Current vacancies

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Education 

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, advocacy, and operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Currently, the Government of Tajikistan prioritizes strengthening the competency-based approach in education through the revision of the curriculum, strengthening of teacher professional development and reforming the assessment system. In 2020, the Government of Tajikistan has also partnered with UNICEF within the framework of the “Support to National Education Development Strategy for the period until 2030” project, jointly implemented with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) - herewith referred to as the project. This project is aimed at supporting the curriculum reform through the following activities: 1) stocktaking of current achievements; 2) improving pre-service and in-service teacher training systems through introduction of blended learning modalities and CBE pedagogy 3) revision of Tajik Language and Mathematics curriculum and design of language materials, 4) introduction of new formative and summative assessment strategies and 6-7) strengthening of in-classroom support system.

The results of the Stocktaking exercise and project preparation mission indicate that MoES institutions are mostly unaware of the documents developed for them and for the implementation of which they are considered to be responsible, thus confirming the lack of institutional ownership at technical level. The documents have mostly been endorsed only at the MoES central apparatus, remain in the hands of select individuals who developed them and are not embedded within the system. At the same time, the LEG thoroughly discussed the “how of the reform” noting that business as usual will not yield the desired results and that approaches to project implementation must change. Recent learning outcome-focused assessments carried out within specific projects (EGRA, and IsDB/GPE Baseline) have revealed that the quality of education continues to lag behind. The country developed a COMPACT Partnership document whereby the MoES and all development partners engaged in national education reform agreed to focus on implementation of CBE reform for improved learning outcomes. The document identifies a number of key areas related to CBE which require “transformational change” to allow for its successful implementation. These include Curriculum, Teacher preparation and professional development, learning assessment and efficiency of education management (EMIS, evidence-based decision- making).

Therefore, the second phase of the IsDB/GPE project will built on to address one of the key challenges that has prevented CBE reform from being effectively implemented is the fact that as reform efforts up to this point have been largely project-based, the national institutions’ structures and practices have not changed, preventing full national ownership and institutionalization of the reform, and promoting its high dependency on development partners. Therefore, COMPACT suggests analyzing and reforming the education institutions to accommodate CBE reform and allow for CBE practices to be embedded at every level of the system, replacing the old practices, rather than creating new ones in parallel to those in existence, which does not lead to sustainable reform. The second phase of the IsDB/GPE project will focus on three key aspects of the CBE reform namely 1) reforming and upgrading the current curriculum system based on CBE teachings 2), improving teacher preparation and professional development systems, and 3), integrating a larger system of national learning assessment. The three components will be constructively aligned with each other in their vision, implementation approaches to demonstrate a thorough process of an education reform from MoES to classroom and from classroom fed back into policy decisions. 

How can you make a difference? 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Duration: 360 working days between June 2025 - May 2027
Supervisor: Education Specialist, UNICEF Tajikistan

The primary assignment of the national consultant is to provide expert support to the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) in undertaking a comprehensive system reform focused on the Curriculum Structure and the National Curriculum Framework, as outlined below. This reform aims to modernize and strengthen the educational curriculum to better meet national education goals and best international practices.

Under direct supervision by Education Specialist and the national Working Group at the MoES the National consultant is expected to perform and accomplish the abovementioned tasks.

The objectives of the curriculum reform system include:

• Support in designing and upgrading the curriculum to ensure relevance, coherence, and alignment with contemporary educational standards and learner needs.

• Support in developing and enhancing learning materials that support effective instruction and inclusive education.

• Support in establishing a robust and flexible curriculum structure that facilitates efficient implementation and continuous improvement.

• Support in streamlining curriculum development processes to enhance transparency, stakeholder participation, and responsiveness to emerging educational trends.

The curriculum reform component will encompass a range of strategic activities, including but not limited to:

• Support in conducting functional reviews and a comprehensive needs assessment and gap analysis to identify areas for curriculum improvement.

• Support reviewing and revising existing curriculum frameworks and guidelines to reflect current pedagogical approaches and national priorities.

• Support in facilitating stakeholder consultations, including educators, subject matter experts, policymakers, and community representatives, to ensure broad-based input and consensus.

• Support in establishing monitoring, evaluation, and quality assurance mechanisms to track implementation progress and outcomes.

• Support in promoting integration of technology and innovative teaching methodologies within the curriculum framework.

The detailed TOR with concrete deliverables and timeline is at the following link  ToR_National consultant for coordination and functional reviews.docx

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

• Education: advanced degree in the fields of education, system reform with focus on CBE teacher preparation and professional development related to competency-based education, use of technology, blended-learning approaches and Inclusive education or another relevant field.

• Working experience: At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in the area of education, teacher training, and/or lifelong learning at the policy, management and operational levels with the MoES and affiliated institutions. Previous Experience in current education reform.

• Expertise: Strong knowledge and skills in education policy reform, specifically in Central Asia, with a focus on curriculum reform based on Competency-Based Education principles. The ability to develop student-centered curricula that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and inclusivity to meet diverse learning needs.

• Skills: Strong coordination skills, analytical and conceptual thinking. Ability to work with large teams and guide policy discussions. Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills with stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe.

• Language: Proficiency in English, Tajik and Russian.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• CV and cover letter.
• Technical proposal describing approach/methodology to achieve the tasks of the TOR, workplan with concrete timeframes
• Financial proposal in TJS, indicting fee per day (Annex 3 to be completed). Annex 3 at the link 
• At least 2 papers / concept notes previously developed by the candidate or when candidate provided substantial inputs to the documents.
• Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.

Applications must be received in the system by 6 May 2025 on UNICEF website.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

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

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

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. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.