Technology for Development Specialist

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. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health including nutrition, early childhood development, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations

UNICEF partners with the Government of Rwanda to promote equitable, high-quality education for children through improved digital systems, foundational learning, teacher development, and innovation. Rwanda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2024–2029 prioritizes stronger learning outcomes in foundational grades, greater ICT integration, and evidence-based decision-making. The National UN Volunteer will help design and coordinate innovative EdTech models that align with government goals, are feasible in underserved schools, and can be scaled. The role will also sustain the benefits of the Giga initiative by working with the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and UNICEF’s global Giga team to monitor school connectivity, ensure sustainability, and use data for national planning.

Under the direct supervision of the Education Specialist, the volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Support school connectivity and Giga-related work, including real-time monitoring of internet connectivity status in schools.
• Serve as UNICEF Rwanda’s technical focal point for follow-up on school connectivity monitoring linked to collaboration with the Giga global team and related government systems.
• Coordinate with REB, RISA, and other relevant government entities on validation, updating, and use of school connectivity and profile data.
• Support the review, cleaning, verification, and periodic entry or updating of school information on relevant Giga mapping and monitoring platforms.
• Help track connectivity performance trends in connected schools and prepare concise summaries to inform collaboration with government and partners.
• Support continued coordination with ITU and Giga global teams on Rwanda-specific priorities, technical requests, and reporting needs.
• Document lessons from Rwanda’s transition from UNICEF-supported connectivity pilots to government-owned connectivity arrangements.

Support the design and implementation of EdTech programmes for foundational learning
• Support the development of EdTech programme concepts, implementation notes, budgets, and partner inputs aligned to UNICEF Rwanda’s education priorities.
• Contribute technical input on practical school-based use of low-cost digital tools, including shared smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to support literacy and numeracy in primary schools.
• Support curation and technical review of digital learning applications and tools to assess curriculum alignment, usability, feasibility, inclusion, safeguarding, and potential for scale.
• Work with REB and partners to map and organize curriculum-aligned English and Mathematics content for use on devices in target schools.
• Support technical specifications for procurement of devices and complementary equipment, including charging, storage, protection, inventory control, and school-safe configuration.
• Follow up with programme partners on device preparation, loading, testing, deployment, and school-level handover arrangements.

Support teacher use of digital tools in classroom settings
• Support planning and coordination of teacher orientation and training on practical classroom integration of digital tools for foundational learning.
• Contribute to user-friendly teacher support materials, including lesson EdTech integration tips, classroom routines, rotational use guidance, and simple troubleshooting support.
• Support coaching visits to target schools to observe use of devices and applications during lessons, identify implementation bottlenecks, and recommend adjustments.
• Work with REB and implementing partners to strengthen blended follow-up support for teachers, including remote guidance where relevant.
• Promoting teacher-centred use of EdTech strengthens classroom practice rather than replacing teachers.

Support school-level systems, coordination, and implementation quality
• Support district and school-level coordination to ensure a realistic timetable, rotational access, safe device management, and inclusive use of technology.
• Liaise with school leaders and district officials to support structured oversight, routine follow-up, and institutionalization of digital learning practices.
• Monitor implementation risks linked to usage, storage, maintenance, scheduling, safeguarding, and uneven access.

Support monitoring, evidence generation, and knowledge management
• Contribute to monitoring tools, trackers, and reporting formats for EdTech implementation and school connectivity follow-up.
• Consolidate implementation findings, lessons learned, promising practices, and emerging evidence from school-based digital learning initiatives.
• Prepare high-quality briefs, presentations, concept notes, reports, and partner updates.
• Support documentation of catalytic, age, gender, disability, and equity-informed perspectives and proof-of-concept models that can guide government learning, adaptation, and future scale-up.

Support partnerships, coordination, and visibility
• Support engagement with key public and private sector partners involved in digital learning, school connectivity, and EdTech innovation.
• Contribute to technical preparation for meetings, reviews, learning events, and partner engagements.
• Help position UNICEF Rwanda’s EdTech work as a practical, evidence-driven contribution to government priorities and long-term systems strengthening.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.