International Consultancy - Digital Learning Specialist at UNICEF

Background and Justification

• The world is facing a learning crisis. Millions of children are not developing the skills they need to break out of poverty. The growth of digital technologies and the increasingly broad range of actors, donors, implementers and even content developers providing online learning or digital education means UNICEF can contribute towards the delivery of learning opportunities anywhere, at any time. Thus, digital platforms have the potential to ensure continuity of learning but more than half of the world’s children and young people are on the wrong side of the digital divide, limiting access to the same opportunities as their connected peers. Towards this end, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) is working to accelerate new exemplars of low-income countries pursuing a whole-of-society (wos) and whole of government (wog) approaches to using digital technologies to Re-Imagine Education Agenda through increasing access to digital learning CONTENT and PLATFORMS to enable personalized learning, provision of digital CONNECTIVITY for schools including supporting public financing for the Giga Initiative, lowering the cost or availing the end user DEVICES for every child and young person, working with partners to develop affordable DATA solutions and engaging YOUNG PEOPLE to play a part in re-imagining education, including volunteering initiatives, mentorship and peer education.
• Therefore, Education section in UNICEF ESARO is seeking an individual consultant to provide technical assistance to country offices in the region, oversee and manage the implementation of the digital learning programmes.

Scope of Work

• The scope of the assignment is to provide coordination support to ESAR countries, provide technical assistance, oversight implementation, consolidate updates from and disseminate with appropriate stakeholders and strengthen monitoring mechanism for digital learning programme and support countries in documenting, disseminating, and integrating digital technologies into the national education system.

Major tasks

• Coordinate and provide technical support to ESAR countries to advance the Reimagine Education agenda in the region, including strengthening programme design, mentoring and monitoring of the programme implementation.
• Support and expand the deployment of Learning Passport, GIGA, Airtel, EdTech Hub and other Digital Technologies Partnerships in ESAR;
• Create documentation of best practices, develop knowledge products on digital learning, organize workshops, webinars, learning sessions and disseminate within UNICEF across stakeholders.
• Participates in regular meetings and contributes to providing updates and share insights and reflections from country coordination and implementations.

Outputs/Deliverables:

The consultant will be required to produce the outputs as specified below.

Output 

• Develop a robust monitoring and promotional mechanism to grow the number of the registered and trained users on the Learning Passport and Airtel partnership support across 17 countries in ESAR (Present + upcoming countries). 
• Gather and aggregate results plans and country targets for the Learning Passport growth in the ESA region in 2023 and 2024  

Deliverable

• Situation analysis of digital learning policy and operational plan, status of deployment, summary of progress, existing bottlenecks and barriers, actions initiated by MOE and UNICEF Country offices, Monitoring and evaluation activities, deployments of user survey activated, and promotional strategy developed and disseminated in 17 countries; one strong case documented and ready for publication

Timeframe

• 31st August 2023

Output 

• Tool for Learning Passport platform contents mapping, and quality assurance developed and disseminated in 12 countries; gap highlighted, and support provided to strengthen contents inclusive and gender transformative.

Deliverable

• Country wise content mapping and quality assurance action taken documented for 10 LP deployment countries

Timeframe

•  30th September 2023

Output 

• Knowledge management product developed and disseminated

Deliverable 

• Two knowledge management product developed and virtually disseminated across countries in ESARO
• Three (3) speaking engagements or blogs or interventions or country consultation responses and 2 blogs or human-interest stories

Timeframe

• 15th November 2023

Output 

• Play a leading role in hosting or co-hosting at least one (1) workshop/webinar, sharing best practices or promoting agreed positions with a view to shaping digital learning in the region.

Deliverable

• Brief workshop/webinar report

Timeframe

• 15th December 2023

Output 

• Provides quality assurance and oversight support in the development of at least one (3) offline digital learning project (offline learning passport), pilot or large-scale demonstration of digital learning programme including Offline Learning Passport Edge devices, Learning Passport mobile apps or Progressive Web apps

Deliverable

• Offline digital learning programme operationalized in 3 countries

Timeframe

• 31st December 2023

Output 

• Ensure all five pillars of the Reimagine Education initiative is well understood and support to at least 10 of 17 countries embark on any of them by participating in country advocacy efforts or taking up speaking opportunities. These include working with partners like MNOs on affordable data, and data incentivization for the Learning Passport

Deliverable

• Advocacy and digital learning campaign materials developed and disseminated

15th Feb 2024

Output 

• Make a business case for feature enhancements of at least five countries Learning Management System, not limited to Learning Passport based upon user feedback.

Deliverable

• Progress or Activity Report

Timeframe

• 31st March 2024

Output 

• Final report on deployment of learning passport and reimagine education across ESA countries

Deliverable

• Final consolidated report developed and shared across 21 countries (virtually)

Timeframe

• 30th June 2024

Payment Schedule

• Payment schedule is indicated in the above table, linked to each key deliverable.

 Desired competencies, technical background and experience

• Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in Education, Education Technology, ICT or related field of study. *A first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with seven years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• At least 5 years of proven experience in the implementation of technology programmes
• Solid experience in the design and implementation of education programme at scale.
• Excellent writing skills, planning and coordination skills, with proven ability to work independently. 
• Previous work with UNICEF (HQ or ROs) is an added advantage.
• Must exhibit the UNICEF Core Values of:
  • Care
  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Trust
  • Accountability
  • Sustainability

Competencies:

• The consultant should have the following competencies to deliver on the assignment.
• Drive to achieve results for impact (level 2)
• Innovates and embraces change (level 2)
• Works collaboratively with others (Level 2)
• Fluency in English (verbal and written). Knowledge of French and Portuguese is an added advantage

Deadline: 30 Jun 2023 E. Africa Standard Time