Digital Content Development Specialist

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress. UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families. UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children – victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation, and those with disabilities. UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. In coordination with United Nations partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities. UNICEF works with all its partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

UNICEF Sri Lanka Country Office (CO), in collaboration with the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub, is supporting the Ministry of Education (MOE) and national stakeholders to strengthen digital learning systems and expand equitable access to quality education for all children through Accessible Digital Textbooks for All Initiative (ADT). In pursuit of UNICEF’s vision of inclusive education for every child, the ADT initiative is fostering inclusion, tackling systemic challenges through an iterative co-creation process with teachers and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and addressing data gaps as its top priorities. The initiative supports education authorities and other relevant stakeholders in streamlining standardization, production, and distribution of accessible digital learning materials through digital learning platforms, deployment of devices in schools, teacher training, and provision of technical assistance in introducing Universal Design for Leaning principles (UDL) into education systems, policy and curricula. These efforts aim to ensure that all learners, including children with disabilities, can access inclusive and engaging learning materials.

This initiative will support the integration of digital learning platforms, the deployment of devices in schools, and the development of accessible digital textbooks and learning resources. These efforts aim to ensure that all learners, including children with disabilities, can access inclusive and engaging learning materials. The UN Volunteer will support technical implementation of these initiatives including device preparation, digital content creation and integration, monitoring of device usage, and ensuring digital learning materials meet accessibility and usability standards. The UN Volunteer will work closely with the Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education (NIE), provincial education authorities, schools, and other stakeholders to support effective implementation and documentation of digital learning initiatives for future scaling. For More information: https://www.accessibletextbooksforall.org/

In catering to the two main local languages of instruction which is Sinhala and Tamil, 2 UNVs are required for the task. Under the overall guidance of UNICEF Sri Lanka Chief of Education in close collaboration with ICT/T4D Section in UNICEF Sri Lanka and the global ADT team, the UNVs will carry out the following key tasks:
1. Lead the technical implementation of Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADT) production using ADT Studio in Sri Lanka:
a. Deploy and maintain the ADT Studio environment and related technical infrastructure required for accessible textbook production.
b. Support the configuration and operationalization of ADT Studio workflows to convert existing curriculum materials into accessible digital formats.
c. Coordinate with the Ministry of Education and NIE to identify priority textbooks and learning materials for ADT conversion.
d. Implement technical pipelines for extracting content from source files (e.g., PDF textbooks), structuring content, and preparing materials for accessible digital publishing.
e. Ensure that ADT production workflows follow global technical standards and best practices established by the UNICEF global ADT initiative.

2. Support the production and technical development of accessible digital learning content:
a. Use ADT Studio to convert existing curriculum textbooks into structured accessible digital content formats.
b. Integrate accessibility features including text-to-speech, alternative text for images, structured navigation, simplified reading modes, and multimedia elements.
c. Support integration of additional accessibility components such as sign language videos, audio narration, and interactive learning elements.
d. Ensure digital content compatibility across devices including tablets, laptops, and digital learning platforms used by the Ministry of Education.
e. Conduct quality assurance and technical validation of ADT outputs before deployment.

3. Build national and provincial capacity for accessible content production
a. Develop technical training modules and materials on the use of ADT Studio for accessible content production.
b. Deliver hands-on training workshops for national and provincial education officials, technical teams, and curriculum developers.
c. Provide ongoing technical mentoring and coaching to government counterparts involved in ADT production.
d. Support the establishment of national and provincial technical teams capable of independently producing accessible digital textbooks.
e. Contribute to the development of sustainable workflows within government institutions for long-term ADT production

4. Provide technical support to the Ministry of Education for content production and validation
a. Work closely with curriculum developers and subject specialists to prepare textbook content for digital conversion.
b. Support the validation process of ADT content with technical teams, teachers, and relevant government authorities.
c. Facilitate user testing of ADT content with teachers and students to assess usability, accessibility, and pedagogical relevance.
d. Incorporate feedback from testing and validation processes into improvements of digital content.
e. Ensure that final digital learning materials meet accessibility and curriculum quality standards.

5. Support integration of ADTs within national digital learning platforms and ecosystems:
a. Work with relevant government teams to integrate ADT content into national digital learning platforms and repositories.
b. Ensure compatibility of ADT content with existing learning management systems and digital learning infrastructure.
c. Support the packaging and deployment of ADT materials for use in schools and other learning environments.
d. Coordinate with digital learning initiatives supported by UNICEF to ensure alignment and interoperability.

6. Knowledge management, technical documentation, and reporting:
a. Document the ADT Studio implementation process including technical workflows, tools, and configuration settings.
b. Produce technical documentation and user guides to support long-term use of ADT Studio by government partners.
c. Identify and document lessons learned, challenges, and good practices from the ADT production process.
d. Support the development of knowledge products and case studies highlighting ADT implementation in Sri Lanka.
e. Share regular technical progress updates with UNICEF Sri Lanka, regional offices, and the global ADT technical team.

7. Any other related tasked assigned by the section.