Thailand: Consultancy – Regional Curriculum Framework

The Education Section, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant to provide support on Development of Regional Curriculum Framework on Social Emotional Learning in the Early Years, to enhance Early Childhood Development and Social Cohesion in East Asia and Pacific, and South Asia.

Work Assignment:

The three key areas of work proposed include the following:

1. Overview of Curricula: Establish a desk review of currently existing curricula on Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Social Cohesion, including curricula for teacher training institutes that train pre-primary teachers and include components on ECD and peacebuilding or social cohesion and social emotional learning;
2. Development of a Regional Curriculum Framework on Social Emotional Learning in the Early Years, to enhance ECD and Social Cohesion in East Asia and Pacific, and South Asia;
3. Charting Ways Forward: Including a full analytical report with recommendations from the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) regional conference, draft recommendations and initiation support to participating countries as needed for piloting and rolling out.

The first area of work – the broader overview of curricula - will focus on 0-8 years. The desk review will include a review of existing initiatives, such as the PATHS curriculum, the East Asia Pacific Early Childhood Scales (EAP-ECDS), the Early Years Toolkit, and the World Association of Early Childhood Education curriculum, among other relevant studies, curricula and reviews that are currently existing. In addition, the review should include regionally relevant documents from communities such as the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook: a Teaching Resource for Primary and Secondary Schools to Foster an Outward-looking, Stable, Peaceful and Prosperous ASEAN Community developed by the ASEAN Secretariat and SEAMEO, in addition to documents from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and the Pacific Regional Council for ECCE (PRC4ECCE).

The second area of work - the regionalized curriculum framework - will focus on ages 3-5. The customizable curriculum framework for 3-5 year olds will include elements of ECD and social cohesion/peacebuilding that are recommended in the literature review, and will integrate peace perspectives in early childhood development, including concepts such as mindfulness, enhanced social emotional learning and peace education in preschools. This focus on ages 3-5 will resonate with the EAP-ECDS, which will serve as the baseline in several countries where the framework will be piloted. The curriculum framework will also be piloted in conflict and post-conflict communities through ARNEC partners, with the EAP-ECDS as the baseline where applicable, and will be re-assessed after one year to review outcomes of the curriculum template.

The third key area of work – charting ways forward – will include a synthesis of all emerging evidence from the review, feedback from the working group, side sessions at the Regional Conference, and feedback from countries present in the conference, on HOW the rollout can be customised.

Work Schedule and Expected deliverables:

Under the supervision of the ECD and Gender Specialist, and in close collaboration with UNICEF ROSA, the ARNEC Secretariat, and members of the ECD and Peacebuilding Working Group, the consultant will be expected to produce the key deliverables:

Date: August 20, 2015

Deliverable:

• Inception Report and Work Schedule Outline

Date: September 15, 2015

Deliverable:

• Desk Review of currently existing curricula on ECD and Social Cohesion including curriculum for teacher training institutes that train pre-primary teachers and include components on ECD and social cohesion or peacebuilding.
• Summary analysis report highlighting currently existing curricula, and their challenges and opportunities. This analysis should also include a coherent, draft Theory of Change for ECD and Social Cohesion.

Date:October 30, 2015

Deliverable:

• Based on this report, to review, revise and strengthen an existing curriculum model, OR create a new curriculum framework template encompassing knowledge or methods from other curricula but in a new format or layout as necessary— Output: Develop a Regional Curriculum Framework on Social Emotional Learning in the Early Years to Enhance Early Childhood Development and Social Cohesion in East Asia and Pacific, and South Asia, with focus on ages 3-5, that can also be applicable to parenting education programmes.
• Present analysis and research findings at annual ECD Conference, emphasizing Theory of Change and potential outcomes of the regionalized curriculum framework template.

Date:November 15, 2015

Deliverable:

Co-facilitate a regional workshop or webinar (format to be determined) on how to implement the curriculum framework for participating countries, for piloting and future roll-out of the framework template in conflict and post-conflict countries, in collaboration with ARNEC.

Date: December 15, 2015

Deliverable:

• Complete full analytical report including recommendationsfrom the ARNEC regional conference, draft recommendations and initiation support to participating countries as needed.

Estimated Duration of Contract:15 August – 15 December 2015

Official Travel:The consultant will work from a distance and may travel to a few Country Offices (country list to be determined), including to the ARNEC Conference, in agreement with the supervisor.

Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required:

• Advanced university degree, preferably in the Social Sciences, Child Development, Education, Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, or other relevant field.
• At least ten years of professional work experience at national and international levels in programming for ECD, and peacebuilding, and curriculum development experience, including international work experience and field work experience.
• Familiarity with UNICEF work and programming processes is an asset.
• Demonstrated capacity to review and synthesize large amount of information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated capacity for achievement of deadlines.
• Knowledge of East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific is an asset.

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV or P11, full contact information of minimum 2 references, availability, and proposed monthly professional fee in USD by 27 July 2015 to hrbangkok@unicef.org

Only short listed candidates will be notified.