Consultant on Non-Formal Education (NFE)

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 Resource, on-line course and training  on Recognition of Non Formal Education (NFE) to be used by teachers and their students in the education process.
The assignment consists of three interrelated components: 
•    Component 1: Resource 
•    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 resource guide 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

Educational provision includes formal and non-formal education.  Nonformal education (NFE) programs play an important role in promoting literacy, civic education, vocational education and other lifelong learning objectives among adult and youth all over the world. 

The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED, 2011), defines Non-formal education as “Education that is institutionalized, intentional and planned by an education provider. The defining characteristic of non-formal education is that it is an addition, alternative and/or a complement to formal education within the process of the lifelong learning of individuals. It is often provided to guarantee the right of access to education for all. It caters for people of all ages but does not necessarily apply a continuous pathway-structure; it may be short in duration and/or low intensity, and it is typically provided in the form of short courses, workshops or seminars. Non-formal education can cover programs contributing to adult and youth literacy and education for out-of-school children, as well as programs on life skills, work skills, and social or cultural development.”

NFE became part of the international discourse on education policy in the late 1960s as a result of: (1) The concern about the growing “world educational crisis” (Philip Coombs, 1968)3 ; (2) a realization that formal education systems had adapted too slowly to the socio-economic changes around them; and (3) the existing gulf between government provision through the school system and the needs and interests of marginal populations who are most alienated from the system. 
The main purpose of this material is to provide educators in the Arab region, particularly in countries facing conflict or crisis, with the necessary guidelines, frameworks and tools on NFE.  

The following material consist of three interconnected components: Component 1) NFE Resource Pack Component 2) NFE Online Course 3) NFE Training.

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

The purpose of the manual will serve as a resource guide for educators to develop and acquire the needed skills to provide NFE services. Illustrative Content of the Resource Pack could include but not limited to the following:

    Clarification of key terms and concepts
    Importance of recognizing NFE
    Legislative/policy foundations and considerations
    Key steps in a recognition process 
    Quality assurance
    Ensuring an integrated approach
    Delivery mechanism and capacity-building needs (institutional and individual)
    Assessment/learning outcomes and M&E frameworks
    Consideration of certification/national qualifications framework 
    Coordination amongst various partners and stakeholders
    Best practices/case studies on recognition of NFE

Component 2:  On-Line Course
The main objective of the online course is to provide educators and education professionals in the Arab world, particularly in countries facing conflict or crisis, with the necessary guidelines, frameworks and tools for the recognition on NFE, or the strengthening of an existent system. It will entail key components of a policy framework and system for the recognition of NFE and overarching guidelines for creating better synergies between the formal and non-formal education systems in the Arab countries. 

The course will build on existing UNESCO resources and tools, including the UNESCO Guidelines on the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning and reports and resources by partners and other stakeholders including by the UNESCO Institute for LifeLong Learning; the OECD;  as well as UNESCO’s experiences in other regions such as Asia-Pacific.
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
The resource pack and on-line course will be complemented by 2 to 3 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

The deliverable timeline is divided as such:
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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