Job Title: Architect engineering consultant on building the institutional and staff capacity of the MHPSS system in education
Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Ukraine
Job Family: Education
Type of contract: Non-Staff Consultant
Duration of contract: 6-11 months
Recruitment open to: External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 8 October 2023
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Background
UNESCO is the United Nations Specialized Agency with a mandate in education from lifelong learning perspectives and is committed to addressing inequalities and exclusions affecting the most vulnerable populations, including those in emergencies, conflicts, and crises-affected contexts.
UNESCO works to protect the right to education of the Ukrainian people. In full alignment with Ukraine’s Recovery Plan and the United Nations Transitional Framework, the education component of UNESCO’s emergency assistance programme for Ukraine focuses on four pillars: (1) Provision of hardware, software, and teacher training to support hybrid and distance teaching and learning; (2) Development and maintenance of digital education platforms and contents; (3) Support to students and teachers in Ukraine and those displaced in neighboring countries; and (4) Support to national education systems in Ukraine and in neighboring countries.
In the education sector, the consequences of the war are hampering the protective capacity of education: children and education staff affected by the war have an increased risk of suffering emotional harm and developing mental health problems with grave implications for their overall health and well-being. Existing evidence highlights the need for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions in education institutions in the context of war. Considering that education institutions in Ukraine are being damaged and destroyed throughout the war, schools must be safe for children physically and psychologically.
To address this situation, the Ministry of Education and Science is leading the transformation of the mental health and psychosocial support provision in the education system, supporting the implementation of the Safe Educational Environment System in Ukraine as part of the National Program of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support led by the First Lady of Ukraine and in coordination with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in the Interagency Coordination Council. UNESCO is actively supporting this process through its Emergency Assistance Programme and the education component of the “Support for Ukraine in culture and education through UNESCO” project.
Scope of the assignment:
Under the authority of the ADG for Education, the direction of DIR/E30, the overall supervision of the Chief/E30/EME, the direct supervision of the Liaison Officer of the Ukraine Desk and the guidance of the National Project Officer (MHPSS) and the Ministry of Education and Science team, the incumbent will serve as a technical consultant to support UNESCO in assessing the infrastructure and rehabilitation needs of Inclusive Resource Centers and other MHPSS related education institutions in Odesa and Zhytomyr and prepare all the relevant tender documents.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Regularly coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Science, the Presidential Foundation for Education, Sports and Science and UNESCO focal points.
- Conduct consultations with various stakeholders in relevant sectors to align the work with national standards.
- Additional relevant activities that may be required to ensure the success of the project
Deliverables/Products:
Deliverable 1. Visit the prioritized education institutions and Inclusive Resource Centers in Odesa and Zhytomyr and evaluate the state of the buildings and collect available documents on each building (existing plans, facades and sections, diagnostics, photos, etc), define the risks and mitigation measures
Deliverable 2. Draft the scope of construction works based on Programme/Operations requirements, budget and site limitations.
Deliverable 3. Advise, in consultation with the procurement experts, the appropriate procurement method for each Inclusive Resource Centers, develop the tender documents, including all required specifications or terms of reference (TOR) as appropriate for each education institution, including the furniture and equipment (if necessary), in line with national standards and regulations.
Deliverable 4: Check technical documents related to construction (design drawings, technical specifications and bills of quantities); verify whether they are clear, complete and compliant with programmatic and construction needs, eco-efficiency and accessibility requirements; undertake the actions required to endorse these technical documents by relevant ministries.
Deliverable 5: Assist the project manager/project supervisor who is responsible for the design of the project and follow-up of the works.
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
Accountability (C)
Communication (C)
Innovation (C)
Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
Planning and organizing (C)
Results focus (C)
Teamwork (C)
For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Academic qualification
- Master’s degree or equivalent in Architecture, engineering or related areas.
Professional experience and skills
- Relevant experience of not less than 10 years in operational experience.
- Relevant experience of not less than 5 years using national standards related to the education infrastracture.
- Excellent knowledge with engineering programing to describe the necessary spaces, their surfaces etc, technical programming of the work .
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including interacting with diverse stakeholders and working effectively and respectfully in a multicultural environment.
Languages
- Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of Ukrainian
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Previous experience with UN agencies is an asset.
- Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English.
How to apply
Please note that all candidates must submit their up-to-date UNESCO curriculum vitae form and letter of motivation in English by email to the following email address: pv.klenner-forttes@unesco.org with a copy to l.rahamatali@unesco.org and provide complete and accurate information.
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 applications for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements.
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 contacted further, and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
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