Afghanistan: Consultant (Curriculum Reform)

Title: Consultant (Curriculum Reform)

Domain: Education

Grade: Executive Level

Post Number: KAB/ED/SC/18/12/04

Duty Station: Kabul, Afghanistan

Type of contract: Consultant

Annual salary: Based on the organization’s salary scale

Duration of the contract: Three months (with possibility of extension)

Deadline (midnight, Kabul time)**:** 16/Dec/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 and SIDA, the MoE has been supported to conduct national curriculum consultations, and draft its curriculum framework. Syllabi 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. Provide technical advice/presentations to the Curriculum Working Group (comprised of key stakeholders to the process of curriculum reform) throughout the assignment.

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

9. 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)

Specific Tasks:

1. Finalize methodology and content for High Level Technical Workshop on Syllabi Reform with international subject specialists.

2. Plan, prepare and facilitate workshop to brief international subject specialists to ensure they are briefed and prepared to contribute to High Level Technical Workshop on Syllabi Reform.

3. Pilot socialization of Curriculum Framework documents through field mission to Herat (or similar location).

Deliverables:

1. Program for High Level Technical Workshop on Syllabi Reform (program, slides and workshop materials).

2. Workshop materials (eg. PowerPoint and handouts) prepared and workshop delivered.

3. Mission report outlining outcomes and recommendations for next phase of curriculum reform socialization.

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 (eg. MEd, MA), preferably with a focus on curriculum studies and/or education reform

· Advanced cross-cultural communication skills

· High-level drafting and communication capacity in English

· Previous experience working in Afghanistan is a strong asset

Work experience:

· At least 15 years of relevant work experience in education, with a significant component of this experience acquired in school-level curriculum-related fields

· Current experience in school-level education reform and up-to-date student-centered teaching and learning experience are requirements

· At least 10 years’ experience in designing workshops and instructional materials including for Ministry of Education officials, departments of education and universities, teacher training colleges and teachers

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

· Excellent understanding of school-level curriculum systems, policies, planning and capacity development in Afghanistan and/or other similar contexts

· Excellent facilitation and representation skills at technical working groups and consultation meetings

· Excellent analytical and report writing skills.

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

All applications must be submitted by email, including the position title (KAB/ED/SC/18/12/04) 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) A brief financial statement indicating the overall cost of the assignment. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.