TEFIQ Finnish Short Term Expert (Activities 1.1.1.1 & 1.1.1.2)

Business area:
Development Consulting

Country:
Ethiopia , East Africa

Qualifications required:
MA/ME.d, (preferably PhD) degree in Inclusive Education, Education, Special Needs Education, Curriculum and Instruction or related fields of study.

Professional experience required:
• Experience in developing educational frameworks, guidelines, manuals and strategies. • Experience in the development of the TECF and GECF is an asset. • Familiarity with international best practices in inclusive education and teacher training practices. • Proven track record in planning and executing ToT trainings for teacher educators.

Position length:
>Temporary

Position length:
Finnish STE will have a total of 34 working days (30 days for framework development and validation workshop, 4 days for delivering ToT).

Commencement:
The assignment will take place between March-May 2026.

Deadline:
Thursday, March 19, 2026

Apply for position

Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Development Preparation of Frameworks for integrating aspects of Inclusive Education into Teacher Training Modules and Practicum Guidelines, Conducting Validation Workshop and Providing Training of Trainers (ToT) Introduction The Technical Assistance for Teacher Education for Inclusion and Quality in Ethiopia (TEFIQ) is a bilateral project supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), with Regional Education Bureaus (REBs) of Amhara, Oromia and Sidama, selected Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs), Kotebe University of Education (KUE), and selected Inclusive Education Resource Centers (IERCs) and corresponding City Administration Education Departments (CAEDs). The project is implemented by NIRAS Finland Consulting Company. The outcome of the project is that teacher education institutions will have enhanced capacity to develop teacher education for inclusion. This will be achieved by providing technical support to the following three outputs: Output 1: Teacher educators integrate aspects of inclusive education in their courses and use inclusive pedagogy in practice. Output 2: Model Inclusive Education Resource Centers are developed to showcase child-friendly supportive environments with inclusive practice for learning of all. Output 3: Capacities are enhanced on inclusive curriculum development and related instructional materials across all levels of education administration and institutions. As part of output one activities, frameworks for integrating aspects of Inclusive Education into teacher training modules and practicum guidelines will be developed, ToT will be delivered and validation workshop conducted. In order to execute these activities, STEs (one Finnish and two national) will be procured. Detail description of the output area, indicators and activities are attached under Annex 1. Description of the assignment This activity involves a) development of framework for integrating aspects of inclusive education into teacher training modules and practicum guidelines, b) provide a four-day ToT training on the framework, and c) conducting one day validation workshop. Two separate frameworks will be developed: one for course modules and the other for practicum. The Frameworks will provide coherent and evidence-based reference for teacher educators to prepare course modules embedding inclusive education principles. The frameworks will be prepared in line with the principles and competencies indicated under the new Teacher Education Curriculum Framework (TECF). One Finnish and two national STEs will be procured to support the development of these frameworks. The Finish STE will lead the assignment remotely while the national STEs will be responsible for coordinating the activities at field level. The Finnish STE is expected to be physically present for the ToT and validation workshop. To ensure the framework's accuracy, contextual relevance, and alignment with TEFIQ's results framework, one-day validation workshop will be organized in Ethiopia involving 30 participants representing MoE, KUE, REBs and CTEs. The TEFIQ team national advisors will closely follow up and monitor the task. The maximum consultancy days including the validation workshop for the Finnish STE is 30 and for the national STEs 40 days each. In addition, for the delivery of the ToT, each STE will have 4 days. The same STEs should carry out the activities 1.1.1.1 & 1.1.1.2. Objectives of the Assignment The objective of this assignment is to develop and validate context sensitive and harmonized frameworks outlining how inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy principles can be effectively integrated into teacher training courses and practicum guidelines, and to deliver ToT. Specific objectives • Develop frameworks for integrating aspects of inclusive education into teacher training modules and practicum guidelines. • Ensure the developed frameworks are aligned with TEFIQ's results framework and TECF. • Organize a validation workshop with stakeholders to confirm the frameworks' accuracy, relevance, and alignment. • Provide ToT for 30 participants from CTEs, KUE, and REBs to be able to prepare modules and practicum guidelines based on the frameworks. Contents of the Frameworks The framework is expected to cover theoretical and practical features and procedures of course and practicum module development including but not limited to: • Conceptual and policy foundations (e.g. clear articulation of the philosophical, theoretical, and pedagogical foundations of teacher education, alignment with national education policies, strategies, and curriculum frameworks, reference to international standards and commitments such as inclusive education, and equity). • Purpose, goals, and learning outcomes (e.g. clear statement of the overall purpose of the module and practicum, specific, measurable learning outcomes such as subject matter competence, pedagogical and didactic skills, inclusive teaching practices, professional ethics and values, and reflective and inquiry-based practice) • Competency-based structure (e.g. module content, teaching and learning activities, and practicum experiences, and progressive development from theory to practice.) • Curriculum and content design (e.g. well-structured module units/chapters, contextual relevance to local school realities). • Assessment and evaluation (e.g. alignment of assessment with defined competencies and learning outcomes, balance between formative and summative assessment, and transparent assessment criteria and tools, such as written and oral tests, project and research reports, practical tests of experiments, observation checklists, teaching portfolios, reflective journals and performance rubrics) • Inclusion, equity, and safeguarding (e.g. child protection, professional conduct, and ethical standards during practicum, and explicit guidance on teaching learners with disabilities and diverse needs, gender-responsive pedagogy and language and cultural inclusivity). • Standard module formatting (font and layout, margin, topics and sub-topics, etc. Responsibilities The Finnish and the national STEs are tasked with the following responsibilities: • Review current teacher training modules and practicum guidelines to identify areas for integrating inclusive education/pedagogy. • Review existing module preparation and quality assurance guidelines CTEs are implementing. • Desk review of the Teacher Education Curriculum Framework (TECF) to ensure proper alignment with the framework developed. • Create a draft framework based on the review and ensure alignment with national education policies and the TEFIQ project goal. • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including MoE, REBs, CTEs, and IERCs, to gather inputs and ensure buy-in. • Present the draft framework to the validation workshop, collect feedback, and make necessary revisions. • Submit all the deliverables as per the agreed deadline. • Deliver ToT for 30 participants from CTEs, KUE, and REBs, focusing on the implementation of the framework. Methodology The activity will be executed through a combination of methods including desk review of relevant documents such as TECF, General Education Curriculum Framework (GECF) and course modules. It will also involve stakeholder consultations, and expert opinions. The Finnish STE will lead the assignment remotely while the national STEs will be responsible for coordinating and executing activities at field level within the TEFIQ target regions. The Finnish STE is expected to be physically present only for the ToT and validation workshop. Data collection methods • Desk review of existing training modules and practicum guidelines of CTEs and KUE. • Interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with module writers, teacher educators and officials regarding module development practices in CTEs and KUE. • Review and analyze existing policy documents related to inclusive education and inclusive pedagogy in teacher training. • Engage with TEFIQ national and regional technical advisors to share experiences and insights. Deliverables The following deliverables are expected from the consultants: a) Inception report outlining clear understanding of the assignment and detailed work plan. b) Outline of contents of the frameworks (course modules and practicum courses) with relevant topics. c) Module quality assurance checklist and other relevant annexes d) Draft frameworks with relevant field data and reports e) Submit training materials/PPT for the ToT f) Validation workshop conducted g) Submit report of validation workshop, feedback received, and any necessary revisions to the draft frameworks. h) Finalized frameworks within 5 days after the validation workshop. i) ToT delivered for 30 participants The tentative schedule of deliverables is as follows: Activities & Expected date of delivery Review of secondary data sources, submission of inception report and content outlines- March 27/2026 Preparation of draft frameworks-April 3/2026 Validation workshop-May 4/2026 Delivery of ToT-May 5-8/2026 Reporting and submission of all deliverables -May 15/2026 Working and Reporting Arrangements • The Consultants will work under the overall supervision of the TEFIQ team. They will also work in close collaboration with the MoE, REBs, CTEs and Kotebe University of Education. • Draft and final frameworks and reports will be submitted to the Chief Technical Advisor, Ms. Marja Matero and copied to Dr. Ali Sani ([email protected]) and Dr. Ahmed Esmael ([email protected]) Application Process • Finnish STEs: Send resume and necessary document to TEFIQ project Home Office Coordinator (HoC) Ms. Shalvi Sinha via email: [email protected] and copy to Marja Matero, Chief technical Advisor, [email protected].