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For every child, Education  

Consultancy Title: Consultant as Foundational Learning Expert

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Section, Rwanda, Kigali

Duration: 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2025 (One Year)

Home/ Office Based:  Office Based (National Consultancy)

The Ministry of Education has developed a Foundational Learning Strategy to accelerate initiatives to improve teaching and learning in pre-primary and lower primary education and improve learning outcomes in the foundational years. To support the achievement of results, a Foundational Learning Delivery Unit (DU) has been established within the Ministry of Education to help coordinate the rollout, monitoring and reporting on the Foundational Strategy implementation. The work of the Delivery Unit will initially be supported by Education Development Partners, and progress on the Strategy implementation will be highlighted during meetings of the Foundational Learning Steering Committee. The DU team consist of technical specialists with expertise in foundational learning, partnerships and resources mobilization, data and evidence, communication, and research.

Under its initiative to support the Government of Rwanda to accelerate the implementation of the foundational learning strategy, UNICEF Rwanda is recruiting a Foundational learning Expert embedded in Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB). The Foundational Learning Expert will be deployed within the Foundational Learning Delivery Unit, and will provide expert technical support to the Rwanda Basic Education Board on the delivery of key programmes and initiatives under three priority areas of the Foundational Learning Strategy:

1. Improving instructional quality through teacher development and support
2. Implement an evidence-aligned foundational skills curriculum.

Providing effective teaching and learning materials in sufficient volume to teachers and learner

How can you make a difference?

In close alignment with the Delivery Unit Coordinator, the Foundational Learning Expert role will be based within the office of Director General of the Rwanda Basic Education Board, to provide expert support to REB to coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of specific aspects of the Foundational learning strategy, within three priority areas which are : Improving instructional quality through teacher development and support; Implement an evidence-aligned foundational skills curriculum; Providing effective teaching and learning materials (TLM) in sufficient volume to all teachers and learners.

SCOPE OF WORK/OBJECTIVES

Specific tasks of the consultancy will include:

Key Tasks:

Within the mandate and structure of the Foundational Learning Delivery Unit, and the priorities outlined in the Foundational Learning Strategy, the Expert will have the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Working closely with the Delivery Unit Coordinator and the REB leadership, develop a detailed implementation plan for the three priority areas of the Foundational Learning Strategy, outlining roles and responsibilities for delivery, annual targets, activities and budgets required to achieve the intended results.
• Mapping and regularly updating partner-funded programmes that focus on foundation learning, including expected results, locations of implementation and monitoring and evaluation plans to ensure alignment and synergy of action in achieving the Foundational Learning Strategy objectives.
• Work closely with the Heads of Department, the Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) Coordinator and key personnel within REB to identify specific programme areas that require specific support (e.g. coordination of remedial education approaches; assessment of curriculum implementation), as well as reporting mechanism within the implementation process.
• Working closely with relevant colleagues in the Delivery Unit and REB, contribute to the M&E framework to track progress in achieving results.
• Support the collection (including through monitoring of programme implementation) and analysis of data and inputs to report against the monitoring framework.
• Working closely with the data, monitoring and research colleagues within the Delivery Unit and the Ministry of Education and REB as a whole, develop data-informed analysis of progress in achieving results as well as recommendations for future implementation plans.
• Within the REB Senior Management Meetings and coordination mechanisms, provide updates on progress in achieving the results across the three priority areas, against set indicators and targets, identifying challenges and proposed strategies to fast track or accelerate progress where necessary.
• Identify capacity constraints within the system and develop a plan to overcome those constraints.
• Help identify specific areas where short-term TA may be required to support implementation of different aspects of the foundational learning strategy and support the Delivery Unit and other partners to mobilize resources for such TA support. Help coordinate and oversee the work of specific TA which has been identified and brought into REB to support foundational learning.
• Working closely with colleagues in the Delivery Unit and the Ministry of Education and REB as a whole, support the development of compelling and evidence-informed communication products to communicate different aspects of the foundational learning strategy.
• Support Sector and School Level engagement of Foundational Learning, potentially through literacy and numeracy competitions.
• Support the Delivery Unit to package and communicate emerging evidence and analysis on the Foundational Learning Strategy and documentation of different initiatives.
• Contribute to the development and packaging of annual and regular reports of the implementation of the Foundational Learning Strategy.
• Undertake a partner mapping exercise to identify current and future partnerships to contribute towards achieving the specific objectives of the Foundational Learning Strategy.
• Engage with education development partners to ensure alignment of all stakeholders (plans and budgets, including TA support) working in pre-primary and lower primary towards the three foundational learning strategies.
• Contribute to project proposals and budgets to contribute towards the resource mobilization efforts around Foundational Learning

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

Education:

• A master’s degree in education, Economics, Social Sciences, or another related field.
• Further training/education in curriculum, teacher professional development and related areas an advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of experience working in the field of education, with a special focus on enhancing the quality of education and learning outcomes.
• Experience support quality improvements at the foundational level with a focus on one or more of the following: teacher development and management; curriculum development and implementation; supply and use of teaching and learning materials.
• Experience of working with Government agencies to support the delivery of results.
• Proven experience in stakeholder coordination and resource mobilization
• Monitoring, data management and analytical skills
• High degree of professional ethics, integrity, and responsibility.
• Excellent communication (both writing and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Language:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

ADMINITRATIVE FORMALITIES

UNICEF will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback, guidance, and necessary support to achieve the objectives of the work, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the performance and quality of work.

As per policy on consultants, the individual will be expected to complete a list of mandatory training, including policies on Prohibiting and Combatting Fraud and Corruption, Prohibition of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority and other relevant policies for their information and acknowledgement upon acceptance of the offer.

Before issuing the official contract, the consultant must complete the applicable training. The consultant will be provided with office space, access to office resources and other administrative arrangements necessary to complete the assignment.

CONDITIONS

• The consultancy will be for 12 Months.
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
• No contract may commence unless both UNICEF and the consultant sign the contract.
• The consultant will be office based.
• The consultant will be paid an all-inclusive fee (stationary, communication and other miscellaneous expenses) as per the stipulated deliverable and payment schedule.
• The consultant is not entitled to payment for overtime, weekends or public holidays.
• No travel should take place without an email travel authorization from the section before the commencement of the journey from the duty station.
• Standard UNICEF procedures will apply for invoicing and all other financial management requirements set out in the contract.
• Standard penalty clauses will also apply for late and poor-quality deliverables. The supervisor of the contract will provide the consultant with the criteria for the evaluation of the quality of each deliverable.
• Additional details of UNICEF rules, regulations and conditions will be attached to the contract.
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on the UNICEF budget.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures. They will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
• The assignment is an on-site support.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested consultants should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Brief technical proposal (not longer than five pages) demonstrating the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment.
3. (A portfolio of) document(s) the consultant produced or contributed to, exemplifying the capacity of the consultant to create simple-language, compelling documents, with visuals and graphs.
4. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees and other costs). Complete the attached form.  Financial Proposal template.xlsx

    5. Reference details

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit our competency framework

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

Applications submitted without technical and financial proposal will not be considered.