Individual Consultant: Accelerated Adult Literacy

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education. 

Duty Station: Dhaka, Bangladesh (Online). 

Job Family: Education Sector. 

Type of contract : Consultant (None Staff).  

Duration of contract : 1-2 Weeks. 

Recruitment open to : Internal and External 

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 30 October 2025. 

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

BACKGROUND

In Cox's Bazar, low levels of literacy and numeracy remain a critical barrier for Rohingya refugee youth, particularly young women, to access services including livelihood opportunities and skills development. Many have faced systemic denial of education in Myanmar, disruptions during displacement, and limited opportunities in the camps. As a result, illiteracy rates are significantly higher than national and regional averages, and almost 90% of youth aged 15–24 remain outside any form of education or training. To address this gap, UNESCO, with support from UNHCR and funding from the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ), developed and piloted the Accelerated Adult Learning (AAL) package, which integrates Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) and Functional Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) courses with vocationally relevant skills. The package follows adult learning principles, blending structured lessons with interactive resources and trade-related content to foster self-reliance and pathways to livelihoods. Evaluations conducted in 2024 demonstrated strong results: female learners’ baseline literacy scores rose from 9.4% to 67% at endline, significantly narrowing the gender gap. The success of the AAL package led to its adoption as a standard resource across the refugee response, implemented by a wide consortium of partners including BRAC, Plan International, Action Aid, NRC, UN Women and UNFPA. However, persistent barriers—unsafe travel, restrictive gender norms, caregiving responsibilities, and limited digital access—continue to hinder participation, especially among young women. Building on this foundation, UNESCO developed an interactive eBook version of the AAL materials. The original eBook converted the Basic and Functional Literacy books into digital form, accessible both online and offline. It incorporated narrated lessons, Burmese and English voiceovers, interactive exercises, and visually engaging content aligned with UNESCO’s design standards. The eBook was conceived as a complementary tool to printed resources, enabling learners to reinforce literacy and numeracy through audio, visual, and game-based elements. It also offered teachers and facilitators an innovative resource for lesson preparation and supplementary classroom use, while expanding access for learners unable to participate in formal training.

Long Description

In order to meet the needs of the most marginalised learners, especially young women, who are unable to attend in-person training, UNESCO is adapting the AAL package into a peer-learning modality, with support from NFUAJ. This adaptation builds on the original digital tools and is being redesigned through a community-driven, humancentred approach to content creation. It integrates culturally relevant materials and user-generated guidance to ensure accessibility for low-literacy learners, embedding practical demonstrations, QR-linked activities, and locally created audiovisual resources. In this adapted form, the print and digital resources will enable small groups of female learners to study together in safe, home-based settings, reducing safety risks, accommodating cultural and caregiving roles, and introducing digital competencies alongside literacy and numeracy. Two complementary contracts have been launched under this adaptation: one for adaptation and co-creation of learning content (with community engagement in Cox’s Bazar) and another for technical integration and optimisation of the AAL eBook (ensuring multimedia content is fully functional, accessible, and device-ready). UNESCO requires short-term international expertise to provide quality assurance across these deliverables— ensuring alignment with adult learning principles, literacy and numeracy pedagogy, gender-sensitive approaches, and international best practice in adult education.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical backstopping on the development of the adapted AAL eBook and associated learning materials. The consultant will serve as an adult learning technical lead (literacy and numeracy), ensuring that all content reflects sound literacy and numeracy pedagogy, adheres to the principles of accelerated adult learning, and aligns with international standards of good practice in adult education. The role is to provide expert guidance and backstopping to the contracted development teams and support UNESCO in quality assurance of the materials, with particular attention to ensuring that all developed materials, including the instructional elements, remain aligned with the original purpose of the AAL course.

TASKS

Tasks:

• Review storyboards, draft materials, and prototypes developed by the content creation and technical integration teams. 
• Provide written and verbal feedback to ensure alignment with adult learning principles (andragogy), literacy and numeracy methodologies, gender-sensitive approaches, and the original purpose of the AAL course. 
• Verify that all developed materials, including instructional elements, remain consistent with the curriculum framework and intended outcomes of the AAL course. 
• Assess the integration of functional and vocational skills content, ensuring that materials remain practical and contextually relevant. 
• Identify risks or gaps in the pedagogical design and propose corrective measures. 
• Support UNESCO in confirming that the adapted eBook and print resources are coherent, accessible for low literacy learners, and consistent with international quality standards. 
• Maintain close communication with UNESCO’s project team, offering on-demand technical backstopping during the assignment period. 

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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QUALIFICATIONS & WORK EXPERIENCES

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, adult learning, literacy and numeracy, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in adult literacy and numeracy programme design, implementation, and evaluation, preferably in low-resource or humanitarian settings.
• Strong familiarity with the Bangladesh context; prior experience working in Cox’s Bazar or within the Rohingya response is highly desirable.
• Proven track record of applying adult learning principles (andragogy) to literacy and numeracy education, including curriculum or materials development.

Long Description

DELIVERABLES

• An initial review note outlining key quality assurance criteria, including consistency with the original purpose of the AAL course, and recommendations for the development teams.
• Annotated feedback on draft storyboards, scripts, and digital/print prototypes, indicating where alignment with AAL objectives should be strengthened.
• A short technical report (3–5 pages) summarising findings, strengths, areas for improvement, and specific recommendations for finalisation of the adapted AAL eBook and materials, with explicit reference to their alignment with the original AAL purpose.
• A final briefing with UNESCO staff to validate recommendations and ensure alignment with the broader objectives and intent of the AAL course. 

DURATION AND WORKING ASSIGNMENT

The assignment is expected to require five (5) working days of input, to be delivered flexibly over a period of up to three months. This arrangement allows the consultant to provide timely feedback at different stages of material development while remaining engaged throughout the production cycle. Specific dates will be agreed with UNESCO to align with the progress of the contracted development teams.

LANGUAGE AND SKILLS.

• Excellent communication and reporting skills in English; knowledge of Burmese or Rohingya language would be an asset. 
• Excellent command of English is essential. Proficiency in Burmese is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently under tight deadlines, while maintaining close coordination with UNESCO staff and implementing partners.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. Interested candidates should click "Apply Now" and download and complete the Employment History Form (Word Document). Before uploading the submission, please insert extra pages with the following required information at the end of the Employment History Form. 

• Short "Approach to Work" paper (maximum 3 pages) outlining how the intended objectives/outputs of the assignment will be addressed.
• Proposed daily date in USD.

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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