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UNESCO, in collaboration with the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) and Ministry of Education and Training seek the services of a consultant to develop school guidelines on cybersafety and prevention and responding to cyberbullying. The development of the school guidelines will include development of a framework to guide administrators, teachers, parents and librarians to assist schools to adopt standardized guidelines for cyberbullying and cybersafety. The consultant will develop both documents and submit to ESCCOM, Ministry of Education and Training and UNESCO for approval and onward submission for policy endorsement.

Globally and nationally, a significant number of adolescents and young people face school violence and bullying including cyberbullying, affecting their health, well-being and education. School related violence is an infringement of AYP’s rights to education and their health and well-being. Violence and bullying in schools deprives millions of children and adolescents of their fundamental right to education. Global concern about learners’ mental health and well-being continues to grow, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on learners. 

A recent UNESCO report revealed that more than 30% of the world’s students have been victims of bullying, with devastating, immediate, mid- and long-term consequences on academic achievement, school dropout, and physical and mental health. Exposure to the risks of violence and bullying has increased for many learners where education systems are not fully prepared for the increased use of digital technology in teaching and learning. Schools are meant to be safe and supportive environments for learners and teachers, but evidence shows this is not always the case, as, for many, they can be spaces where violence and bullying affect everyone. The strong links between mental health and violence in school are worrying experiences as violence, bullying and discrimination at school can contribute to poor mental health and affect learning, while feelings of safety are linked to better mental health and education outcomes. 

The Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) is a regulatory body established in terms of the Eswatini Communications Commission Act, 2013. In terms of section 52 of the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act, 2022, The Commission is enjoined to regulate and coordinate matters of Cybersecurity. To this end the Commission has received several reports and requests from schools seeking intervention to curb this pandemic. In response the Commission has been conducting school visits to schools on invitation and has conducted radio awareness sessions on EBIS 1. There remains a gap in providing systematic and evidence-based interventions to address the escalating scourge. There is a pressing need for more robust awareness initiatives addressing school related violence, bullying including cyberbullying, child pornography, and the risks they pose to AYP. 

To achieve this the Government of Eswatini strives to end violence and promote good mental health in schools to ensure learners learn and thrive in safe and supportive spaces. To support government, UNESCO Through the O3 Programme UNESCO implements interventions to prevent and respond to school related violence. Through the Connect with Respect (CwR) guides teachers in lower secondary schools to deliver a range of activities with students. In Eswatini the CwR tools are being used to contribute to the LSE curriculum review to ensure that the curriculum mainstreams CwR principles and values. Further to this in partnership the Ministry of Education and Training, together with partners, is conducting school visits to raise awareness on the prevention and response to school related violence. To this end, government seeks to end school violence and ensure learners learn and thrive in safe supportive spaces and engage in responsible online behaviors. It is within this context that ESCCOM, MoET and UNESCO aim to implement this program to raise awareness, build resilience, and enhance the policy environment, thereby fostering responsible digital citizenship among students in Eswatini schools.

The government with support from UNESCO is seeking the services of a consultant to develop Cyberbullying and Cyber safety guidelines for schools with frameworks for administrators, teachers, librarians and parents. Using guidelines available in the region, the consultant will develop, and package guidelines for schools for printing. The consultant will work with MoET, ESCCOM and partners to lead the development process and ensure coordination. The guidelines will be packaged into (i)policy document, (ii) posters with infographics and (iii)pledge forms. The guidelines will provide guidance on how to add clauses on adherence to the guidelines to school code of conduct.

Specifically, the consultancy will conduct the following activities:

• Conduct desk review of cyber-safety guidelines in country, in the region and globally to gather best practices, emerging themes and guidance for the national documents. 
• Facilitate a two-day meeting that will be held with ESCCOM, UNESCO, Ministry of Education, UNICEF, CSOs and SNAT representative to develop cybersecurity guidelines for schools. 
• Develop national guidelines on cyber safety for schools, administrators, teachers, librarians and parents. 
• Conduct 1 day validation meeting with ESCCOM, UNESCO, Ministry of Education, UNICEF, CSOs and SNAT representative to present draft guidelines and receive comments. 
• Revise guidelines in line with comments from validation meeting and submit document for approval of Ministry of Education. 
• Revise guidelines in line with MoET comments and share print ready version for editing and printing. 

There will be six main deliverables:

• Inception report that includes the following: 

  (a) Outline of the review of scope of work and workplan including timelines 

  (b) Desk review of guidelines in country, regionally and globally 

  (c) Updated list of core team including specified partners and other UN agencies, CSOs and representation of youth led organizations. 

• Facilitate and guide participants development of standardized school guidelines for cyberbullying and cybersafety. 
• Develop a national framework for administrators, teachers, parents and librarians to on cybersafety, prevention and response to cyberbullying in line with the school guidelines. 
• Draft guidelines presented to task team 
• Revised guidelines presented to MoET, ESCCOM and UNESCO 
• Print ready guidelines submitted to UNESCO 

The consultant will work with ESCCOM, MoET, and UNESCO staff in country to agree on the process for the consultancy. The guidelines will be approved by ESCCOM and the Ministry of Education and Training before being accepted as a final deliverable.

The assignment will start on 28 October to 28 January 2024

• 20% upon submission of the Inception Report
• 30% upon submission of the guidelines development meeting report and draft school guidelines and framework for administrators, teachers, librarians and parents.
• 30% upon submission of the Revised draft guidelines and framework for administrators, teachers, librarians and parents
• 20% upon approval of the Final Draft.

Consultant will work closely and consultatively with the task team including ESCCOM, MoET and UNESCO.

The successful organization will have the following:

Mandatory:
o Consultant with a bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field of study such as IT, computer science, information security, Cybersecurity, engineering.
o Certificate in Cyber Security Practices is an added advantage.
o Three years or more experience proven experience in cyber security.
o Technical background in social and behavioral change communication in relevant areas such as adolescent sexual reproductive health and HIV education; Life Skills Education (LSE); public health in general.
 

Desirable:
• Excellent communication skills, in both written and spoken English and Siswati.