Educational Assessment and programme management specialist (Service Contract)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Field Office

Duty Station: Santiago

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Level : Level 5

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 26-JUN-2023

 

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

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Service Contract Field Office

Latin American Laboratory for Evaluation of the Quality of Education Assessment and program management specialist

Only candidates with Chilean nationality and/or permission to work in Chile will be considered.

 

Job description

Under the authority of the Director of the Office and the direct supervision of the Coordinator of the Latin American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education, LLECE, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

 

Long Description

1. Provide research assistance to the Laboratory in educational evaluation, particularly in the design, analyses and implementation of ERCE studies according to the guidelines of the LLECE coordinator and of the Principal Investigator (PI) of LLECE.

2. Support the management of the LLECE’s main projects, including the design and administrative processes, given the specific requirements and needs.

3. Serve as a technical counterpart in the development of the different stages and processes of the main LLECE projects, ensuring compliance with the technical standards of educational measurement and evaluation studies.

4. Serve as the technical counterpart of consultants and institutions that collaborate with the work of LLECE in studies, research, and other projects, ensuring the quality of the activities, products and their delivery schedule, in order to ensure quality, deadlines and added value.

Long Description

5. Provide technical support and liaise with national coordinators of LLECE member countries and UNESCO field offices on educational measurement and evaluation issues.

6. Work with the member countries of the Laboratory, to coordinate processes and products, providing inputs and responding to requests on time, in order to add value through the different studies and actions of the laboratory.

7. Participate in the production of dissemination and capacity building activities organized by the Laboratory for country representatives, implementing partners, technical and financial partners, media, NGOs and academia.

8. Work and systematize databases from the different stages of the study, providing research assistance in data analysis and reporting for the LLECE studies. Additionally, produce periodic analyses as an input for the LLECE Coordinator and OREALC Director.

9. Prepare Terms of reference for contracts with consultants and institutions necessary for the development of LLECE project activities according to the coordination guidelines, to later be an active counterpart for their proper implementation.

10. Participate in projects with other institutions to link the work of the LLECE with the monitoring of SDG4 and the contribution of the evaluation systems of the countries and the region.

11. Perform any additional tasks as required and assigned by the Chief of Section or the Director of the Office.   

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

Education

Advance degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in statistics, education or related areas.

 

Work experience

At least three years of relevant experience as researcher/research assistant  in large-scale educational assessment, and/or  educational research studies.

Competences and abilities

• Familiarity with educational assessment and in particular large-scale educational assessment.
• Familiarity with educational measurement theories, psychometrics and other quantitative aspects of educational evaluation, enabling him/her to evaluate analysis plans and their execution, as well as to actively participate in technical discussions with implementing partners and the High Level Technical Council.
• Knowledge of statistical software (mainly R).

Long Description

• Experience in at least one area of educational assessment implementation. It can be in the design of instruments, implementation operations, production of results, among others.
• Experience in large-scale studies.
• Excellent knowledge of both oral and written Spanish and English.
• Experience in project management.
• Ability to manage large-scale projects and large budgets.
• Ability to coordinate the work of consultants and collaborating technical institutions.
• High level of initiative and self-management.
• Demonstrated ability to develop quantitative and qualitative analysis of educational data. Excellent knowledge and skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent teamwork skills.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Clear and effective communication

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Work experience

• Proven work in the field of large-scale assessment and international comparative studies.
• Management of international, national or state-level studies.
• Experience in international and national organizations in education.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Only candidates with Chilean nationality and/or permission to work in Chile will be considered.

Service contract duration is for 8 months, including 3 months probation, and possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

Leave

Annual Leave

Annual leave shall be granted at the rate of 2,5 working days for each completed month of service and is credited to the SC holder from the first day of his/her contract. The annual leave entitlement must be taken in full during the contract period. However, up to 15 days of annual leave can be carried forward if the contract is extended. Compensation shall not be paid for unused annual leave at the end of the contract, and contracts must not be extended solely for this purpose.

Any absence from duty not specifically authorized, including any absence beyond the authorized time off in accordance with this policy, shall be treated as unauthorized absence and not paid accordingly.

Special Leave

SC holders are normally not entitled to special leave during the period of their contract. However, special leave without pay may exceptionally be granted, including for compelling family reasons, on approval of the Sector ADG/ Director/Head of Bureau/ (Field/Liaison) Office Institute. The maximum duration of such leave should take into account the length of service of the SC holder with the Organization and must be subject to exigencies of service. The period of special leave without pay may not run beyond the expiry date of the SC at the time when the special leave is approved.

SC holders may be required to use up any accrued annual leave before they start the special leave without pay.

Sick Leave

SC holders are entitled to 2 (two) working days of paid sick leave per completed month of service, equivalent to 24 days (including certified and uncertified sick leave) per complete year of service. The total amount of sick leave shall be credited on the first day of their contract. During the first 2 (two) years of contract, up to 24 days of unused sick leave may be carried forward if the contract is extended.

Maternity Leave

SC holders are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave, subject to provision of a medical certificate from a qualified practitioner which indicates the expected date of confinement. No SC holder shall be separated during the period of maternity leave once it has started: the contract must be extended to cover the full period of maternity leave. For the purposes of this entitlement, maternity leave shall not start less than 2 (two) weeks before the expected date of childbirth and finish not less than 10 (ten) weeks after the actual date of childbirth.

SC holders who return to duty following maternity leave may take up to 2 (two) hours per day to breastfeed the newborn child until the child reaches the age of 9 (nine) months. SC holders wishing to use reduced working hours for breastfeeding shall inform their immediate supervisor, at least 2 (two) weeks in advance, for work planning purposes. 

Paternity Leave

SC holders whose child is born during the period of their SC with UNESCO and who have completed at least 6 (six) months of uninterrupted service with the Organization at the time of the birth of the child are entitled to up to 4 (four) weeks of paternity leave to be taken during the contract period. 

Social Security

SC holders are not eligible for participation in UNESCO’s Medical Benefits Fund (MBF) or UN Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) (except for former staff members already participating in either or both MBF/Pension Fund), nor are they covered by UNESCO’s Staff Compensation Plan.

The social security arrangements for SC holders must be clearly set out in the SC contract, whether they are registered in a local scheme or receiving an additional payment for registering in a private medical and/or pension scheme. The arrangements must be drawn to the attention of the individual before the contract is signed. The SC holder must provide the proof of affiliation to local or private social security scheme if in receipt of an additional payment. 

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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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.