Parent Sector : Field Office

Duty Station: Harare

Job Family: External Relations

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 25-09-2020

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The education sector in Zimbabwe was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, following the school closure on 24 March and then the nationwide lockdown instituted by the national government. The school closure of schools is affecting

• 56 million learners nationally (EMIS 2019) and
• 46 learners in the basic education system and has created new challenges for a sector that was already grappling with the impact of the national economic challenges and recovering from Cyclone Idai that hit the country a year ago in March 2019

UNESCO is committed to supporting governments for distance learning, for scientific cooperation, for information support, and so that we share knowledge together, rather than this virus. UNESCO seeks to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities for children and youth during this period of sudden and unprecedented educational disruption. Investment in remote learning should both mitigate the immediate disruption caused by COVID-19 and establish approaches to develop more open and flexible education systems for the future.

The UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa ( ROSA) office supports countries in their efforts to mitigate the immediate impact of school closures, particularly for more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, and to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning.

Long Description

Under the overall supervision of the Education Sector Head of Unit and the Programme Specialist, t he incumbent will provide support in the implementation of the COVID-19 response under the LearningNeverStops #: COVID-19 Accelerated Funding for the Education Sector in Zimbabwe and in particular:

• Supports the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in refining and populating its existing teacher resource portal. The resource portal will provide teachers with resources aligned with the national curriculum including, syllabi, teaching guides, text books, exam papers, links to professional development courses as well as other open resources

Specifically the contractor will:

• Identify additional curriculum relevant OERs on the web
• Support the digitalisation resources and
• support MOPSE in uploading those onto the portal as follows under the six categories
• Present resources for validation and make corrections as necessary
• Make changes on the platform as recommended by MOPSE and UENSCO

Long Description

Support the development if MOOCs based on existing courses, including the Zimbabwe ICT Essentials Course for teachers and the above outlined Rapid Teacher Training Course on remote learning.

Coordinate the work with a consultant, who was hired by UNESCO to coordinate the development and implementation of a training programme on distance learning for in-service teachers

Long Description

Provide regular updates on programme activities to be reported to the weekly ED Cluster and in coordination with the COVID-19 communication expert, support the documentation of lessons learned and best practices and provide information on education response activities in Zimbabwe

• A final OER portal with at least 6000 quality resources uploaded
• Ministry staff trained to upload, administer and upload the portal
• The portal launched and advertised among teachers in Zimbabwe
• Two MOOCS developed and up loaded to the OER portal
• Monitoring mechanism in built in the MOOCS

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

Accountability (C)

Communication (C)

Innovation (C)

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)

Planning and organizing (C)

Results focus (C)

Teamwork (C)

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS

• Demonstrated research abilities and interest
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Knowledge of and work experience with the United Nations will be an asset
• Willingness to learn
• Internet proficiency as well as proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework .

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A postgraduate qualification in Education and/or ICT and e-Learning

Skills: Programme coordination skills and web and education design skills

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

APPLICATION PROCESS

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.

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 further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

Footer

UNESCO applies a zero tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.

UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States (last update here) are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.