National Consultant - ICT in Education
OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Education Unit, UNESCO Phnom Penh Office
Duty Station: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Type of contract : Non-staff
Duration of contract : 11 months, with possibility of extension based on performance and funding availability
Recruitment open to : Cambodian nationals only
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 11 August 2025
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
I. BACKGROUND
Following the success of the first phase of Strengthening Teacher Education Programmes in Cambodia (STEPCam), UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) is implementing STEPCam Phase II through $12.62 million System Transformation Grant (STG) financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Building on the achievements of STEPCam Phase I, the programme retains a strong focus on enhancing the quality of education in Cambodia towards its ultimate objective of improving the learning outcomes of students. The programme aims to achieve its objectives through four components:
• Component 1: Teacher Education, which focuses on strengthening pre-service teacher education to cultivate teaching excellence
• Component 2: Teacher Professional Development, through strengthening continuous professional development (CPD)
• Component 3: Classroom Learning, which aims at building capacity for effective early grade teaching and learning
• Component 4: Digital Transformation in Education, focusing on building institutional readiness for the effective use of digital strategies in education delivery in Cambodia
As a critical cross-cutting component of the programme, STEPCam promotes a uniform approach to digital transformation in Cambodia’s education system and the effective use of digital tools for quality teaching, learning, and education management. According to UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT CFT) Version 3, the effective integration of ICT in schools and classrooms can transform pedagogy and empower students. Therefore, it is essential that teachers have the competencies to integrate ICT into their professional practice to ensure the equity and quality of learning and to guide learners in developing 21st-century skills such as critical and innovative thinking, complex problem solving, the ability to collaborate, and socio-emotional skills. The MoEYS, with support from STEPCam, aims to develop Cambodia’s National ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. The conceptualisation and development of this framework under STEPCam Phase II will be timely to support a systematic approach to enable the effective adoption of digital technologies in the education system. The Framework will inform the review of the PRESET curriculum and development of targeted CPD courses focusing on the concepts of artificial intelligence and promoting its ethical use, as well as developing ICT skills among teachers and teacher educators.
To foster research and thought leadership to drive the digital transformation of the education system in Cambodia, STEPCam will provide support to establish an Educational Technology (EdTech) Innovation Hub at one of the teacher education institutions (TEIs) mandated to promote research and innovation in ICT in education, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, develop ICT in education competencies in Cambodia’s teaching force and provide advisory services to education stakeholders, ensuring a uniform approach to the use of digital technology in the education system, with the ultimate objective of enhancing the quality of education through strengthened education management, teaching quality and learning experiences.
Long Description
II. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNEMNT
Under the overall authority of the UNESCO Representative in Cambodia, the supervision of the Chief of Education Unit and direct supervision of the STEPCam Programme Manager, the Consultant will provide technical and operational support to the STEPCam programme in the following areas of work:
1. Act as the focal point for Component 4 of the programme and lead the technical and coordination support to MoEYS departments in managing, planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of Component 4 to achieve the component’s expected outcomes and outputs. Specific tasks include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Work closely with relevant MoEYS technical departments and teacher education institutions to implement Component 4’s annual workplans, including liaising and coordinating between departments as necessary, facilitating communications between international and/or national specialists and other national counterparts
b. Regularly monitor and oversee the implementation of Component 4’s activities against the approved workplans and budget, liaising closely with relevant technical departments, including leading and participating in monitoring missions at the sub-national level
c. Contribute to the preparation of STEPCam progress reports, briefs and presentations, meeting minutes, communication and visibility materials, and other programme reporting to the UNCT and sector coordination groups
d. Provide technical support and oversight to the management of consultants and institutional partners contributing to Component 4, including technical review and quality assurance of all deliverables
e. Provide support, in close coordination with other STEPCam programme staff and experts, to cross-cutting activities under other STEPCam components related to ICT in education and CPD
f. Undertake missions for the oversight of activity implementation at the subnational level
2. Provide technical support and oversight to the MoEYS departments, in close collaboration with relevant development partners and other relevant institutions/entities, in the area of ICT and artificial intelligence in education and digital transformation, including:
a. Support the MoEYS departments, in close collaboration with the international experts, to develop and finalise the rapid assessment of teacher ICT competencies, the ICT and AI Competency Framework for Teachers as well as the Strategic Roadmap for integrating Cambodia’s AI and ICT Competency Framework for Teachers into teacher education and CPD
b. Support the MoEYS departments and selected TEI, in close collaboration with the international experts, to achieve the expected outcomes and results in line with the workplan and strategy for the establishment and operationalisation of the EdTech Hub
3. Provide coordination and technical assistance to the STEPCam programme lead of Component 1 and Component 2 to plan and manage the expansion and national rollout of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) system under Component 2 of STEPCam Phase II, especially key activities implementation under these two components, including:
a. Under Component 1, support the implementation and engage in technical meetings and planning with MoEYS to implement the Master of Education programme, capacity building for TEIs for 12+4 programme delivery and evidence-based policy research
b. Under Component 2, provide technical support for the development of blended CPD offerings to build professional capacity for the target groups of primary school teachers according to their identified needs
c. Provide quality assurance for the implementation of the blended CPD offerings, focusing on the self-learning components using the Capacity Development Platform of the MoEYS
Long Description
d. Work with Master Trainers to ensure that the target groups of teachers receive the necessary ICT-related support for successful completion of the self-learning tasks of the blended CPD offerings
e. Provide technical support for the expansion of the CPD system and Teacher Career Pathway (TCP) pilot, as well as the preparation and coordination for a national teacher conference
4. Provide technical assistance and support for UNESCO’s role as a strategic partner in Cambodia’s education sector, including its engagement with education policy discussions and sector coordination mechanisms with government entities and development partners:
a. Take a leading role to ensure UNESCO’s engagement in the areas of education technology and digital transformation in education
b. Support any upcoming new tasks or initiatives in the areas of education technology, CPD, teacher education and digital transformation in education
5. Carry out any other tasks assigned by the UNESCO Country Representative, Chief of Education and STEPCam Programme Manager
III. DELIVERABLES
The consultant is expected to submit a monthly progress report on the last working day of each calendar month after the contract start date on the tasks undertaken and accomplished in line with the above-mentioned responsibilities.
IV. CONTRACT DURATION, LOCATION AND OTHER CONDITIONS
The duration of the contract will be for a period of 11 months, from September 2025 to August 2026, during which the Consultant is expected to provide full-time technical assistance. The Consultant will be based in Phnom Penh during the assignment period and may be required to undertake missions to provinces outside of Phnom Penh.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, pedagogy, information technology, ICT in education, or other relevant fields
Professional experience
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of education, teacher education, ICT in education or other relevant fields
• Demonstrated experience in the planning, management, implementation and monitoring of programmes in the education sector in Cambodia focusing on digital transformation and/or ICT in education, including digital content development, digital learning applications and platforms, and ICT-enhanced teaching and learning
Demonstrated knowledge and hands-on experience with educational technology software and tools, learning management systems, mobile learning applications, and cloud-based collaboration platforms
• Strong capacity to build and maintain effective partnerships with government agencies, development partners, education institutions and private sector partners focusing on ICT in education
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills, including the demonstrated ability to provide advice and technical support on education, teacher education and professional development, ICT in education, SDG4-Education 2030
Skills and competencies
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of digital literacy, ICT in education software and tools
Excellent coordination and interpersonal skills with demonstrated expertise in leading multi-stakeholder initiatives in education and ICT
• In-depth understanding of government systems and policy processes and demonstrated experience in engaging and coordinating with senior government officials, particularly with a focus on digital transformation and ICT in education.
• Solid understanding of the education and teacher development context in Cambodia, its key challenges and possible solutions for digital transformation and integration of ICT in education
• Ability to take initiative, establish priorities and capacity to work efficiently under pressure
• A multicultural and interdisciplinary team to achieve shared objectives
Language Skills
• Excellent proficiency in (written and spoken) English and Khmer
VI. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
• Work experience: At least 10 years of professional experience in the field of education, teacher education, ICT in education or other relevant fields in Cambodia
• Experience working with the UN, and knowledge of UN regulations and guidelines
VII. HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates are kindly requested to click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History Form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, the candidate must insert extra pages with the following required information in English:
(Please note UNESCO cannot consider an incomplete proposal that does not include the following information requested.)
1. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
2. Technical proposal (3 pages maximum) explaining the methodology for undertaking the assignment
3. Financial proposal, indicating a monthly rate (in US$), to undertake the terms of reference above.
4. The contact details of three referees
If you are unable to attach requirements in the system, please inform us at phnompenh@unesco.org
VIII. 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 a competency-based 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.