Education Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Sharing Network
Knowledge Management for Equity and Education
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Background:
Recent work by UNICEF Education Section on the development of the global education equity strategy
has highlighted a high-risk gap in the current process of strategic planning, namely the meaningful
inclusion of the Extended Education Team. Lack of a platform for sharing and engagement is resulting in
a globally fragmented equity strategy development. There is an immediate need for strategic
communications and knowledge sharing which engages all UNICEF Education officers at country,
regional and global levels and provides a platform for the sharing of ideas, documents and comparative
experiences.
As UNICEF increasingly orients itself towards advisory services around Equity and Capacity development,
it needs to provide more substantive policy knowledge on Equity strategies to programme countries. A
Knowledge Network will link the Education focal points in the country offices with each other and with
the relevant specialists. . The network is to be based on a culture of knowledge sharing and trust
through: service orientation, quality assurance, provision of cutting edge guidance and resources
resulting in effective knowledge sharing.
The Knowledge Network will build on and enhance existing formal and informal avenues for knowledge
sharing including global and regional education officer meetings, inclusive e-mail discussions, and the
work recently done to build a learning community on climate change, DRR and environmental education
within the Education Section. The Network will be in line with Education Section Hubs – liaising with the
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; Capacity Development; Knowledge Management (PCK) Hub for
technical knowledge management – related guidance, the Policy, Strategy and High Level Partnerships
(PSP) Hub for guidance and knowledge products in support of queries/discussions with officers in the
field, the Research, Evidence and Advocacy (REA) Hub for analysis of trends and data gathered through
the Network, and the Emergencies Disaster Risk Reduction Recovery (EDR) Hub for support on relevant
issues.
2. Expected results: (measurable results)
Under the supervision of the Education Specialist on Cross-Sector Coordination in the Education Section
and in collaboration with the PCK Hub, develop and pilot a systematic information sharing and learning
network for the Global Education Team on equity results.
Objectives
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•
•
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Strategic information sharing and strengthened staff capacity for globally shared strategic results
Strengthen Education team spirit to emerge around shared results
Globally agree upon a slate of global knowledge products and services in line with global, regional
and country level service hubs/lines
Enable important participation in strategic discussions around Equity to build consensus and
determine a common position on shared results and education positions
Activities
a) Assist the Planning hub to organize monthly brownbag/webinar series on equity in education based
on agreed criteria and solicited suggestions to increase visibility of the Education Section’s work on
equity at headquarters and in the field
b) Develop and disseminate an interim web-page dedicated to equity and education – to be integrated
as part of web platform once it is established
c) Collate an inclusive e-mail list for soliciting regional and country based comments on development
of Global Equity strategy and position.
d) Facilitate global agreement on knowledge sharing strategy and services such as webinars, templates
for sharing of comparative experiences, consultant roster and events calendar.
e) Organize, manage and pilot agreed upon services based on principles of effective knowledge sharing
– namely: trust, rules, quality and relevance.
f) Establish a communication platform including an e-mail service and web platform for sharing of
queries, discussions, comparative experiences and other information.
g) Establish a web portal for storing and sharing important content such as archived queries and
discussions, good practices, TORs, technical guidance and project documents.
h) Pilot knowledge sharing through quality control, vetting of key information, soliciting member
participation and linking with other communities and experts to ensure all queries receive an
appropriate response.
i) Demonstrate use of communication platform for follow-up after the 2011 annual global education
team meeting.
j) Liaise with the Research and Evidence hub to monitor, track, research and analyze trends based on
information gathered through community dialogue and other information sources (i.e. COARs) to
feed into briefs and other reports. Specifically including continuation of established trend analyses
on 1) equity interventions based on the equity tracker and SRAs and 2) climate change, DRR and
environmental education based on Country Office Annual Reports.
k) Link to previous work regarding the establishment of a learning community on climate change, DRR
and environmental education and liaise with the Policy Hub to provide thematic support in this area
to knowledge sharing network.
l) Support finalization, publication and dissemination of the knowledge product: Mainstreaming
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in Education: Promoting Child Rights and Equity and the
Climate Change and Environmental Education module for the Child Friendly Schools Manual.
3. Start date: 1 August 2011
End date: 30 June 2012
4. Cost and Timeframe:
This consultancy will be full-time for 11 months. The consultant will work from New York Headquarters.
Deliverables
Deadline
Monthly Brownbag/Webinar Series organized and
maintained
On-going till
30 June 2012
Equity and Education Webpage
30 November
2011
Inclusive and up to date email list of Education Officers
1 August 2011
Knowledge Sharing Strategy, Standards and Services
developed and finalized with global inputs/ agreement
– Conceptual Framework Document
30 September
2011
Communication platform established and of piloting
begun for sharing of queries, discussions, comparative
experiences and other information.
30 December
2011
Web portal established and populated with resources
for storing and sharing important content such as
archived queries and discussions, good practices, TORs,
technical guidance and project documents.
Established 30
December
2011 and
populated 15
June 2012
Prepare and share analysis and report on overall equity
in education trends based on 2010 Equity tracker
results and inputs through Network
29 February
2012
Prepare and share analysis and report on trends in
equity through climate change, DRR and environmental
education based on 2010 and 2011 COARs and inputs
through Network
30 March
2012
Support finalization and publication of the resource
pack: Mainstreaming Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Reduction: Promoting Child Rights and Equity
30 November
2011
Disseminate above resource pack through the Network
and begin piloting related thematic support to Network
members through the organization of training webinars
and discussions and through responses to queries as
needed.
29 February
2011
Network of experts established including external
experts and other communities of practice to facilitate
quality inputs to appropriate Network discussions and
30 April 2012
and on-going
maintenance
Deliverables
queries.
Report on lessons learned and recommendations based
on piloting of Communication platform and Web portal
Deadline
till 15 June
2012
15 June 2012
5. Key competences, technical background, and experience required:
a) Post-graduate degree in Education, Knowledge Management and/or the Environmental Sciences
or related field
b) Familiarity with equity issues in the fields of education and climate change adaptation/disaster
risk reduction
c) Familiarity with systems of knowledge management
d) At least three years of experience on issues of international education with progressively
increasing responsibilities in a developmental organization, including familiarity with UNICEF’s
programmes in this area.
e) Strong written and verbal communication skills; organized and able to present ideas in a concise
and logical format including proven ability to summarize lengthy and complex information into
short and simple language.
f) Familiarity with UNICEF policies and experience with UNICEF administrative procedures
g) Fluency in English
h) Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and
effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter with subject line: Consultancy, Knowledge
Management for Equity and Education. Applications must include a detailed CV, P11 (which can be
downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index 53129.html).
Applications can be submitted to pdconsultants@unicef.org by 22 July 2011. Please indicate your ability,
availability and fee requirements to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications without a
daily/monthly will not be considered.