Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 27 Sep 2017
Background and rationale:
A relevant, high quality curriculum is essential to ensure education systems equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to empower themselves, and participate meaningfully in their communal, national and economic contexts. Whilst acknowledging the enormous progress made since 2002 in expanding access to education to all groups within society, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) now considers the improvement of quality in its education system to be a key priority in the next 5 years. Underpinned by broader concerns about learner achievement, the Government also seeks to improve the preparedness of youth for employment and better ensure its education systems foster the inclusiveness needed for peace and national reintegration, in part by revisions and improvements to the education system.
The third National Education Strategic Plan (NESP III), currently nearing finalization, positions improved quality alongside continued expansion of access to education and sector-wide management reform as its guiding priorities through to 2021. A critical component of quality improvement is comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum reform.
A request was made to UNESCO in June 2015 by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to prepare the foundations for sector-wide curriculum reform. Through its Capacity Development for Education 2030 (CapED) program and in partnership with the MoE, UNESCO has developed a Curriculum Reform Plan, tentatively entitled the Curriculum Improvement Program for Afghanistan (CIPA). The curriculum reform encompasses the Grades 1-9 (primary and lower secondary ages). In a later stage, Grades 10-12 (upper secondary) will be revised.
Afghanistan’s national curriculum was last revised in 2011. CIPA is covering the revision of all curriculum documents: A new curriculum framework is currently under construction. The revision of the curriculum framework is based on the national government’s education ambitions, international best practice and an extensive national curriculum consultation process.
In partnership with UNICEF Afghanistan, this consultancy call covers the next step, involving the revision of each subject area scope and sequence and the revision of the subject grade syllabi for Grades 1, 4, and 7. Based on the subject grade syllabi, textbooks, teachers’ guides and additional teaching and learning materials are anticipated be developed for Grades 1, 4 and 7 from 2018. The revision process for Grades 2, 5 and 8 and Grades 3, 6 and 9 is anticipated to commence in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Purpose of this TOR:
This current assignment follows from the development of a curriculum framework for Afghanistan, and seeks 1 life skills / competences specialist to support MOE as it commences work on syllabus development, to follow the validation of the curriculum framework by MoE and to develop the basis for subject specific curriculum development for general education.
The detailed scope and sequence will include an overview of content (skills / competences) addressed per Grade from Grade 1 to 12. The syllabus will include:
A rationale for the life skills / competences and how these will be addressed.
A spreading of content for that Grade over academic years.
Examples indicating how content could be addressed in learning activities, following the revised curriculum framework.
Methodology of how life skills / competences could be addressed in subjects (in connection with the content, examples of how this could be done and a justification thereof).
Examples on how life skills / competences could be formatively assessed.
The international consultant engaged to support this process will work within a Technical Working Group convened under the overall coordination of MoE and UNESCO. The membership of the technical Working Group will comprise the international subject specialist, a chair, staff from the Curriculum Directorate of MoE, national staff from UNESCO, and other participants (eg teachers, academia, and teacher educators). UNESCO, MoE staff and the subject specialist will supervise the Technical Working Group, and ensure overall coordination of both the scope and sequence and the syllabus. The international subject specialist will mainly work with the chair. The international will provide feedback to the work that the Working Group has prepared. The chair is responsible for the scheduling of the meetings of the Working Group, timely delivery of work of the Working Group and delivery of the feedback of the international to the Working Group.
It is possible that this activity may be extended into 2018, depending on availability of funding.
Objectives:
This assignment carries the following specific objectives:
Provide background information to increase awareness amongst Ministry of Education staff and curriculum stakeholders of best practices in Life Skills / Competences education, scope and sequence and syllabus development.
Provide technical leadership and guidance to the (chair of the) Technical Working Group within which the specialist will work.
Provide technical leadership and guidance to the development of a syllabus scope and sequence for Life Skills and Competences.
Duties and responsibilities:
The consultant will perform the following duties:
Recommend and justify best practice in scope and sequence and syllabus development for Life Skills and Competences, following from the developed curriculum framework for Afghanistan. Adhere to the developed curriculum framework and guide the working group accordingly.
Liaise with the working group chair on a regular basis and provide technical guidance.
Guide the working group on making curricular choices based on the curriculum framework, best practices, contemporary Life Skills / Competences.
In close consultation with UNESCO and the Technical Working Group, develop a comprehensive scope and sequence and syllabus for Life skills / Competences. The consultant has the responsibility for assuring the quality of the final products.
Provide technical advice and guidance to the (chair of the) Curriculum Working Group (comprised of key stakeholders to the process of curriculum reform) throughout the assignment.
Consult closely with UNESCO at each stage of the assignment.
Deliverables:
2017
2 rounds of feedback on the Afghan Life Skills and Competence Wheel based on international best practice (5 days).
A structure to be used for the development of the scope and sequence for Life Skills and Competences (2 day).
2 rounds of feedback on the developing scope and sequence for Life Skills and Competences (5 days).
The fees for each deliverable will be paid in USD.
Proposed dates:
October 15, 2017- Dcember 31, 2017 (A total of max. 12 days)
January 1, 2018- April 30, 2018 (A total of max. 35 days)
Conditions of Work
The consultant will be working from distant, through an online platform. Visiting Kabul to meet the Working Group and work collaboratively in person is negotiable.
All travel is subject to UN security clearances, and will be in UN vehicles. The UNESCO Office in Kabul will supply the vehicle when required and other logistical support (e.g. radios). Mandatory security training (three days) is required on arrival in Kabul.
Accommodation will be arranged by the UNESCO Office in Kabul and will be in premises cleared by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Afghanistan.
Supervisory arrangements:
The consultancy will be undertaken under the overall supervision of the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office in Afghanistan and the direct supervision of the Chief of Education and Education Officer, Capacity Development for Education 2030 program.
The individual specialist will also work in close coordination with a Senior Technical Advisor, for which a separate TOR has been developed and is advertised. This Senior Technical Advisor has specific responsibility for the development of the curriculum framework (currently in development) and to ensure overall coherence of the scope and sequences and syllabi, and alignment to the overall Curriculum Reform Plan.
Qualifications (may be applicable to either both a firm/institute or individual applicants):
Advanced university degree in education, preferably with a focus on curriculum development.
At least 10 years of relevant work experience in education, with a significant component of this experience acquired in curriculum-related fields.
Experience in curriculum/educational consultancy or development work at the international level is strongly preferred.
Excellent understanding of curriculum systems, syllabus and instructional materials development, across the full age range of basic education (in Afghanistan’s case, this is students aged 6-15, or Grades 1-9)
Advanced cross-cultural communication skills
High-level drafting and communication capacity in English
Experience working in Afghanistan or a post-conflict environment is an asset
How to apply:
Individual candidates are requested to send their application, including a CV (one in free format and one in the UNESCO format, available at https://en.unesco.org/careers/media/3705 ) and cover letter (in English) briefly outlining the methodology and activity plan proposed for completing the defined deliverables within the designated time period to the UNESCO Kabul email ki.consultant@unesco.org before midnight (Afghanistan time), September 27, 2017.
All applications must be submitted by email, including the assignment title in the email subject line.