Roma Education Expert Consultancy Opportunity

UNICEF works in challenging environments to reach disadvantaged children, saving their lives and defending their rights. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world. Our efforts are relentless.

The European Commission has approved a Technical Support Instrument to support the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth (MoERDY) of Slovakia in addressing education segregation for Roma children. The Project is implemented by the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, in cooperation with the European Commission's Reform and Investment Taskforce and the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of Slovakia. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of education authorities and stakeholders at all levels to effectively implement desegregation of Roma children in education.

The expected impact is to provide Roma children with high-quality education, enabling them to acquire better skills, knowledge, and equal opportunities. We aim to promote inclusion and respect for diversity and multiculturalism, eliminate prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination against Roma children in the education system and beyond.

As a key expert in this project, you will develop resources, including toolkits and methodologies, to support education authorities and stakeholders. Your primary responsibility will be to assist review, analysis, and capacity-building activities. Regular progress reviews will be conducted by UNICEF ECARO and the TSI Project Coordinator-Consultant. All reports should be submitted electronically in English.

Modality: Home-based, part-time for 45 working days within a specified period. Two travel arrangements will be made to Slovakia.

The deliverables and working days outlined below include tasks such as an EU/international review of good practices in addressing education segregation for Roma children, development of a capacity building toolkit, and support for the draft National Roma Education Desegregation Action Plan and related activities.

• Conduct an EU/international review of good practices in addressing education segregation specifically for Roma children and promoting inclusive education. Identify at least 3–5 good practices related to whole-school approaches, monitoring, policy development, and collaboration with the community and parents. Draft the review and present it to EC/UNICEF and national stakeholders. Finalize a version incorporating comments.
• Develop a toolkit for capacity building of regional and national stakeholders. Deliver capacity building workshops, prepare a draft toolkit, present it to stakeholders, and incorporate feedback. Deliver three trainer sessions and three online sessions for MoEDRY.
• Provide necessary technical expertise to project activities based on the findings of the EU/international review and toolkit. Revise the research plan for monitoring Roma education segregation. Review the final report with recommendations and the draft National Roma Education Desegregation Action Plan.
• Support presentation of project deliverables for events, including preparation of presentations and participation in events.

To qualify for this role, you must have:

• Advanced degree in international development, human rights, education, or another relevant social science field.
• At least ten years of professional experience in education, inclusive education, or inclusion of vulnerable groups in education.
• Knowledge and/or experience in conducting or managing research projects.
• Knowledge and/or experience in developing resources and materials for training and delivery of trainings.
• Good knowledge of international and regional trends in inclusive education, including Roma inclusion.
• Good networking and collaboration skills.
• Fluent written and spoken English with excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Competitive compensation.
• Opportunities for growth and professional development.
• A dynamic and inclusive work environment.

UNICEF adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and provides reasonable accommodation and accessibility support. If you need assistance with your application, please contact us. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Background checks may include verification of credentials and employment history. Selected candidates may need to provide supporting documentation for disability-related accommodations.