International consultancy – Foundational Learning Specialist, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 90 days

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, results.

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How can you make a difference? 

Purpose and Objectives:

It is against this background that UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), seeks to hire an international consultant to support the development of the school readiness framework and the revision of the pre-primary instructional core package. The instructional core package comprises the curriculum, learning outcome, targets/minimum learning competencies, teaching, learning, and assessment materials. The consultant will also develop a detailed teaching schedule, sample lesson plans and learning material for children. In conducting their duties, the consultant will also support the MBSSE and the TSC in reviewing the document on lessons learned and best practices in pre-primary education.

The objectives of this assignment are:

1. To guide and support a national early childhood education (ECE) technical team of experts to be established for the development of the pre-primary instructional core package.
2. To review and develop an instructional core package on foundational learning for pre-primary.
3. To develop training content/modules for the training of pre-primary teachers, head teachers, school quality assurance officers and teacher training institution instructors on pre-primary instructional core packages.

Methodology and Technical Approach:

The International Consultant, will:

1. Develop the road map for this work in agreement with UNICEF, MBSSE and the TSC.
2. With the support of the national consultant, review the document on lessons learned and best practices to be developed by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE).
3. Review existing curriculum materials and teaching and learning materials including, but not limited to, the early childhood care and education (ECCE) curriculum, ECCE curriculum guide, early childhood development (ECD) picture books, learning through play pre-school teacher training guide and participant handbook, play based early stimulation (0-2) training guide and ECE curriculum posters.
4. Conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels regarding the existing and desired instructional core packages.
5. Based on the above insights and findings from the interviews, conduct a national SWOT analysis of existing instructional core packages.
6. Develop a pre-primary/school readiness curriculum framework.
7. Conduct and facilitate workshops with the MBSSE, TSC, ECE technical working group, and the group of experts on pre-primary curriculum development geared towards the development of the instructional core packages for pre-primary.
8. Develop instructional core package, teaching and learning materials, and associated presentation materials for discussion with ECE Technical Working Group members, the MBSSE, the TSC and national stakeholders.
9. Pilot the developed TLMs.
10. Finalise and validate the instructional materials based on the results of the pilot and feedback and input from key stakeholders.
11. Develop and/or adapt training guides for the training of teachers, head teachers, SQAOs and TTI instructors.
12. Support the delivery of training to master trainers, head teachers, and SQAOs on the new pre-primary curriculum package.

Specific Tasks:

1. Lead in reviewing the lessons learned and best practices in pre-primary education report.
2. Assist the MBSSE and TSC in setting up the National ECE Technical Team:

• Provide suggestions for key local participants for the National Technical Team dedicated to pre-primary teaching and learning.

3. Kick-off event preparation and delivery:

• Support the MBSSE and TSC in preparing and delivering the kick-off event titled “Improving pre-primary Education for All.”

4. Capacity Building for the National Technical Team:

• Guide in contextualizing the science of teaching and learning in pre-primary for the development of pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, socio-emotional, and motor skills.

5. Stocktaking Exercise:

• Support the development and conduct of a stocktaking exercise to review existing pre-primary instructional materials in Sierra Leone developed with support from key partners.

6. Definition of age and developmentally appropriate teaching and learning and scope:

• Contextualize expected learning outcomes and scope and sequence for pre-primary teaching and learning on the existing curriculum towards play-based learning/ learning through play approach.

7. Development of children’s story books, picture books, and workbooks:

• Lead in creating models of play based lessons.
• Lead in piloting the new curriculum package and document the feedback to feed finalization.
• Collaborate on developing final versions for nationwide implementation.

8. Preparation/Revision of complementary/supplementary materials:

• Preparing or revising complementary/supplementary play and learning materials, including posters, charts and manipulatives for pre-literacy and pre-numeracy development.          

9. Support the training of master trainers, head teachers, and SQAOs on the new pre-primary curriculum package.

Please see attached ToR for detailed information.  Tor – International GPE ECE consultant.pdf

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

Advanced university degree (Masters, PhD) in Education, Psychology, Sociology, or related social science fields in the disciplines of:

• Early Childhood Education
• Curriculum Development
• Learning Assessment

Minimum of five years of professional experience in the field of early childhood education, curriculum development, and early learning assessment.

Strong technical expertise in pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, socio-emotional and play based learning.

Strong interpersonal skills

Excellent planning, designing, and coordination skills in the development of the instructional core package.

Fluency in written and spoken English.

Strong data analysis skills

Understanding of technology platforms and their use for learning and training

Ability to engage with a wide range of people, including government partners, academic centers, formal and informal networks, NGOs/CSOs, and technical experts if required to collate all relevant information.

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.