Consultant
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Level 3 - Senior Consultancy Closing soon: 9 Apr 2026
Type of contract : Consultant Contract
Level : Level 3 - Senior
Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station : Hanoi
Work location : Remote
Duration of contract : 4 months
Hiring open to : External candidates
Application deadline (Midnight UTC+7 Time / Hanoi time) : 10/04/2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
(Integrating Gender Equality and Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the curricula of Teacher Education Institutions, Viet Nam)
I. Background and Rationale:
Viet Nam’s education sector has undergone significant and transformative reforms in recent years, aimed at expanding equitable access, enhancing quality and well-being, and preparing learners and educators for the digital age. The Government of Viet Nam’s commitment to full-day schooling, alongside forthcoming reforms under the country’s first-ever Law on Teachers and revisions to the Education Law, signals a strong policy push to elevate the status, capacity, and working conditions of pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as school support staff. Within this reform context, gender equality has emerged as a national priority. The National Strategy on Gender Equality (2021–2030) mandates the systematic integration of gender content into the national curriculum and teacher education and training.
Since 2021, UNESCO—through its Office in Hanoi and with technical support from the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) —has worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), particularly the Department of Teachers and Educational Administrators (DTEA), the key agency responsible for teacher policy, legal reform, and serving as the focal point for the Advancement of Women in Education. This collaboration has focused on advancing gender equality (GE) and integrating comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) within teacher education. Most recently, this partnership produced a 2024 situation analysis[1] examining the integration of gender equality and CSE in both pre-service and in-service teacher training.
[1] UNESCO. (in press). Current State of Gender Equality and Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Teacher Education Institutions, Preschool, General and Continuing Educational Institutions
The findings underscore Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) as critical entry points and drivers for the effective and sustainable integration of GE and CSE across the education system. TEIs are encouraged to systematically review, revise, and institutionalize GE and CSE within pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes—either as standalone courses or as integrated components—drawing on national and international expertise. Strengthening the professional capacity of teacher educators, alongside institutional support mechanisms, is essential to enable confident, safe, and pedagogically-sound engagement with potentially sensitive and complex topics. TEIs are also well-positioned as hubs of innovation, particularly through engaging student teachers in the design and implementation of creative, digital, and youth-responsive learning and communication initiatives. In parallel, leveraging and expanding the national core, CSE master trainer network will be critical for quality assurance, peer learning, and scaling up of good practices across institutions. Strong coordination among TEIs, schools, health services, local authorities, parents, and communities is necessary to strengthen practicum opportunities, promote whole-school and “happy school” approaches, and ensure sustained access to accurate, age-appropriate GE and CSE for both student-teachers and learners.
In the last quarter of 2025, UNESCO Hanoi, with support from UNESCO Bangkok, supported a nationally-led curriculum review as a preparatory activity to integrate GE and CSE into undergraduate teacher education through eight core modules, including Gender and Reproductive Health Counselling; Educational Studies; Educational Psychology; Introduction to Literary Theory; STEM Education and Career Guidance; Population and Reproductive Health Education; Narrative Studies; and Emotional and Social Skills Education for Preschool Children. This work was led by faculty members from the Educational Psychology, Educational Studies, Literature, Engineering–Technology, and Biology programmes at Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE), and the Educational Psychology and Early Childhood Education programmes at Thai Nguyen University of Education (TNUE). While this marks an important milestone, there remains a clear need to further strengthen the capacity of participating teacher educators to effectively pilot and implement GE and CSE integration in both daily teaching practice and broader institutional settings.
Building on this foundation, MOET (through DTEA), in collaboration with UNESCO Hanoi and UNESCO Bangkok, will advance a set of interconnected and mutually reinforcing interventions aimed at strengthening the integration of GE and CSE within the core pre-service teacher education curriculum of TEIs, including through the application of gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP). These interventions are designed to support institutional capacity development, curriculum reform, and teacher educator professional learning, thereby contributing to long-term, system-level changes in pre-service teacher education.
The proposed work will strategically contribute to the implementation of the Gender Equality Action Plan (2026–2030), while directly supporting the implementation of ongoing reforms, with a strong focus on strengthening teacher education institutions and delivery of competency-based national curriculum in schools. By embedding gender equality and CSE within teacher education reform, the initiative will help translate national policy commitments into practical, system-level change, enhance day-to-day teaching practice, and foster stronger partnerships and an enabling environment for pre-service teacher preparation.
In this context, UNESCO Hanoi Office seeks the services of a suitably qualified International Individual Specialist to provide technical leadership and targeted capacity-building support to a national team of education experts, ensuring coherence, quality, and sustainability in the integration of GE and CSE within teacher education curricula.
The Individual Specialist will serve as a senior level advisor, technical mentor, expert trainer and module writer in support of national efforts coordinated by DTEA to enhance GE and CSE in initial teacher education. The assignment aims at providing strategic direction to DTEA, and capacity-building and mentoring support to a cohort of teacher educators and CSE Master Trainers, to integrate GE and CSE into TEI curricula so that graduate teachers have the requisite competencies to teach this content in Vietnamese schools. In carrying out the assignment, the Individual Specialist is expected to closely collaborate with a national team (approx. 5 persons) of technical experts, convened by DTEA, and comprising one representative of DTEA, selected representative(s) from two participating TEIs and two national CSE Master Trainers, in the co-creation of all technical outputs of the consultancy. The assignment will focus on 2 selected TEIs.
Key responsibilities include:
Key technical outputs include:
Preparatory phase:
1. Finalize the draft TEI curriculum mapping report.
i. Review key existing desk review materials that will be provided by UNESCO, including the 2024 national situation analysis report and the National Gender Equality Action Plan (2026–2030), in order to ensure alignment of the draft TEI curriculum mapping report already developed by the national team. Supplement the desk review with additional reference material, as necessary;
ii. In consultation with the national team, propose refinements to the draft TEI curriculum mapping report’s conclusions and recommendations, and provide technical support via virtual mentoring session(s), to the preparation of the national team for them to present the curriculum review outcomes in a half-day, hybrid validation meeting; co-create with the national team, the agenda for this validation meeting.
iii. Virtually participate in the validation meeting led by the national team to present the findings and recommendations of the mapping report (first revision) to an audience of heads and teacher educator personnel of the two participating TEIs and receive feedback.
iv. In-consultation with the national team, lead the revision and finalization of the mapping report (final revision) according to the feedback received, and recommendations endorsed during the validation meeting.
Implementation:
2. Co-design with the national team an agenda for two-day, in-person writing workshop designed to produce revised content of selected TEI courses that integrate GE and CSE, in line with the validated recommendations of the TEI curriculum mapping report. Provide technical support via virtual mentoring session(s), to the preparation of the national team for them to lead the delivery of the writing workshop and follow up with course developers and national team to finalize the revised modules through a total of at least two days of online sessions across the two participating TEIs.
3. Co-develop and co-facilitate with the national team, a training package and in-person training workshop for teacher educators of selected revised courses in the two participating TEIs. The training package and workshop are intended to capacitate the teacher educators to deliver the newly updated course curricula that have been enhanced with integrated GE and CSE content.
4. Draft a Guidance Note (maximum 15 A4 pages, plus Annexes) for integrating GE and CSE into TEI curricula, building on an existing outline already developed by the national team. The Guidance Note should be developed in consultation with the national team and provide a step-by-step approach to GE and CSE content integration into TEI curricula, documenting learning from the process in the initial two TEIs.
Wrap up and Closure
5. Prepare a consultancy final consolidated report (maximum 5 A4 pages, plus Annexes), including: a synthesis of lessons learned and practical recommendations for UNESCO and MOET on piloting, replicating, scaling, or adapting the approach for wider application across Vietnam’s teacher education system.
In line with UNESCO's overall gender mainstreaming strategy, the Individual Specialist is expected to integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible.
Tasks and number of anticipated days: (41 days in total)
Preparatory: 12 days
Implementation (including five-day onsite training and writing workshop delivery): 24 days
Wrap-up and closure: 5 days
Total: 41 days
The mission in Hanoi is tentatively scheduled for 4-10 May 2026 including travelling, total 7 days.
The International Individual Specialist will be home based in any location, working remotely. The Individual Specialist will be required to travel on missions directly related to projects and implementation during the assignment. The Individual Specialist should travel economy class and receive DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The International Individual Specialist is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations. Travel-related expenses (e.g. the cost of tickets, terminal fares and DSA) must be fixed and agreed between the parties. The Individual Specialist is responsible for obtaining UNDSS security clearance prior to each approved mission, with facilitation support from UNESCO Hanoi Office.
The International Individual Specialist will work under the overall authority of the Representative of the UNESCO Hanoi Office, the overall guidance of the Chief of Education Section, in conjunction with the National Education Officer of the UNESCO Office in Hanoi. In addition to the submission of contract deliverables, the International Individual Specialist will routinely engage with the UNESCO regional and country teams through emails and virtual meetings.
For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
EDUCATION
WORK EXPERIENCE
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Work Experience
Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following documents:
An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.
Short Approach to work (maximum 3, A4 pages) identifying the specific components of these TORs and how the intended objectives/outputs/delivery shall be addressed, and including specific references to relevant examples of successfully undertaking equivalent or comparable assignments
The proposed daily or monthly rates or the amount/budget to be charged in consultancy fees for the assignment, which should be quoted in USD and inclusive of all applicable taxes. The total consultancy fees should be broken down according to level of effort, time-on-task, or per output. Travel expenses should be calculated and indicated separately.
Additional Information
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.
To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted.
The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.
Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course.
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