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.

In 2022 the Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan and development partners signed a partnership document Compact, which established the strong commitment of the education stakeholders for transformation of the national education system by implementing competency-based education (CBE) that is intended to improve the quality of learning and ensure life-long benefits for all children. The priority reform is reflected in the National Strategy for Education Development for the period until 2030 (NSED-2030), the National Development Strategy for the period until 2030 (NDS- 2030), and their corresponding medium-term operational frameworks.

The transformation will be induced by shifting from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach, which is underpinned by greater focus on needs and demands of children. In particular, state and non-state education partners agreed to reinforce a coordinated focus on teacher professional development (i.e. in-service level) and training (i.e. pre- service level), national learning assessment system, and competency-based and enhanced learning content, complemented by improvements in the enabling factors and supportive learning environment.

During the past years extensive efforts have been put by the MoES, affiliated institutions and development partners to implement programmatic interventions in the key functional domains on CBE reform. The initial building blocks of CBE were put in place in the past seven years, including the revision of the curriculum, initial training of all teachers in CBE approaches, development of Teaching and Learning materials for selected subjects and grades (not all), development and approval of es Framework (TCF) and other policy documents, guides and frameworks on curriculum development, and others.

Building on the achievements of the previous and current interventions led by the MoES and development partners (UNICEF, EU, World Bank, UNESCO, USAID, Global Partnership for Education, Islamic Development Bank, Asian Development Bank etc.) new approaches have been developed to improving school curriculum TLMs, the teacher training and professional development and in-classroom support system. Institutionalization of the best practices will require coordinated efforts to enable the reform of the system to be in line with competency-based education (CBE).

UNICEF supported the MoES and its affiliated institutions (Academy of Education - AoE, Republican Teacher Methodological Center - RTMC, Republican In-Service Teacher Training Institute - RITTI) to implement CBE and inclusive education related interventions funded by Global GPE/IsDB and European Union to address the two focus areas below:

1. Creating an embedded capacity within existing government institutions to constantly update, strengthen CBE curriculum that is sensitive to gender and IE and in line with the results of learning assessments and develop teaching and learning materials (TLMs), including digital content.
2. Establishing competency-based teacher continuous professional learning and growth system, including revising teacher-related policies, creating professional opportunities (including digital learning), and improving the teacher support system.

Both focus areas represent the building blocks of CBE reform to result in improved learning outcomes. While UNICEF contributed to working widely across mentioned focus areas, there have been targeted technical assistance provided to RITTI and RTMC systems to initiate the following reform measures:

• Establishing teacher preparation and need-based continuous professional learning system (CPL).
• Scaling up blended learning opportunities at pre-service and in-service levels to enable teachers to have access to learning opportunities without leaving workspace.
• Facilitating the establishment of a framework for assessing the quality of teaching and learning.

Most of the proposed interventions are ongoing under IsDB/GPE Phase II to address holistic institutional reforms to ensure system level changes occur and the national education system follows the CBE pedagogy.

The human rights-based intent of Inclusive Education is defined in the Salamanca Statement and represented in the 'recognition of the need to work towards 'schools for all' - institutions which include everybody, celebrate differences, support learning, and respond to individual needs'. 

Similar approach lies at the core of UNICEF rights-based approach to education founded on the belief that every child has a right to quality education and necessary conditions should be created by states for providing access to quality mainstream education. This approach is founded on the key provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC). Article 28 of the CRC states that States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular: (a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all; (b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need; (c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means; (d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children; (e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.

How can you make a difference? 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Duration: 142 working days for two years period (year 1-70 w/days, year 2-72 w/days) between July 2025 - December 2026
Supervisor: Education Officer, UNICEF Tajikistan

TOR with detailed deliverables and concrete timeframes is at the following link  TOR National consultant Inclusive Education 142 wds.docx

Under direct supervision of Education Officer and the team of national experts of the RTMC and RITTI the national consultant is expected to support revision of the current teacher preparation program and inform the decision of the MoES to introduce necessary revisions to the teacher preparation program. The consultant will engage with multiple national education stakeholders to conduct consultations with pre-service teacher training (colleges and universities) faculty members and education authorities at the MoES and affiliated institutions to gather feedback to inform necessary revision to the teacher preparation program, with particular focus on Tajik language and Math disciplines. In joint collaboration with the teams of national experts from RTMC the consultant is expected to support the team of 10 national experts at RTMC to develop methodology and tools to conduct a functional review of the existing teacher preparation programs for Tajik language and Math disciplines aiming to evaluate the programs against the quality criteria originating from the existing and upcoming CBE frameworks, and also pave the way for developing a model for program revision.

The consultant is expected to provide technical expertise to launch and implement the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) blended course on IE in collaboration with the RITTI, RTMC, regional mentors, pilot schools and team of national and internation consultants. This is to ensure that all teachers of mathematics and Tajik language complete the course, are equipped with essential skills and knowledge to incorporate inclusive education practices in their teaching.

Furthermore, the consultant will prepare a comprehensive report evaluating the outcomes of the UDL blended course. This will include feedback and results gathered from participating teachers and mentors, as well as detailed recommendations for streamlining and adapting UDL training for other Teacher Development Programs across the country. The report will serve as a foundational document to refine and expand the scale of UDL integration.

Finally, the consultant is expected to build the capacity of a team consisting of 15 specialists from key education stakeholders, including the AoE, RITTI, and the RTMC on how to develop normative documents. The team will develop tools and frameworks, to ensure TLMs developed in the future integrate IE principles. The tools and documents should have strategies, methodologies, and practical guidelines to embed inclusivity in the design and content of educational resources, fostering accessibility and equity in education.

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

• Education: University degree in the fields of education, pedagogy, system reform with focus on teacher preparation and professional development, use of technology, blended-learning approaches and Inclusive education or another relevant field.
• Work Experience: At least 8 years of work experience in a relevant field, with focus on above mentioned areas and education policy development, inclusive education and special education services.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong knowledge of inclusive education policies and practices, inclusive school structures and services, psychological and social services for children. Expertise in development of policy documents, training materials and conducting training/workshops is required. VAC reporting and referral experience is an asset.
• Competencies: 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 Tajik and Russian, knowledge of English is an asset.

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 -all inclusive, indicting fee per day (Annex 3 to be completed). Annex 3 at the  Annex 3.docx. 
• 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 16 July 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.