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International consultant for development and piloting of inclusive preschool education framework in Uzbekistan

UNICEF Global

https://www.unicef.org

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For every child, the right to education!

At national level UNICEF is supporting the Government of Uzbekistan to advance inclusive education reforms across preschool and school education within the framework of SmartED project jointly financed by the Islamic Development Bank and Global Partnership for Education. This process is informed by the modelling of inclusive preschools and schools where new standards/requirements and mechanisms for inclusive education will be tested in order to inform the revision of legislation, national standards and practices.
Within preschool education, UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) to design, pilot, and validate inclusive preschool models. This effort builds on the national Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) and ongoing reforms in early childhood care and education, ensuring that all children, including those with disabilities, developmental delays, and from marginalized backgrounds, can access and participate in high-quality preschool learning opportunities. These preschools serve as models of accessible and supportive learning environments that foster participation, achievement, and safety for all children.
The inclusive preschool modelling initiative within the framework of SmartED project consists of two interconnected activities. The first activity focuses on the development and endorsement of an Inclusive Education Programmatic Framework (IEPF) for preschools, defining clear standards, standard operating procedures (SOPs), support mechanisms, and coordination structures. It also includes the establishment of Preschool Inclusion Groups to strengthen referral pathways and collaboration with external services in health, child protection, and early childhood development/early identification and intervention. Practical tools and guidelines will be created to support individualized planning, reasonable accommodation, curriculum and assessment modifications, and the effective use of teaching and learning materials (TLM) within inclusive settings.
The second activity will pilot the developed framework and mechanisms in 10 preschools across Uzbekistan, selected to reflect geographic diversity, readiness for inclusion, and the presence of marginalized children. In each pilot preschool, a comprehensive needs assessment will be conducted to identify gaps in infrastructure, resources, and staff capacities. Preschool Inclusion Groups will be established and capacitated to coordinate inclusive practices. Schools will be supported to develop and implement inclusive preschool improvement plans, integrating specialized learning resources, assistive tools, and inclusive teaching and learning methodologies.
As part of the pilot, a capacity-building package will be developed and delivered to preschool teachers, special educators, psychologists, and principals, focusing on inclusive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), individualized planning, child protection, early intervention, and the whole-school approach. Specialized learning resources and teaching aids will be supplied to support the diverse academic, behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, and social needs of children. The pilot will also test inclusive support mechanisms in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and learning environments, with structured monitoring to generate evidence on accessibility, participation, child development, and staff capacity.
The evidence generated through the pilot will directly inform national scale-up and integration of inclusive practices into Uzbekistan’s preschool education system. Lessons learned will guide the refinement of the IEPF, ensuring that inclusive preschool models are sustainable, scalable, and aligned with the country’s broader education reform agenda. Furthermore, finalized training courses on inclusive preschool education will be integrated into the national teacher professional development system, ensuring long-term institutionalization of inclusive pedagogy and practices.
In this regard, UNICEF’s Education Section seeks specialized consultancy support to design and operationalize the Inclusive Education Programmatic Framework (IEPF) for preschools, pilot the framework in selected institutions, and develop and deliver a comprehensive capacity-building programme for preschool staff, including teachers, special educators, psychologists, and administrators.
 
Scope of Work
 
Purpose:
The International Consultant will provide technical expertise to develop, pilot, and refine the Inclusive Education Programmatic Framework (IEPF) for preschools in Uzbekistan. This will include supporting the establishment of pilot inclusive preschools, testing, and refining the IECPF and associated standards, tools, and processes that operationalize the Whole School Approach to inclusion across three key dimensions of equitable education systems: Access, Participation, and Achievement, and generating evidence to inform scale-up and integration into national policy and professional development systems.
Consultant is expected to work in close collaboration with established teams of experts and consultants already working in inclusive education for general secondary education and a consultant in charge of capacity building component of inclusive preschool education.
 
The Consultant is expected to:
 
1. Develop and finalize the Inclusive Education Programmatic Framework (IEPF) for preschools, based on national framework and vision for inclusive education already developed by UNICEF with the government of Uzbekistan to ensure continuity and integration between pre-school and school. The Framework should be aligned with Preschool Curriculum, Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS), inclusive education standards, and international best practices, including standards, requirements, processes, and SOPs for inclusive preschool provision.
2. Support co-design, validate, and endorse the IEPF process through close working with national partners and stakeholder consultations with government, service providers, and development partners. This should be considered:
 
• Access – ensuring that every child can enter and remain in education without barriers: vulnerability mapping, early identification of vulnerable and out-of-school children, inclusive admission, physical accessibility, referral mechanisms to health and social services.
• Participation – ensuring meaningful engagement, safety, and belonging of every learner: parental and community engagement, anti-bullying and anti-stigma measures, psychosocial well-being, and children voice.
• Achievement – ensuring that all learners reach their full potential through equitable, inclusive learning: inclusive teaching, differentiated instruction, assessment for learning, and gender-responsive pedagogy.
• Development of referral and support mechanisms – linking preschools to health and social services and school as a next step in education.

3. Develop selection criteria for model preschools and conduct baseline needs assessments to identify capacity gaps and resource requirements in selected 10 pilot preschools. Develop an action plan for implementation of the modeling of inclusive preschools in selected regions with clear tasks, deliverables and timeline.

4. Support in establishment and operationalizing Preschool Inclusion Team (PITs) in pilot preschools, defining their composition, function and roles including development of protocols for referral pathways and coordination mechanisms with external services (health, child protection, ECD/EII).

5. Support selected preschools in the development and implementation of Preschool Improvement Plans, ensuring establishment of functional support systems and capacitated staff to address diverse learner needs and individual planning.

6. In collaboration with the capacity building Expert for inclusive preschool education provide support in the designing and delivering a comprehensive capacity-building programme for preschool teachers, special educators, psychologists, and principals, covering inclusive pedagogy, individualized planning, child protection, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective use of specialized learning resources, assistive tools and teaching/learning materials.

7. Revise and refine the IEPF based on pilot results and prepare technical reports, policy briefs, and recommendations for integration into national preschool standards, policy, and professional development systems.

8. Develop practical guidelines and tools for individualized support, reasonable accommodation, implementation of the curriculum and assessment tools to address special educational needs of a child (based on ELDS and Curriculum)

9. Provide technical guidance and ongoing consultation to UNICEF, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, and national institutions to ensure quality, coherence, and sustainability, and to support alignment with broader inclusive education and early childhood development reforms.

Management
 
International Consultant will work under direct supervision of ECE/D Specialist, in coordination with Education Officer, in close collaboration with National Consultant and national partners and government officials, other international and national consultants assigned by UNICEF.
 
Tasks – Deliverables – Estimated timeframe – Instalment payments
 
Home based
 
1. Develop inception report with clear timeframe and methodology of the consultancy – February 2026 – 5 days
  • Available inception report and action plan.
  • Finalized IEPF document with standards, SOPs, and support mechanisms 

2. Develop and finalize the Inclusive Education Programmatic Framework (IEPF) for preschools, aligned with Preschool Curriculum, ELDS and inclusive education standards, in consultation with UNICEF and MoPSE.

Develop selection criteria for model preschools and implementation plan – February – March 2026 – 10 days

  • Draft IEPF for preschool education
  • Draft selection criteria for model preschools 

3. Develop national standards, requirements, tools, and SOPs for inclusive preschools, addressing access, participation, and achievement dimensions – March – April 2026 15 days

  • Comprehensive set of standards and operational tools ready for national validation 

4. Stakeholder consultations and validation workshops with MoPSE, national institutions, service providers, and development partners (First visit) – April 2026 – 5 days

  • Validated IEPF endorsed by key stakeholders.
  • 10 preschools selected based on developed criteria and implementation plan developed in consultations with MOPSE. 

5. Conduct needs assessment of 10 pilot preschools and develop an action plan for implementation of the modeling of inclusive preschools in selected regions with clear tasks, deliverables and timeline. (First visit) – April 2026 – 10 days

  • Tools for needs’ assessment developed. Needs assessment report, Inclusion Group description and members roles and functions developed. 

6. Support in establishment and operationalizing Preschool Inclusion Team (PITs) in pilot preschools, defining their composition, function and roles including development of protocols for referral pathways and coordination mechanisms with external services (health, child protection, ECD/EII) – April – May 2026 – 5 days

  • TOR for Preschool Inclusion Groups and operational mechanisms developed 

7. Support selected preschools in the development and implementation of Preschool Improvement Plans, ensuring establishment of functional support systems and capacitated staff to address diverse learner needs and individual planning. (Second visit) – May 2026 – 10 days

  • Preschool improvement plans are developed; preschool leadership and staff are capacitated 

8. Pilot IEPF and inclusive support mechanisms (curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, environment, TLM) in 10 preschools (Third visit) – May 2026 – February 2027 – 30 days

  • Pilot report documenting implementation of IEPF in 10 preschools 

9. Monitor implementation and gather data on accessibility, participation, child development, staff capacity – September 2026 – January 2027 – 10 days

  • Monitoring indicators developed
  • Monitoring reports and data collection tools 

10. In collaboration with the Capacity Building Expert for inclusive preschool education provide support in the design and deliver a comprehensive capacity-building programme for preschool teachers – April – September 2026 – 5 days

  • Capacity building programme designed and delivered 

11. Develop collection of specialized learning resources and assistive tools (academic, behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, social etc.) for preschool education for individualized support, reasonable accommodation, implementation of the curriculum and assessment tools to address special educational needs of a child (based on ELDS and Curriculum). To be done in collaboration with Capacity Building Expert –March – May 2026 – 10 days

  • Resource package (assistive tools, specialized learning resources, inclusive TLMs) 

12. Revise/refine IEPF and capacity-building programme based on pilot results. To be done in collaboration with Capacity Building Expert – By the end of 2026 – 5 days

  • Final IEPF; revised capacity-building programme; policy brief and technical report with recommendations for national scale-up 

13. Provide ongoing technical guidance and consultation to UNICEF, and provide monthly progress report summarizing activities undertaken, deliverables produced, results achieved, challenges and mitigation strategies and next steps – Ongoing throughout the duration of the contract – 5 days

  • Monthly and/or quarterly progress report 

14. Final report on programme implementation, results, lessons learned, and recommendations for scale-up – February 2027 – 5 days

  • Final consultancy report, refined IEPF, policy briefs and technical recommendations for national scale-up 

TOTAL 130 days

 
Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. 
 
Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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.
 
Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 130 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.
 
Travel is required: At least 5 missions to Uzbekistan. Each mission requires local travel to all selected regions for modelling.

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

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education, Early Childhood Development, Inclusive Education, Special Education, or a related field.
  • Work Experience:
    • Minimum 15 years of professional experience in education, with substantial expertise in preschool/early childhood development, including experience in inclusive education and teacher professional development systems.
    • At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in inclusive education, system-wide education reforms, and/or large-scale teacher training initiatives, preferably in low- and middle-income country contexts.
    • Solid track record in developing institutional frameworks, standards, and tools to strengthen inclusive education at preschool or school levels.
    • Strong analytical, facilitation, and report-writing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical guidance for practitioners.
  • Language Requirements: Excellent command of written and spoken English; knowledge of Russian would be considered an asset.

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 jobs-near-me.org 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.

Advertised: West Asia Standard Time
Deadline: West Asia Standard Time

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