International Adolescent Life Skills Education Consultant (Home Based), 83 working days (For non-Ethiopian nationals only)

The consultant will provide technical assistance to develop a comprehensive transferable/life skills education module for adolescents aged 15–18 years in school settings and non-formal training.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to education

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past couple of years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:  

The consultant will provide technical assistance to develop a comprehensive transferable/life skills education module for adolescents aged 15–18 years in school settings and non-formal training. This assignment aims to:

• Design and develop a module that builds on global and national frameworks for transferable/life skills training.
• Align the module with the current formal education and training curricula and ensure integration as a co-curricular program.
• Incorporate gender-transformative, inclusive, and adolescent-responsive approaches to enhance empowerment for transition from learning to earning.
• Equip adolescents with core transferable skills across three domains to ultimately support secondary school completion, transition to higher education or vocational pathways, and informed life decisions:
  • Cognitive Skills: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Creativity and Innovation;
  • Social Skills: Communication, Collaboration and Teamwork, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution; and
  • Emotional Skills: Self-Management, Resilience and Coping, Empathy.
• Ensure the module contributes to the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus by promoting resilience, social cohesion, and peacebuilding competencies among adolescents, enabling them to thrive in contexts of fragility and transition while supporting long-term development goals.

Scope of Work

The development of the module will be guided by the following principles.

(1) Holistic-incorporating a broad range of interconnected cognitive, social, and emotional skills essential for secondary age adolescents to learn effectively, succeed in the world of work, become empowered, and fulfill their civic responsibilities;

(2) Gender responsive-addressing gender norms, roles, and relations, and promoting strategies that actively reduce harmful effects, including gender inequality;

(3) Inclusive- ensuring accessibility and contextual relevance for all learners, regardless of ability, ethnicity, language, social or economic status, and including refugees and conflict-affected children and youth;

(4) Relevant- aligning with national priorities, labor market needs, and the aspirations of adolescents and communities, while respecting local culture and context;

(5) Evidence based-drawing on research about how adolescents learn and develop, and lessons from previous interventions to apply proven approaches; and

(6) Innovative-leveraging digital technology to enhance equitable access, delivery, and monitoring of skills development programs.

Under the supervision of the Education Specialist, the consultant will:

1. Conduct Desk Review

1. • To review existing curricula and co-curricular programs for adolescents aged 15-18 years.
   • To analyze global and national frameworks on transferable skills and adolescent development.
   • To identify gaps from the formal education curricula and address them by incorporating the module.

1. Module Development

1. • Design a comprehensive transferable skills module tailored for in-school adolescents (15-18 years).
   • Ensure inclusion of core transferable skills across three domains:

1. • • Cognitive Skills: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Creativity and Innovation
     • Social Skills: Communication, Collaboration and Teamwork, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
     • Emotional Skills: Self-Management, Resilience and Coping, Empathy

1. • Integrate practical empowerment activities and participatory methodologies.
   • Adapt the module in a digital content form and make it ready for digital tools.

1. Stakeholder Consultation

1. • Engage MoE, REBs, MoWCA, BoWCAs, and development partners (ILO, UNHCR, World Bank, NGOs) to validate content and ensure relevance.
   • Map existing resources and harmonize with ongoing initiatives.

1. Capacity Building

1. • Develop Training of Trainers (ToT) guidelines for facilitators.
   • Conduct ToT for core groups (MoE, UNICEF, REBs, Teacher Education Colleges) to establish Master Trainers.

1. Validation and Finalization

1. • Pilot and validate the module with selected schools.
   • Incorporate feedback and finalize materials for MoE approval
2. Deliverables
   • Inception report
   • Draft transferable skills module for adolescents aged 15–18 years
   • ToT manual and facilitator guidelines
   • Final validated module and training package
   • A concise copy of the module/ contents readily available for digitizing and use in digital approach

Modalities of payment

1. First payment upon completion and endorsement by UNICEF of tasks/ milestones 1 and 2
2. Second payment upon completion and endorsement by UNICEF of tasks/ milestones 3, 4, 5 and 6
3. Final payment upon completion and endorsement by UNICEF of tasks/ milestones 7, 8 and 9

Note:

• Applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

[Include the vacancy requirements aligned to the category and level of the position. You can see examples in the branded VA example.]

• Education: An advanced University Degree in education, Gender, developing curriculum, development and/or social sciences or related technical field is required
• Work Experience: At least eight [8] years of relevant work experience in skills development and education sector systems, some of which should be in a developing country context. Experience working on related assignments in Ethiopia preferred.
  • Experience in producing teaching/learning materials for adolescents.
• Skills (optional): [Insert technical and non-technical skills]. 
• Language Requirements: [Insert the primary UN language you need for the fluency requirement]

Desirables:

• Good knowledge of global issues in relation to young people’s empowerment and (formal and non-formal)
• Good understanding of education sector environment in Ethiopia and interventions currently being supported by Government and Development Partners to promote greater skills for learning to earning transition.
• Ability to provide constructive technical advice on transferable skills to diverse stakeholders coupled with a strong capacity to work with Government counterparts on related strategies. 
•  
  In case of requirement for consulting and seeking expertise support, being able to identify and work with a team of experts who have expertise in skills, education/curriculum, social science, health and nutrition, gender and child protection and other relevant areas
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. (This criteria is essential as a desirable and should be included in all job postings.)

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disability are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.