Consultant for the Curriculum System Strengthening (CSS) Integrated Implementation Plan & Commu[...]

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

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, Education

UNICEF South Africa

The South African education sector is not adequately equipping students with cognitive, social, and emotional competencies to meet the demands of our fast-changing world. Too many learners, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, cannot read for meaning by the age of 10. They are struggling to successfully complete secondary and tertiary education and leaving school ill-prepared to find or create employment. There is a need to better equip learners with the competencies they need to thrive in the 21st Century and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a trimming of the South African ‘Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement’ (CAPS) curriculum, thereby opening the opportunity to rethink and rebuild the curriculum in a way that improves educational relevance.

To respond to these challenges, the Department of Education (DBE) developed the Basic Education Competency Framework in 2023. This framework is encouraged to be used by any formal, informal, and non-formal skills development interventions.

At the national Basic Education Lekgotla in January 2022, the DBE agreed on a multi-pronged approach to address these issues. This approach includes:

1. A short-term learning recovery plan in response to COVID-19, to address learning loss (2021 to 2024).
2. A medium to long-term curriculum strengthening plan (2025 onward), aimed at addressing curriculum relevance.

The work outlined in this document will focus exclusively on the Curriculum Strengthening Initiative.

Acknowledging the crucial nature of DBE’s efforts, UNICEF has confirmed its technical and financial support to DBE in implementing this framework. One of the key aspects needed for implementation is strategic and effective communication by the DBE. In this regard, UNICEF will assist the DBE in developing the Curriculum System Strengthening (CSS) Integrated Implementation Plan and Communications Strategy. UNICEF SA is now seeking to find the needed strategic planning assistance from a highly experienced professional to provide quality support to the DBE.

How can you make a difference?

As the national curriculum strengthening process unfolds, there is a need for the DBE to engage a broad range of stakeholders to enable the implementation of the curriculum strengthening plan. The CSS Integrated Implementation Plan and Communications Strategy will be developed to ensure adequate information sharing and consensus building, with adequate monitoring and learning from the implementation.

Key responsibilities and outputs of the technical assistant include:

• Finalise the Draft Integrated Implementation Plan
• Development of a comprehensive Communication Strategy that aligns with the CSS Integrated Plan and Theory of Change
• Creation of six initial communication products in collaboration with the DBE Communications Branch
• Development of the MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning) system for the CSS Integrated Implementation Plan
• Design of MERL instruments for the first year of implementation
• Collaboration with the Curriculum Strengthening Working Group (CSWG) to plan and implement 2025 activities as outlined in the CSS Integrated Plan and Theory of Change

WORK ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

Deliverable/output:

1. Finalised Integrated Implementation plan and Theory of Change - 31 February 2025
2. Six initial communication products - Confirmation of the list of products by 15 March 2025
3. MERL system for the CSS Integrated Plan - 20 March 2025
4. MERL instruments for the first year of implementation - 30 April 2025
5. Technical Note (no more than 2 pages) that showcases the collaboration with the CSWG - End of each month

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher)
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in education communication and advocacy and in-depth knowledge of the education sector
• Experience in sector reform advocacy
• Experience in managing large-scale sector programmes/projects
• Experience in institutional and organisational capacity development, especially on MERL
• Experience in working with governments
• Previous experience leading a similar education reform process in the Africa/Latin America region is an asset
• Previous experience working with the UNICEF/UN is an asset

Please indicate your ability and availability; and attach a technical proposal and financial proposal in ZAR to undertake the terms of reference above (including admin cost if applicable). Proposals submitted without a detailed financial proposal aligned to the assignment will not be considered.

UNICEF does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (if 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.