Consultant on Education in Emergencies (EiE)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Field Office

Duty Station: Beirut

 

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 23-MAY-2022

 

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

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

After a steady decrease of out-of-school children, adolescents and youth of primary and secondary school age in the Arab States from 16,735,519 in 2015 to 15,632,474 in 2019, the number increased to 16,049,840 in 2020.  This is due to the unprecedented worldwide COVID-19-related school closures that affected approximately 110 million children and youth in the region. On top, the exacerbating conflicts and socio-economic crises in many Arab countries, such as Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine, have led to a growing pile of challenges and obstacles (weak infrastructure, unavailability of devices, connectivity, lack of teacher training on digital skills and use of technologies, etc.) that prevented education systems and teachers from delivering quality education that meets emerging needs. The pandemic has accelerated the shift of teaching and learning towards digital solutions, forcing countries to switch to online, distance and blended education without prior planning and preparation, and rendering traditional teaching and learning methods obsolete. Teachers found themselves in a difficult situation, having to adapt their teaching methods, learning materials, contents, and assessments to fit distance/blended learning modalities with little to no help and guidance. Many education policy- and decision-makers were also forced to make swift decisions to adjust and adapt their policies and strategies for responding to the rapidly changing education and health-related developments.

Funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (herein after referred to as “KSRelief”) and implemented by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (herein after referred to as “UNESCO Beirut”), Education is Peace is a regional project launched in 2019 for an initial period of 1 year (2019-2020) before being renewed for an additional year (2020-2021). 

The project aims to develop regional resources and build the capacities of teacher trainers, teachers, educators, education practitioners and policy- and decision-makers to ensure quality education for all with a special focus on supporting Arab countries in crises through Education in Emergencies (EiE), and through promoting peace, tolerance, and social cohesion in the region. 

 The project encompasses 3 main objectives: 
•    Extend the benefit from developed resources;
•    Sharing knowledge with target groups and beneficiaries; and 
•    Promoting networking with other regional and global networks.
 

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of this assignment is to develop Decision-Maker’s Guide on Education in Emergencies (response, readiness, recovery) to be used by teachers and their students in the education process.
The assignment consists of three interrelated components: 
•    Component 1: Resource Pack
•    Component 2:  On-Line Course
•    Component 3:  Training

The material to be developed will be built on existing material developed and/or available at UNESCO and/or other agencies to make sure it is complementary to existing ones used around the world.

The material to be developed will specifically focus on the Middle East and North African, countries in crises such as Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, Tunisia and others. It will also address a wider audience in the Arab world.

In this context, UNESCO Beirut Office calls for an individual consultant to deliver the above material described by the three components. 
 

PROPOSED CONTENT FOR MATERIAL

Component 1: EiE Resource Pack
The EiE Resource pack will provide specific skills and expertise to decision makers and in Arab world, particularly countries in crises. Illustrative Content of the Resource Pack

    Fundamental concepts and principles in EiE
    National and international educational policies, laws, standards and plans in EiE
    Analysis of current state of EiE in Arab countries
    EiE key planning tools and processes 
    Building capacities for teaching and learning
    Development of EiE policies and programmes (including costing, financing, implementation, M&E)
    Best practices on strengthening and institutionalizing EiE

 

Component 2:  On-Line Course
The online course will provide governments and decision-makers with the necessary background knowledge, competences and tools to make informed decisions on EiE. In particular, it will strengthen institutional and individual capacities for enhancing the accessibility, inclusivity, safety, quality, and accountability of education in emergencies, including for educational preparedness, response and recovery. The online course should entail numerous inter-connected modules covering a wide range of EiE thematics encompassing fundamental concepts, principles, standards and tools. It would be available both in Arabic and English, to benefit a wide scope of education stakeholders in the region.
    
This online course will build on existing resources and tools, including but not limited to:
- The UNESCO Guidelines to strengthen the right to education in national frameworks
- The UNESCO and the Right to Education Initiative (RTE) recently released Right to education handbook
- The UNESCO Qualifications Passport (UQP) for refugees and vulnerable migrants
- The UNESCO Strategic Framework for Education in Emergencies in the Arab Region (2018-2021)
- The INEE Minimum Standards Handbook which provides technical guidance on the minimum level of educational quality and access in emergencies through recovery
- Minimum Standards Case Studies which shares ‘good practices and lessons learned of the contextualisation, implementation and institutionalisation of the INEE Minimum Standards
- The INEE Minimum Standards Education Policy Standard 2: Planning and Implementation
- The EiE Best Practices Guide
- The Disaster Prevention for Schools: Guidance for Education Sector Decision-Makers
It is necessary to ensure that the course is customized and tailored to the Arab region context, and in close coordination and consultation with UNESCO.
 

Component 3:  Training/ Webinars
The resource pack and on-line course will be complemented by two regional webinars. the first towards the start of the assignment to assess and get feedback on the region’s particularities and needs with relevant stakeholders and generate interest for the course; the second to launch and introduce the online course to targeted stakeholders.
 

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES & TIMELINE

Component 1- Resource
a.    Inception Report for the Assignment (June 15)
b.    Semi-Final Draft (July 30)
c.    Final Draft (August 15)
d.    Formatted and Edited Final Draft (September 1)

Component 2- On-line Course
a.    Content Plan (July 30)
b.    Semi-Final Draft Content (August 30)
c.    Final Draft (September 15)

COMPONENT 3- Training
a.    Training Design (September 15)
b.    Training Delivery (September 30)

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) Professionalism (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

•    Advanced university agree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, political science, human right, international relations, social sciences, community development and or related social sciences.
•    A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience; particularly working on topics related to Citizenship, Human Values, Tolerance, and Prevention of Violence Extremism, civil society, civic education, integration, participation, etc. 
•    Experience teaching and/or working with children and youth in crises situations in the Arab world. 
•    Working experiences and good knowledge of education and development issues in the Arab region.
•    Demonstrated ability to work effectively and independently within a complex and multicultural environment.
•    Capacity to deliver high quality results within specified timelines.
•    Excellent research, analytical and writing skills in Arabic and English;
•    Availability and readiness to start assignment immediately (as of June 2022).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

•    Experience in contents development for online courses and good knowledge of online course design; experience in developing a similar course (structures and contents) will be an asset.
•    Previous experience in working with UNESCO, or other UN agencies, is preferable;
 

LANGUAGES

•    Fluency in both written and oral English and Arabic is a requirement. French is a plus.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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