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.

Background :

The COVID pandemic is having an unprecedented negative impact on children’s access to education on a global scale.  In Sierra Leone, the first confirmed COVID – 19 case was declared on 31 March 2020 with increasing daily cases and deaths. There is currently a declared National State of Emergency, land borders are closed, all flights are suspended and there is a national partial lock down in place.  All schools closed on 1 April 2020 for an undetermined time period, meaning that approximately two million children do not have access to education

How can you make a difference?

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support effective coordination and implementation of education activities related to the COVID – 19 emergency response.

Justification :

UNICEF as leader in the education sector plays an important role in the National Education COVID – 19 Emergency Response and support the key priorities of the Education Emergency Taskforce under four key pillars :

• Communications – awareness raising, community socialization, billboards, flyers, SMS messaging through EduTrac and U-Report ;
• Continuous Learning – National radio programming provides daily lessons for children from pre-primary to Senior Secondary including life skills programming.  UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education to assess the reach and listenership of the radio programming and to provided distance teacher training ;
• School Re-Opening and Readiness – Provision of WASH to schools, and other cross sectoral activities such as provision of psycho-social and school health packages ;
• Operations Policy and Planning – ensure policy work, monitoring and evaluation, etc.

Additionally, UNICEF is the recipient of $70K funding from the Global Partnership for Education to support the government to kick start emergency activities. Activities under this funding focus on the emergency startup such revision of School Safety Guides, dissemination of COVID messaging, support to the EET secretariat, etc

Activities, tasks and deliverables :

• Oversee the GPE funding for the COVID – 19 response to ensure implementation in line with the government priorities ;
• Provide oversight of activities to facilitate school reopening including but not limited to the procurement and provision of WASH intervention handwashing stations to approximately 1,200 schools ;
• Provide oversight for the distance radio programme in collaboration with government partners (MBSSE, TSC, etc.) ;
• Provide technical and operational support for the Action Research for the School Related Gender Based Violence pilot programme ;
• Provide operational oversight for the provision of teaching and learning materials as part of the emergency response ;
• Support the planning and implementation of Safe School Guidance and protocol and risk communication :
• Please see attached ToR for more information.  ToR Ed COVID Consultant .doc

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

• Minimum of five years’ experience in education programming in a similar context ;
• Strong technical and analytical capabilities ;
• Excellent organizational and management skills ;
• Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit, and positive working relationships ;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills ;
• Excellent writing skills ;
• Experience in a similar emergency context ;
• Ability to take initiative, follow through to ensure delivery and work  independently ;
• Demonstrable experience in the education sector in Sierra Leone ;
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset ;
• Fluency in English, verbal and written required. An understanding of Krio or other local languages is an advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

• UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results ;
• The functional competencies required for this post are… ;
• View our competency framework at : UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization ;
• 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.

Remarks :

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service ;
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process ;
• 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. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.