Service provider: Education Expert or Expert team

Service description: Development of Curriculum and Modules on Civil Society role for including those in higher education institutions’ curriculum. 

Location:  RA regions, Yerevan

The project: STRIVE for a better future: communities and civil society resilience in Armenia (STRIVE)

Reports to: STRIVE Programme Director

Job implementation duration: 4 months, expected start date: 2024 February (to be planned together with the selected expert)

Deadline: 2024 February 15

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; NEF reserves the right of conducting interviews before the closing date and can close the advertisement earlier in case of finding a suitable Expert or Expert Team.

1. ASSIGNMENT MAIN GOAL

       1.1. Project description:

STRIVE for a better future: communities and civil society resilience in Armenia (STRIVE) aims to improve the resilience, sustainability, accountability, and capacity for innovation of Armenian civil society organisations․ The project includes different components such as CSOs organisational capacity improvement, targeted financial support, social innovation projects’ implementation by non-formal groups, networking and cooperation strengthening among CSOs, promotion of volunteerism.

In the long run, to enhance the sustainability of civil society and to raise society’s level of awareness about CSOs, the STRIVE team plans to cooperate with the higher educational institutions
to develop and implement curriculum with distinct modules, which will allow a large number of students to learn about the importance of CSOs’ role in Armenian society.

Within this component of the project, it is planned to conduct research and develop curriculum and modules that will include (but not be limited to) the following sections:

• The role of civil society
• The crucial and diverse set of roles of CSOs
• The history and importance of civil society
• The operational and programmatic models employed by pioneer CSOs
• CSOs’ role and contribution to socio-economic and public processes in Armenia

The curriculum modules developed can be accredited as a separate, optional subject, depending on the internal educational context and needs of each higher education institution. In order to
complete the course and receive credits according to the institution's current regulations (if necessary), students may be required to carry out and validate a short internship at a local CSO or develop a community initiative in partnership with a local CSO.

The curriculum modules will be piloted in three higher education institutions within two years. By the end of the project, they will have been endorsed at least by five universities.

         1.2. Job Description:

• In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of RA and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of RA, the expert(s) will identify the priority topics for the curriculum, the format of modules, possible ways of their implementation at universities, methodology, etc. Expected topics should include (but are not limited to):

✔ Civil society history, system, structure, organisations
✔ The importance of civil society and its role in political decision-making
✔ Types and cycles of partnership and dialogue between civil society and the state
✔ Matrix, levels, and degrees of civic participation
✔ CSOs, their financial stability, social entrepreneurship
✔ Etc.

• Support the process of signing memoranda of understanding between the STRIVE programme and universities.
• Facilitate workshops in RA regions and in Yerevan, which will be attended by professors, experts, representatives from CSOs, and other interested parties (average 15 participants, the list of which will be agreed with the project team in advance).
• Based on the results of the workshops, develop curriculum modules and teaching methodology in accordance with the educational standards set for the higher educational institution.
• Make recommendations regarding optimal modalities (e.g., on-campus and/or online (self-paced or concurrent)).
• Make recommendations regarding ideal target audience (e.g., students of social science disciplines and/or those who want to complement their degree programme with coursework on the importance of civil society and civic engagement).
• Make recommendations based on the feasibility of (1) the course being offered for formal accreditation where students receive college credit towards the fulfilment of a degree programme, and/or (2) a certificate for continuous learning / professional development.
• Conduct training courses on the methods of using the curriculum modules for the lecturers of the relevant departments of universities.
• Organise testing of educational modules by trained lecturers to 15 students who participate in each test course.
• Assess potential risks associated with the implementation of the new curriculum and outline ways to manage them.
• Support piloting of the curriculum modules in public administration, political and humanitarian faculties of universities.
• Prepare a final educational package, including educational material, thematic plan, teaching methodology, and practical module (an electronic version in Armenian language, which will also include additional materials and links for teaching in Russian/English).

       2. SCHEDULE / REPORT

       Report I

Submission Deadline: 7th day from the date of signing the contract (pay 10% of the total amount of the contract)․

Content of Deliverable:

• Preliminary report: schedule, work plan, list of beneficiaries, partners.

        Report II

Submission Deadline: end of the 2nd month (pay 25% of the total amount of the contract) ․

Content of Deliverable:

• Report on research workshops․
• Preliminary version of the curriculum modules․

       Report III

Submission Deadline: end of the 3rd month (pay 25% of the total amount of the contract).

Content of Deliverable:

• Drawing up a curriculum, methods of applying modules and implementation of trainings in higher educational institutions․
• Piloting the training modules by trained persons under the expert supervision․

        Report IV

Submission Deadline: end of the service (pay 40% of the total amount of the contract)․
Content of Deliverable:

• Delivery of the final set of curriculum modules based on research and piloting.

*For the development of curriculum, piloting and implementation, invoices will be paid within 5 working days after signing the act of acceptance for each reporting stage.

         3. REQUIREMENTS

         3.1 Required qualifications and skills

• Master’s degree in public administration, political and humanitarian sciences
• Work/teaching experience in relevant field (at least 5 years)
• Good knowledge of higher and post-graduate professional education standards, experience in creating/revising modules
• Experience in developing educational modules
• Experience in working in international projects
• Experience in planning and conducting workshops
• Experience of working with state structures, especially universities
• Good knowledge of the Armenian language
• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to work individually and in a team
• Knowledge of the English language is preferable.

       3.2 Application Submission

       Deadline: 2024 February 15

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; NEF reserves the right of conducting interviews before the closing date and can close the advertisement earlier in case of finding a suitable Expert or Expert Team.

Please apply by submitting the below information in the English language on the Near East Foundation’s career page at https://neareast.bamboohr.com/careers/337?source=aWQ9MTc%3D:

• CV in an extended format (e.g., Europass CV) for Expert or Expert team members
• Presentation of similar work examples done in the past (in electronic version, with links if available)
• Brief description of curriculum development activities, including financial proposal and schedule.
• Contacts of 1-2 references (including previous employer)

Financial proposals should be inclusive of all costs.

Individual consultants or consultant teams who can cover the full range of required competencies are welcome to apply.

Kindly note only finalists will be contacted.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation and its affiliates by visiting the NEF website (www.neareast.org).

23 January 2024, Tuesday | 534