Consultant Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Tajikistan

Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Tajikistan

Application Deadline: February 17, 2012

The Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan (OSIT) and the Open Society Foundations network are seeking to fill a contract position to support the Director and Deputy Directors of the National Testing Center (NTC) in the Republic of Tajikistan by providing direct day-to-day capacity building assistance to the NTC team.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve this mission, the Foundations seek to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, we build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros established the Open Society Foundations, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. Our activities have grown to encompass the United States and more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Each foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

The Open Society Education Support Program and its partners seek to promote justice and open society values in education reform and in education delivery by the state.

Background Information

The Government of Tajikistan has adopted a development strategy within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. The National Strategy for Education Development (NSED) from 2006-2015 is an integral part of this strategy. The NSED seeks to ensure effective and efficient delivery of quality education services for all. It includes five strategic goals related to improving management and performance, effectiveness of the system, quality education services at all levels, equitable access to basic education, merit-based access to tertiary education, and efforts to improve physical infrastructure. The Action Plan for the NSED includes the introduction of a National Testing Center to provide for equitable, transparent university entrance.

The Government of Tajikistan adopted the Charter for the NTC on January 27, 2010, with the following goals:

• Modernize a national, multilevel education system in the Republic of Tajikistan;
• Organize and administer testing for higher professional educational establishments (university) admissions and provide credible assessments of education outcomes for students from primary, basic, and comprehensive schools;
• Deliver a transparent centralized system of examinations for university admissions in the Republic of Tajikistan at the locations closest to students residency;
• Develop unified mechanisms for education quality monitoring;
• Build capacity for the Republic of Tajikistan’s involvement in the international assessment community.

As well as the capacity to deliver valid, reliable and credible examinations, tests and assessments at all levels of schooling, the NTC is charged with developing an assessment culture in Tajikistan through the provision of professional learning opportunities for teachers in interpreting results of assessments and through involvement in the international assessment community.

The Ministry of Education and the NTC have developed a Master Plan of Action (MPA) for the period 2011-2014. According to the MPA, the NTC will introduce a system of university entrance examinations by 2014 to allocate students a place in a university program based on their preferences, performance on a standardized examination, and availability of places. By 2014, it is also expected that the NTC will have the capacity to conduct national Grade-Level Assessments (GLAs). Finally, it is expected that the NTC will become financially self-sustainable in 2014, primarily as a result of the provision of fee-based services, as permitted by the NTC Charter.

The NTC is receiving financial and technical support from the World Bank’s READ funds and from the Open Society Foundations. This includes training for education experts in the development of valid test items, support for the development of an Operations Manual and procedures for administering tests, training of IT staff and provision of computer equipment for scoring tests, and renovation of space to house the NTC.

Per the Memorandum of Understanding between the NTC, the Ministry of Education, and OSI Tajikistan, the Open Society Fuondations are currently providing technical assistance for the development of tests through Anglia Assessment, Ltd. The NTC has also developed terms of reference for technical assistance to the university admissions process in order to begin recruitment early in 2012. Based on requests from the NTC, the World Bank and the Open Society Foundations will also provide technical support for a public information campaign to ensure that students, parents, and teachers are informed and assistance in developing university admissions procedures making use of the NTC’s assessment capacity.

Goal and Objectives

Through this terms of reference, the Open Society Foundations seek to identify an international expert who can provide day-to-day support to the Director and Deputy Directors of the NTC that includes capacity building for the core staff to manage the development and further sustainability of the NTC. This includes the following duties:

• To provide support to coordinate the technical assistance provided by donors, including the identification of appropriate consultants and experts as well as supporting the NTC senior management in managing the contributions of expert support already engaged;
• To coordinate various working and policy groups representing the input of stakeholders in education, including the NTC Advisory Group, the Management Oversight Group, the University Working Group, and others as identified by the senior management of the NTC;
• Aid in monitoring of the NTC’s projects’ implementation and any proposals necessary modifications to the NTC Operation Manual. By the request of the NTC management to conduct several on job trainings and help NTC management in project management and other management issues’ risen by the NTC;
  • Support the NTC and Ministry of Education in developing and implementing a public information campaign on the NTC and university entrance exam, including developing informational materials and holding seminars for teachers and local education department staff.
  • To support NTC in the eventual integration of program and student outcomes assessments at various grade levels to be determined in consultation with the Ministry of Education into the activities of the NTC;
  • Support the management and coordination of other activities as determined by the NTC Advisory Board.

Management of the Post

The consultant will report to the Executive Director of OSIAF Tajikistan, the Director of the Education Support Program and NTC Executive Director. This position is based in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and is estimated to be full time for a period of 15 months from March, 2012 to June, 2013. The Open Society Foundations offer competitive compensation and reimbursement of all reasonable business expenses.

Qualifications, Expertise and Skills Required

The successful applicant will demonstrate:

• An advanced degree in educational assessment or another relevant field and at least 10 years experience managing education development programs or projects;
• Demonstrated experience developing institutions charged with assessing student education outcomes for the purposes of university admissions and education policy development or managing similar programs or initiatives, preferably in the former Soviet Union;
• Knowledge of the debates, trends, and recent scholarship on assessment of student education outcomes and education policy around university admissions;
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex policy processes and dialogues, preferably in the former Soviet Union;
• Experience managing budgets and contracts, including consultants and other technical assistance inputs;
• Professional fluency in Russian and/or Tajik is strongly preferred;
• Willingness to relocate to Dushanbe, Tajikistan as described above.

To Apply

Please send a CV and covering letter detailing relevant experience to Nazarkhudo Dastambuev at nazarkhudo.dastambuev@osi.tajik.net by February 17, 2012.