National Consultant

Parent Sector: Education

Duty Station: Karachi, Pakistan

Type of contract: Individual Consultant Contract

Duration of contract: Three person-months, effective from 1 September to 30 November 2025

Recruitment open to: Internal and External Candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time): 19 August 2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Important Note: To ensure a smooth application process, applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the “How to Apply” section. This section provides detailed guidance on the required documents for submission. Please be advised that incomplete applications, including any missing documents, may result in disqualification.

1. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The selected consultant will lead the design and implementation of a diagnostic study to evaluate the integration of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education, including HIV prevention and life skills, in the school curriculum and teacher training frameworks in Sindh, with a particular focus on District Mirpurkhas. Working under the joint oversight of UNESCO Pakistan and the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), the consultant will provide technical expertise for curriculum and content review, stakeholder engagement, and field-based data collection. The role includes synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations and delivering a validated final report with costed implementation guidance, contributing to education policy reform and SRH programming under the School Health Programme and the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS.

BACKGROUND

The Sindh Education Sector Plan (SESP) 2019–2024 prioritizes the link between health and educational outcomes, particularly among marginalized communities. The plan promotes integrated School Health and Nutrition (SHN) services, including screenings, deworming, vaccinations, micronutrient distribution, and hygiene awareness. It also emphasizes life skills-based health education, including SRH, to ensure inclusive, safe, and gender-sensitive learning environments.

Despite these priorities, there remains limited clarity on the extent of SRH integration in current curricula and teacher training materials. Given the high prevalence of pediatric HIV cases in Mirpurkhas, this study will examine the inclusion, delivery, and effectiveness of SRH-related content. The findings will inform curriculum improvements, training frameworks, and targeted school-based interventions aligned with provincial goals and international standards.

1. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the integration and effectiveness of SRH education within the School Health Programme under the SESP 2019–2024. Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Assess how SRH concepts are incorporated into government secondary school curricula, textbooks, and teacher training frameworks at primary and secondary levels.
2. Examine the relevance, quality, and delivery of SRH content in relation to the SHP’s goals, including promotion of hygiene, nutrition, and mental well-being.
3. Identify content gaps, pedagogical limitations, and implementation challenges in current SRH education materials and teacher pre and post induction training curriculum.

SCOPE: The study will be conducted in District Mirpurkhas with the support from UNESCO Pakistan Office under its joint programme with UNAIDS on HIV/ AIDS. The district emerged in 2024 as a major hotspot for pediatric HIV infections, accounting for over 25% of Sindh’s child HIV cases. The scope will cover a comprehensive review of how SRH-related topics, particularly HIV prevention, hygiene, safe medical practices, reproductive rights and the issue of stigma and discrimination, are integrated into the formal education system at the primary and secondary levels. The study will include content analysis of textbooks and curriculum documents, as well as an assessment of pre-service and in-service teacher training materials. The study will also assess the readiness and capacity of selected batch of government secondary schools in Mirpurkhas to deliver accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive SRH education, especially in rural and underserved settings. Field visits, interviews with teachers, education managers, and curriculum developers, along with focus group discussions with students and parents, will help identify institutional barriers and good practices.

ACTIVITIES: Under the overall authority of the Head of UNESCO Islamabad Office in Pakistan and the direct supervision of the Head of the Education, the national consultant will perform the following duties:

Inception and Planning Phase (Weeks 1–3)

1. Detail the research design, including desk review techniques, sampling methods, data collection tools and analysis framework including a time-bound Operation plan and field visit plan for Mirpurkhas.
2. Organize preliminary meetings with SELD, district education officials, UNESCO, UNAIDS, and UNFPA to gather contextual insights and secure buy-in.

Curriculum and Content Review (Weeks 4–5)

3. Review curriculum and textbooks: Examine how SRH topics (e.g., HIV prevention, menstruation, reproductive health, stigma) are reflected in national/provincial curriculum documents and textbooks from grades 5 to 10.
4. Review pre-service and in-service training modules, focusing on inclusion of SRH content, teaching approaches, and sensitivity to cultural context.
5. Identify key SRH topics, note frequency and depth of coverage, and assess age-appropriateness and alignment with international standards (e.g., UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education – ITGSE).

Field Data Collection (Weeks 6–8)

1. Visit 8–10 public secondary schools (balanced urban/rural mix) in District Mirpurkhas to observe implementation readiness and available resources.
2. Conduct semi-structured interviews with teachers, school heads, curriculum developers, and district education officials to understand delivery challenges and institutional constraints.
3. Hold gender-segregated FGDs with students (aged 12–16) and with parents to gather perspectives on content appropriateness, cultural sensitivity, and community perceptions of SRH education.
4. Provide a draft analytical summary with initial themes and key findings from the field.

Draft Reporting and Recommendations (Week 9)

1. Triangulate desk review and fieldwork results to identify gaps, strengths, and barriers in curriculum integration, teacher preparedness, and institutional delivery of SRH education.
2. Based on findings, propose a feasible and actionable roadmap for curriculum reform, teacher training enhancements, and SRH integration support, including indicative budget lines for implementation by SELD.
3. Submit the full draft report with annexes (tools, matrix, KII/FGD summaries, ethical approvals) will be shared for review.

Validation and Finalization (Weeks 10–12) Conduct validation workshop and present draft findings at a stakeholder meeting involving SELD, UNESCO, UNAIDS, curriculum bodies, and representatives from civil society and academia.

1. Incorporate feedback and address inputs received during the validation process and revise the report accordingly.
2. Deliver a final version of the diagnostic report, a stand-alone policy brief, and the costed action plan. Ensure the report is professionally formatted and editable.

1. DELIVERABLES AND SUBMISSION TIMELINE

The consultant shall submit the following deliverables to UNESCO before each payment on the tasks undertaken and accomplished in line with the above-mentioned scope of assignment.

1. Inception Report, Ethical Clearance Documentation, and Stakeholder Consultation Plan

A comprehensive document detailing methodology, research tools, timeline, and ethical clearance, along with a stakeholder engagement strategy. The inception report should demonstrate a clear understanding of the context, objectives, and expected outcomes of the assignment.

2. Mapping Matrix and Summary Analysis

A matrix mapping SRH content across curricula and training materials, supported by a summary of thematic strengths and gaps. The analysis should accompany the matrix, highlighting strengths, gaps, and areas needing improvement in relation to provincial education priorities and international standards.

3. Fieldwork Report and Thematic Analysis Draft

A report documenting field visits, interviews, and FGDs, and presenting preliminary qualitative analysis. It must present a draft analysis of qualitative data, organized around emerging themes such as institutional capacity, delivery challenges, pedagogical readiness, and community perceptions of SRH education.

4. Draft Study Report including Costed Action Plan

An integrated report synthesizing findings with actionable recommendations, a costed roadmap, and supporting annexes including high resolution pictures.

5. Final Report and Stakeholder Workshop Documentation

A validated, finalized version of the report, along with workshop proceedings, participant list, and a standalone executive summary. It should also contain documentation from the stakeholder workshop (agenda, participant list, key discussion points, pictures), as well as a standalone executive summary or policy brief that can be shared with policymakers and partners.

Education:

• A master’s degree in education, Social Sciences or a related field.

Professional Experience:

• 05 years of experience in education and curriculum research, preferably related to SRH, health education, or HIV/AIDS.
• Demonstrated capacity to conduct fieldwork, stakeholder consultations, and qualitative analysis and social research.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in English and Urdu is required

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent communication, analytical, report-writing skills and database packages.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Good knowledge and understanding of government functioning.
• Ability to take initiative and establish priorities, with capacity to work efficiently under pressure
• Comfortable with working in a multicultural workplace, ability to work in a team to achieve shared objectives.
• Strong understanding of Sindh educational landscape.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION

Education:

• PhD in education, Public Health or a related field.

Professional Experience:

• 10 years of proven experience in education and curriculum research, preferably related to SRH, health education, or HIV/AIDS.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead and manage high quality qualitative analysis and research in the Sindh context.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in English and Urdu is required, with proficiency in any other local languages spoken in the area being an added advantage.

1. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are kindly requested to click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History Form (Word file). Before uploading the Employment History Form (Word file), at the end of the document, candidates must insert the extra pages with the following required information in English:

1. Cover Letter: A brief statement outlining the candidate’s motivation, qualifications, expertise, suitability for the consultancy.
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV): A comprehensive CV highlighting relevant experience, skills, and prior work pertinent to the consultancy. Details of all capacity building training organized along with at most three references from previous clients.
3. Technical Proposal: A detailed proposal describing the approach to the consultancy, including the proposed methodology and timeline.
4. Financial Proposal: A detailed breakdown of costs, specifying daily consultancy fees and any estimated travel or mission-related expenses. The financial proposal must clearly outline all components of the total cost.