Assessment in Emergencies Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development, fostering a culture of belonging and growth. UNICEF employs a large workforce dedicated to serving children and communities globally, providing an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Job Overview:
The Assessment in Emergencies Consultant will work under the supervision of the Education Specialist (Safe Schools) to review, revise, and adapt existing learning frameworks and diagnostic assessment tools to ensure their suitability for emergency and post-emergency contexts. The consultant's role is crucial in aligning these tools with the national curriculum, foundational learning priorities, and inclusive education principles. The consultant will be responsible for integrating considerations for learning recovery and accelerated learning, strengthening inclusion for children with disabilities and multilingual learners, and developing practical guidance for implementation in resource-constrained and emergency settings. This position is vital as Nepal faces significant vulnerabilities to natural hazards that disrupt children's access to education, necessitating rapid identification of learning needs and support for learning recovery.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a desk review and situational analysis of relevant policies, frameworks, assessment tools, and guidance documents, including national curriculum requirements and foundational learning priorities.
• Review existing learning frameworks and competency descriptors to assess their suitability for interrupted learning and learning recovery contexts, identifying areas for simplification or adaptation.
• Revise learning frameworks for emergency contexts by developing guidance on essential learning competencies and adapting frameworks to support learning continuity and recovery in multi-grade and temporary learning environments.
• Review and adapt diagnostic assessment tools for numeracy and literacy, ensuring they are technically sound, usable, and appropriate for emergency contexts.
• Strengthen inclusion by ensuring revised frameworks and tools are responsive to children with disabilities and marginalized learners, providing recommendations for accommodations and multilingual adaptations.
• Facilitate field testing and validation of tools, including stakeholder review processes and piloting where feasible.
• Develop capacity-building materials and conduct training workshops with government and development partners to ensure effective implementation of the revised frameworks and tools.

Required Qualifications:
The consultant must possess an advanced university degree (Master's level or higher) in fields such as Education, Educational Assessment and Measurement, Curriculum and Instruction, Education in Emergencies, Inclusive Education, or International Development. A minimum of 15 years of experience in education sector programming, particularly in assessments and education in emergencies, is required. The consultant should demonstrate expertise in learning assessment, foundational learning, and experience in developing or adapting diagnostic assessments. Familiarity with disability-inclusive and multilingual approaches in assessments is essential, along with proven experience working with government education systems. Experience in Nepal or South Asia is highly desirable.

Educational Background:
Candidates must have an advanced university degree (Master's level or higher) in relevant fields such as Education, Educational Assessment and Measurement, Curriculum and Instruction, Education in Emergencies, Inclusive Education, or International Development. This educational background is critical to ensure the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively carry out the responsibilities of the role.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 15 years of experience in the education sector, with a focus on assessments and education in emergencies. Candidates should have demonstrated expertise in learning assessment and foundational learning, as well as experience in developing or adapting diagnostic assessments. Familiarity with education in emergencies and learning recovery programming is essential, along with experience integrating disability-inclusive and multilingual approaches into assessments. Proven experience working with government education systems is also required, and experience in Nepal or South Asia is highly desirable.

Languages:
Excellent spoken and written skills in both Nepali and English are mandatory for this position. Proficiency in these languages is crucial for effective communication and collaboration with stakeholders in the education sector, particularly in the context of emergency and post-emergency settings.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy has a contract duration of 8 months and is home-based. UNICEF promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities. The organization offers reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its aims and objectives, including discrimination and abuse. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and all positions are advertised with only shortlisted candidates being contacted for the next stages of the selection process.