Roster call for Experts on Multilingual Education (MLE)

Background:

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) is  an instrument of conflict prevention at the earliest possible stage and provides early warning and early action in regard to tensions involving national minority issues. The HCNM offers advice and support to assist participating States in shaping policy and legislation that ensures minorities’ rights are respected and they are actively supported as integral members of their society. 

As part of its long-term engagement in  conflict prevention, the HCNM has supported mother tongue based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) initiatives in Central Asia since 2006, recognizing education as a key instrument for fostering effective participation of national minorities in all areas of life, improving educational quality and student achievement outcomes leading to stronger integration of diverse societies. The HCNM promotes multilingual education as a tool that ensures well-balanced education systems that preserve mother-tongue instruction while strengthening proficiency in the state language. 

Since 2008, this support has been implemented through the Central Asia Education Programme (CAEP), which across its three phases has focused on strengthening teacher training, supporting pilot school implementation, advancing methodological innovation, and facilitating regional knowledge exchange.

In response to increasing demand for expertise on MTB-MLE implementation and policy support, the HCNM is establishing a roster of qualified experts to support its activities in multilingual education across Central Asia.                                                                                                           
 

Objective of Assignment: 
 

The objective of this Roster Call is to identify and pre-select a pool of highly qualified experts in mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE).

Selected experts will be included in a roster and may be engaged under a Special Service Agreement (SSA) to provide specialized technical and advisory support for HCNM activities in Central Asia, subject to operational needs and availability of funds.
 

Duration of Assignment:

The duration, timing, and level of effort for each assignment will be specified in the respective SSA and will depend on HCNM activities, operational requirements, and availability of funds.
 

The consultants will be required to work from home with the ability to travel to perform tasks, if necessary. 

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the respective Project Officer and in close coordination with the HCNM Office, the expert(s) may be required to undertake the following tasks: 

1. Provide policy-oriented recommendations to improve education policies and practices in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turrkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

2. Provide expert advice on the development and application of multilingual education methodologies in minority-language pre-school, primary and secondary education settings.

3. Develop teaching and learning materials to support pilot interventions implementing mother tongue-based education programmes in support of HCNM activities.

4. Contribute to the design and delivery of country-and regional level HCNM activities including roundtables, workshops and conferences, on topics such as multilingual education management and evaluation, mother tongue and second language instruction, and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).

5. Provide technical input to the design, methodology and implementation of analytical and research activities supporting HCNM activities, including assessment of MLE development and the role of mother tongue in education systems.

6. Perform other related duties as required.
   
   Deliverables:

Specific deliverables will be defined in each SSA. Depending on the assignment, deliverables may include, but are not limited to:

1. Policy briefs, analytical reports, and recommendations.
2. Training curricula, methodologies, and capacity-building materials.
3. Teaching and learning resources for pilot implementation.
4. Concept notes, agendas, and reports for events and workshops.
5. Research designs, methodologies, and analytical outputs.

All deliverables shall be submitted in Russian and/or English, unless otherwise specified, and shall meet agreed quality standards and deadlines.
 

Necessary Qualifications:

Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, pedagogy, linguistics, or a related field.
- Demonstrated understanding of international norms relating to minority rights in particular in the areas of language and education.
- Proven expertise in multilingual education (MLE), including training and capacity-building experience.
- Substantial progressively responsible experience in international cooperation and/or technical assistance in education.
- Experience in providing policy-level advisory services.
- Strong understanding of minority education issues within OSCE participating States.
- Professional experience in Central Asia is an asset.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in Russian and/or English; knowledge of Central Asia languages is an advantage.
- Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments and establish strong professional relationships.
- Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, deliverables and will be based on the current OSCE consultancy rates. 

Qualified applicants will be included in the HCNM roster of experts on multilingual education. Inclusion in the roster does not constitute any obligation on the part of the OSCE to award contracts.  Engagements under SSA will be made on an as-needed basis for specific HCNM activities.
 

The HCNM reserves the right to update, suspend, or close the roster at any time.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-open the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer a consultancy assignment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates of all nationalities and from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply. (Nationality and/or residency requirements may be applicable for locally-hired consultancies.)
 

Only those applicants who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

Consultants are not OSCE officials and are not subject to the OSCE Staff Regulations and Staff Rules. However, through the contractual terms of their Special Service Agreement (SSA) with the OSCE, consultants are bound to observe the OSCE Code of Conduct as far as applicable to their role, as well as the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Obligations for Consultants. Both documents are available on the OSCE website.

The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.
Consultants are solely responsible for the discharge of their financial/tax affairs and compliance with their respective national legislation, as may be applicable.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.