The purpose of this consultancy is to provide strategic and technical leadership to operationalize UNICEF Pakistan’s Digital Learning Roadmap and position digital learning as a driver of equity, resilience, and improved learning outcomes. The consultant will provide strategic and technical leadership for the design, contextualization, implementation, and monitoring of UNICEF Pakistan’s Digital Learning Roadmap, with a core focus on improving access and learning outcomes for out-of-school children (OOSC), children in school but not learning, and other hard-to-reach and marginalized learners. The consultant will focus:
Translate global strategies and national analyses into a contextualized roadmap tailored to Pakistan’s realities.
Ensure digital solutions strengthen both formal and non-formal education pathways, particularly for out-of-school children, underserved in-school learners, adolescent girls, children with disabilities, and learners in emergencies or climate-affected areas.
Support the design and rollout of interactive, inclusive, and self-paced digital content aligned with national curricula and adaptable for multiple platforms.
Provide technical oversight for flagship initiatives, including the Google for Education partnership in Punjab, ensuring scalability, sustainability, and integration into government systems.
Promote climate-resilient and crisis-responsive digital learning models, capable of maintaining continuity of education during floods, school closures, or other shocks.
Build government and partner capacity in digital education planning, implementation, and monitoring, embedding inclusive EdTech practices in policy and practice.
Drive multi-stakeholder collaboration with government, EdTech firms, telecoms, CSOs, and academia to secure investment, innovation, and accountability.
In consultation with UNICEF output leads across provinces, the consultant will ensure that digital learning in Pakistan evolves from isolated pilots to a coherent, system-wide, and resilient strategy, expanding equitable access to quality education and safeguarding learning for every child—especially in times of crisis and disruption.
Vision and Roadmap Development:
Lead the development and refinement of a national Digital Learning Roadmap for Pakistan, guided by the UNICEF Digital Learning Landscape Analysis (2023), the UNICEF Digital Education Strategy 2025–2030, national education policies, and international best practices.
Provide technical leadership and oversight for flagship initiatives, including the Google for Education partnership in Punjab, ensuring operationalization, scalability, and integration into provincial and national education systems.
Inclusive and Quality Digital Solutions:
Design inclusive digital learning strategies and quality assurance frameworks tailored to the needs of out-of-school children, adolescent girls, children with disabilities, crisis-affected learners, and underserved in-school learners across all provinces.
Advise on the integration and deployment of scalable and inclusive digital learning systems, including LMS platforms, devices, and localized content verticals (e.g., foundational literacy/numeracy, life skills, climate, digital skills), leveraging frontier technologies such as AI where appropriate.
Resilience, Access, and Innovation:
Promote climate-resilient, blended, and remote learning models that are cost-effective, flexible, and adaptable to reach marginalized learners, particularly in emergencies, remote settings, and disaster-prone areas.
Convene and coordinate diverse stakeholders—government, EdTech firms, telecom providers, CSOs, and academia—to leverage technology, innovation, and investment toward system-wide improvement and equitable access.
System Strengthening and Evidence Generation:
Strengthen national and provincial capacities for digital education planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, embedding inclusive EdTech practices and safeguarding standards into education systems.
Facilitate evidence generation, learning, and adaptive scaling by developing M&E frameworks and documenting effective models to inform national policies and strategies, with a focus on reaching the hardest-to-reach learners.
If you would like to know about the work assignment and expected results from this consultancy, please review the complete TORs here: Download File Digital Learning Consultant, Education.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
Advanced university degree (Master’s or above) in Education Technology, ICT4D, Instructional Design, or a closely related field. Bonus points for PhD or additional certifications in digital inclusion or EdTech leadership.
Work Experience & Skills:
Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in digital learning, with demonstrated success in reaching OOSC or underserved populations. Experience in Pakistan or a similar LMIC context.
Technical expertise in LMS, content design, device rollout, and inclusive digital pedagogy and AI for learning. Previous consultancy with UNICEF, World Bank, or global EdTech initiatives.
Demonstrated experience working with LMS platforms, content repositories, digital devices for education, integration with education information systems (e.g., EMIS), and AI-enabled tools for learning. Familiarity with QA standards and tools for digital learning, including experience with the Google suite of education platforms and tools.
Proven ability to design or implement digital learning solutions for out-of-school children, children with disabilities, girls, and learners in hard-to-reach contexts (e.g., emergencies, rural areas, non-formal education settings).
Familiarity with the Pakistan education sector, provincial contexts, and UNICEF’s Global Digital Learning Strategy. Critical understanding of the key challenges and recommendations mentioned in the UNICEF Digital Learning Landscape Analysis conducted by EdTech Hub and ability to apply its findings.
Google Certified Trainer or Google Certified Educator (level 2).
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required. Knowledge of another local language is an asset
