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Background
In Abkhazia, Georgia, the education system has suffered from degradation over the last 25 years as a result of the protracted conflict and isolation of the region. The education system is heavily underfunded due to the lack of financial resources, resulting in a persistent lack of teaching materials, teacher training, and dilapidated school infrastructure. Also, over the last 25 years there have been no systematic attempt to reform the education system. Consequently, the quality of education is low and international assistance to improve education services is urgently needed. At the same time, information on school attendance, drop-out rates and student learning outcomes are not publicly available, making evidence-based programming difficult.
The unresolved and protracted conflict further complicates the situation. The existing education system in Abkhazia only partially reflects the existing linguistic division of Abkhazia's population; education in Abkhazia in various ways perpetuates mistrust and resentment between the region's various ethnic communities and does not contribute to peacebuilding. The resentment is felt particularly strongly in the sphere of mother tongue education and has the potential to cause new tensions between the divided communities. Children of different ethno-linguistic communities in Abkhazia today have very different chances to study in their mother tongue and children of each ethnic community face specific challenges.
There is a major disparity in Abkhazia between the societal needs and educational outcomes: the education system and the social composition and strong perceptions of parents in Abkhazia favor the pursuit of the higher education for school graduates. Vocational and professional education remains heavily under-developed and unpopular; hence it requires systematic and targeted support. UNICEF aims at working with school teachers and parents to introduce them to modern approaches to professional and vocational education, raise their awareness and understanding of the importance of vocational and professional education as an alternative carrier path.
UNICEF will organize and conduct trainings for teachers in general education and local education experts and support the development of teacher training programmes to promote vocational education in the middle and higher grades of general education. UNICEF will also conduct various student-related activities to promote the interest of students in vocational education. UNICEF will also support the development of the curriculum, supporting materials and trainings for the future introduction of STEM classes into 13 schools in Abkhazia.
UNICEF is therefore planning to recruit an international consultant to provide technical assistance to its Sukhumi Field Office in Abkhazia in the above-mentioned areas.
Objective
The objective of the consultancy is to provide UNICEF Georgia's Sukhumi Field Office and its partners with advice and technical assistance in the process of improving quality of vocational and professional education services in Abkhazia, capacity building of local trainers from Teacher Resource Centers, capacity building of teachers and local experts to mainstream vocational and professional education in schooling, supporting STEM programme development and its introduction into 13 schools, as well as specifically improving the quality of technical subjects' teaching in Abkhazia.
Scope of work
The consultant will develop relevant training programmes for teachers at various levels that will support the tasks listed below. This will be based on international best practices and shall be localized. It is expected that the consultant prepare all the necessary materials and provide the trainings as required.
The consultancy activities will be carried out between December 2019 and June 2020, with possible extensions as needed, and involve both, work from home, as well as frequent travel to and work in Abkhazia and Georgia. During the work from home, the consultant will use email, skype and telephone for regular communication with UNICEF Georgia's Sukhumi Field Office and supervisors.
Depending on further progress in UNICEF's consultations with relevant decision makers in both Georgia and Abkhazia, as well as with interested donors, the consultancy might be extended and amended to include additional tasks and deliverables in line with those established in this TOR.
Tasks
To work with the UNICEF Sukhumi education team to design and develop a step-by-step training programme to support the capacity building of teachers from existing 8 Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs); Conduct a needs assessment of the quality of teaching of sciences, technology, math in schools; To design and carry out a training programme for teachers, experts of various level to support mainstreaming of vocational and professional education in middle and high school; Develop and support the introduction of a STEM curriculum into 13 pilot schools; Development and conducting of an education programme for parents of middle-school and high-school students regarding the vocational and professional available to their children in the future; Provide expertise and advice on additional activities that would support teachers in mainstreaming vocational and professional education in middle and high school.Deliverables and Timelines
Key Actions: Preparation and Training a training programme for teachers from existing TRCsDeliverables: Quality training programme; conducted trainings/workshops
Delivery Period: February - June 2020
Number of Working Days: 24 days (16 days training programme; 8 days of supervision)
Location: From home and in Abkhazia
Key Action: Conduct a needs assessment of the situation with teaching of sciences, technology, math in schoolsDeliverables: Quality assessment/report of needs and quality analysis of the existing situation with teaching of science, technology, math in schools of Abkhazia.
Delivery period: February - March 2020
ÂNumber of working days: 8 days (5 days field visit, 3 days report writing)
Location: in Abkhazia and from home
Key Actions: Preparation and training of local experts, teachers and students from 13 schools on STEM and other relevant field of vocational and professional educationDeliverables: Quality training programme
Delivery Period: February - July 2020
Number of working days: 25 days (16 days of training (7 trainings of 1-3 days); 2 days for programme development; 7 days of supervision and reflections)
Location: From home and in Abkhazia
Key Actions: Development and conducting of an education programme for parents of middle-school and high-school students regarding the vocational and professional available to their children in the futureDeliverables: Quality training programme; quality training
Delivery Period: February - July 2020
Number of working days: 5 days
Location: From home and in Abkhazia
TOTAL Number of Working Days: 62 days
Supervision and Reporting Responsibility:
The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of UNICEF Field Office and the UNICEF Education Officer in Sukhumi.
The consultant's performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, and quality of the products delivered.
Required qualifications:
Advanced university degree in Education; At least 8 years of work experience in areas of education, STEM programme development and introduction, vocational and professional education, parental education, including work experience in countries of the former Soviet Union; Proven experience in teachers training on student-centered teaching methodologies, STEM, as well as in training teacher trainers (ToTs); Excellent English language skills and ability to lead trainings in Russian language; Very good analytical and organizational skills; Familiarity with UNICEF's work in the area of education; Excellent communication and team work skills; ability to work with minimum supervision in a multi-national environment with team members from different cultural backgrounds; Good knowledge and use of Microsoft package.Consultancy period:
The estimated duration of the consultancy is 6 months from 15 Febuary - 14 July 2020.
Remuneration
The consultant will be paid at a consultancy fee rate negotiated between the consultant and UNICEF Georgia, based on an initial proposal of the consultant and taking into account the consultant's level of experience and evaluations of his/her earlier work. Payment will be carried out in one or several installments upon submission of good quality deliveries with an accompanying report and the approval of deliverables and report by UNICEF. UNICEF will also cover travel expenses which can be paid in advance of the consultant's travel(s).
This vacancy is archived.