Back International Expert (Quality Assurance-TVET)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : EDUCATION

Duty Station: MULTIPLE

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement :

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Consultancy

Duration of contract : 6 to 9 Months

Recruitment open to : External

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 28/02/2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background

UNESCO has a long-standing commitment to enhancing quality assurance in TVET worldwide, supporting countries in developing standards, capacity building, and ensuring qualifications meet national and international benchmarks. Through different projects in its different field offices, UNESCO collaborates with governments to improve governance, frameworks, and quality in TVET.

In Uzbekistan, UNESCO is implementing the \" EU-funded TVET project, aiming to enahcne emplyability of youth in rural regions, in addition to enhancing the National Qualifications System through quality assurance interventions in TVET. The project focuses on modernizing TVET governance and building capacity for quality assurance, including peer reviews, capacity-building initiatives, and collaboration with international regulators.

In Togo, UNESCO supports the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as part of the CapED project, aligning with Togo's National TVET Strategy and the broader regional initiative led by UNESCO, ECOWAS, and the African Union to establish a regional qualifications framework in West Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seeks to establish a National Certification Framework (CNC) through UNESCO's CapED program to standardize qualifications, enhance their national and international recognition, and align with regional frameworks promoted.

UNESCO is therefore seeking a senior TVET/Quality Assurance expert to support UNESCO's different field offices (namely Uzbekistan, Togo, and DR Congo) in these endeavors. Please note that the consultancy consists of regular travel to these field offices.

Long Description

Main Tasks and responsibilities

Uzbekistan: Lead the QA peer reviews at the system level, focusing on qualification authorities; Organize and lead the final National Quality Assurance Conference in September 2025; Update and finalize QA manuals, ensuring alignment with national standards; Conduct capacity-building sessions for key stakeholders including MHESI, IPED, ILMR, and the Project Office; Collaborate with international experts for knowledge-sharing and peer review activities; Support the development of a publication documenting the quality assurance journey in Uzbekistan.

Togo: Support the NQF development by examining the work of the national working group; Produce and submit quality manuals for accreditation of professional branches; Conduct validation workshops and training sessions.Finalize the authority of certification document and manuals by December 2025;

DR Congo: Assess the CNC development status, conduct state-of-play assessments with ministries, and analyze regional CNCs; Lead capacity-building workshops on CNC and quality assurance; Produce feasibility reports, project plans, and action plans; Finalize CNC documents and quality manuals through consultations and validation workshops.

Timeline:

This consultancy requires approximately 10 months and will include:

• Uzbekistan: Three missions, including those in October-November 2024, January-February 2025, and a final mission in mid-2025, as per the provided contract.

• Togo: Four missions as detailed in the TOR: April, June, September, and December 2025.

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

• DR Congo: Three missions as per the TOR: April, July, and November 2025.

  Long Description

  Deliverables

  Deliverables for Togo:

  • April: Projected Manual on quality for professional branches submitted.

  • June: Final Manual on quality for professional branches validated.

  • September: Final Manual on quality for certifiers submitted.

  • December: Final National Certification Framework (CNC) document validated and final authority structure proposed.

    Deliverables for DR Congo:

    • April: Feasibility report covering policy, institutional, technical, and communication conditions.

    • July: Workshop report on CNC understanding and project team formation.

    • November: Final quality assurance manuals and multi-year action plan submitted.

      Deliverables Uzbekistan:

      • Monthly consultancy reports detailing work progress, challenges, and next steps.

      • Peer review workplan until December 2025.

      • Training delivery report for QA experts and stakeholders with materials and outcomes.

      • Final QA manuals for awarding bodies, training providers, and assessment centers.

      • Reports on EU regulator knowledge-sharing meetings.

      • Final report summarizing the national QA conference and publication on Uzbekistan's QA journey.

        COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C)Communication (C)Innovation (C)Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)Planning and organizing (C)Results focus (C)Teamwork (C)Professionalism (C)

        - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

        REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

        • Education:

          • Advanced degree in education, public policy, human resource development, or a related field.

          • Experience:

            • At least 15 years of proven experience in TVET systems, qualification frameworks, and/or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
            • Familiarity with quality assurance mechanisms in education and training systems.

            • Skills:

              • Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to produce high-quality frameworks and recommendations.
              • Excellent facilitation skills for conducting training and stakeholder consultations.

              • Languages:

                • Fluency in English is required.
                • Working proficiency in French is essential for work in Togo and DR Congo

                • Availability:

                  • Willingness to travel for up to 10 missions across Uzbekistan, Togo, and DR Congo as required by the project timeline.

                    DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

                    • Regional Knowledge:

                      • Prior experience working in Central Asia (Uzbekistan) and West/CentralAfrica (Togo and DR Congo) or similar contexts.

                      • UNESCO or International Organization Experience:

                        • Familiarity with UNESCO’s approaches to education governance, Quality Assurance in TVET, and capacity building.
                        • Previous experience working with UN oprojects is an advantage.