Call for Consultancy: Numeracy Module Development

Organization: UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon
Duty Station: Yangon, Myanmar
Type of contract: Contract for Individual Authors (Form HR 13-6)
Tentative Duration: August 2024 to April 2025 (9 months)
Contract Start Date: 1 August 2024 (contract start date is tentative and subject to change without prior notice)
I. Background:
Under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education Sector Program Implementation Grant (ESPIG), UNESCO has secured funding to implement activities towards the attainment of the undermentioned three (3) outcome areas.
• Outcome 1: Ensuring safe and equitable access to learning for children and youth in Myanmar;
• Outcome 2: Ensuring quality teaching and learning for children and youth in Myanmar by strengthening the capacities of education staff and fostering context-responsive, equity-focused learning resources and modalities adapted to the evolving situation; and
• Outcome 3: Ensuring systems strengthening, management, coordination, and monitoring.
UNESCO, through the Education Sector Programme Implementation Grant (ESPIG) project, continues this effort addressing the needs for both pre-and in-service teacher education under ESPIG Outcome Area 2: Ensuring quality teaching and learning for children and youths in Myanmar by strengthening the capacities of education staff and fostering context-responsive, equity-focused learning resources and modalities adapted to the evolving situation. As an effort to deliver quality teacher education, UNESCO brings Myanmar Teacher Platform (MTP) to offer continuous learning for educators, learners and other interested parties to access quality learning materials, videos and other resources in a safe and secure environment and provide online courses by themes. Through ESPIG project, UNESCO is committed to improve the literacy and numeracy level of the children by equipping teachers with knowledge in literacy and numeracy and instructional strategies effectively teach students in those areas. To initiate this, UNESCO will develop online courses for teachers to do self-pace learning to help with mathematic and numeracy teaching and those e-learning courses will be uploaded on MTP. Through online courses, this will enable teachers: 1) to equip with knowledge to create engaging numeracy lessons; 2) to enhance their
understanding of effective numeracy instructional strategies; and 3) to develop teachers’ ability to assess students’ numeracy levels accurately. Therefore, UNESCO is hiring an Individual Consultant which is responsible for developing ten numeracy modules targeting early grades and primary in low resource setting.
II. Under the overall authority of the Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (hereinafter called UNESCO Bangkok), the direct supervision of the Head of UNESCO Antenna Office in Yangon and in close collaboration with Responsible Officer who is responsible for the contents of the modules, the Individual Consultant shall specifically perform the following:
1.1 Provide author services by following the requirements as listed below:
a. Discuss with UNESCO ESPIG team the content, objectives and target participants for numeracy modules to prepare concept note;
b. Conduct research to ensure the proposed module titles, in terms of overarching, concepts, content, quizzes, teaching and learning strategies, interactive learning activities and assessment, approaches are contextualized and provide the relevant approaches on developing module contents;
c. Submit the revised the contents, incorporating UNESCO and other stakeholder’s comments, suggestions and ideas as necessary;
d. Develop PowerPoints based on the module contents and revise PowerPoints, incorporating UNESCO and other stakeholder’s comments, suggestions and ideas as necessary;
e. Review and provide feedback on the video scripts to develop online modules.
1.2 Follow the requirements of the manuals, guidelines and intellectual property rights:
a. Ensure that the course content comply with the UNESCO Style Manual (2004 version available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000141812) such as terminology, abbreviations, acronyms and format of footnotes, etc.;
b. Streamline UNESCO’s gender strategy, ensure the Guidelines on Gender-Neutral Language is applied throughout the course content (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377299);😉
c. When referring to the region, ensure to avoid using ‘in the Asia-Pacific’ and ‘in Asia Pacific’. Instead, use one of the following terms interchangeably: in the Asia-Pacific region, in Asia and the Pacific, and in Asia-Pacific;
d. Compile a list of tables, figures (including diagram, chart, illustration), photos (including images, cartoons, icons) and other graphic elements from the third party-materials by using a template provided by UNESCO;
e. Secure the intellectual property rights by using the “permission consent form” (provided by UNESCO) to obtain a written authorization from the original source of work when include the third-party materials (see item e) and inform them regarding UNESCO Open Access Policy;
f. Ensure that no plagiarized or self-plagiarized material is published without appropriate acknowledgement of the source;
g. Provide a proper credit or citation to the original work of the third-party materials. For any materials (see item e) created by author, the “Source: author” should be placed underneath aforementioned materials;
h. Avoid including maps (global, regional, country) that could be politically sensitive or that could affect the legal status of any country, territory, city, area, or its authorities, or the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. If the map must be used, seeking DPI/PAX clearance is required (refer to a memo);
i. The structure of the course content should be following this order; cover, legal page, short summary, blank page, inside title page, foreword, acknowledgements, table of contents and list of figures and tables, executive summary and the content (refer to (1) How to Structure and (2) Foreword/Preface guideline);
j. Obtain permission from the photographed/videographed persons by having them signed a consent form (provided by UNESCO);
k. Secure the required owner authorization using Grant of Rights form (permission from original source of work) when any photo, illustration, icon, music is used as part of the video that is not owned by UNESCO. Ensure appropriate credits are applied;
l. Ensure that the module content is in full compliance with the international copyrights policy to avoid any illegal consequences as outline in the ‘General Terms and Conditions’ which annexed in this contract;
m. Improve and incorporate suggested changes (if required) and finalize the module contents until it is considered as satisfactory;
n. Strictly treat the module content, confidential and the rights of distribution will reside solely with UNESCO; and
o. Communicate with UNESCO on a regular basis to update on the progress of the assignment.
III. Deliverables and Timeline:
The Individual Consultant shall submit the following deliverables to UNESCO with original and editable files for approval:
a. Prepare and submit the draft concept note and module outlines in Standard English by 16 August 2024;
b. Submit the final version of the concept note and module outlines in Standard English by 30 August 2024;
c. Prepare the draft contents (narrative session) of two modules (at least) in Standard English by 16 September 2024;
d. Submit the final version of contents (narrative session) of five modules in Standard English by 14 October 2024;
e. Submit draft PowerPoints of first batch (five modules) in Standard English by 18 November 2024;
f. Submit final version of PowerPoints of first batch (five modules) in Standard English by 16 December 2024;
g. Prepare the draft contents (narrative session) of second batch (five modules) in Standard English by 14 February 2025;
h. Submit the final version of contents (narrative session) of second batch (five modules) in Standard English by 14 March 2025;
i. Submit draft PowerPoints of second batch (five modules) in Standard English by 11 April March 2025; and
j. Submit final version of PowerPoints of second batch (five modules) in Standard English by 30 April 2025.
The Individual Consultant is required to complete the assignment with quality that meets the satisfaction of UNESCO. The deliverables will be reviewed by UNESCO. The Individual Consultant may be requested to re-submit the documents if they are not of satisfactory quality within an agreed timeframe upon receipt of the requests.
IV. Location and Travel:
The work of Individual Consultant will be home-based and no travel is anticipated.
V. Qualifications and Experience:
Required Qualifications
• A degree in the field of mathematics, education, development, or related field;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in the field of education and/or training provision;
• Experience in course design, content development and creating training manuals;
• Ability to produce high quality content on tight deadlines;
• Ability to work with flexibility and collaboration is essential; and
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
Desirable qualifications:
• Master’s degree in mathematics, social sciences, development, educational sciences, or other related discipline;
• Experience in content development and training manuals in numeracy and mathematics; and
• Previous experience working with UN organizations and international organizations.