Policy Analyst (Educational Innovation) (NPSA9)

The Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme builds on the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts to introduce a citizen-centric culture of innovation in civil service to improve service delivery and make services more inclusive, affordable, reliable and easier to access. This project will provide support to establish institutional mechanisms and improve accountability to accelerate SDG achievements in Bangladesh.

This project will have three components:

• Institutionalizing Public Service Innovation and Improving Accountability
• Catalyzing Digital Financial Services and Fintech Innovations
• Incubating Private Sector-enabled Public Service Innovation

Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme project is planning to recruit a Policy Analyst (Educational Innovation)who will be responsible to identify current or impending problems in education. Based on that s/he will design and carry out specialized research towards skills and professional development for the other target audience. The incumbent will execute the best practices and extract lessons for blended learning and innovations in education.     

The project is funded by the Government of Bangladesh, UNDP and other development partners, and is implemented by ICT Division and Cabinet Division

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Advisor the incumbent will perform below mentioned duties and responsibilities.

• Provide support to respective ministries/divisions and relevant stakeholders to design and implement education/e-learning.
• Develop a comprehensive framework for blended education/e-learning including guidelines for effective learning platform and program development, stakeholders’ engagement, partnership development, and proper monitoring and mentoring support from policy level.
• Design and conduct appropriate research initiatives for skills and professional development, innovations in learning and policy formulation.
• Provide guidance to develop a sustainable e-learning platform for skills and professional development for the different stakeholders.
• Capture local and international best practices and extract lessons for policy input and draft policy documents.
• Support to draft new strategies for innovations in education and learning initiatives and coordinate crosscutting policy initiatives among stakeholders. 
• Facilitate planning and designing workshops with relevant education stakeholders to explore the existing situation and their needs regarding implementation of education and e-learning initiatives.  
• Develop national and international partnership with the national and international educational and research institutions to ensure knowledge transfer.  

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• Data analysis: Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making;  
• Emerging partnerships: Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships;
• E-governance: Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP;
• Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situation;
• Human-centered Design: Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process;
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

• At least 2 years’ working experience in education/ICT in Education/e-learning and related activities
• Experience in designing and implementing online/blended learning for large groups of people and diverse audiences.
• Experience in designing and facilitating consultations on education with senior policy makers, private sector and development partners is desirable
• Experience in working with government agencies, development partners and private sectors, academia and industries will be preferable
• Working experience with UNDP or any other development organization will be an added advantage

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Bangla