UNICEF
Location: Podgorica, Montenegro
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, quality education.
The comprehensive Education Sector Analysis (ESA)[1], which was finalized and published in November 2022 as a joint initiative of UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, provided an in-depth “sector diagnostic” from the aspects of access, quality, equity, governance, infrastructure, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, governance, and financing. The Education Sector Analysis, as well as the most recent data and studies, show issues in areas such as inclusion and access, quality of education, infrastructure, and financing.
The Education Sector Analysis, as well as the most recent data and studies show the following key issues:
According to PISA 2022 results, the number of Montenegrin students not achieving basic literacy level in reading, mathematics, and sciences stand at 53%, 60%, and 55%, respectively.
The students from disadvantaged socio-economic background are outperformed by their peers by 55 points, which is over 1.5 academic years. (OECD/UNICEF, 2020)
Every second student attending a secondary vocational program has not reached basic proficiency level in reading. (PISA 2018)
According to Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2023) results[2], 1 out of 4 students attending 4th grade of primary education score below the benchmark “low” defined at 400 points in science and mathematics, and only 1 percent meeting the “advanced” benchmark.
To tackle the many complex issues affecting the system, UNICEF has initiated, in close cooperation with partner institutions and organizations, a systemic and comprehensive reform of the education system. Key reform initiatives include the following: the development of an Education Reform Strategy for the period until 2035, the assessment of the teacher professional development system, quality and inclusive integration of digital tools and technologies in education, implementation, as well as development, implementation, and consolidation of a variety of 21st century skills development programs through formal and non-formal education.
Adding to this, the UNICEF Country Office has been involved in various programmes that will support the process and add to the quality of education reform and development.
Tinkering with Tech – In Cooperation with the Global Office of Research and Foresight (Innocenti) and the UNICEF Innovation Hub, UNICEF Montenegro plans to introduce teachers to use a tinkering approach and guide their students to use a playful, exploration and experimental approach to make simple builds using Micro:bit.
Communities of Practice – UNICEF Country Office has been heavily involved in providing capacity building programs for teachers in several areas, including inclusive education practices, social and emotional learning, use of assistive technologies and digital tools, early intervention programs, climate change, environmental protection and air quality programmes, green skills and green jobs etc. Technical support is needed to develop research on Communities of Practice, as well as materials and methodologies for supporting the professional development of educators with regards to the new Education Reform Strategy 2025-2035.
Digital, inclusive and transformative: Quality education for Montenegro – The aim of the project is to enhance the digital transformation of education, particularly in vulnerable communities and schools, through a smart and inclusive integration of digital tools and capacities into pedagogical practice. In addition, it will support better monitoring and evidence-based policy making.
Through the Joint UN Programme on Building Social Cohesion, UNICEF is looking to strengthen the foundations of social cohesion through promoting and supporting civic education and capacity and skills building for key stakeholders/individuals – children and adolescents, teachers and parents/caregivers. To ensure long-term and sustainable implementation of the actions conducted through this intervention, the results, experience and lessons learned from this initiative will be used as a basis for formulating relevant policy- and programme-level interventions in the new Education Reform Strategy.
Air Quality in the Western Balkans (Youth4CleanAir) – Through a regional programme focused on Air Quality, and more broadly focusing on the Climate Crisis, UNICEF Montenegro is exploring opportunities for improving the education of adolescents and youth with regards to these topics, but also opportunities to support their active participation and involvement through both in-school and out-of-school activities. These opportunities will enable the necessary improvements on Climate Change Education and Climate Crisis policies in the Montenegro Education System.
[1] Education Sector Analysis (ESA) is a joint effort of the Ministry of Education, and UNICEF. The methodology is based on the World Bank/UNESCO/UNICEF Guidelines for ESA and is conducted to provide an in-depth insight into the education system (up to tertiary level) from the aspects of quality, equity, governance, costing and financing. The purpose is to provide solid evidence for developing a comprehensive, multi-year sector plan and help ensure sustained and coordinated implementation of quality and inclusive reforms in education. ESA is available for download from: https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/reports/education-sector-analysis-2015-2020
[2] Available from: https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2019/encyclopedia/montenegro.html
How can you make a difference?
UNICEF is seeking a dedicated consultant to assist in a variety of activities tied to different projects, all interconnected and tied to the Education Reform Strategy for the period 2025-2035. The consultant will be working under the supervision of the Adolescent Development Officer (NoB), in close cooperation with Quality Education & Adolescent Development team.
The most important activities that will need to be completed through this assignment are as follows:
- Mapping and adaptation of both written and digital resources on climate change and air quality. Identifying entry points for the introduction of these new resources into the formal education system.
- In cooperation with the UNICEF CO team, identification of new resources that need to be developed in order to complement the areas of Climate Change Education, Air Quality, Green Economy and Green Skills.
- As part of the Tinkering with Tech Project on the use of Micro:bits, support to the development and delivery of a teacher training program, in cooperation with the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub and the Micro:bit Foundation.
- Monitoring and coaching for teachers during the implementation of the Micro:bit programme in selected schools, and support in the organization of the final event within the Tinkering with Tech Project.
- Organization of focus groups and interviews with teachers and other education professionals related to communities of practice, within the sub-regional CoP project, led by UNICEF CO BiH.
- Logistics and organizational support, as well as participation in the communities of practice research validation workshop
- Mapping and adaptation of digital content related to social cohesion, civic participation, and civic education
- Support and monitoring visits to schools in the North of the country as part of the programme focusing on digital skills training for IT coordinators and teachers.
Tasks/Milestone
Work Assignment Overview:
Deliverables/Outputs
Timeline:
Mapping and adaptation of existing both written and digital resources on climate change and air quality. Identifying entry points for the introduction of these new resources into the formal education system.
Identification of potential new resources for Climate Change education.
Itemized list of existing resources and their levels (according to school grades).
Identified entry points in formal education (subjects, extra-curricular activities, digital resources)
Proposed list of new resources to be developed.
By end of August 2024
Support to development and delivery of a teacher training program within the Tinkering with Tech Project on the use of Micro Bit, in cooperation with the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub and the Micro Bit Foundation
Teacher training programme developed.
By 10 October 2024
Support to development and delivery of a teacher training program within the Tinkering with Tech Project on the use of Micro Bit, in cooperation with the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub and the Micro Bit Foundation
Teacher training programme developed.
By 10 October 2024
Monitoring and coaching for teachers during the implementation of Micro Bit in selected schools
Reports from coaching sessions (10 reports)
By 30 November 2024
Support to organization of the final event within the Tinkering with Tech Project
Final event successfully completed
By 15 December 2024
Organization of at least six focus groups and five interviews with teachers and other education professionals related to communities of practice, within the sub-regional UNICEF CO BiH led project
Report from six focus groups sessions
Report from five interview sessions
By 20 November 2024
Logistics and organizational support, as well as participation in the communities of practice research validation workshop
Validation workshop successfully completed.
Report submitted
By 10 December 2024
Mapping and adaptation of digital content related to social cohesion, civic participation, and civic education
Itemized list of existing and required digital content on social cohesion (at least 15).
At least 3 new pieces of content developed for use until the end of the project
By 31st March 2025
Data collection and analytics for the Digital School Platform and preparation of promotional materials
Data collection and analytics conducted monthly.
12 promotional materials prepared for the Digital School Platform
By 10 June 2025
Support and monitoring visits to 12 schools in the North of the country as part of the programme focusing on digital skills training for IT coordinators and teachers.
Monitoring visit reports (at least six)
By 20 May 2025
Support to drafting of the Education Reform Strategy in relation to the objectives and interventions envisaged in areas of digitalization of education, green skills, and digital citizenship (20 work days)
Review and inputs provided to the segments of the Education Reform Strategy related to digitalization of education, green skills, and digital citizenship.
Draft output and outcome level indicators prepared for the Education Reform Strategy
Materials and PPTs prepared for the MoESI Working Group and Project Steering Committee on areas of relevance to the Education Reform Strategy, with focus on digital education, green skills/climate change education, and digital citizenship
By end of June 2025
Final report (approved and accepted by UNICEF)
Final report delivered
By end of June 2025
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education
- University degree (Bachelors) in social sciences.
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) will be considered as an advantage
Experience
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional work experience in the education sector.
- In-depth knowledge of the Montenegrin education system.
- Experience in conducting trainings is an asset.
- Experience working in Montenegro is a strong asset.
- Very good organizational and facilitation skills required.
- Previous work experience with UN/UNICEF or other international organization will be considered as an advantage.
Language
- Fluency in Montenegrin and English are required.
Other
- Excellent writing skills, presentation skills, strong strategic and analytical skills.
- Ability to work with different stakeholders.
- Demonstrates tact and a high sense of responsibility and discretion.
- Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
- The consultant must have proof that they possess a valid teacher trainer certificate in one or more of the following areas of relevance to the project: digital education, civic education, green skills & climate change.
All deliverables should be produced in English and final product in both, local and English language.
Payments
The payments will be made upon successful completion of the deliverables, field visits and submission of invoices as per above delivery schedule.
UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.
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.
Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to complete the following online courses. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract.
- Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF
- Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSEAA)
- Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)
Before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF, the Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete course on General Information Security Awareness Course.
In Addition To Above, Any Consultant Or Individual Contractor Must Complete The Following Courses No Later Than 30 Days After Signature Of Contract
- Fraud Awareness;
- General Information Security Awareness Course (only for consultants/individual contractors with a UNICEF email address). The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link: AGORA: Log in to the site (unicef.org).
Qualifications
All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below. The proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Technical criteria – Technical evaluation process / Maximum points: 75
- Technical Criteria – please select:
Desk review of CVs -75 % of total evaluation– max. 75 points
- Education: (20)
- Previous experience: (35)
- CV, Motivation/ cover letter: (15)
- Other: (5)
Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 52.50 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation
- Financial criteria – evaluation of financial proposal – Maximum points: 25
The applicants are requested to submit as a separate document their lump sum financial proposal consisting of a professional fee and costs for filed visits . Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 25].
Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.
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.
To apply for this job please visit secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com.