Individual Consultant (Author) - Addressing students' learning gaps

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Bangkok

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Bangkok Time) : 30-APR-2024

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

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

BACKGROUND 

The UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) aims to support countries in Asia-Pacific build teachers’ capacity to identify learning gaps/needs and address them so that all learners can progress and meet at least minimum proficiency in learning. In particular, the project will focus on building capacity in (a) assessment for learning (formative and diagnostic assessment) and (b) differentiated learning pedagogies. These teaching and learning approaches have proven to be key for ensuring quality learning in an equitable and inclusive manner, improve learners’ engagement and learning outcomes, and reduce drop-out.

This project is a continuation from phase 1 of the initiative “Building capacity for assessing learning losses and ensuring an effective recovery”, which aimed to build capacity for diagnostic and formative assessment to identify and mitigate learning gaps, particularly those encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this effort, UNESCO Bangkok supported two selected countries to (1) build national capacity for diagnostic and formative assessments and (2) develop practical guidelines and tools for teachers to identify students learning needs and mitigate the learning losses. The guide for teachers was published entitled “Addressing learning needs in the Asia-Pacific region: Teachers’ guide on diagnostic assessment”. It promotes a culture of assessment for learning in the region by providing teachers with the tools and practical guidelines to integrate diagnostic assessment in their teaching and learning practices. 

Long Description

The project builds upon the key findings of the Second Asia-Pacific Regional Education Ministers’ Conference (APREMC-II) held in Bangkok in June 2022 and the commitment of UNESCO Members States in Asia-Pacific to ensure quality and relevance of teaching and learning through their endorsement of the “Bangkok Statement 2022: towards an effective learning recovery for all and transforming education in Asia-Pacific”. The project also responds to countries’ identified priority areas for transformation as stated in their National Commitments submitted to the Transforming Education Summit (TES) convened in September 2022 by the United Nations Secretary General. 

This project aims to support on-going countries’ strategies and efforts to assess learning needs and address them. The project will build upon on-going countries’ initiatives for improving teaching and learning and will adapt the training and guidelines to the needs of the countries. 

WOK ASSIGNMENT

Under the overall guidance of UNESCO Bangkok’s project team, the Individual Specialist will be responsible of undertaking the following tasks:

Task 1: Participate and play a leading role in the project’s training needs assessment (5 days)

A rapid needs assessment will be conducted to better understand the training needs in Bhutan and Lao PDR in assessment for learning and differentiated learning pedagogies. This rapid needs’ assessment included desk research, short questionnaires sent to participants, review of primary source materials (e.g., learning standards, teacher training curriculum, modules etc.) as well as interviews with panels of teachers to understand the end users’ need. The findings from these rapid needs assessment informed the design the content of the training workshops and the drafting the guide.

The Individual Specialist will lead the rapid needs assessment phase of the project. In particular, the Individual Specialist will be requested to:

• Review official documents, guidelines, and examples of existing teacher training curriculum/modules on diagnostic assessment and differentiated learning pedagogies from Bhutan and Lao PDR and regionally.
• Participate in follow-up interviews with relevant stakeholders or teacher panels to complement/confront information collected from official documents and exemplars. Interviews will be organized online.
• Produce a short report (max 15 pages) and presentation (5 slides) on the key findings from the training needs assessment exercise and present the findings to UNESCO and the country representatives. UNESCO Bangkok will review and provide comments on the report and slide deck before finalization by the Individual Specialist.

Task 2: Produce a generic guide on differentiated learning pedagogies for teachers (6 days)

In parallel with Task 1, the Individual Specialist will produce a guide on differentiated learning pedagogical approaches and strategies for addressing learning gaps/needs of a diverse and inclusive class. The guide (approx. 50 pages) will provide practical tools and examples of lesson plans to address individual student’ needs in an inclusive manner. This guide is a follow-up publication to the UNESCO Bangkok’s publication entitled “Addressing learning needs in the Asia-Pacific region: Teachers’ guide on diagnostic assessment”.

Task 3: Design and lead the co-development workshops on differentiated learning pedagogies (12 days)

In collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok, the Individual Specialist will be responsible for designing the content of and leading the workshop in Bhutan and Lao PDR. The aim of the workshop is to assist in the adaptation of the two guides to the local context. The Bhutan workshop will focus on differentiated learning pedagogies and the Lao PDR workshop will focus both diagnostic assessment and the differentiated learning pedagogies. The workshop will either be in person or follow a hybrid format. The Individual Specialist will submit a summary report of the workshop to the project team upon completion of the workshop.

Task 4: Supporting the development of the two national guides (7 days)

In collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok, the Individual Specialist will monitor progress of the development of the two national guides and provide feedback, additional guidance and answer remaining questions through:

• Participating in four virtual check-in meetings (2 per country) to check on progress provide feedback (approx. 2 days)
• Providing written feedback on the first draft of the national guides (approx. 2 days). The written feedback will consist of one page of general comments for each country and line comments on the draft national guides themselves.
• Participating in virtual two day-long validation workshops (one day per country) to provide final comments to the national drafting teams and present recommendations on how the national guides may be used to strengthen teachers’ capacity for diagnostic assessment during the learning recovery phase and beyond (approx. 3 days).

Task 5: Finalize the generic teacher guidelines on differentiated learning pedagogies

Based on the experience from the project (e.g., co-development workshops, feedback on the guide from the participants etc.) and in discussion with the UNESCO Bangkok, the Individual Specialist will review and revise the generic teacher guidelines for finalization and publication by UNESCO Bangkok.

STYLE MANUAL, FORMAT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Individual Specialist shall specifically perform the following:

a. Make sure that all the details of Style Manual (2004 version available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000141812) have been adhered such as terminology, abbreviations, acronyms and format of footnotes, etc.;

b. In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, ensure the Guidelines on Gender-Neutral Language is applied throughout the report and guide  (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377299) as well as integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender analysis and mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible; 

c. When referring to the region, ensure to avoid using ‘in the Asia-Pacific’ and ‘in Asia Pacific’. Instead, use one of the following terms interchangeably: in the Asia-Pacific region, in Asia and the Pacific, and in Asia-Pacific;

d. Use the proper names and place names that correspond to UNESCO official usage and comply the official names of these following countries (where applicable): Taiwan = Taiwan province of China, Hong Kong = Hong Kong SAR, China, South Korea = Republic of Korea, Vietnam = Viet Nam, Iran = Iran (Islamic Republic of), Laos = Lao PDR. UNESCO member states to be double checked at https://en.unesco.org/countries;

e. Compile a list of tables, figures (including diagram, chart, illustration), photos (including images, cartoons, icons) and other graphic elements from the third party-materials by using a template provided by UNESCO and secure the intellectual property rights by using the “permission consent form” (provided by UNESCO);

f. Ensure that no plagiarized or self-plagiarized material is published without appropriate acknowledgement of the source;

g. Provide a proper credit or citation to the original work of the third-party materials. For any materials created by author, the “Source: author” should be placed underneath aforementioned materials;

h. Avoid including maps (global, regional, country) that could be politically sensitive or that could affect the legal status of any country, territory, city, area, or its authorities, or the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. If the map must be used, seeking DPI/PAX clearance is required (refer to a memo);

i. Ensure greater coherence among Education publications, the structure should be following this order; cover, legal page, short summary, blank page, inside title page, foreword, acknowledgements, table of contents and list of figures and tables, executive summary and the content (refer to (1) How to Structure and (2) Foreword/Preface guideline);

j. Ensure that the report and guide is in full compliance with the international copyrights policy to avoid any illegal consequences as outline in the ‘General Terms and Conditions’ which annexed in this contract;

k. Submit a draft manuscript in MS Word file including those permission form (if any) to UNESCO;

l. Improve and incorporate suggested changes (if required) and finalize the manuscript until it is considered as satisfactory;

m. Strictly meet the committed deadline.

Individual Specialist shall comply the following:

a. UNESCO shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks with regard to all material which bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the services provided to the Organization by the Individual Specialist;

b. In preparing the Work, the Individual Specialist shall bear in mind the provisions contained in the “Guide for the preparation of manuscripts” annexed to this contract;

c. The Individual Specialist shall also bear in mind that, in accordance with UNESCO publishing policy, all UNESCO publications are to be made available in Open Access, under the IGO-Creative Commons or any other open licensing system;

d. The completed Work shall be deemed acceptable to UNESCO unless it gives the Individual Specialist written notice to the contrary or indicates changes that it may consider desirable. In the latter case, such notice will set a time limit for the delivery of the requested changes; if acceptable changes are not delivered to UNESCO within the prescribed time limit, UNESCO may terminate this contract by written notice to the Author; 

e. The Individual Specialist shall submit to UNESCO the Completed Work together with, all illustrations, tables, charts or other materials essential to the Work. It is understood that such materials are considered a part of the work and that all rights granted by the author to UNESCO hereunder apply to the use of such materials; and

f. The Individual Specialist hereby grants to UNESCO: 

1. i.) The worldwide copyright in the Work, which shall, during the whole term of the copyright, have the exclusive right to translate, adapt, reproduce, perform, broadcast, communicate to the public, print and publish in any language and in any form the whole or any part of the Work, and to authorize others to exercise any or all of its rights hereunder;  
2. ii.) It is understood that the manuscript and the accompanying data is complete in all respects and all property rights in such manuscript or other materials delivered to UNESCO pursuant to Article I shall become the sole property of UNESCO;
3. iii.) The worldwide irrevocable right to deposit the whole or any part of the Work in its multilingual Open Access Repository in electronic form. This entails the right of access to copy, usage, distribution, adaptation, for lawful purposes, within specified constraints; and
4. iv.) The worldwide right to further assign licenses to allow anyone to use the content in the publication for any lawful activity, without any prior permission but with due credit to the Author and UNESCO for the original creation. Any transmission, reproduction, use or transformation of any content beyond permissible limit and for commercial gains will however require an express written permission of the copyright owner.  

DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME

The Individual Specialist shall complete the following work assignment by the indicated tentative timeline for UNESCO project team’s review and approval. To the extent possible, the Individual Specialist shall reflect comments and suggested modifications submitted by the project team.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent and above) in the field of education or related fields.

Work Experience

• At least ten years of experience in diagnostic assessments and differentiated pedagogies, with demonstrated technical, and contextual knowledge evidenced by a portfolio of successful projects in these areas in Asia and the Pacific region.
• Experience in conducting needs assessments in the AP region.
• Experience in development, adaptation of teacher guidelines and organizing training of teachers.

Long Description

Skills/Competencies

• Proven conceptual and analytical skills especially in diagnostic assessments and differentiated pedagogies
• Excellent research skills
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and maintain effective team cooperation
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and other software
• Capacity to work independently and in a timely manner

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken)

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS 

• Previous experience working with United Nations or other international organizations, governments, donors, and civil society institutions would be an advantage.
• Impeccable writing, communication, and organizational skills

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested individuals are invited to submit to UNESCO Bangkok office the specific requirements through careers.unesco.org.

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and upload the following documents as a single PDF document in place of the Employment History Form.

• An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter describing how your qualifications and experiences make you suitable for the assignment.
• A list of past works such as reports or publications you have authored or co-authored with hyperlinks to access such works if they are available online or a copy of samples of such works if they are only available offline.
• Written technical and financial proposals (in English):
  • Approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment (maximum 5, A4 pages), a workplan and comments on the Terms of Reference, in brief, if any. Must include at least three (3) references of projects in the field, and
  • The proposed daily or monthly rates or the amount/budget to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in USD.

The complete application shall be submitted on or before 22 April 2024, midnight, Bangkok time (GMT+7).

Note:

• Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.
• Please submit your application through SuccessFactors. Only if you are unable to attach requirements in system, please inform us at iqe.bgk@unesco.org.

Assessment:

• Only applications providing the information requested in the application procedure will be considered.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization best value for money.

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