UNICEF recruits 01 National Consultant
National Consultant – Development of a structured digital literacy awareness/promotion campaign
Job Number: 525208 | Vacancy Link
Locations: Africa: Ghana
Work Type : Consultancy
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
Background
People, especially children adolescents, and young people are increasingly inhabiting a digital world globally as well as in Ghana. Expanding internet access offers an accessible and powerful avenue for children and adolescents to access information, assert their right to education, and to claim social, economic and political opportunities for their empowerment. However, at the same time, these opportunities may also increase vulnerability to violence, including cyberbullying, child online sexual abuse and exploitation, and cyberstalking among others.
A national study on internet use and related opportunities and risks carried out in Ghana in 2017, indicates that 7 out of 10 children use the internet for learning. However, the same study reports 4 in 10 children have seen sexual images at least once during the past year, and 2 in 10 children had met someone face-to-face whom they first got to know on the internet, and 25 per cent of them were upset by this meeting. Similarly, 4 out of 10 children interviewed said they do not feel safe online and 3 in 10 children had experienced something that bothered or upset them while online. About half of all the surveyed children expressed difficulty talking with their caregivers about such exposures to sexual images.
The need to make the online space safer for children and young people has gained national prominence, triggering stakeholder consultations and some interventions to address the emerging issues around the topic. The efforts to improve the safety of children online have culminated into the development of the National Framework for Child Online Protection led by the Ministry of Communications in August 2016. To step up the national efforts aimed at promoting a safe and hygienic internet space for children, the National Cyber Security Centre under the Ministry of Communication launch the Safer Digital Ghana campaign in October 2018 targeting children, public, businesses, government institutions. With the support from UNICEF, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Guidance and Counselling Unit of Ghana Education Service (GES) engaged over 7,000 students and teachers in over 30 Senior High Schools across ten regions in Ghana on cyber hygiene practices and safe online habits.
It is essential for us to start thinking about how to promote digital literacy among children in Ghana in a structured manner – with a focus on awareness creation, learning and asset building, as well as ensuring their safety online. Given the very high school enrolments in Ghana, education systems and schools provide an excellent entry point to reach the majority of the children and lay the foundations of a digital learning nation. A well-designed digital literacy curriculum can prepare children for the skills they need to engage in technology confidently, safely, and responsibly.
How can you make a difference?
The overall purpose of the assignment is to provide technical assistance for the development of a structured digital literacy awareness and promotion campaign for primary and secondary schools – over an academic year – with a focus on the availability of:
Age-grade and gender appropriate teaching and learning resource materials aligned with the curriculum to promote digital literacy skills and child online safety measures – for both students teachers and school staff;
Guidance on creating awareness among parents and communities on the same through School Management Committees (SMCs), Parent Teachers Association (PTA), & civil society organizations (CSOs).
Tools to assess pre and post evaluation changes in knowledge and skills of the target audience – students, teachers, and parents/caregivers and communities
Specific Tasks to be undertaken by Consultant
As part of the technical assistance required for the development of the school-based digital literacy awareness and promotion campaign, the consultant is expected to undertake the following key tasks:
Task 1. Review of Existing Resources and Curriculum Mapping
1.1. Secondary review of available and relevant teaching and learning resources – globally and nationally – on promoting and supporting digital literacy including online safety among primary and secondary school-going girls and boys, teachers, and families and communities to inform contextualised resource materials development.
1.2. Mapping of the status of digital skills including online safety in the primary and secondary curriculum; and analysis of the barriers and opportunities to strengthen the practice in schools.
Task 2. Design and Develop Resource Materials on Digital Literacy
2.1. Envision and design differentiated resource materials – age-grade and gender appropriate and aligned with the curriculum – to support a school-based digital literacy awareness and promotion campaign. The materials should target different education levels and actors, including:
a) Primary, junior, and senior high school students – girls and boys
b) School teachers
c) SMCs, PTA, and parents
2.2. Craft an integrated module on child online safety to complement the existing safe schools’ resource pack to strengthen the initiative further.
2.3. Develop a training guide/facilitators manual to accompany the resource materials for digital literacy and safety.
Task 3. Test and Deliver
3.1. Pretest and validate all resource materials developed – for primary, junior, and senior high schools – with the different target audiences before finalising for implementation; pretesting should be done with separate groups of girls and boys in order to ensure that materials developed addresses specific gender gaps.
3.2. Liaise with a graphic designer tasked to develop the creative/design work after finalisation of content.
3.3. Develop and recommend an accompanying implementation strategy for the sequenced use of the resource materials in schools – in a structured campaign mode – through the course of a school year for optimal impact.
Task 4. Evaluate and feedback
4.1. Develop pre and post evaluation tools to measure the change in knowledge, awareness, and skills of students, teachers, and families and communities. The pre and post evaluation tools should also capture data/feedback on how specific gender gaps are being addressed during the implementation.
4.2. Develop process monitoring checklists for use by teachers, head teachers, and district administrators to facilitate a feedback loop and support effective implementation.
Deliverables
Inception report on the scope of work, action plan and timeline, and secondary review of available resources
Curriculum mapping report including qualitative analysis of barriers and opportunities
Draft resource materials for promoting school-based digital literacy including online safety for students, teachers, and SMCs and PTAs.
Standalone Module for Child Online Safety (To complement to the Safe Schools Resource Pack)
Trainer and facilitator guide accompanying the Module on Child Online Safety
Pre-test and validation report on the draft module and resources developed.
Finalised copies of resource materials on digital literacy fit for age/grade/gender, standalone module on child online safety and Training Guide/ Facilitators Manual
An Implementation strategy to roll out the digital literacy programme
An evaluation and process monitoring tools
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Advanced degree in Social Sciences or other relevant areas of study, including ICT.
At least five years of proven experience in content development around issues of ICTs, Digital Literacy, and Child Online Safety
Prior experience in development of curriculum content, capacity building, and community engagement tools development
Facilitation of high-level strategic planning processes involving a wide range of stakeholders including government representatives
Prior work with Government and/or UN Agency is an asset
Demonstrated previous experience of similar assignments including submission of a sample of two
Application Procedure:
Interested candidates should apply online to the link provided indicate their monthly professional fees in Ghana Cedis.
In addition to the CV/Resume, candidates should attach a two-page note on how he/she intends to effectively accomplish this assignment within the time frame.
(Two examples of previous work done should be attached (if applicable, e.g., strategic documents, photos, edited work, videos, etc.)
Find attached the detailed TOR for reference. TOR Development of Digital literacy and online safety Materials.docx
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The competencies required for this post are….
View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Closing Date Thu Aug 15 2019 00:55:00 GMT+0100 (Afr. centrale Ouest)