Education Consultant: Foundational Learning and Skills development in Kano and Jigawa, Kano Nigeria, 5 months

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

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For every child, a voice. 

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.  UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally – click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/

Background:

Nigeria is in the depths of a learning crisis. Approximately, 3 out of 4 children in Nigeria cannot read with meaning or solve simple math problems . Fewer than 1 in 20 of the poorest children,  1 in 7 children  in rural areas have foundational skills . The lack of foundational literacy and numeracy skills affects children’s ability to learn high order skills and increases their risk of repeating classes or dropping out, thereby fuelling the out of school phenomenon. This is further reflected in national literacy rates where the average national literacy rate for Nigeria is 62% – nearly half of women (47%) and nearly one-quarter (29%) of men cannot read or write.

The learning crisis is stalling significant gains that Nigeria has made in getting more children to attend school. Multiple challenges affect the quality of education in Nigeria. If we don’t confront these, we risk stalling progress and losing gains already made for children. Key challenges include low and inequitable participation in early learning with just 63 per cent of five-year-olds engage in organized learning . At Basic education level, poor teaching and lack of teaching and learnings materials contribute to low learning achievement. At least 1 in 3 primary teachers are unqualified . Ineffective cascade training has done little to remedy these gaps. Many classrooms lack the teaching and learning materials needed to meet children’s needs.

Purpose

The main objective of this consultancy is to the Kano Field Office Education team in the delivery of the Learning and skills component of the EYE programme.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

1.Support the implementation of early childhood education programmes

• In collaboration with the Kano and Jigawa State Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board, support the implementation of quality early learning and expansion of the learning-through-play model for ECE through evidence-backed policy advocacy and government planning.
• Support the delivery of the Learning through play approach training to teachers and caregivers, including the distribution of ECE materials.
• Support the implementation of the playful parental engagement programme in the states.

2. Support implementation of Foundational literacy and numeracy programmes (FLN, digital,)

• In collaboration with TARL Africa and SUBEB support delivery of the TARL in Kano and Jigawa States
• In collaboration with SUBEB support delivery of the RANA in Kano and Jigawa States
• Document the implementation of the programme, ensuring the relevant assessments are conducted (baseline and made line assessment)

3. Support implementation of vocational skills development programmes (digital, transferable, employability skills)

• Undertake market survey of skills gaps/needs  among OOSC adolescents and youths   in the two states (mapping will include taking stock of skills training providers in the two states)
• In collaboration with relevant State Agency develop a skills training programme and enrollment 2,300 (1,200 in Kano and 1,100 in Jigawa) for skill training in 2025 for skill training in 2025
• Support monitoring of the skills programmes

4. Support Kano Basic Education team in documentation and report writing

• Conduct school-based monitoring of the ECE, FLN and skills programmes
• Provide inputs on the status of the learning and skills programme for Kano and Jigawa at  EYE bi-weekly meetings.

Work Assignment Overview:

Deliverable 1: Support the implementation of early childhood education programmes

• Support the implementation of quality early learning and expansion of the learning-through-play model for ECE through evidence-backed policy advocacy and government planning.
• Support the delivery of the Learning through play approach training to teachers and caregivers, including the distribution of ECE materials.
• Support the implementation of the playful parental engagement programme in the states

Output:

• Report documenting the training of teachers and care givers using the learning through play approach
• Report of the documenting parental engagement programme in kano and Jigawa

Deliverable 2: Support implementation of Foundational literacy and numeracy programmes (FLN, digital,)

• In collaboration with TARL Africa and SUBEB support delivery of the TARL in Kano and Jigawa States
• In collaboration with SUBEB, support delivery of the RANA in Kano and Jigawa States
• Document the implementation of the programme, ensuring the relevant assessments are conducted (baseline and made line assessment)

Output:

• TARL implementation programme for Kano and Jigawa
• Monitoring report documenting implementation of TARL in Kano and Jigawa

Deliverable 3: Support implementation of vocational skills development programmes (digital, transferable, employability skills)

• Undertake market survey of skills gaps/needs  among OOSC adolescents and youths   in the two states (mapping will include taking stock of skills training providers in the two states)
• In collaboration with relevant State Agency develop a skills training programme and enrollment 2,300 (1,200 in Kano and 1,100 in Jigawa) for skill training in 2025
• Support monitoring of the skills programmes

Output:

• Skills market survey report
• Concept note for skills delivery in Kano and Jigawa

Deliverable 4: Support Kano Basic Education team in documentation and report writing

• Conduct school-based monitoring of the ECE, FLN and skills programmes
• Provide inputs on the status of the learning and skills programme for Kano and Jigawa at  EYE bi-weekly meetings

Output:

Consolidated report document ECE, FLN and skills delivery in Kano and Jigawa

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

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Education Curriculum, Education Policy, Teacher Training or related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in improving learning quality, ideally with a focus on curriculum or learning materials development, teacher professional development, quality pedagogy and teaching and learning approaches in basic education.
• Demonstrable experience supporting the development, implementation and scale-up of effective approaches for improving learning quality, ideally focused on developing and rolling out quality, curriculum-aligned content for basic education focused on foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience translating evidence for and communicating with a broad range of actors (including government) on sensitive issues.
• Proven experience in the integration of FLN principles into pre-service or in-service teacher education programs, ideally in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Familiarity with competency-based education standards and instructional design in low-resource or multilingual settings.
• Knowledge of the Nigerian political landscape and recent developments in education
• Familiarity with the Nigerian education context will be considered an asset.
• Ability to work to tight timeframes and flexibility to adjust to needs of government and UNICEF
• Ability to present ideas concisely for diverse audiences.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

To view the complete TOR, click here TOR Education Consultant Foundational Learning and skill development.docx

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

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  

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 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.