Information & Communication Technology in Education Consultant, USAID, Center for Education

The presence of information and communication technology (ICT) in education has increased at an exponential rate. It is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury in fact due to COVID-19 and the proliferation of teaching and learning that are taking place in non-traditional settings. ICT offers innovative methods of educating students in a variety of contexts including: low- and middle-income countries; crisis and conflict zones; and hard-to-reach communities which are often the most marginalized. Development programs leveraging ICT rely on several methods of low- and high-technology, including digital approaches to improve learning outcomes at scale by developing greater efficiency and effectiveness of an education system.

The Center for Education must be prepared to provide guidance and pursue partnerships in this rapidly growing and promising impactful tool in the education sector. It is imperative that the Center has a thorough understanding of not only the applications and trends of education technology, but also the impact technology has in achieving the desired learning outcomes. Empirical data coupled with digital development principles and knowledge of global education technology (Ed Tech) trends will provide invaluable data for USAID leadership to have informed conversations and make evidence-based Ed Tech investment decisions.

The purpose of this STTA is to gather insights and best practices from USAID Missions and other key stakeholders to inform how education technology is advancing USAID's education priorities. The scope of work is to develop concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about the integration of technology in USAID education programs to achieve educational goals and what other stakeholders are doing. The work will be remote and entail conducting literature review, program report reviews, Key Informant Interviews (KII), reviews, and writing up findings.

The consultant will work remotely for a period from on or around September 16, 2024 to February 28, 2025. The expected level of effort for this consultancy is full-time for 5 months.

Under the supervision and collaboration of the ICT4E Advisor (USAID), the consultant will have the following duties and responsibilities:

Preliminary Planning:

• In collaboration with USAID, develop what aspects of education technology to review (type, purpose, processes) as well as identify appropriate education activities and their OUs

Literature Review and Planning:

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review (e.g., websites, ITR sites, EduLinks, Performance Plans and Reports, gray literature, Ed Tech assessment reports etc.)
• In collaboration with USAID, design interview questions and develop a detailed plan for conducting remote Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with Mission Staff and other key stakeholders such as government counterparts and implementing partners, as applicable

Conducting Key Informant Interviews (KIIs):

• Execute the planned KIIs, remotely engaging with relevant stakeholders
• Collect valuable insights, best practices, lessons learned, challenges, trends related to education technology in the education sector

Writing:

• Prepare a Best Practice Report based on the gathered information, which would include best practices, lessons learned, challenges, trends and recommended practices for various types of technologies by type, theme, and region
• Conduct two rounds of review and revision for the Best Practice Report
• Develop a slide deck presentation with key conclusions from the Best Practice Report

Dissemination & Use:

• In collaboration with USAID develop a dissemination plan and editorial calendar

Portfolio Backstopping:

• With direction from USAID, provide technical backstopping to the ICT4E Advisor's portfolio

• Bachelors degree and 5 years of experience, or Masters and 3 years of experience in education technology or related field
• Specialized experience in international development. Examples of specialized experience include:
  
  
  
  • Designing and/or implementing education and technology-related programming, including digital programming, emerging technologies and/or distance learning;
  • Monitoring, evaluating, and learning from educational technology programming;
  
  
  
  
• Proven ability to conduct research, literature reviews, and KIIs
• Experience in education and digital learning particularly in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) preferred
• Proven ability to synthesize key lessons learned into accessible and concise materials for various audience types
• Organized, detail oriented and proven communication skills