Closing date: 24 Oct 2014
I. Background
For years, Life Skills Education (LSE) programmes primarily focused on preparing children with the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to be healthy and prevent HIV/AIDS. This is now changing as more attention is being directed at the role life skills play in learning, especially for marginalised, out-of-school adolescents and girls. Emerging evidence from low, middle and high income countries indicates the positive impact that psycho-social and cognitive skill development can have on children’s academic performance, future employment, resiliency and successful transition into adulthood. More work is needed to build evidence on LSE’s effectiveness, especially its contributions to learning outcomes.
UNICEF, along with key partners has begun a collaborative process to identify how LSE and a cluster of related “pro-social” educational approaches can best contribute to measureable gains in children’s learning. Building on recommendations from UNICEF’s 2012 Global Evaluation of Life Skills Education, UNICEF and partners have begun to develop a programme framework that articulates a theory of change, documents effective programme and policy strategies and identifies viable assessment tools. An internal UNICEF Working Group has contributed with country and regional perspectives on improving LSE within formal and non-formal settings. This process is intended to document effective approaches to LSE, build the evidence base around psycho-social and cognitive skill-building and provide concrete inputs to the Learning Metrics Task Force on learning measurement within the following domains: physical well-being, learning strategies and cognition, literacy and communication and social and emotional learning.
Mapping of UNICEF and partner programmes reveals three principal modalities for LSE. It is integrated into: (1) primary or secondary curricula as a systems-wide approach to addressing HIV/AIDS, health or violence (and more recently as a contribution to children’s learning broadly); (2) government-sponsored “second chance” or alternate learning for out-of-school children, adolescents and/or girls, frequently providing a school equivalency certification; or (3) non-formal child and adolescent programming through child clubs, girl clubs or other sector specific (health, livelihoods, civic participation, etc) programming. It thus represents an important component of UNICEF’s equity approach. Quality improvement across all modalities is critical to ensuring that all children learn skills meaningful to the challenges and opportunities they face.
II. Rationale & Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen life skills education programming as a key component of the learning agenda as articulated in the Strategic Plan. Focus will be on marginalized girls and boys, especially adolescents and conflict-affected children, who make up the majority of children now being served by LSE programming in UNICEF.
III. Scope of Work
The proposed final LSE technical paper and the development of a LSE measurement framework is expected to speak to UNICEF education staff as well as a wider audience of development partners at the country level and also beyond the case study countries. The technical paper and measurement framework need to be organized primarily for a practitioner audience at the country level.
IV. Time-line, working and other logistical arrangements:
· 90 working days over a period of 7 months: 1 November 2014 – 30 May 2015;
· Open to remote working modalities and regular telecommunication;
V. Desired qualifications and competencies for the consultancy:
• Education: Advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Education or a Social Sciences field relevant to international development
• Eight years of progressively professional work experience at national and international levels in field programs relevant to Education, especially related to advocacy, learning and teaching and knowledge generation.
• Experience with adolescent development, health and protection programmes an asset.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
Language proficiency
• Fluency in English both verbal and written and a second UN language (IP)
How to apply:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and P-11 form (which can be downloaded from the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc) to pdconsultants@unicef.org with the subject line “Life Skills Education Consultant”by 24 October 2014.
Please indicate your daily rate and availability to undertake the terms of reference above.
Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered.
PLEASE SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FOR DELIVERABLES.
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