Non-Staff ED Consultant for General History of Africa
JOB DETAIL
OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Paris
Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]
Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 3 March 2025
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
IMPORTANT: APPLICATION PROCEDURES
In place of the Employment History Form, please upload required documents. The whole package needs to be uploaded as a single PDF document (CV, Technical and financial proposal):
- an updated curriculum vitae
- a cover letter explaining how your profile and experience meet our mandatory requirements.
- a technical proposal including an approach and methodology for the assignment (1-2 pages)
- a financial proposal: The amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars as a monthly fee.
The position will be carried out remotely. The expected start date of the contract is 17 March 2025.
Long Description
Please submit your supporting documents in English.
UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in relation to the criteria set forth in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization best value for money.
Only complete applications will be considered.
By submitting your application for this vacancy, you consent to the inclusion of your profile in our consultant roster, and you may be contacted in the future for similar types of tasks or opportunities. If you prefer not to be included in the roster, please indicate in your application.
UNESCO is inviting written proposals from Individuals for the work assignment described hereunder.
Long Description
- BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
Launched in 1964, the General History of Africa (GHA) is an emblematic initiative that responds to the challenge of revisiting Africa’s history, freeing it from racial prejudices ensuing from slave trade and colonization, and promoting genuine and owned African perspectives.
UNESCO completed the publication of eight volumes of the GHA in 1999, and in 2009, the Organization responded to the African Union (AU) Member States’ request to support countries integrate the GHA into formal, non-formal and informal education and to produce new knowledge on African history more focused on affirming African identity and more closely aligned with challenges and issues faced by Africa and its diaspora.
To this end, UNESCO started developing GHA-based pedagogical materials for primary and secondary levels (10 – 19 years old). This process was supported by experts, designated focal points from African Ministries of Education, and guided by an International Scientific Committee composed of historians, curriculum developers, linguists, and sociologists from all over the continent.
More recently, UNESCO Member States adopted the UNESCO Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029) that includes a specific Flagship Programme entitled “The General History of Africa (GHA) as a catalyst for achieving Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda”. This undertaking responds to the renewed commitment of African Member States and their call for UNESCO to step up its efforts in support of countries with regard to further mainstreaming the GHA into their national curricula.
Against this backdrop, UNESCO has committed to revise the existing GHA pedagogical materials and develop and disseminate an updated and expanded set of tools to support education policymakers, curriculum developers and specialists, pedagogical advisers and teacher trainers, who wish to strengthen the teaching and learning of African history, mainstreaming the vision and content of the GHA project into all dimensions of their education systems.
This set of tools together comprise UNESCO’s Resource Pack for Mainstreaming the General History of Africa (GHA) into Education Systems whose aim is to advance the goal of mainstreaming the GHA into education systems in Africa and beyond the continent. The Resource Pack is intended to serve as a source of guidance and inspiration to education stakeholders as it showcases sample topics, learning outcomes, and examples of learning and assessment activities on African history. It identifies relevant entry points for mainstreaming GHA-related contents across and beyond the curriculum.
The GHA Education Resource Pack
UNESCO is finalizing the GHA Curriculum Pathway Tool, the first tool of the Resource Pack for Mainstreaming the General History of Africa into Education Systems. This tool provides curriculum outlines derived directly from the GHA volumes, designed to mainstream the GHA content into basic and secondary education curricula. The outlines have been developed grounded in principles of human rights, peace, democracy, gender equality, global citizenship, and with a broader vision of epistemic justice and decolonization of education in mind.
Long Description
The next resource in the pack to be developed is the Guide for Teachers and Educators. The Guide will be aligned with the GHA curriculum outlines and, as such, structured around the nine learning units for upper primary and lower and upper secondary levels. It will also provide broader guidance on mainstreaming the GHA through pedagogies.
UNESCO is currently focusing on a first set of booklets. Booklet 0 will introduce key notions of transformative pedagogies and provide strategies for teaching and learning the GHA, as well as demonstrate how to best utilize the resources that are focused on the learning units. Booklets 1 – 9 will feature concrete guidance, and sample activities tailored to the Learning Units and learning objectives outlined in the GHA Curriculum Tool. During this first phase, the focus will be on booklets 0, 1 and 2. Specifically, Booklets 1 and 2 will respectively align with Learning Unit 1, “Africa, the origins of humanity” and Learning Unit 2 “Civilizations and cultures of ancient Africa”.
2. DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS
Under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Section of Global Citizenship and Peace Education and in close collaboration with other members of the Section, with the International Bureau of Education (IBE), and with an ad hoc Review Committee, the contract holder will lead the drafting process of the GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators, and support it’s piloting and dissemination.
The consultant will specifically:
- Working closely with relevant UNESCO specialists, draft booklets 0, 1 and 2 of UNESCO’s GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators.
- Support the organization of webinars and customized workshops to introduce and pilot the GHA materials in a few selected countries, presenting the materials within a broadened understanding of curriculum and pedagogy, and facilitating discussions and exchanges between key education stakeholders,
- Throughout the process, integrate feedback both from UNESCO teams, the Review Committee, and received from participants in piloting workshops, as well as independent experts.
3. TIMELINES AND DELIVERABLES
- A detailed annotated outline of Booklet 0 of the GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators, providing general guidance on the process of mainstreaming the GHA into pedagogy, by 1 April 2025
- First draft of Booklet 0 of the GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators, by 20 May 2025
- Second draft of Booklet 0 of the GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators, by 30 June 2025
- First drafts of Booklets 1 “Africa, the origins of humanity” and 2 “Civilizations and cultures of ancient Africa” of the GHA Guide for Teachers and Educators, providing teacher guidance, sample activities, by 26 September 2025
- Second drafts of Booklets 1 and 2 by 17 November 2025
- Final drafts of Booklets 0, 1 and 2 by 15 December 2025
4. TRAVEL
The Consultant will be expected to travel to a minimum of three workshops in the African region as a facilitator. All travel-related costs will be covered by UNESCO; therefore, these expenses should not be included in the financial proposal.
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education of expert
- Advanced university degree (equivalent to Masters) in the field of Social or Human Sciences, Education, Political Science, History, or related fields.
Work experience
- At least 7 years of relevant professional research experience in the field of African History and History Teaching, of which preferably 2 years acquired in an international organization or NGO.
REQUIRED SKILLS/COMPETENCIES
Excellent research, analysis and writing skills.
Excellent knowledge of the General History of Africa project, as well as of UNESCO’s work and perspectives regarding African History.
Good knowledge of UNESCO’s and other International Organizations’ work and perspectives regarding Transformative Education and pedagogies, and education for peace;
Good knowledge of curriculum revision process and of mainstreaming of topics and contents into curricula and education systems more broadly,
Ability to present publicly and to diverse audiences on issues related to history, African history and education,
Ability to work independently;
Ability to multitask under pressure while proactively communicating progress and any emerging constraints and maintaining a high level of responsiveness;
Ability to work collaboratively, incorporating inputs and suggestions from a diversity of perspectives;
Experience working in an international, multi-cultural environment.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
- Proven experience in educational revision and transformation processes;
- Good coordination skills;
- Ability to adapt to a range of projects and to work in a team.
Languages
Fluency in writing and communicating in English and French required. Communicating in Portuguese would be an asset.
APPLICATION PROCESS
IMPORTANT: APPLICATION PROCEDURES
In place of the Employment History Form, please upload required documents. The whole package needs to be uploaded as a single PDF document (CV, Technical and financial proposal):
- an updated curriculum vitae
- a cover letter explaining how your profile and experience meet our mandatory requirements.
- a technical proposal including an approach and methodology for the assignment (1-2 pages)
- a financial proposal: The amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars as a monthly fee.
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.
UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.
Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.
UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
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