Call for Application - International Consultant (Curriculum Development) - Liberia
OVERVIEW
Grade : Level 3
Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Monrovia
Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]
Standard Duration of Assignement: [[filter13]]
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months
Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 26/08/2025
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Background and Rationale
The government of Liberia under the guidance of the Inter-Ministerial TVET Task Force (IMTTF) chaired and co-chaired by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Education and with the support of UNESCO’s Capacity Development for Education (CapED) programme has made strides in addressing the numerous challenges affecting the TVET sub-sector which include but not limited to high fragmentation, inadequate and poorly skilled trainers, low budgetary allocations by the government, non-standardized curriculum, lack of a nationally recognized quality assurance mechanism, absence of a nationally recognized assessment system and low female enrolment. With the support of CapED, the Liberia TVET Policy and its operation Plan (2022-2027), Liberia TVET National Qualifications Framework (LNTQF), the Quality Assurance Tools and Guidelines to facilitate strengthening and improving quality skills development to align with industry demands and regional and global trends, and currently the development of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy is in the process.
The Liberian population is largely composed of youthful population with 2022 census report indicating that 74.6% of the population is below 35 years. With limited access to education and high numbers of school dropouts mostly affecting girls, the out of school youths needs a pathway to lifelong learning and decent incomes which can effectively be provided through technical and Vocational Education and Training initiative to equip them with market-driven, job ready and practical skills to improve their chances at decent wage employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance. The government under the AAIARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development) is premised on six pillars: Agriculture, Rule of Law, Roads, Education, Sanitation and Health, and Tourism. The agriculture pillar aims to make Liberia food sufficient with a strong focus on small holder farmers. With the support of UN Agencies: Food and Agriculture Organization, (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and other development agencies, the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development, the government has developed the National Agriculture Development Plan (2024-2030) “Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda” For successful implementation, there is needed an investment in technical and food production and greening skills, particularly targeting the small holder farmers to enhance sustainable development.
This assignment will focus on conducting a curriculum mapping in Agriculture to establish the existing gaps and recommend the most relevant curriculums that address the country priorities aligning with the current national development frameworks. This will be followed by support to the government to develop a curriculum particularly on small holder farming and post-harvest management to enhance sustainable agricultural practices. The curriculum will be piloted by four TVET schools to be selected through stakeholder consultation and in consideration of availability of implementation support mechanisms such as availability of qualified trainers and training facilities. Additionally, the assignment shall consider the possibility of complementing existing interventions by other development partner projects including UNIDO’s food safety and GROW and Youth Rising projects.
Long Description
Scope of Work
The objective of this assignment is to support the key government agencies and other stakeholders involved in curriculum development process by facilitating a participatory approach to build their capacities for curriculum design/update, implementation and evaluation. To do so the process should foster collaboration with other development partners, the private sector and TVET centers to deliver the training curriculum. The curriculum will deliver high-in-demand skills in the selected trades and include:
- Practical, hands-on training focused on in-demand skills in the selected trades, in alignment with National Development Agenda.
- Entrepreneurship, digital and Greening Skills.
- Soft Skills and Personal Development: Training in communication, teamwork, and professional readiness.
- Capacity building for trainers and different actors to minimize design, implementation and evaluation bottlenecks
- Guide the design of implementation tools and materials/resources such as occupation, assessment and training standards and training guidelines.
Specific Objectives
- Conduct a quick needs assessment to identify high-in-demand skills needs in the targeted trades of the agriculture sector.
- Facilitate a series of stakeholder consultations and capacity-building workshops with education officials, teachers, curriculum experts, and other relevant actors.
- Support the development of a revised curriculum framework aligned with national and international education standards in the targeted domains;
- Provide technical expertise in competency-based curriculum design, ensuring the inclusion of gender equality, environmental sustainability, and digital learning components.
- Develop guidelines and tools to support the implementation and monitoring of the new curriculum.
- Assist in drafting a national roadmap for curriculum reform, including timelines, responsibilities, and resource allocation.
Key Deliverables
The implementing agency and consultant will jointly ensure the following deliverables:
- Needs Assessment Report: A report outlining the specific needs for TVET training of the identified training area/trade.
- Training materials to be used for training participants on curriculum design/ update, implementation and evaluation. Conduct capacity development workshops on curriculum development/update and provision of technical support to the drafting of the new curricula.
- Final Report: A report detailing the roadmap for TVET curriculum update/design and the key steps for implementation under UNESCO support.
Methodology
The methodology for the development of the new curricula will include the following phases, where the expert will employ a participatory and capacity-building approach, ensuring active involvement of TVET stakeholders:
- Data collection/analysis: Collect data on skills needs across the sectors identified in view of developing the training material.
- Desk review: Analyzing existing curriculum documents, policies, and international best practices.
- Stakeholder engagement: Organizing consultative workshops with government representatives, educators, civil society, and development partners.
- Capacity development: Conducting training sessions to enhance national expertise in curriculum development.
- Curriculum design: Collaborating with national teams to co-develop and refine the curriculum framework.
Long Description
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
A minimum of master’s degree in Technical and Vocational Education and Training related qualification preferably with a focus on TVET in agriculture fields; a higher degree in Curriculum development would be an advantage.
- At least ten (10) years’ experience working in TVET, five (5) years of which must be within the sub-region.
- Specific experience in CBT Curriculum development, CBT Assessment and Quality Assurance.
- Extensive knowledge and experience in the TVET Sector in Liberia, including the Liberia National TVET Qualifications Framework and the Quality Assurance Tools and Guidelines.
- Proven experience in computer-based applications to support delivery of assignment.
- Proven experience of IT based applications and tools for online learning.
- Fluency in oral and written English.
- Any other experience and skills required to undertake this assignment
Long Description
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. 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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