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For every child, the right to Education

Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and here

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF Education is seeking an international numeracy and mathematics consultant to provide technical assistance and capacity development to a National Technical Team of numeracy experts who will develop P4 numeracy teaching and learning materials. The consultant’s duties and responsibilities will include:

1. Providing continuous capacity building to the established National Technical Team on: (i) the science of teaching early grade numeracy with a focus on understanding the key elements and steps of an explicit pedagogy and its applications on teaching foundational learning in numeracy; (ii) the logic and the steps required to contextualize the science of teaching early grade numeracy to the Sierra Leonean context, in order to develop key teaching and learning materials for classes 1, 2 and 3 of primary schools.
2. Providing the framework and guide the National Technical Team in a stocktaking exercise to review existing materials to support numeracy instruction in Sierra Leone, produced with the support from key partners.
3. Guiding the National Technical Team to define adapted expected learning outcomes and scope and sequence for teaching early grade numeracy in classes 1, 2, and 3 based on the existing curricula framework and syllabus for numeracy.
4. Provide continuous guidance and support to the National Technical Team to prepare the Children’s Workbook to practice numeracy including developing models of the lessons, testing them in real classes, revising the models given the feedback/observations in classrooms, and the development of final draft versions to be tested in a larger pilot. This activity will include face-to-face and distance support.
5. Provide technical guidance to the National Technical Team to develop the Teacher’s Guide, including the lesson plans to support teachers to apply explicit pedagogy approaches to teach the lessons in the Children’s Workbook.
6. Pilot the new materials using a small number of model lessons plans (2 to 4) in real classes. The National Technical Team will adapt the lesson plans based on the trial in classes.
7. Develop teacher training modules for the national P4 teacher and head teacher training on the Children’s Workbook and Teacher’s Guide.
8. Validate the final versions of the Children’s Workbook and Teacher’s Guide with Government.
9. Review and finalize the final designed copies of the Children’s Workbook and Teacher’s Guide working with a graphic design firm, Government, UNICEF and the National Technical Team.

The consultant will also produce a final report proposing mechanisms to document and analyze the process of program design and implementation and highlight key elements of a science of implementation of foundational learning programs in numeracy for the region and globally.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will adopt a participatory and systems-strengthening approach, working closely with Government counterparts and partners to ensure that all technical assistance and implementation activities are aligned with existing national systems, institutional structures and coordination mechanisms. This will include close collaboration with Government institutions (MBSSE/TSC, MTHE and Local Education Group (LEG)).

The consultant will ensure that all interventions are consistent with UNICEF Education approaches, including safeguarding and ethical standards.

Specific Tasks:

1. Deliver capacity building to National Technical Team
2. Review existing materials for P4 and define learning outcomes
3. Develop the Children’s Workbook, including piloting
4. Develop the Teacher’s Guide, including the lesson plans
5. Validate the Children’s Workbook and Teacher’s Guide with Government
6. Finalize the graphic design versions of the Children’s Workbook and Teacher’s Guide
7. Document learnings and good practices from the process in a final report

Candidates will be required to submit a technical proposal and a financial proposal (see template  Individual Consultancy - Financial Proposal Template.xlsx, and the financial proposal should quote a lump-sum inclusive of fees, travel and visa costs as well as communication costs. Financial proposals may be negotiated.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  VA TOR - International Numeracy Consultant.pdf

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

Education: 

• Minimum Master’s degree required, Doctoral degree preferred. Focus on early grade mathematics desirable;
• Modern pedagogy or curriculum development
• Teacher capacity building

Work Experience: 

At least 12 years of demonstrated experience in:

• Leading technical work to develop early grade numeracy teaching and learning materials of high quality;
• Developing and implementing teacher capacity development activities, preferably in West Africa or sub-Saharan Africa;
• Strong data analysis skills, preferably in relation to monitoring and evaluating programs and activities targeting early grade numeracy strengthening;
• Effectively engaging with writers, illustrators, and diverse stakeholders, including government officials, education partners, teachers and local stakeholders.
• Strong writing and communication skills in English.
• Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency, and accountability.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment;
• Ability to deliver assignments in a timely manner while operating under tight deadlines and managing multiple tasks.
• Demonstrated understanding of using AI tools for efficiency purposes.
• Experience with the UN or other international development organizations is an asset.

Language Requirements: Excellent command of written and spoken English.

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. 

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.