This is an International Consultancy position for a Digital Learning Specialist, based in the UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) in Nairobi, operating under the supervision of the Regional Technology for Development Business Analyst.
Goal and Objective
The consultant’s primary objective is to coordinate and provide high-level technical support to ESAR countries to advance the Digital Education agenda in the region, including:
- Strengthening programme design, mentoring, and monitoring of the programme implementation.
- Ensuring that the offices in the region maintain their momentum for implementing the digital learning priorities in the remaining time period of the partnership with Airtel Africa.
- Supporting and expanding the implementation of systems-oriented investments in digital education throughout the region, together with partners such as GIGA and Edtech Hub.
- Creating documentation of best practices, developing knowledge products on digital learning, organizing workshops, webinars, learning sessions, and disseminating them within UNICEF across stakeholders.
- Participating in regular meetings and contributing by providing updates and sharing insights and reflections from country coordination and implementations.
Activities and Tasks
The following activities are expected to be undertaken under this assignment:
- Analyze and provide written suggestions to Country Office (CO) workplans to identify opportunities for integration of UNICEF's Edtech priorities based on the new global digital education strategy, including connectivity lessons-learned from Airtel and GIGA and the use of the SuperStar Teacher Toolbox and Pathways Framework for increasing the digital capacity of teachers.
- Guide the design of the final Pathways Framework package for dissemination and support its launch.
- Provide quarterly analysis of implementation of the Airtel partnership activities in 7 countries, including the use of zero-rated platforms, utilization of in-kind data donation, and technical assistance provided.
- Review End-of-Year reporting from 21 country offices and consistently update a comprehensive PowerPoint deck detailing the status of digital learning in the region.
- Provide technical support to the development of additional topics for the Superstar Teacher Toolbox (such as pedagogical approaches on the use of shared devices in a classroom and inclusive education) – including support to adaptation of contents into online courses to be uploaded on the global Learning Passport library and other national platforms.
- Provide organizing support to the Year 5 Airtel Convention partnership meeting.
- Provide technical support to 3-4 countries in the region to utilize the Pathways Framework and Superstar Teacher Toolbox for teacher digital capacity development plans.
- Provide support to the creation of a regional Long-Term Agreement (LTA) for digital education content development and support the analysis of LTA proposals.
- Document feedback and key Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) learnings from the first set of 3-4 countries using the Pathways Framework to be integrated into the next version.
- Travel to provide on-site technical assistance to ESAR countries as needed during the contract period.
- Provide support to the finalization process for the UNICEF ESARO – Airtel Africa 5-year partnership report.
Desired Competencies, Technical Background and Experience
- Education: Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in Education, Education Technology, ICT, or a related field of study. (A first University Degree in a relevant field, combined with 7 additional years of professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree).
- At least 8 years of proven experience in the implementation of technology programmes.
- Solid experience in the design and implementation of education programming at scale.
- Excellent writing skills, planning and coordination skills, with proven ability to work independently.
- Previous work with UNICEF (HQ or RO) is an added advantage.
- Previous work experience in advising or implementing digital education initiatives in developing contexts, especially Africa, is an added advantage.
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