STEM National Consultant for Samoa

The National Consultant for Samoa will provide technical expertise to enhance STEM education by leading the design and development of a STEM Skills Demand Assessment, facilitating curriculum enhancement, and developing guidelines for STEM laboratories and hubs. The role involves collaboration with education stakeholders to ensure gender-transformative and evidence-based STEM curricula and learning environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a comprehensive STEM Skills Demand Assessment to identify gaps in foundational STEM competencies and their alignment with skills demand at primary, secondary, and post-school levels.
• Conduct reviews of STEM context, policies, curricula, and standards, including gender-related gaps and disparities.
• Lead data collection and analysis through stakeholder consultations and surveys to identify skills in demand and foundational competencies.
• Organize and facilitate national stakeholder consultations to present and validate findings.
• Draft the STEM Skills Demand Assessment Report with technical recommendations for gender-transformative STEM education.
• Translate foundational STEM competencies into curriculum implications and provide technical direction for curriculum enhancement.
• Work with curriculum officers and stakeholders to contextualize guidance ensuring alignment with national policies and gender-transformative considerations.
• Develop guidelines for STEM laboratories and hubs including design, safety standards, equipment, accessibility, and maintenance.
• Lead national consultations to ensure relevance and ownership of curriculum and lab/hub guidelines.
• Facilitate working sessions to adapt international methodologies to Samoa’s context.
• Support alignment of guidance with national processes and policies.
• Maintain linkage between Skills Demand Assessment findings, curriculum guidance, and STEM labs/hubs guidelines to support competency development.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in Education, International Development, STEM, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in STEM education, curriculum development, teacher education, or project management, with a focus on STEM education.
• Proven experience in STEM curriculum enhancement, particularly in developing countries or small island developing states (SIDS) and in Samoa.
• Expertise in gender-transformative approaches in STEM education and promoting gender equality in education, particularly in the context of STEM education.
• Demonstrated experience in designing or advising on STEM labs, makerspaces, innovation hubs, or hands-on STEM learning environments, including equipment specification, maintenance, safety, layout, and technology integration.
• Experience providing technical guidance to governments, curriculum institutions, or national expert teams.
• Familiarity with UNESCO’s education standards and international education frameworks.

Skills

• STEM Education
• Curriculum Design
• Teacher Education
• Project Management
• STEM Curriculum Enhancement
• Gender Transformative Approaches
• Gender Equality in Education
• STEM Labs Design
• Makerspaces Development
• Innovation Hubs Design
• STEM Learning Environments
• Equipment Specification
• Laboratory Biosafety
• Technology Implementation
• Technical Guidance
• Education Stakeholder Collaboration
• UNESCO Education Standards
• International Education Frameworks

Languages

English