Pacific Inclusive Education Technical Consultant to support Education Program in the Pacific Islands countries, 18 months.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, education.

We operate in the Pacific, specifically in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. These 14 Pacific islands countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth. They inhabit more than 660 islands and atolls that stretch across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. This area is comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, only a third are on track with reporting obligations. You can explore the different areas of our work at the link provided here: www.unicef.org/pacificislands .

Background of Assignment: 

The Pacific region is one of the largest and most diverse regions of the world covering an area equivalent to 15% of the globe’s surface. Many Pacific Island countries and territories share similar challenges and opportunities as small and remote island economies, with limited natural resources, narrowly-based economies, large distances from major markets, and vulnerability to external shocks; all of which can affect growth and have often led to a high degree of economic volatility. Pacific Island countries are also some of the most vulnerable in the world to the effects of climate change and natural disasters.

Despite good progress in the education sector, large numbers of children remain outside the education systems. Children with disabilities make up an important proportion of out-of-school children1. It is estimated that less than 10% of children with disabilities in the Pacific region have access to any form of education2.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals to “leave no one behind” and to tackle the challenge of exclusion in the education sector in across the Pacific Island countries (PICs), stakeholders have come together to develop the Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Framework (PRIEF). PRIEF was developed in recognition of the need to address the educational needs of learners at most risk of exclusion, noting that one group of learners who are frequently excluded are those with disability or special needs, while others may include those who are marginalized due to geographical location, socio-economic status, gender, ethnic minorities and other potentially marginalized groups. It focuses on five key priorities: (i) Enabling policies & legislation for inclusive education; (ii) Raising awareness about inclusive education in schools and the wider community; (iii) Providing appropriate training and professional learning to enable leaders and teachers to implement effective inclusive practices; (iv) Strengthening partnerships between schools, parents and community members; and (v) Developing best practice pedagogy and curriculum for inclusive practices and accessibility. The PRIEF was endorsed by the Forum Education Minister Meeting (FEdMM) in 2021.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant is expected to provide technical advice to UNICEF and to Pacific Island countries in inclusive education, including in the development and review of policies, plans and programmes, including capacity building, focused specifically on inclusive education, as well as in the technical review from an inclusion perspective in other education policies, plans and programmes, and integration of inclusion in the same.

The consultant is expected to work with of the Pacific Regional Inclusive Education Taskforce for Pacific regional initiatives and to work closely with country focal points from each Ministry of Education in each country, and – in both cases – to make every effort to coordinate and align with the work of other partners in the sector, and particularly to guide on partnerships and engagement with Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs).

The expected work covers these broad technical areas, which guides the required deliverables and indicative activities as presented in the table below:

• Policy and planning / Inclusive education: This work includes the technical support to Ministries of    Education in situational analysis of inclusive education systems; development, review and finalization of inclusive education policies and plans; and the preparation for any consultations, events and stakeholder engagement as required in these processes.
• Teaching and learning / Inclusive education: This work includes the technical support to Ministries of Education to the development, implementation and review of inclusive education teacher training, teaching & learning materials, and parent/community engagement materials and approaches.
• Cross-sectoral support to inclusion in parent engagement / ECD: This work includes technical support to Ministries of Education in collaboration with other relevant Ministries and departments to strengthen cross-sectoral support to families, parents and children.
• Technical review and inputs to other Education policies, plans and programmes: This work includes the technical review of other policies, plans and programmes that are not specifically focused on inclusive education, but that need to integrate adequate attention and strategies on inclusion. This may benefit from occasional participation in UNICEF Education team meetings.

The consultant would be requested to provide technical reviews and feedback from an inclusion perspective to studies, concept notes and other associated documents.

Because of the evolving nature of the Education Programme, it is critical that technical support on inclusive education can be provided on an ongoing and as-needed basis. An initial quarterly workplan will be established in agreement between UNICEF and the consultant, outlining expected process, milestones, timeframes and estimated working days. This first workplan will be established on the basis of existing commitments made by UNICEF to support inclusion in the Pacific for early 2024. As 2024-2025 workplans are established in early 2024 and finalized by March 2024, this will inform the development of the second quarterly workplan and all subsequent workplans. The consultant can invoice on the basis of approved deliverables or milestones, based on agreed working days spent on the same, at a maximum on a monthly basis.

Supervision will be provided by the Education Specialist from the Pacific Multi-Country Office in Suva.

Please refer to the ToR  TOR_Pacific Inclusive Education.pdf for further information on the deliverables and the timelines.

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

Education:  

• Advanced degree (Master’s Degree or higher) in Education or related field

Experience, Skills and Language:  

• Proven experience and expertise in inclusive education, policy and practice (at least 8 years)
• Substantial experience in research and analysis.
• Demonstrated experience working with Ministries of Education and development partners.
• Knowledge of Pacific cultures and education systems, including Pacific regional institutions, partners, frameworks and partnerships.
• Pacific experience, knowledge and culture are added advantages.
• Demonstrated understanding of issues related to exclusion on the basis of gender, disability, poverty, etc.
• Proven ability to produce high quality, user-friendly analyses and presentations that are accessible and engaging to a ide variety of audiences.

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:

This vacancy is open to individual consultants only. Candidates are requested to submit a brief technical proposal and CV.

The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Monthly/Daily consultancy fees – based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above.
• Travel (economy air ticket where applicable for field mission travel)
• Living allowance where travel is required.
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.

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

Remarks:  

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. 

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. 

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