For every child, Hope

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
UNICEF seeks the services of a professional expert to support the deployment, implementation, and scaling of the Learning Passport Programme in WCAR countries.

Background and Justification:
As countries all over the world closed their schools in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, billions of children were left out of school, often for a prolonged period of time and with limited access to distance learning. This unprecedented crisis represents a unique opportunity to upscale digital learning solutions and, more broadly, technology for development to improve access to education and learning outcomes and build stronger, more resilient education systems. UNICEF took this opportunity to initiate a global push for digital learning for every child, including deploying the Learning Passport, a digital learning platform developed in partnership with Microsoft and subsequently recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best inventions of 2021. In Western and Central Africa Region (WCAR), technology for development has significant room and potential for expansion. Digital learning solutions have undergone a rapid expansion to facilitate the delivery of country-level curricula for children and adolescents whose schools have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but much more remains to be done.

Reimagine Education is UNICEF’s flagship initiative to support digital learning and seeks to enable every child and young person (3.5 billion by 2030) to access world-class digital learning solutions which build the skills they need to leapfrog to a brighter future. The initiative operates through five key interconnected pillars: world-class digital learning solutions, connectivity, devices, affordable data and content, and young people’s engagement.

Within Reimagine Education, the Learning Passport is one of UNICEF’s key strategies for expanding access to world-class digital learning solutions. The platform has gained momentum in WCAR; it has been publicly launched in three countries and is in various stages of development in over eight countries in the region. Several other countries are engaging in preliminary conversations to pre-launch preparations.

An individual consultant with education (systems, curriculum) and technology for development (software development, project management, systems) experience is required to work with UNICEF Western and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) and its partners in supporting national-level deployment of the Learning Passport for Western and Central Africa region.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:

1. Goal and Objective:

The purpose of this assignment is to support and expand country-level deployment and to grow usage and engagement with the Learning Passport in WCAR.

2. Activities and Tasks:

The assignment will include the provision of overall technical support and quality assurance related to the Learning Passport deployment in the regional office RO and country offices (COs) in WCAR. The individual consultant will support the Global Learning Passport and Microsoft teams and Country/Regional Office Education in the establishment and maintenance of the platform in the WCAR countries. This comprises the following activities:

• Serve as the main liaison between WCAR countries and HQ Learning Passport team.
• Provide technical and programmatic support to successfully deploy the Learning Passport at country-level.
• Provide guidance on and information about the Learning Passport to WCAR Country Offices expressing interest in deploying the platform and supporting them in their dialogue with governments.
• Work with Global Learning Passport team experts to support countries on content, fundraising and technology.
• Assist countries in developing and sharing their results plans for the Learning Passport programme including user numbers, course completions, and teacher training and aggregate in a regional plan.
• Offer technical support to grow usage of the Learning Passport, including for the most marginalized, and to grow engagement at country level (for example, through spotlights on radio shows or by distributing data vouchers).
• Monitor and evaluate the design and implementation of the Learning Passport in WCAR countries, including through reporting on key growth indicators and integration of feedback forms at country level.
• Support in the promotion and advocacy of the Learning Passport.
• Regularly update and share best practices and regional insights to countries and vice versa (from countries to the region), contribute to newsletters, and write blog posts on the deployments of the Learning Passport in WCAR.
• Participate in meetings with the Global Learning Passport team and contribute to the global knowledge management of the Learning Passport.
• Provide training to stakeholders on how to customize and use the LP platform, manage content, and use other functionalities.
• Help troubleshoot, collect, collate and forward any platform related issues to the Global Learning Passport and Microsoft teams. This includes providing routine monitoring and gathering user feedback.
• Suggest feature enhancements based upon user feedback and approval from Learning Passport and Microsoft teams.
• Respond to technical queries from countries in a timely manner.
• Assist in guiding countries in the localization of global content resources.
• Manage the contribution of online volunteers

3) Work relationships:

The individual consultant will be supervised by both the WCARO Education Specialist (Quality & Learning) and the LP Global Programme Lead and is expected to work closely with the HQ Global Learning Passport Team, WCARO Education team, the Learning Passport Country Office colleagues, and other relevant partners, including other UN and development partners working on the Reimagine Education agenda.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education or Information and Communication Technology International Development, Communications, Media Studies, International Affairs or any related topics.
• At least five (5) years’ experiences on working in the education sector with understanding of curriculum and pedagogy issues.
• Work experience in Technology for Development (T4D) and/or information system development, with manifested capacity to manage programmes involving many stakeholders.
• Good technical understanding and familiarity with software and technology systems.
• Experience in rolling out and expanding large-scale projects, especially in hard-to-reach areas in developing countries is desirable.
• Strong understanding of project management and coordination tools with attention to deadlines.
• Strong understanding of how to evaluate and measure content quality and effectiveness.
• Advanced skills in writing, editing and communicating in English is a must, especially writing high quality technical reports. Fluency in French is required, especially speaking and reading.
• Professional experience in or knowledge about the West and Central Africa region will be an asset.
• Fluency in English and French is a must. Fluency in Portuguese and/or Spanish languages is considered as a strong asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.