Consultant Cataloguing The Ibe Historical Archives

OVERVIEW
**Parent Sector**: Education Sector (ED)
**Duty Station**: Geneva
**Classification of duty station**: filter12
**Standard Duration of Assignement**: filter13
**Job Family**: Education
**Type of contract**: Non Staff
**Duration of contract**: From 1 to 6 months
**Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time)**: 01-JUN-2025
**UNESCO Core Values**: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
The UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) invites proposals for the professional cataloguing of its historical archives covering the period 1969-2000. These archives, approximately 82 linear meters of material, document a unique period in the development of international education policy and multilateral cooperation.
The archives, which include correspondence, Council documents, International Conference on Education (ICE) records, survey responses, photographs, and related materials, have not been systematically catalogued to date. The IBE seeks to create a full catalogue to facilitate research access and preservation planning.
2. Objectives
- Conduct a detailed listing, evaluation, and description of the archives following international archival standards.
- Catalogue and classify materials to support future access and potential digitization efforts.
- Produce a searchable finding aid that reflects the structure and content of the collection.

Long Description
3. Scope of work
**The selected contractor will**:

- Catalogue and describe the archives using standards such as MARC, RDA, ISAD(G), or DACS.
- Ensure multilingual description where appropriate (primarily English and French).
- Develop workflows and metadata for future digitization.
- Deliver a comprehensive, searchable catalogue, an archival listing, and a final project report with recommendations.

Long Description
4. Deliverables
Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO-IBE and the direct authority of the Head of Knowledge Creation & Management, the Consultant deliverables are:

- Cataloguing plan and methodology at project start.
- Completed catalogue in an agreed format (Excel, MARC, or similar).
- Final report detailing methodology, challenges, and recommendations for next steps.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) Professionalism (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in library and information science (or equivalent professional qualification).
- At least 2 years of experience cataloguing historical or special collections.
- Strong knowledge of cataloguing standards and archival description practices.
- Experience with multilingual collections (English and French).
- Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs on schedule.

Excellent knowledge of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested individuals are invited to submit to UNESCO-IBE the specific requirements through its Success Factors portal at UNESCO careers website.
Before uploading the document, at the end of the word document, please insert the extra pages with the following required information:
**A written proposal comprising**:
An up-to-date CV stating details of educational qualifications, work experience, including prior experience of similar work,
A brief proposal (1-2 pages) outlining the approach/methodology to undertake the assignment and,
A competitive fee for the assignment expressed on a monthly basis.
**Professional reference**: Contact details for at least one professional reference in the field of the assignment
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Evaluation criteria
**Proposals will be evaluated based on**:

- Technical quality and feasibility (40%)
- Relevant experience and qualifications (30%)
- Cost-effectiveness (20%)
- Proposed timeline and delivery schedule (10%)

Footer
UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.