National Consultant (Support ICT Coordination and Deployment) at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Consultant to Support ICT Coordination and Deployment of Learning Passport Platform Initiative, Abuja - one - WEB and HTML operation; One Content Uploading (6 months)

Job No: 538298
Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Consultancy
Level: Consultancy
Categories: Education, Monitoring and Evaluation, Planning, Consultancy, Programme Management

Purpose of Activity / Assignment
The Learning Passport, a partnership between UNICEF, Microsoft, Cambridge, and supported by the Boston Consulting Group, has been established to, 1) provide local, contextualized content with a supplementary library of global content, mapped together via research by Cambridge; 2) provide a platform to serve this content to children and youth online or offline, via a platform being developed by Microsoft, and 3) with an individualized record of learning for a user, that is portable across physical and digital borders. The Learning passport, as an extraordinary emergency response, will create country-level sites available that would like to make access to curriculum and learning materials available for students with connectivity both at school and at home.

The envisioned digital platform aims to enhance continued engagement with families and parents on learning at home by providing practical resources and materials that can be applied in home settings. The envisioned digital platform aims to enhance continued engagement with families and parents on learning at home by providing practical resources and materials that can be applied in home settings. Its second aim is to strengthen professional development opportunities and facilitate collaboration between educators at preschool, primary and secondary education levels, and other staff on sharing ideas, best practices and activities that can be implemented in schools.

COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge for Nigeria’s education system and the emerging situation is going to transform the way public education is being delivered ever before. With this new normal, education system both private and public is being prepared to deliver a blended form of classroom- both face-to-face and through using online digital platforms. In Nigeria, there have been efforts by governments, private sector and key education stakeholders to promote continued learning and bridge potential learning gaps. These efforts range from large-scale, low-tech solutions that do not require internet-enabled devices (radio and television), to high-tech alternatives (virtual classrooms, video conferencing, animated lessons and online resources libraries) that require internet-enabled devices.

In short, while the key focus of this initiative is learning, quality,and portability for children whose education has been disrupted by emergencies, the medium and long-term goals are to help establish a quality system of online and offline education, collaboration and support to children and parents.

How can you make a difference?
Scope of Work:

• Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Nigeria Education programme programme section, guidance of Learning Passport Global Program Manager and in close cooperation with Director ICT of the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria, an individual consultant is required to provide the following services:

Learning Passport Platform Coordination and Management:

• Provide ongoing support and technical assistance for deploying Learning Passport.
• Support testing of Learning Passport in terms of functionality and suitability and provide feedback and oversee bug fixing process.
• Provide support to the Lead Consultant in developing programme design and user experience.
• Provide technical support and advice to Country Office and the Federal Ministry of Education in procuring digital content services (e.g. curation, digitization, localization, production) and quality assuring deliverables from a digital perspective.
• Provide support to Lead Consultant on complementary ICT for learning and EdTech tools that could be integrated to support Learning Passport-related technology efforts.
• Provide support for digitization of Primary to Junior Secondary education, formal learning, and other non-formal learning modules and their deployment through the Learning Passport platform.
• Map features of the Learning Passport requiring adaptation and alternative digital solutions that can be integrated.
• Analyze the data populated through Learning Passport platforms and monitor uptake and performance of digital solutions.

Support coordination with national and international stakeholders:

• Work with the Learning Passport program team to design and develop Learning Passport compliant e-learning content. Develop instructor guides, student guides, and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
• Document information on the outcome of the Learning Platform.
• Provide inputs and support the drafting of reports.
• Support the process of ensuring Learning Passport can cover low connectivity areas across country, exploring engagement with Mobile Network Operators and Regulatory authorities, and solutions for offline content accessibility.
• Capacity building for stakeholders on Learning Passport.

Key Deliverables
Learning Passport Platform Coordination and Management:

• Learning Passport platform ready and operational
• Content uploaded for all education levels, non-formal education, and teacher training
• Data analytic report prepared for key stakeholders
• Facilitate and conduct an orientation programme for FME, SUBEB
• Monthly monitoring progress report on implementation and operationalization of digital learning platform

Support coordination with national and international stakeholders:

• Maintains regular communication with UNICEF Country office and Global Learning Passport manager.
• Maintains regular communication with all relevant national counterparts, including civil society, academia, and institutions
• Shares best practices between Learning Passport participating countries and other countries in the region with similar efforts.

Other activities needed to support the purpose of this contract:

• Logistics support provided for meetings/interviews/focus groups with actors and stakeholders
• Other relevant support provided as per need .

Deliverables / Timelines:

• Design and demonstration of the Learning passport the web page - 15 April 2021
• Content uploaded for all education levels, non-formal education, and teacher training - b15 May 2021
• Data analytic report prepared for key stakeholders - 15 June 2021
• Facilitate and conduct orientation programme for FME, SUBEB - 15 July 2021
• Monthly monitoring progress report on implementation and operationalization of digital learning platform - 15 August 2021
• Learning Passport platform ready and operational - 15 Sept 2021

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

• An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in IT, Education, Educational Technology, Child Development, Social or Natural Sciences,or another relevant field.
• An advanced Bachelor university degree (Master’s or higher) in computer science/education preferably in curriculum design and alternative learning program, or any other social science degree
• At least three (3) years of professional work experience in IT development, education technology, formal and non-formal education, teacher training, e-learning and distance learning.
• At least two years of proven experience in project management/programme coordination, involving multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge of information management systems.
• *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with two additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

All applicants will be screened against the qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below:

• Technical Criteria - Interview - 70 % of total evaluation - max. 70 points:
  • Education: 20 points
  • Previous experience: 25 points
  • Technical questions at the interview: 25 point
  • Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for consideration for financial proposal evaluation.
• Financial Criteria - 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

For every Child, You Demonstrate:

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA)
• To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Application Closing Date
5th March, 2021 W. Central Africa Standard Time.