UNICEF Consultant for Strengthening National Assessment

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 sense of purpose among its staff while serving children and communities globally. UNICEF is known for its inclusive culture and attractive compensation and benefits package, making it a desirable workplace for individuals passionate about making a difference in the lives of children.

Job Overview:
The consultant will provide independent technical review and advisory support to strengthen the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS), which serves as a national, system-level assessment of school education in India. The role involves reviewing the current PRS approach and previous National Achievement Survey (NAS) cycles, assessing opportunities to enhance the technical quality, comparability, and inclusiveness of PRS, and generating actionable evidence on learning gaps and factors affecting learning outcomes. The consultant will also identify pathways for using PRS evidence to inform education system improvements, including curriculum, teaching-learning processes, and teacher development. This position requires specialized expertise in large-scale educational assessment and will not involve primary data collection or field visits.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant's duties include conducting a desk-based review of relevant PRS/NAS documentation, preparing a Technical Note on Strengthening PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan, and identifying priority areas for technical strengthening. Specific responsibilities include reviewing the current PRS approach, identifying strengths and gaps, providing technical recommendations for assessment frameworks, ensuring comparability across assessment cycles, enhancing inclusive assessment practices, analyzing learning gaps and misconceptions, and proposing actionable pathways for education system improvement. The consultant will also develop a technical pathway for strengthening the PRS 2027 cycle, outlining priority areas, methodological considerations, and key decisions required from relevant stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Educational Assessment/Measurement, Educational Psychology, Statistics, Psychometrics, Social Sciences, or a closely related field. A minimum of 12 years of professional experience in educational assessment, large-scale assessment, learning assessment, psychometrics, or related areas is required. Candidates should demonstrate substantial multi-country experience in national and/or international educational assessments, expertise in assessment framework development, competency-based assessment, psychometrics, and data analysis, as well as the ability to translate assessment evidence into actionable education policy recommendations.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (Master's degree or above) in fields related to educational assessment, measurement, psychology, statistics, psychometrics, social sciences, or other closely related disciplines. This advanced education is essential for understanding the complexities of educational assessments and their implications for policy and practice.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 12 years of professional experience in areas related to educational assessment, including large-scale assessments and psychometrics. Experience should encompass work across diverse education-system contexts, with a focus on national and international educational assessments. Demonstrated experience in analyzing learning gaps, misconceptions, and proficiency levels is also crucial, along with a proven track record of working with ministries of education and national assessment institutions.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Strong written and verbal communication skills in English are essential for effectively conveying technical information and recommendations. While fluency in additional languages may be beneficial, it is not explicitly required for this role.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy has a contract duration of 1 month and 17 days, and the working arrangement is home-based. UNICEF promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, or background. The organization adheres to a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its objectives, including discrimination and abuse. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and reasonable accommodations will be provided for persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.