Individual Consultant on TVET and ICT

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Bangkok

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : 9 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Bangkok Time): 10 April 2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closures, affecting over a billion students, and revealing the inadequacy of education systems with insufficient digital infrastructure. To avoid this happening again in the future, “UNESCO supports the use of digital innovation in expanding access to educational opportunities and advancing inclusion, enhancing the relevance and quality of learning, building ICT-enhanced lifelong learning pathways, strengthening education and learning management systems, and monitoring learning processes.” UNESCO also works “to develop the digital literacy and digital competencies of teachers and students.”

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace of technology adoption in many schools, including TVET institutions. However, a joint UNESCO-ILO report noted that “many national (TVET) systems still grapple with the challenges associated with the accelerated digitalization of learning caused by the pandemic, and unfortunately, few systems have arrived at this point fully prepared.” Moreover, the report pointed out that at the institution-level, “many (TVET) teachers do not have the requisite level of digital knowledge and digital skills. This has a direct impact on the potential for digital TVET to take rook in the curricula and classrooms”.

UNESCO Member States in the Asia-Pacific region require UNESCO's assistance in these two crucial areas: ICT and TVET.

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PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

To provide UNESCO’s technical and advisory support to Member States, an Individual Specialist will support the Education Team at UNESCO’s Regional Office in Bangkok. The Individual Specialist will develop a comprehensive work plan on TVET and ICT and contribute towards transforming education in the Asia-Pacific. The Individual Specialist will analyze policy trends and conceptualize technical support to Member States, including policy and stakeholder needs analysis to identify emerging barriers and opportunities for UNESCO Bangkok. The advisory support will be in line with the implementation of OP4 and OP8 work plans.

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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervisory Arrangements:

Under the authority of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Education Section (ED), the Individual Specialist will provide high-level advisory input and assume responsibilities in contributing to UNESCO’s mandate and outputs in 42 C/5. This role involved critical analysis and development of innovative approaches to ensure learners are equipped with relevant skills through TVET (OP4) and ICT (OP8).

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More specifically, the Individual Specialist shall be responsible for the following:

1. Provide professional advice to the Director and Chief of Education Section and lead international programme development for new projects, research, and policy advocacy efforts in TVET, ICT and entrepreneurship education in the Asia-Pacific region. This includes coordinating with UN agencies, other development partners, and UNESCO Programme Specialists; providing critical advisory input, and formulating policy proposals to share the direction of these programmes.

2. Implement UNESCO’s Strategy for TVET (2022-2029), particularly “identifying skills for the transition to digital and green economies.” This entails a high-level responsibility to analyze technical factors, devise new methods, and provide capacity-building assistance to UNESCO member-states:

1. 1. Bhutan -- requested UNESCO’s assistance in building the 21st-century skills and digital competencies of TVET teachers. Bhutan also requested UNESCO’s assistance in updating its ICT in the Education Masterplan.
2. 2. Thailand – requested UNESCO’s assistance to help the Ministry of Education (MOE) – Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) develop the Greening TVET Roadmap.
3. 3. Brunei, China, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – participated in the “Study on the Use of Digital Technologies in Post-Secondary TVET Institutions,” of which the national reports will be the basis for writing the Integrated Regional Report, creating the Repository of Digital Technologies Used in TVET Institutions, and designing follow up activities to maintain the interest of the countries towards the digitalization of their TVET systems.

3. Ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of ED’s current extra-budgetary projects in TVET and ICT:

1. 1. Japanese Funds-In-Trust (JFIT) “Preparing Teachers to Innovate Using Digital Technology” – building the digital capability of three teacher education institutions (TEIs) in the Philippines and another three TEIs in Thailand.
2. 2. Huawei Thailand “Promoting Sustainability Using Technology” – which has three components: Green Schools (4 secondary schools), Green Skills (6 TVET institutions), and Green Communities (8 CLCs in two provinces).
3. 3. Huawei HQ “Technology-enabled Open Schools for All” – which will assist Thailand’s Ministry of Education in developing its Digital Learning Platform, Digital Contents, Capacity of teachers, and Digital Learning Policies.
4. 4. UNESCO-ICHEI “Higher Education Digital Transformation Regional Studies” – which will gather information on the digitalization efforts of universities from two sub-regions: a) Southeast Asia and b) South Asia.

4. Support the activities of the UNESCO-APEID Entrepreneurship Education Network (EE-Net) and organize the 10th UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 10-12 October 2024.

1. Review applications of countries to become national chapters of EE-Net.
2. Coordinate with Zhejiang University the publication of the Journal on Entrepreneurship Education.
3. Coordinate with Alfraganus University the logistics and hosting of the 10th UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education. This includes the preparation of the agenda and outcome document of the meeting.

5. Contribute to UNESCO’s efforts in implementing the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau’s Education Support Strategy, particularly concerning OP4 (TVET) and OP8 (ICT), including developing new relationships with donors and providing senior-level insights and policy proposals.

Travel:

The Individual Specialist will be required to travel on missions directly related to programmes and project implementation during the assignment. The Individual Specialist should travel economy class and receive DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The Individual Specialist is expected to make his/her own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations. Travel-related expenses (e.g., the cost of tickets, terminal fares, and DSA) must be fixed and agreed upon between the parties. The Individual Specialist is responsible for obtaining UNDSS security clearance prior to each approved mission.

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DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES

The Individual Specialist is responsible for delivering the following:

1. JFIT “Implementation Progress Report” by April 2024 (tentative).
2. Huawei Thailand “Implementation Progress Report” by 30 April 2024 (tentative).
3. List of newly approved UNESCO EE-Net National Chapters by 30 April 2024 (tentative).
4. Bhutan Capacity Building Activity Programme by 30 May 2024.
5. Huawei HQ “Needs Assessment Report for Thailand MOE” by 30 June 2024.
6. UNESCO-ICHEI’s “Regional Studies for Southeast and South Asia” reviewed and completed by 30 July 2024.
7. UNESCO and Zhejiang University “Journal on Entrepreneurship Education” reviewed and completed by 30 August 2024.
8. E-learning content and structure for the AI Capacity Building Modules for Policymakers by 30 August 2024.
9. Agenda and Draft Outcome document for the 10th UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education by 30 September 2024.
10. Integrated report on the Study on the Use of Digital Technologies in Post-Secondary TVET Institutions and online Repository of Digital Technologies for TVET Institutions completed by 30 October 2024.
11. Thailand’s Micro-credential Guidelines on Solar Panel Installation by 30 Nov. 2024.
12. Thailand’s Greening TVET Roadmap by 30 December 2024.
13. Bhutan’s Updated ICT in Education Masterplan by 30 December 2024.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

Accountability (C)

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)

Planning and organizing (C)

Results focus (C)

Teamwork (C)

Building partnerships (M)

Managing performance (M)

Strategic thinking (M)

Leading and empowering others (M)

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For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in education, social sciences, international studies, or a related field.

Work Experience

• Minimum ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in research and/or capacity development in education and other relevant areas.
• Experience in working with TVET and ICT-related agencies in the Asia-Pacific.
• Experience in designing, planning, managing, and coordinating the implementation of multidisciplinary or multi-partner technical assistance initiatives in TVET and ICT in Education programmes in developing country contexts, preferably in the Asia-Pacific.
• Demonstrated experience in partnership building and fundraising.
• Experience in working in the relevant fields and policy development in the Asia-Pacific.

Skills/ Competencies

• Integrity, reliability, and a strong sense of commitment and responsibility;
• Excellent project management, coordination, and organizational skills;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral;
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Good understanding of the key issues and trends in education, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region;
• Working knowledge of standard office software;
• Ability to work under pressure, manage heavy workload, and meet tight deadlines, paying close attention to details and quality of work;
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in international multicultural teams;
• Ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships and partnerships.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken)

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Understanding of UNESCO’s mandate and work in the education sector;
• Previous experience working with the United Nations, international organizations, or government agencies is an advantage;
• Proven experience in regional coordination and technical assistance;
• Proven experience in donor and stakeholder relationship management;
• Experience in preparing publications and reports;
• Research experience;
• Experience in leading international teams;
• Good leadership and teamwork with excellent managerial skills.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested individuals are invited to submit the specific requirements to the UNESCO Bangkok office through careers.unesco.org.

Interested candidates should click “Apply Now” and upload the following documents as a single PDF document in place of the Employment History Form.

Before uploading the document, at the end of the Employment History Form, please insert extra pages with the following required documents:

• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV) stating details of educational qualifications and work experience, including prior experience in similar work
• A statement indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment
• A brief proposal (1-2 pages) discussing the approach/methodology to undertake the assignment, a work plan, and comments on the Terms of Reference, if any
• The proposed fee in USD to undertake the assignment. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.

Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in English.

Note:

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Please submit your application through SuccessFactors. Only if you are unable to attach requirements in the system, please inform us at eisd.bgk@unesco.org

The complete application shall be submitted on or before 10 April 2024 at midnight Bangkok time.

UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From these proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money.

Assessment

• Only applications that provide the information requested in the procedure will be considered.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

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SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

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