National Consultant (Digital Learning Consultant) Education Section -Duty Station (Port Sudan) Sudan (Office Based)

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 

Background:

Sudan is currently experiencing a significant crisis in the education sector, with over 19 million school-aged children affected and many schools lacking basic educational resources. In response to these challenges, there is a critical need to strengthen the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to ensure effective planning, monitoring, and management of educational resources and services across the country.

UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aims to develop a comprehensive digital map and shapefiles for 26,000 schools in Sudan. This will support the design and establishment of an EMIS that will provide accurate, up-to-date information on school infrastructure, enrollment, and other critical indicators.

Purpose of Assignment and Justification:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to:

1.Develop a comprehensive digital map of all schools in Sudan, including the creation of shapefiles for integration into the EMIS.

2.Support the Ministry of Education and UNICEF in designing and establishing a robust EMIS that can facilitate data-driven decision-making and improve the overall quality of education services in Sudan.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

1. Digital Mapping:

1.Shapefile Generation: Create digital maps and shapefiles with accurate school locations and attributes using GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS. Ensure all data is organized and structured for integration into the EMIS.

2.Data Collection and Verification: Collect and verify geographical data for approximately 26,000 schools across Sudan, including GPS coordinates, school boundaries, and relevant attributes (e.g., school type, student population, facilities). In addition to basic school information through innovative approaches such as crowd sourcing, digital data collection.

Steps for Shapefile Creation:

1.Organize and Prepare Data: Compile and organize GPS coordinates and attribute data for all schools.

2.Create and Define Geometry: Use GIS tools to create point, line, or polygon shapefiles representing school locations and boundaries.

3.Attribute Linking: Link school attributes (e.g., name, type, facilities) to the geometric data in the shapefiles.

4.Projection and CRS Alignment: Ensure that the shapefiles use a consistent coordinate reference system (CRS), such as WGS 84.

5.Validation and Quality Check: Validate the shapefiles for accuracy and completeness, ensuring compatibility with existing EMIS systems.

6.Integration with EMIS: Provide technical support to ensure seamless integration of the shapefiles into the EMIS. Develop interactive maps that allow stakeholders to visualize and analyze data spatially, supporting decision-making on educational resource allocation and planning.

2. EMIS Design and Support:

1.System Design: Collaborate with stakeholders to define technical requirements and data standards for the EMIS. Ensure that the system can handle large datasets and support complex queries and analysis.

2.Framework Development: Support the development and implementation of the EMIS framework, including the design of data collection, entry, validation, and analysis processes.

3.Training and Capacity Building: Conduct training workshops for Ministry of Education staff on using the EMIS and digital mapping tools. Develop user manuals and guides to support effective use of the system.

Tasks/Milestone

Deliverables/Outputs

Timeline

Estimated Budget (USD)

Digital Mapping and Shapefile Creation

Digital maps and shapefiles for all schools in Sudan

15 January 2025

Data Collection and Verification

Comprehensive list of 26,000 schools with verified locations

1 March 2025

EMIS Design and Technical Support

Technical documentation for EMIS framework

2 April 2025

Capacity Building and Training

Training workshops and user manuals for stakeholders

1 May 2025

Estimated Consultancy fee

Travel International (if applicable)

Travel Local (please include travel plan)

Will visit states where we are implementing the pilot to support and train IP and stakeholders. Travel will be arranged to 3 selected states, with 5 working days in each state, and arranged to by office with education specialist/officer.

DSA (if applicable)

Total estimated consultancy costs[i]

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

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional certificate in Information technology, computer science, electrical/electronic engineering.
• Knowledge in designing and implementing information management systems, particularly in education or development contexts.

Minimum of 1 year experience in:

o database management systems such as SQL, PostgreSQL, or other database platforms to manage large datasets.

o Proficiency in software development processes, including data integration, entry validation, and analysis workflows.

o Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or GIS tools) to create visual insights for stakeholders.

Strong understanding of data standards, privacy, and security protocols for educational and demographic data.Enter Disciplines

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Fluency in Arabic and English
• Knowledge in building content through html5 and java script

Technical Skills and Experience:

• Proficiency in GIS software such as QGIS, ArcGIS, or equivalent mapping tools.
• Experience in creating shapefiles and integrating geographical data into existing systems.
• Expertise in GPS data collection and spatial data analysis, including coordinate reference systems (CRS) like WGS 84.
• Knowledge of crowdsourcing methods and digital data collection tools (e.g., Open Data Kit (ODK), KoBoToolbox, Survey123).
• Proven track record of creating and validating geospatial datasets, including quality assurance and ensuring data compatibility.
• Experience in developing interactive maps for decision-making and resource allocation

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 jobs-near-me.org 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. 

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