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For every child, the right to Education. 

 

Background

South Sudan’s education system faces major challenges, with most pre-primary children and 60% of school-aged children out of school. Chronic underfunding has led to poorly resourced schools, unpaid teachers, limited learning materials, and weak management, resulting in poor learning outcomes.

Foundational learning is especially weak. A 2023 Early Grade Learning Assessment showed that few students acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, which hinders future academic success and national development.

Global evidence highlights structured pedagogy, a coordinated approach involving simplified curricula, lesson plans, materials, assessments, and ongoing teacher support, as a cost-effective way to improve learning outcomes.

Under the GPE-TESS programme, UNICEF and MoGEI will develop and roll out a structured pedagogy coaching and mentoring programme for 5,000 pre-primary and lower-primary teachers. This will support continuous professional development in textbook use, inclusive teaching, foundational literacy and numeracy, and formative assessment.

 

Scope of Work:

The objective of the consultancy is to provide technical support to the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) in the:

• Development of a structured pedagogy coaching/mentoring programme for pre-primary and primary teachers and
• Training of master trainers to prepare tutors for implementing the coaching/mentoring programme.

 

The Consultant will adopt a participatory and consultative approach working closely with MoGEI and UNICEF colleagues to develop and launch the structured pedagogy coaching/mentoring programme. The main tasks of the consultancy include:

 

1. Lead the development of an implementation roadmap for structured pedagogy.
2. Lead the formation of the technical team of material development experts for the development of a comprehensive structured pedagogy package.
3. Lead the development of a comprehensive structured pedagogy package for early grades (pre-primary and lower-primary) including teaching and learning materials with a focus on literacy and numeracy and play-based learning aligned with the competency-based curriculum.
4. Develop a guide for coaching/mentoring pre-primary and lower-primary teachers, headteachers, school quality assurance officers in CEC instructors on pre-primary and lower primary instructional packages in conjunction with a team of government curriculum and material developers, partners, universities and UNICEF.
5. Lead the strengthening of the capacity of master trainers with the necessary skills to roll out the comprehensive structured pedagogy package at the CEC and cluster school levels.

 

Specific tasks for this assignment include:

1.         Situational analysis and stakeholder engagement

• Conduct a desk review of teacher professional development systems, CPD frameworks, and structured pedagogy pilots in South Sudan and/or similar fragile contexts, as well as regional and global best practices.
• Map key stakeholders involved in teacher CPD (MoGEI, World Bank, TTIs, NGOs, development partners, etc.).
• Conduct consultations, interviews, and workshops with MoGEI, World Bank, TTIs, education partners, school administrators, teachers, and students.

2.         Development of a structured pedagogy coaching/mentoring package

• Guide the establishment of a technical working group/task team for the development of structured pedagogy materials.
• Lead the development of a comprehensive structured pedagogy package for early grades (pre-primary and lower-primary), aligned with the competency-based curriculum, including:
  • Student materials: Review and simplify the existing ECE Resource Kit for pre-primary and develop structured pedagogy workbooks for literacy and numeracy in lower-primary.
• Teacher guides: Define core competencies for teachers; review and adapt ECE materials; develop structured lesson plans and teacher guides for Primary 1–3, with guidance on activities, student work, and assessment.

• Coaching/mentoring tools: Guides and modules for headteachers, school quality assurance officers, and CEC instructors, covering foundational literacy, numeracy, play-based learning, gender-responsive and inclusive pedagogy.
• Ongoing support tools: Classroom observation rubrics, reflection journals, peer-learning templates, and schedules for continuous mentoring.

3.         Implementation plan and roadmap

• Develop a structured pedagogy implementation plan including a school cluster-based roll-out strategy and monitoring and evaluation plan covering all 5,000 schools.
• Recommend institutional anchoring within MoGEI and TTIs to ensure sustainability.

4.         Validation and piloting

• Pilot-test and conduct workshops to validate the structured pedagogy package and materials.
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback into the final package.

5.         Capacity building

• Conduct a five-day training course of 30 master trainers from the University of Juba, equipping them with the necessary skills to prepare tutors for coaching and mentoring.

 

6.         Sustainability and institutionalization

• Provide recommendations for institutional ownership, financing, and monitoring arrangements to sustain the structured pedagogy coaching/mentoring programme.

 

Deliverables

 

1. Development and submission of inception report with methodology, detailed activity plan, and timelines. Inception report with methodology, detailed activity plan, and timelines by 31 November 2025 (4 weeks).
2. Conduct a desk review of teacher professional development systems, CPD frameworks, and structured pedagogy pilots in South Sudan and/or similar fragile contexts, as well as regional and global best practices. Situational analysis report and stakeholder mapping by 15 December 2025 (2 weeks).
3. Lead the development of a comprehensive structured pedagogy package for early grades (pre-primary and lower-primary), aligned with the competency-based curriculum        Draft structured pedagogy coaching/mentoring package (student materials, teacher guides, coaching/mentoring tools, monitoring tools) by 15 January 2025 (4 weeks).
4. Develop a structured pedagogy implementation plan including a school cluster-based roll-out strategy and monitoring and evaluation plan covering all 5,000 schools. Structured pedagogy implementation plan and roadmap (including roll-out and M&E) by 31 January 2026 (2 weeks).
5. Pilot-test and conduct workshops to validate the structured pedagogy package and materials. Validation workshop report summarizing pilot testing and feedback by 15 February 2026 (2 weeks).
6. Incorporate stakeholder feedback into the final package       Final structured pedagogy package (ready-to-print materials and sustainability plan) by 31 February 2026 (2 weeks).
7. Conduct a five-day training of 30 master trainers from the University of Juba, equipping them with the necessary skills to prepare tutors for coaching and mentoring Training report of 30 master trainers by 15 March 2026 (2 weeks).
8. Development and submission of final report summarizing deliverables, including recommendation for sustainability Final consultancy report summarizing all deliverables, lessons learned, and recommendations by 31 March 2026 (2 weeks).

 

 

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• A Master’s degree in Education, Teacher Education, Curriculum Studies, or related field.

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years’ professional experience in teacher professional development, structured pedagogy, or foundational learning.
• Strong technical expertise and experience in pre-primary and lower-primary learning required and in structured pedagogy material development desirable.
• Practical experience in the development of structured pedagogy materials and in-service teacher training manuals desirable.
• Relevant experience in the education sector in countries in Eastern and Southern Africa required and in South Sudan including direct engagement and collaboration with MoGEI desirable.
• Strong writing, editing and communication skills in English (spoken and written).

 

All applications must be accompanied by a detailed technical and financial proposal.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. 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 selected consultant 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 consultant 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. The vaccine mandate, 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.

 

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

 

For more details, please find the ToR attached  ToR Structured Pedagogy Int Consult.docx.pdf.