Education Expert: School Guidance Counselling Development

About the project

Algeria’s ambitious plans for education reform seek to improve key aspects of its school system, including the centralised nature of the system, teaching quality, numbers of school drop-outs and failure rates in the school leaving certificate.  The Ministry of National Education (MoNE) is keen to learn from best practice to develop an effective accelerated approach to education reform.  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded the Supporting School Reform Project from 2016 and 2019.  The project is implemented by the British Council.

The project works with MoNE in Algeria developing capacity at the education ministry, inspectorate and school levels in pedagogy, school leadership, and quality assurance.  

To support the next phase of education planning, MONE has asked for support to identify key issues surrounding guidance and support to students in school.   MONE’s observation of the tasks of school counsellors (conseillers d’orientation et de guidance orientation) in their education system highlights issues with monitoring and psychological support to pupils with difficulties. Areas they would like support in are related to the counsellor recruitment and induction logic, including the nature and scope of their initial training (including psychology; sociology; education sciences etc.).  Related issues include ICT and the socio-constructivist pedagogical vision embedded in teaching curricula.

In this context, school guidance advisors face issues related to identifying pupils’ difficulties, psychological support and assistance and also related to educational and career choices.  MONE would like school counsellors to benefit from quality training, delivered to them through the team of central inspectors, to improve their professional skills so they, in turn, can provide better support to students. 

About the role

The aim of the consultancy is to strengthen the professional skills of guidance counsellors to enable them to provide better psychological support and academic advice to pupils. Capacity building will be delivered primarily through trainer training delivered to a team of national education inspectors who work on orientation and school guidance. 

We seek a consultant to:

1.Conduct a needs analysis, based on available documentation, discussions with relevant Government officers and with the project team. 

2.Deliver and evaluate the training of inspectors and agree with the project team appropriate follow-up support to trainees.

3.Write a competencies booklet for use by school counsellors.  

4.Final report on inputs, including observations, conclusions and recommendations

Timings for the above inputs will be agreed with MONE, with needs analysis planned for October and the final task to be completed by March 2019.  We anticipate that this work can be delivered in up to 3 country visits and involve a maximum of 30 consultancy days.

Qualifications and experience required

Interested candidates should have the following qualifications, skills and professional experience:

Essential

• Knowledge and experience of working in school counselling and/or careers guidance
• Familiarity with issues that affect students’ psycho-social well being
• Experience in carrying out primary research and use of investigatory tools and techniques
• Experience in or understanding of the education systems in the Middle East and North Africa, with knowledge of the challenges facing the education system in Algeria an advantage
• Excellent training and presentation skills
• Excellent writing and analytical skills including in report writing
• Stakeholder relationship management skills, including evidence of working with government ministries in developing or emerging countries 
• Diplomatic, culturally-sensitive approach and ability to represent the British Council in a professional manner
• Fluency in English
• Flexibility is required, as systems and procedures in Algeria can sometimes lead to revisions of timelines 

Desirable

• A post-school qualification in a related field or more than ten years’ experience of working on enrolment and access projects 
• Excellent and effective (verbal and written) communication skills in French and/or Arabic 

If you are interested, please send your CV tailored to the above requirements to enquiries.development@britishcouncil.org with the title Education Expert: School Guidance Counselling Development

Please note we will respond to successful applicants within five working days of the application deadline.