UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan is leading several key initiatives aimed at advancing the quality, inclusiveness, and relevance of education in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan’s education sector is undergoing significant reforms to improve the quality of teaching and learning. However, teacher capacity and professional development remain key challenges. Many teachers still rely on outdated pedagogical approaches that emphasize rote learning rather than competency-based, child centered instruction. There is a need to strengthen pre-service and in-service teacher training to equip educators with modern teaching methodologies, digital competencies, and inclusive education approaches.
The Teacher Education programme led by UNESCO in Uzbekistan aims to strengthen teacher training in Uzbekistan to enhance the quality of education. The programme focuses on addressing gaps in pre-service and in-service teacher training, professional development, and competency-based education (CBE).
The expected outcome is improved teacher capacity to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and competency-based education. Key activities include revising teacher training curricula to align with CBE, building teachers and school leaders capacity through digital and blended learning, establishing a mentorship system for continuous professional learning, and supporting teacher training institutions in implementing evidence-based professional development policies.
To support the successful implementation of this programme, UNESCO seeks a National Project Officer who will contribute with technical expertise, coordinate with national and international partners, and assist in ensuring that the programme’s objectives align with the government’s broader education reform.
Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Education (ADG/ED), and of the Head of Office, and the direct supervision of the Senior Project Officer, the incumbent shall perform the functions indicated in the Terms of References below:
Education Programme Implementation and Technical Support:
Provide technical support to the Senior Project Officer in the implementation of UNESCO’s Education Programme
Support the Education Team in coordination and overseeing day-to-day programme activities to ensure they are carried out in line with agreed-upon work plans and timelines.
Provide technical support for the design and implementation of activities aimed at reforming pre- service and in-service teacher education and establishing systems for continuous professional development aligned with Competency-Based Education (CBE) principles.
Advise in building the institutional capacity of teacher training centres, education faculties, and professional development centers to deliver and sustain quality learning for educators at scale.
Ensure the delivery of quality outputs, including the development of training materials, guidelines, and capacity-building initiatives related to pre-service and in-service Teacher Training, in alignment with UNESCO priorities, including the focus on gender equality and equity
Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement:
Facilitate strong communication and collaboration between UNESCO, the line ministries, the private sector, and other national stakeholders involved in the Education Programme.
Support the Senior Project Officer and the Education Unit in liaising with international and national development partners, to ensure synergies between UNESCO’s interventions and broader development efforts in Uzbekistan.
Represent UNESCO at relevant technical meetings and working groups related to UNESCO’s areas of interest in the field of education.
Provide technical support for technical teams, implementing partners, and the government stakeholders to define recruitment needs, job profiles, and selection criteria that reflect the evolving demands of teacher education reform, to ensure coherence of the activities launched, develop synergies with existing UNESCO initiatives and to share best practices/lessons learnt.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):
Contribute the technical inputs in the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the progress and impact of programme.
Contribute to the analysis of programme performance data, identifying key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future interventions.
Support the preparation of regular progress reports and donor briefs in collaboration with the programme team.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing:
Contribute to design and implement capacity-building strategies for faculty members, teacher trainers, and institutional leaders to strengthen their ability to deliver CBE-aligned curricula, pedagogy, and assessment method.
Participate in organizing workshops, training sessions, and other capacity-building activities for government counterparts and education stakeholders.
Contribute to the development of knowledge products and resources that will help national stakeholders sustain and expand the impact of UNESCO’s education interventions.
Resource Mobilization and Reporting:
Developing, in consultation with the Senior Project Officer, funding proposals and concept notes for additional programme activities, in line with the identified needs and priorities of the education sector.
Identify and engage with additional partners willing to participate in current and/or future initiatives
Education :
Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Education, Social Sciences, International Development, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), or a related field.
Work Experience :
A minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience in the field of education.
Demonstrated experience working with government counterparts, international organizations, and development partners.
Skills :
In-depth knowledge of the education sector in Uzbekistan
Ability to develop innovative approaches in terms of strategic planning.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities efficiently. Proficiency in coordinating multi-stakeholder projects and partnerships.
Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
Ability to work in a collegial manner and build partnerships both within and externally to UNESCO
Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively deal with colleagues, partners and networks in private and public sectors in education and teacher development
Languages :
Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English.
