Call for Proposals for Policy Recommendations Corporate Applicants Only

Job description

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: remote

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 22-OCT-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

BEFORE APPLYING

Please note : This call for applications is open to Corporate Applicants.

OVERVIEW OF THE CALL FOR APPLICATION

1.

Introduction and background

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development serves as a comprehensive guide for United Nations member states to advance in five crucial dimensions: people, prosperity, planet, partnership, and peace, with quality education (SDG 4) highlighted as a key goal to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Lifelong learning, central to sustainable education policies, integrates learning and living across all ages and contexts, requiring a trained, active, and committed teaching workforce.

Teachers and educators play a crucial role in providing transformative learning experiences that help learners achieve their full potential and develop lifelong learning capabilities, while continuously reflecting on their practices and adapting to evolving societal changes.

Long Description

Against this background, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) have launched a project titled Teachers as Lifelong Learners: International Research, Policy, and Practice on Lifelong Learning for Teacher Education (2023-2026).

This initiative aims to generate evidence-based insights into policies and practices that promote the development of teachers as lifelong learners and facilitators of lifelong learning.

Phase I of the project (2023-2024) focused on conducting a comprehensive literature review and drafting six national case studies (China, Chile, Germany, Qatar, Finland, and South Africa).

In addition, two thematic papers on ECCE teachers and adult educators have been drafted.

A synthesis report has been developed to provide a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the project and other key sources while identifying gaps and strategies to promote lifelong learning of teachers and their role as facilitators of lifelong learning worldwide.

Moreover, a webinar series on four core aspects of lifelong learning for teachers will also be organised by December 2025 to continue discussing some emerging themes of this research.

Building on the key findings of Phase I and in alignment with the objectives of Phase II of the project, key resources- policy recommendations, curriculum guidelines, and monitoring guidelines, along with relevant training modules- will be developed.

In many countries, existing educational policies, particularly regarding initial teacher education and continuous professional development for educators, have yet to explicitly include the promotion of lifelong learning.

Guidance on the monitoring of these policies and programme implementation is needed to ensure that teachers and educators are provided with the conditions to become lifelong learners and to foster lifelong learning in their students.

Long Description

In this context, UIL is inviting relevant research institutes and centres or/and education consultancy agencies to submit technical proposals for developing:

2.

Scope of work and objectives

Under the supervision of the Team Leader of the Quality Learning Ecosystems (QLE) programme, UIL, the consultant team will:

2.1 Review key documents of Phase I of the project (synthesis report, national case studies, and thematic papers) and identify gaps.

2.2 Draft outline of the policy recommendations with key objectives and different sections.

2.3 Prepare the full draft of the policy recommendations and meet with Phase II consultancy teams in preparation for presenting drafts for the global expert feedback and validation.

These recommendations will:

2.4 Based on the full draft of the policy recommendations, prepare a training module in English for policymakers and education ministry officials on the UIL Learning Hub with agreed numbers of sessions and proposed instructional design.

2.5 Improve and finalize the policy recommendations and associated training module on the UIL Learning Hub.

Meet with all Phase II consultancy teams to review finalized documents and modules.

3.

Deliverables

The deliverables for this consultancy will be divided into two timelines: November-December 2025 and January-July 2026.

From deliverables 3.1 through 3.3, the first part of the contract will be established.

Upon successful completion of these three deliverables, the second part of the contract will be created to deliver from 3.4 through 3.8.

Part I

3.1 Brief report on the key recommendations for policies based on the existing research reports of this project, the gaps, and additional resources for review and synthesis - 14 Nov 2025

3.2 Initial outline of the policy recommendations with key objectives and different sections - 21 Nov 2025

3.3 First extended outline and begin preparation for presenting to expert consultations - 10 Dec 2025

Part II

3.4a Final brief policy analysis report on the global and selected national policies on lifelong learning and teachers - 20 Feb 2026

3.4b Full draft of the policy recommendations for further feedback and validation (Version 1) - 20 Feb 2026

3.5a Expert consultations with selected relevant stakeholders, experts, and government representatives on the draft recommendations - 13 Mar 2026

3.5b Improved full draft of the policy recommendations Version 2 (max 40 pages, excluding annexes) - 13 Mar 2026

3.6 Draft training module with agreed-upon numbers of sessions and proposed instructional design in English on the UIL Learning Hub - 30 Apr 2026

3.7 Organize the training for at least four national teams - 15 May 2025

3.8 Improve and finalize the Policy Recommendations and training module based on the feedback from the participants - 30 July 2026

4.

Requirements:

Long Description

5.

Supervision and Collaboration

The consultancy team will be overseen by the Team Leader of the Quality Learning Ecosystems (QLE) programme.

The consultant team will work in close coordination with:

If the application involves multiple team members, a lead consultant must be designated to act as the main liaison between the consulting/research team and the QLE Team Leader.

Collaboration with other Phase II consultant teams- particularly those working on curriculum guidelines and other training modules- will take place at five key intervals, coordinated by the QLE Team Leader:

6.

Location and travel

The consultancy assignment will primarily be home-based in any location and can be done by working remotely.

The consultancy team should be available to meet with the UIL team (online) during the office hours of Hamburg, Germany.

7.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skill Profession

Postsecondary Teachers