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Consultancy Title: Disability inclusive education consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education,   Programme Division, NYHQ

Duration: November 4 2024 to Feburary 14 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

 About UNICEF – DO NOT EDIT

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Attention and efforts to strengthen education programmes to be disability inclusive are steadily increasing across UNICEF programming. However, there is a gap in understanding on how to operationalize the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), General Comment 4 and the framework on inclusive education systems, as described in the Education Sector Analysis Guidelines, Volume 3. To respond to this gap, an inclusive education toolkit is being developed to support knowledge and capacity of UNICEF global education staff. This involves the consolidation and updating of existing guidance into an overarching programme brief and development of an in-depth operational guidance tool on the framework.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Education Specialist (Inclusive Education) and with guidance from select regional and country office colleagues, the consultant will provide technical expertise and facilitation to:

1. Update and finalize a programme brief detailing the what and why of inclusive education across the education cycle, starting in early childhood. The brief will explain the underpinning normative frameworks and relevant rationale (including the UN CRPD, UNICEF Education and Disability Inclusion Strategies), key approaches and strategies, current trends and emerging priorities, and FAQs.
2. Develop new guidance on how to operationalize the inclusive education systems framework across the education cycle, including current trends and emerging priorities, with country examples and relevant resources, to guide and illustrate implementation.
3. Update and finalize an inclusive education checklist to guide education programme staff to ensure considerations for disability inclusion are hardwired across education programming from the planning stage.
4. Organize and facilitate webinars for UNICEF staff to introduce and disseminate the new resources.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Delivery Deadline

 Updated and revised inclusive education programme brief reflecting the CRPD, UNICEF Education Strategy, and UNICEF Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy, with key strategies and approaches, current trends, and emerging priorities, and FAQs. Copy edited and ready for publication.

• Inclusive education programme brief – By December 20 2024

New guidance on operationalizing the inclusive education systems framework with current trends and emerging priorities, country examples, and relevant resources. Copy edited and ready for publication.

• Inclusive education framework operational guidance – By January 31 2025

Finalized checklist on inclusive education considerations for education programmes. Copy edited and ready for publication

• Checklist on inclusive education programming – January 15 2025

Global webinars for UNICEF staff to introduce and disseminate the new resources.

• 2 x global webinar (to cover all time zones) – February 14 2025

Qualifications

Education: Masters

 Advanced degree in relevant field, preferably education, international development, human development or social sciences, economics

 Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• 5-8 years professional experience in the field of international disability-inclusive education with in-depth knowledge of the UN CRPD and General Comment 4.
• Strong knowledge of UNICEF’s systems-strengthening approach including disability inclusive education sector analysis and planning.
• In depth knowledge of current developments and advances in international inclusive education regarding global priorities, trends, shifts, and advocacy efforts
• Experience working with UNICEF HQ and regional or country offices preferred
• Excellent written English language skills.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex information and issues.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking
• Ability to organize and plan complex work following the established timeframes.
• Ability to coordinate and work effectively with others and facilitate partner engagement

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

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 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.