Call for Application - International consultant in Curriculum development

OVERVIEW

Grade :

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Remote

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 30/04/2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

UNESCO is seeking the services of an international consultant proficient in curriculum development to collaborate with local consultants and Ministries of Education (MoE) in countries participating in the CSES Initiative. The consultant will assist in the review, adjustment, and revision of curricula and syllabi for primary and secondary schools, as well as teacher education programmes, with the aim of enhancing climate change education.

Background

The Climate Smart Education System Initiative (CSESI) was launched in early 2023 by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in partnership with Save the Children, UNESCO and UNESCO-IIEP and is implemented in around 20 countries. The initiative seeks to enhance countries’ capacities to mainstream climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into education sector plans, budgets and strategies as well as to enhance education ministry capacity for cross-sectoral coordination on climate and environment-related policy and programming. This involves developing scalable models for this integration and fostering collaboration across all levels to create an environment conducive to building resilience among children and within the education sector.

Concretely, the initiative aims to ensure that:​

• Education ministries have enhanced capacities to develop evidence-based policies and plans for climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability. ​
• Education sector coordinates effectively internally and with other sectors around climate change policy and programming (including disaster risk management mechanisms) ​
• Education ministries can access increased climate financing for education sector activities.​
• Education sector has timely access and capacity to use climate-related data and integrates it into its planning and monitoring systems. ​
• Education Infrastructure is safer, greener and more resilient to the impacts of climate change. ​
• Education ministries are better equipped to improve the resilience of schools to climate risks, including enhanced capacity to strengthen school safety and educational continuity management​.
• Education system integrates climate change and environmental sustainability into curricula, pedagogy and teacher training at the primary and secondary levels.

  Long Description

  The UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) supports the ministries of education specifically with integrating learning of climate change and environmental sustainability into primary and secondary schools. This entails reviewing and, where required, adjusting, and revising the curricula and syllabi for primary and secondary schools as well as teacher education curricula based on each country’s needs and opportunities.

  UNESCO uses a holistic learning approach of ESD to addresses climate change from the economic, social and environmental perspectives, and supports the acquisition of knowledge, values and attitudes to underpin practical actions by learners to contribute to climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience and sustainable development. In addition to the resources available in the countries, UNESCO will use a set of global reference documents including the Greening Curriculum Guidance (UNESCO, under finalization) and ESD for Sustainable Development Goals (UNESCO, 2017) as well as other guidance on curriculum alignment produced by UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE).

  To this end, UNESCO will engage national curriculum specialists in CSESI beneficiary countries and a few international experts to support curriculum review and alignment processes. The terms of reference below are set for the international curriculum expert. Each international expert will cover 3 countries. The first cohort will include Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Soudan, and other countries will follow.

  Long Description

  Duties and responsibilities:

  The main objective of the international consultancy is to support the work of the national consultants to be recruited separately in the 3 countries whose mandate is to review and align the curriculum, pedagogy and teacher development to strengthen climate change, DRR, and ESD at the primary and secondary levels. The international consultant will provide advice and feedback as necessary to the national consultants, using the global references developed by UNESCO ESD Section and IBE, including the Greening Curriculum Guidance and the 10 steps for curriculum alignment[1], and other national or regional resources to be identified in consultation with the Ministries of Education and education stakeholders with the beneficiary countries, and in concertation with the CSESI project team. While the analysis and recommendations will be first drafted by the local consultants who know the best the country’s context and are in consultation with the key national stakeholders on their needs, the international expert will support the process providing advice as necessary and provide feedback.

  [1] Step 1: Define skills framework and specific skills ; Step 2: Audit existing curriculum ; Step 3: Review existing and potential classroom activities ; Step 4: Identify opportunities for skills in curriculum, teaching, and assessment ; Step 5: Integrate and layer skills into curriculum ; Step 6: Develop teaching resources ; Step 7: Develop assessments to gather data ; Step 8: Identify pedological strategies for enhancing growth ; Step 9: Review pedological training ; Step 10: Monitor impact.

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

  Long Description

  More specifically, the international consultant shall:

  1. Review and provide suggestions on the literature review report to be carried by the national consultants on national curricula and related documents for the primary and secondary schools and teacher training in the selected 3 countries. This work will include, for example, a review of national documents including competency frameworks, curricular frameworks, subject-based syllabi, assessment frameworks and teaching and learning resources as well as classroom and extracurricular activities to identify gaps and opportunities for further consolidation.
  2. Support the national consultants in engaging with the Ministry of Education and other national stakeholders to identify a set of priority topics and learning outcomes related to climate change, ESD and DRR, and recommend where in curriculum, teaching and assessment to include those identified elements.
  3. Support the national consultants to develop or update standard teaching and learning materials, training materials targeting teachers or curriculum developers.
  4. Support the ministries of education to organize necessary consultation and validation. The international consultant may be required to participate, either in person or remotely, in meetings with the Curriculum Coordinating committee/ group to support the presentation of feedback on the curriculum review products.
  5. Support the organization of the training workshops for curriculum developers and teachers as necessary.

     Details, including which countries to cover, will be discussed and determined with UNESCO and depending on the specific priorities made by the beneficiary countries. The duration of the project is planned for 9 months.

     Reporting:

     The consultant will report to UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development in HQ. The ministries of education will provide oversight to the technical work.

     -

     DELIVERABLES

     The deliverables for this consultancy shall be the following and to be prepared for each of the 3 countries:

     1. Feedback on the literature review reports prepared by the national consultants on national curricula and related documents for the primary and secondary schools and teacher training in the selected 3 CSESI countries. The report will include a review of national documents including competency frameworks, curricular frameworks syllabi, assessment frameworks and teaching and learning resources as well as classroom and extracurricular activities, and discuss gaps and opportunities for strengthening the CCE/ESD/DRR.
     2. A document including the identified priority learning outcomes and the recommendations on where and how to strengthen CCE/ESD/DRR in curricular documents, developed together with national consultants.
     3. A standard teaching and learning material on the priority topics and learning outcomes, developed together with national consultants.
     4. A set of training manual for curriculum developers and teachers, developed together with national consultants.

        Remuneration instalments

        1. Analytical report on the literature review of the 3 countries by 31 July 2024 - 20%

        2. Recommendations on the curricular revision in the 3 countries by 31 October 2024 - 30%

        3. Finalized teaching & learning materials for 3 countries by 31 December 2024 - 25%

        4. Finalized training manuals for 3 countries by 31 January 2025 - 25%

        REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

        The consultant should have the mandatory qualifications and skills:

        1. At least the Master’s degree in Curriculum Development or other related areas of education
        2. Extensive professional knowledge and at least 10 years’ experience in curriculum development at the country or international level.
        3. Excellent knowledge on education for sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction.
        4. Excellent knowledge on the education sector in the Sub-Saharan Africa and or the South & South-East Asia, the Pacific or the Caribbean would be an asset.

           For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

           APPLICATION PROCESS

           Submission of Application

           Interested individuals are invited to submit the application and requirements through the UNESCO Careers website

           Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and in the field where you are requested to submit the ‘Employment History Form / My Documents’, upload the below-mentioned documents instead:

           The whole package needs to be uploaded as a single PDF document, it should include:

           1. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
           2. Short Approach to work (maximum 5, A4 pages) identifying the specific components of these TORs and how the intended objectives/outputs/delivery shall be addressed, and including specific hyperlinks or attachments of relevant examples of equivalent or comparable assignments.

           3. Financial proposal that states the total compensation as a lump sum, together with a breakdown according to the time-on-task or per output, to be quoted in US dollars, GBP or EUR as a monthly or daily rate. No travel is expected for this assignment.
           
           UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money.

           The complete application shall be submitted on or before 30 April 2024 (Midnight Paris time). Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
           Queries of a technical nature about these TORS may be directed to: esd@unesco.org