Afghanistan: Senior/Executive Consultant Curriculum Reform

Title: Senior/Executive Consultant Curriculum Reform

Domain: Education

Grade: Senior/Executive

Post Number: KAB/ED/08/2018/014

Duty Station: Kabul, Afghanistan

Type of contract: Consultancy

Annual salary: To Be Agreed

Duration of the contract: Four months possibility of extension

Deadline (midnight, Kabul time)**: 16/Aug/2018**

Application to be sent to:k.human-resource@unesco.org

Background and Context:

A relevant, high quality curriculum is essential to ensuring education systems equip learners with the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and values to participate and contribute meaningfully to their communal and economic contexts. Whilst acknowledging the enormous progress made since 2002 in expanding access to education to all groups within society, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) now considers the improvement of quality in its education system to be a key priority in the next 5 years. Underpinned by broader concerns about learner achievement, the Government also seeks to improve the preparedness of youth for employment and better ensure its education systems foster the inclusiveness needed for continued national reintegration, in part by revisions and improvements to the education system.

The third National Education Strategic Plan (NESP III), positions improved quality alongside continued expansion of access to education and sector-wide management reform as its guiding priorities through to 2021. A critical component of quality improvement is comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum reform.

A request was made to UNESCO by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to prepare the foundations for sector-wide curriculum reform. Through its Capacity Development for Education 2030 (CapED) program and in partnership with UNICEF, the MoE has been supported to conduct national curriculum consultations, and draft its curriculum framework. Syllabus reform is in process, with a competence framework currently in its drafting phase, and work completed towards a first draft of the syllabus scope and sequence for each subject area.

The consultant will perform the following duties:

1. Recommend and justify best practice in curriculum framework and syllabus development

2. Guide stakeholders (MoE staff, technical working groups convened for scope and sequence development) on making choices leading to a final curriculum framework based on feedback from the curriculum consultations, ongoing dialogue with MoE and curriculum stakeholders, and international best practices, and the general skills/competences scope and sequence and preliminary subject selection and lesson hour distribution in the draft curriculum framework.

3. Quality assure the final curriculum framework product.

4. Guide stakeholders (the technical working groups convened for the individual subject’s scope and sequence, international experts engaged for this task) on making curricular choices based on the curriculum framework, best practices, the general skills/competences scope and sequence, and subject characteristics, to ensure a coherent and robust syllabus scope and sequence.

5. Ensure the deliverables produced in accordance with the duties and responsibilities specified in 2) and 3) are aligned with the proposal for Curriculum Reform submitted by UNESCO to the MoE, and the NESP III.

6. Undertake modifications/updates to the Curriculum Reform Plan as needed

7. Prepare briefs of the Curriculum Reform Plan for stakeholders as needed.

8. Provide technical advice/presentations to the Curriculum Working Group (comprised of key stakeholders to the process of curriculum reform) throughout the assignment.

9. Organize and co-facilitate workshops and consultations with MoE and stakeholders as required.

10. Consult closely with MoE and key stakeholders at each stage of the assignment. All deliverables will be presented to MoE and relevant stakeholders (e.g. the Curriculum Working Group)

Deliverables:

1. Program, materials, and outcomes report prepared for a comprehensive National Consultation Workshop on Curriculum Reform. This workshop will present the overall curriculum reform process and the linkages between different curricular products (i.e. the curriculum framework, competence framework, syllabi, and textbooks) and support MOE to prepare for, and present, the draft documents externally. The outcomes report will be submitted in PPT and report format.

2. A quality assured curriculum framework and life skills/competence framework, and integration of life skills/competencies into syllabi MOE have developed. This will integrate feedback gained through the consultative process and approved by UNESCO for presentation to MOE;

3. A plan for learning resources development, presenting options based on international best practice and in alignment with MOE deadlines.

Competencies:

A successful candidate will be required to demonstrate the following competencies:

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Teamwork

Innovation

Results focus

Planning and organizing

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

For detailed information please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework

Required qualifications

Education:

· Advanced university degree in education, preferably with a focus on curriculum studies,

· Advanced cross-cultural communication skills

· High-level drafting and communication capacity in English

· Previous experience working in Afghanistan is a strong asset

· advanced university degree in social science education with teaching/teacher training (BA, Bed, MA, MEd)

· Curriculum development qualification is an asset

Work Experience:

· At least 10 years of relevant work experience in education, with a significant component of this experience acquired in curriculum-related fields.

· Experience in curriculum/textbook development educational consultancy or development work at the international level is strongly preferred.

· Excellent understanding of curriculum systems, policies, planning and capacity development

· Excellent analytical and report writing skills

Conditions of Work:

The consultant will be provided with secure office space by UNESCO while in Kabul including equipment, office stationaries, printing, photocopying, and communication equipment.

Accommodation will be arranged by the UNESCO Office in Kabul and will be in premises cleared by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Afghanistan.

Candidates are requested to send their application to the UNESCO Kabul email k.human-resource@unesco.org before midnight (Afghanistan time), 16 August 2018.

All applications must be submitted by email, including the position title in the email subject line. Applications should include the following:

(a) An up-to-date curriculum vitae;

(b) A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment;

(c) An indication of the approach he/she would adopt to carry out the assignment, including any inputs that may be required from UNESCO;

(d) The overall cost of the assignment, expressed as an overall lump sum. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.

Please note that previous applicants need not re-apply as all CVs submitted for the first recruitment call have been retained for further consideration, if necessary.