Afghanistan: International Skill-based literacy curriculum development and material designer

Background

Afghanistan is one of the lowest ranked countries in terms of literacy with around 64% of Afghanistan’s adult population considered functionally illiterate. To address this situation UNESCO Kabul launched the Programme “Enhancement of Literacy in Afghanistan (ELA)”, the largest literacy development programme currently in existence in the country. The Programme is implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Literacy Department (LD) and has enhanced the literacy skills of more than 600,000 adult learners across the country over the last 5 years. The ELA Programme conducts nine month courses in basic literacy and numeracy as well as provides training in life skills in order to improve the living situations of learners.
The second phase of ELA came to a close in December 2013 with ELA Phase 3 beginning immediately after with the target of reaching 630,000 learners in 30 Provinces over the next 3 years.
The existing curriculum for Literacy and Non-formal Education in Afghanistan, titled LAND Afghan or Basic General Literacy (BGL), was designed in 2004 with the technical support of UNESCO. Years of implementation have led to the identification of certain gaps within the current curriculum. LAND Afghan is no longer responsive to the needs and quality of literacy demanded by the people of Afghanistan.
The need for a more demand-driven and learner-centered curriculum was one of the main findings and lessons learned from the ELA 2 Programme. For this reason curriculum revision is a key activity of ELA 3 with the aim of redesigning the existing National Literacy Curriculum. To date, two international UNESCO experts together with national technical officers of LD and ELA Programme have drafted a a competency-based Curriculum Framework for Youth and Adult Literacy and Basic Education, defining learning standards and performance indicators for reading, writing, speaking, listening and numeracy. In light of this development, the literacy courses which ELA hereafter will provide to enable learners to acquire competencies at a proficiency level that is equivalent to grade one to three of formal education, will be referred to as “Lvel One of Youth and Ault Basic Education.” Currently an ELA international expert and national technical officers are developing the curriculum and instructional materials of the level one of youth and adult basic education for 582 learning hours. In addition, ELA 3 requires the development of a Skills-Based Literacy (SBL) component of the ELA courses.

SBL course is anticipated to be made available to learners who successfully complete first two modules of level one youth and adult basic education. That is to say those literacy learners completing first two modules (equivalent to grade one and grade two of formal education) will be given options to continue to the SBL or 3rd module which enables the learners to acquire competencies equivalent to grade three of formal education. The SBL is anticipated to be a module run in parallel to the 3rd module, consisting of both commonly observed literacy skills from income generating activities and vocational training mainly based on desk study (occupational knowledge) for eight different occupations. The instructional materials for various occupations are currently being collected from NGOs and ministries by the national technical officers. Among many, materials ideal for adaption are being identified and review on them is expected to take place shortly. The incumbent is expected to spend first few months to plan and agree on development plan and scope of SBL textbooks, workbooks and teachers’ guides with UNESCO and LD.

This ToR calls for applications for the position of an international expert to lead the development of SBL materials.

Job Description

Under the general supervision of the Chief of Education and direct supervision of the Programme Manager, successful candidate will be responsible for creation of a curriculum/ concept and instructional materials for the Skill-Based Literacy (SBL) component This process will be conducted in full collaboration with the Ministry of Education and be coordinated with other relevant Ministries (Labour, Women’s Affairs, and Interior). It will be further closely coordinated and aligned with the ongoing process of developing the curriculum/ concept and materials for the BGL/ Level One of Youth and Adult Basic Education.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
• Develop a curriculum/ concept for the SBL component that will guide the development of the SBL materials.
• Facilitate the development of the SBL materials (such as textbooks, workbooks and teachers’ guides)
• Provide overall guidance and technical oversights to a team of national technical officers of LD and ELA Programme by strengthening their capacities.

Proposed list of activities, deliverables and time framework

Consultant is expected to start the work as soon as possible and finalize it by August 2016. The following tasks with deliverables are indicative and may need to be adjusted according to availabilities and specific bilateral agreements once the consultant has been contracted.

Proposed list of activities, deliverables and time framework
Consultant is expected to start the work as soon as possible and finalize it by August 2016. The following tasks with deliverables are indicative and may need to be adjusted according to availabilities and specific bilateral agreements once the consultant has been contracted.

1. Review of existing experiences with Skill Based Literacy


2. Develop a concept and work plan for the SBL component


3. Identify common literacy skills, skill standards and available materials.


4. Determine 8 vocations based on consultations with MoE


5. Specify the learning outcomes for each skill according to the particular skill standard


6. Ensure that instructional material is relevant for every learning outcome in SBL


7. Identify the reading and writing tasks associated with the specific skills (keeping accounts, making lists, taking measurements, ordering supplies, seeking permits, etc)


8. The skill expert and literacy trainer work together to design the content and sequencing/units of the SBL materials. This could be done in a workshop where several skills experts and literacy trainers work together


9. Orchestrate drafting on instructional texts combining literacy and a specific skill by national technical officers


10. Test the materials in SBL groups and adapt changes


11. Acquire an approval from UNESCO and LD

Qualifications

• Academic qualifications: Doctorate in the field of Education or other closely related field within Social Sciences. Master’s degree in Education or other closely related field within Social Sciences combined with extensive work experience in the field of curriculum development might be taken into consideration.
• Years of relevant work experience: Successful candidate should be able to demonstrate at least ten years of work experience in the relevant field. However, the main criteria for assessing the work experience will be the relevancy of past work for the advertised assignment.

Competencies

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English language
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and presentation skills
• Ability to work in a post-conflict environment (consultant will be required to spend significant amount of time in Afghanistan)
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders (governmental, non-governmental, international organisations)
• Work experience in Afghanistan and/or (post)conflict environment will be considered as a strong asset
• Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashtu languages will be considered as a strong asset

Other Information
Job level Senior Levelconsultant
Type of contract Individual Consultant
Duty station UNESCO Kabul Office
Other 7 days leave from duty station is negotiable after completion of every 6 weeks