. Participate in education programme meetings with the team and with partners on an as needed basis.
7. Draft Terms of Reference, Guidance Notes, Implementation Frameworks to support the quality delivery of EdTech interventions in the Rohingya education response and the implementation of EdTech.
8. Advise on, draft, and incorporate EdTech approaches into donor funding proposals, considering the strategic direction of the Rohingya education response, and host community programmes, over the next 1-5 years.

Please go through the following TOR for more details:  Consultant_TOR_EdTech.pdf 

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A master’s degree in the fields of Education, Ed-Tech, International Development, International Relations, Social Sciences.

• Minimum 5 years of experience working in the education field with technical experience in technology and Edtech implementation for improving teacher training and education program delivery.
• Demonstrate knowledge, experience, and understanding of the Rohingya camp context, especially in education and technology will be an added advantage
• Strong ability to support engagement with partners, for example with the Education Sector in Cox’s Bazar, with UNICEF’s implementing partners and Bangladesh Country Office colleagues in IT, technology and education. Other engagements are  with donors, government officials, journalists, contractors and with other education forums.
• Previous experience in similar activities with the UN or INGOs will be an added advantage.
• Previous work experience with institutes and service providers is desirable.
• Knowledge of global developments in education technology, especially in protracted crises. Including using technology-orientated approaches to support teacher continuous professional development, digitalised personal learning, girls’ education, participation and messaging and data for decision making.
• Strong knowledge of integrating technology into teaching practice. Connecting pedagogy and technology use to improve teaching.
• Sound knowledge of Education in Emergencies, PSEA, child safeguarding, gender sensitivity, etc.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel or other statistical analysis software
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team and support unexpected tasks.

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.