National Individual Consultancy for provision of IT support to platform deployment (COVID-19 Learning Passport Platform Development)

1. Background & Rationale

 

The Learning Passport, a partnership between UNICEF, Microsoft, Cambridge, and supported by the Boston Consulting Group, has been established to, 1) provide local, contextualized content with a supplementary library of global content, mapped together via research by Cambridge; 2) provide a platform to serve this content to children and youth online or offline, via a platform being developed by Microsoft, and 3) with an individualized record of learning for a user, that is portable across physical and digital borders.

The Learning passport, as an emergency response, will create country-level sites available on request, to UNICEF Country Offices (CO) that would like to make access to curriculum and learning materials available for students with connectivity at home. While the platform has primarily been used to date for older students (primary to adolescence), the platform will be adapted in Europe and Central Asia region to support preschool age children, their caregivers, and their teachers to ensure age appropriate and quality early learning.

The envisioned digital platform aims to enhance continued engagement with families and parents on learning at home by providing practical resources and materials that can be applied in home settings. Its second aim is to strengthen professional development opportunities and facilitate collaboration between educators at preschool, primary and secondary education levels, and other staff on sharing ideas, best practices and activities that can be implemented in schools. Ultimately, the digital preschool platforms should support building and strengthening of a national community of practice between parents, teachers and children, with shared principles around quality teaching and learning and development. The online learning platform will have separate segments dedicated to non-formal education and teachers’ professional development. 

In short, while the key focus of this initiative is learning, quality and portability of education for children whose education has been disrupted by emergencies, the medium and long-term goal is to help establish a quality system of online education, collaboration and support to children and parents.

 

2. Scope of work and objectives

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Education Officer the National Consultant will be responsible for supporting technical development of the Learning Passport learning platform.

Main Tasks and specific activities and deliverables related to the Job:

In consultation and collaboration with the UNICEF Montenegro and Ministry of Education representatives’, the consultant will be required to undertake the following tasks:  

1. Technical assistance for deployment of Learning Passport

Provide ongoing support and technical assistance for deploying Learning Passport.

• Support testing of Learning Passport in terms of functionality and suitability and provide feedback and oversee bug fixing process.
• Provide support to the Lead Consultant in developing  programme design and user experience.
• Provide technical support and advise to UNICEF Montenegro and the Ministry of Education in procuring digital content services (e.g. curation, digitization, localization, production) and quality assuring deliverables from a digital perspective.
• Provide support to Lead Consultant on complimentary ICT for learning and EdTech tools that could be integrated to support Learning Passport related technology efforts.
  • Provide support the digitization of early childhood, primary and secondary education, UPSHIFT, and other non-formal learning modules and their deployment through the Learning Passport platform.
  • Map features of the Learning Passport requiring adaptation and alternative digital solutions that can be integrated.
  • Analyze data populated through Learning Passport platforms and monitor uptake and performance of digital solutions.

2. Support coordination with national and international stakeholders
   • Work with the Learning Passport program team to design and develop Learning Passport compliant e-learning content. Develop instructor guides, student guides, and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
   • Document information on the outcome of the Learning Platform.
   • Provide inputs and support the drafting of reports.
   • Support the process of ensuring Learning Passport can support low connectivity areas across country, exploring engagement with Mobile Network Operators and Regulatory authorities, and solutions for offline content accessibility.
   • Capacity building for stakeholders on Learning Passport.
   • Maintains regular communication with UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF Headquarters in New York, as well as other country offices.

3. Deliverables

 The consultant will deliver the following outputs and products within the timeline indicated.

 

Activity	Deliverables	Timeline*
Technical assistance for deployment of Learning Passport	•             Provided ongoing support and technical assistance for deploying Learning Passport. •             Testing of Learning Passport in terms of functionality and suitability supported feedback provided. •             Provide support to the Lead Consultant in developing Serve as lead for programme design and user experience. •             Provided technical support in procuring digital content services and quality assuring deliverables from a digital perspective. •             Provided support to Lead Consultant on Scope complimentary ICT for learning and EdTech tools that could be integrated to support Learning Passport related technology efforts. •             Provided support to the digitization of the learning modules and their deployment through the Learning Passport platform. •             Features of the Learning Passport requiring adaptation mapped and alternative digital solutions integrated •             Data populated through Learning Passport platforms analysed.	Throughout the engagement period
Support to monitoring, researching and implementation	Regular communication maintained with UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF Headquarters in New York, as well as other country offices Regular consultations and information sharing conducted with all relevant counterparts at the national level	Throughout the engagement period
Other activities needed to support the purpose of this contract.	Logistics support provided for meetings/interviews/focus groups with actors and stakeholders Contribute and manage knowledge resources and support general knowledge sharing. Monthly progress report and the final report; Other relevant support provided as per need	Throughout the engagement period

 

4. Management and Organization

 

Management: The Consultant will report directly to the UNICEF Education Officer.

Organization: A national consultant will be required for this consultancy.

Schedule: The duration of consultancy should cover a minimum of 11.5 months, i.e. from 15 December 2020 until 1 December 2021. No travel is expected during this assignment.

 

5. Qualifications and Competencies

 Education:

• University degree in Information Systems Management, ICT Management, International Development, Education, Digital Education, Instructional Design, Digital publishing, Engineering, Computer and other relevant sciences.
• Advanced degree is considered as an asset.

Experience:

• At least three (3) years of professional work experience in Technology for Development (T4D) and/or information system development, including mobile and web-based applications, with manifested capacity to manage programmes involving many stakeholders.
• Specific experience on ICT for learning or digital learning is an advantage.
• Working experience or good knowledge of instructional design, digital publishing or e-learning platform configuration and digital learning design.
• Good technical understanding and familiarity with information management systems. 
• Knowledge of Teams, SharePoint, GitHub, Trello, Jira and Aha is considered as an asset. 
• Proven experience on capacity building; 
• Previous work experience with UN/UNICEF or other international organization would be considered as an advantage;

Language:

• Excellent oral and written communications in English and Montenegrin languages required. Consultant should be at ease in presentations and meetings with different high-level stakeholders and officials.

 Other competencies:

• Excellent communication abilities, in both written and oral forms.
• Must have strong skills in business analysis and technical project management. 
• Basic understanding of set-up and administration of ICT services, networks and mobile services. 
• Analytical and conceptual thinking. 
• Demonstrated ability and experience in coordination, and ability to work under pressure is required. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organisation, more specifically with Ministry of Education and other education institutions.

 

6. Office Arrangements and Travel Requirements

The consultancy is expected to be based at the Ministry of Education. However, in light of the COVID19 situation, it is likely that the national consultant will work pre-dominantly from home. The consultant is expected to use their own computer. Consultant will have access to a UNICEF e-mail account.

7. Budget and Remuneration

•             Consultancy fee

Financial proposals, including consultancy fee (monthly) are invited based on these Terms of Reference and should be submitted as a separate document.

•             Payment schedule

The payments will be made on monthly basis upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of monthly report and signed invoices.

•             Recourse

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.

 

8. Application procedure:

Selection Method:

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.

1.            Technical Criteria – Interview – 70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points

•             Education: 20 points

•             Previous experience: 25 points

•             Technical questions at the interview: 25 point

•             Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation.

2.            Financial Criteria – 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

•             Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].

•             As part of the selection process, the office will select the individual who quoted the lowest fee from the list of individuals who are deemed suitable for achieving all tasks in time, and as per the criteria and deliverables stipulated in the Terms of Reference.

REMARK:

Mandatory learning: Upon concluding the recruitment process and prior to signing the contract, all Consultants and Individual Contractors, including those working from home, must complete the following three online courses:

•             Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF

•             Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority

•             Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)

In addition, Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete the following course before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF.

•             BSAFE security training 

Any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract.

•  UN Human Rights and Responsibilities;
• UNICEF information security awareness course

The courses can be found on the following link: UNICEF Mandatory Training/Learning Courses .

 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities to apply.

 

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.

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Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.