Consultancy - Mapping of the Integration of the Education, Environment and Climate Change Sectors in Public Policies and Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, LACRO, Panama City

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Background

As the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reveals, the current climate emergency and other environmental sustainability crises have their origin in human behavior. The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region is characterized by extreme inequality, now exacerbated by COVID-19, together with high levels of vulnerability to climate change and environmental degradation. The impacts of this crisis in LAC region includes altered rainfall patterns, increased extreme heat, increased risks of drought and flooding, reduced sizes of tropical glaciers, reduced runoff, ocean acidification, and increased intensity and frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes. In Small Island Developing States (SIDS), there is also a high risk that sea level rise will lead to significant losses of land and beaches, the mainstay of their economies.

These impacts, together with practices that generate environmental degradation, challenge the region's societies in many ways, affecting access to and enjoyment of economic and social rights such as health, education, food, nutrition and decent employment. Climate change also has impacts in terms of migration trends, generating conflicts over drinking water and other natural resources and affecting livelihoods. Although this phenomenon affects all societies, it is children and adolescents who suffer disproportionately, despite being the least responsible. Specific impacts on children and adolescents include disruptions in educational services, lack of access to clean water and nutritious food, increased child morbidity and mortality, and an increase in child labor and violence against children, affecting their psycho-social and socio-emotional well-being, among others. The climate crisis is a child rights crisis.

At a time when humanity is facing an uncertain, unstable, and increasingly complex future, it is essential to deepen the implementation of policies and actions focused on access to quality education on and for sustainable development. In particular, the potential of children, adolescents and young people as agents of change must be strengthened from the school level, placing education at the center of their empowerment to understand, make decisions, participate and lead policy processes and initiatives that address the main challenges related to climate change. To change current environmental trends and ensure a sustainable future it is required a radically different approach to development (1).

This requires transformational changes in the vision and purposes of education that consider the involvement of multiple stakeholders within and outside the school context. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD 2004-2015) aimed to integrate the principles and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning to foster changes in knowledge, values and attitudes with the vision of promoting a more sustainable and equitable society for all people. It motivated to work collaboratively to reorient education systems towards sustainable development. However, considerable challenges remain, such as greater alignment with other related sectors, the need to ensure strong political support for implementation at a systemic level, and the need for more research, innovation, monitoring and evaluation to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of good practices in education to achieve sustainable development (2).

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development captures these ideals primarily through its Sustainable Development Goal on quality education (SDG 4) and in particular its target 4.7 which places Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a key element in fostering quality, inclusive and equitable education. This target calls on education systems to introduce ESD into national education policies, curriculum frameworks, professional teacher training and student assessments from an integrated perspective. ESD enables all generations to understand the causes and impacts of climate change and strengthens values and behaviors so that students are better able to make decisions and take actions to protect the environment for the sustainability of present and future life. In particular, ESD supports countries in meeting their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In addition, the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), which brings together UN agencies, international NGOs and several global and regional networks, is currently seeking to expand its focus on school resilience, from safety in the context of natural disasters to longer-term risks and issues such as climate change and environmental sustainability through the revision of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSS).

How can the education sector contribute to tackling climate change and building more resilient and sustainable societies? How can education contribute to promoting changes in people's vision, attitude and behavior to address climate change in every sphere of life and society? While countries are implementing a wide range of measures to ensure continuity of education and have started with the reopening of schools (3), debates have begun to take place on how to redefine the goals of education, the processes of learning and teaching, as well as the role of educational institutions in preparing students to understand the world we live in, become more resilient and contribute to more democratic, peaceful, inclusive and sustainable environment and societies.

For this, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNEP have partnered together since 2021, and have developed a conceptual document Accelerating Climate Action through the Education Sector: Regional Guidelines for Decision Makers in Latin America and the Caribbean was generated. This document provides education policy makers and other relevant sectors with conceptual guidance for defining strategic priorities to foster climate action through their area, in support of the 2030 Education for Sustainable Development and Comprehensive Safe School frameworks, as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As a continuation of this work, consulting services are requested for the development of a regional mapping on the status of environmental education for sustainable development in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

(1) PNUMA, 2021. GEO-4 YOUTH. (2) UNESCO (2014), Shaping the future we want: UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; final report (3) Ver Marco de la UNESCO UNICEF - Banco Mundial PMA - ACNUR para la reapertura de las escuelas.

Purpose of the Assignment

This consultancy seeks to develop a baseline mapping of the integration and linkage of the environment and climate change in education sector including in public policies of South America and the Caribbean to help identify the current situation, gaps, challenges and opportunities and guide the collective efforts that should be implemented to accelerate climate action through education in the region.

Specific Tasks

The work will be focused on the formal education. The consultancy work will also be based on the analysis of the curricular content of 3rd and 6th grade developed by OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, the analysis of the NDC childsensitivity developed by UNICEF, and the NAP analysis developed by UNEP.

The consultant will work under the joint supervision of UNICEF LACRO, UNEP ORLAC, OREALC/UNESCO Santiago and MERI Foundation, ensuring the development of an articulated/ coherent and coordinated work with the UNEP ORLAC consultancy that will be developing a unified mapping exercise focusing on Central America and Mexico. This will involve the design of a convergent work plan and the joint and coordinated implementation of activities to achieve unified results. The development of this joint work will be led by UNICEF.

To achieve the objective of this consultancy, the following actions are expected to be carried out (not an exhaustive list):

• Identify valid and relevant environmental education and sustainable development laws, policies, strategies, plans and national programmes in South America and the Caribbean countries.
• Identify relevant existing national climate and environmental laws, policies, strategies, plans and programs that integrate educational components in the countries of South America and the Caribbean, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), among others.
• Review of National Climate Change Adaptation Strategies adopted by countries in South America and the Caribbean for the elaboration of national summaries of the integration of education as a strategy for the achievements of goals.
• Collect, analyze, and systematize studies, research, working documents and other sources of information at national and regional level that may be useful for mapping purposes, gathering primary information based on existing gaps as needed (surveys, interviews, etc.).
• Design an analysis methodology for the development of the research. This methodology should be based on the conceptual guidelines established in the report "Accelerating climate action through the education sector: Regional Guidelines for Decision Makers in Latin America and the Caribbean" developed by UNESCO, UNICEF and UNEP. The methodology should be designed in a format that facilitates its subsequent updating.
• Identify ministerial and inter-ministerial strategies and lessons learned in the development and implementation of effective environmental education for the acceleration of climate action in South America and the Caribbean.
• Prepare a state-of-the-art analytical document of current national environmental education laws, policies, strategies, plans and programmes on formal education, environment and climate change implemented by government institutions, including identifying progress, gaps, opportunities and challenges at the country and regional level in Latin America and the Caribbean. This implies the incorporation of the findings of the study developed by UNEP. Integrate graphics that allow visualization of the findings.
• Generate recommendations to guide the design and coordinated implementation of ministerial and interministerial environmental education strategies and enhance the impact of existing and successful educational programs.
• Co-design, implement and lead an online consultation process with key stakeholders in formal environmental education in Latin America and the Caribbean to enable a thorough understanding of the landscape, validate the research and develop timely recommendations to strengthen and accelerate the environmental education agenda at country and regional levels. To this end, the consultant should carry out a national and regional mapping of key actors in environmental education and make the necessary arrangements to ensure their participation. At least 4 spaces are expected to be developed in the stages of methodology design, information gathering, presentation of results and definition of recommendations.
• Accommodate other tasks proposed by the supervisory team or the consultant to achieve the objectives of the study.

Expected Results [measurable]

1. An inception report prepared and approved.
2. A taskforce with national and regional key stakeholders for environmental education is established and actively participating in the process.
3. A methodology for analysis developed and approved.
4. A state-of-the-art analysis document of national climate and environmental education laws, policies, strategies, plans and programs (both in the education and environmental and climate sectors) developed and identifying progress, gaps, opportunities, and challenges.
5. A mapping of ministerial and inter-ministerial strategies developed and identifying lessons learned and replicable good practices.
6. Recommendations developed and approved.
7. At least four (4) working spaces (focus groups/ workshops) with the taskforce developed.
8. A final consolidated document generated, together with its executive summary.
9. A synopsis of the organized workshops prepared and approved.

Deliverables

Description****Duration [in days]****Expected deadline****Product 1 Inception report. Includes the work plan, timeline of the activities and the national and regional stakeholder mapping for the consultation process.15 days after signing the contract.April 25, 2022.Product 2 - Methodology. Includes the proposed and validated analysis methodology.30 days after signing the contract.May 10, 2022.Product 3 - State of the art document on environmental education. Includes the analysis of national laws, policies, strategies, plans and programs.60 days after signing the contract.April 25, 2022.Product 4 - Good practices and recommendations document. Includes a mapping of ministerial and inter-ministerial strategies, good practices and lessons learned identified.90 days after signing the contract.June 9, 2022.Product 5 - Progress document. Includes a draft of the final document with the methodology, national framework analysis, mapping of strategies and recommendations, as well as all relevant annexes and graphics.105 days after signing the contract.July 24, 2022.Product 6 - Final document and executive summary. Includes the final document of the study at regional level (with annexes and workshops synopsis (this document will not exceed 100 pages) and executive summary.120 days after signing the contract.August 8, 2022.To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in relevant fields such as education, pedagogy, environmental education, sustainable development or other related subjects.
• A first level university degree in combination with at least 7 (seven) years of relevant professional qualification and experience may be accepted in substitution of the advanced university degree.
• Possession of a graduate degree in the areas of environmental, nature and climate sciences will be considered an advantage.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of proven professional experience in the development and implementation of public policies, programs and/or projects of environmental education and/or education for sustainable development.
• At least 5 years in the development of analysis and research related to the areas of environmental education and/or education for sustainable development.
• Previous experience in the Latin American and Caribbean region related to environmental education and/or education for sustainable development.
• Verifiable experience in analytical skills and knowledge of education, environmental, social and economic issues.
• Desirable: previous experience working with the UN System in the areas of education for sustainable development, environmental education, children and youth in education or in sustainable development and environmental issues.
• Previous knowledge and work with ministries of environment and education, and with climate and environmental policies and plans (NDCs, NAPs, national climate change policies) will be considered an asset.
• Experience working in both development and humanitarian contexts will be an asset.
• Experience working remotely, with strong responsiveness through email or via virtual applications.
• Desirable: Understanding of UNICEF's and or other UN agencies partners programmatic work in the region.

Languages

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Other skills and attributes (optional)

• Excellent research, communication, synthesis and writing skills in Spanish and English.
• Ability to relate and dialogue with multiple stakeholders.
• High degree of motivation, proactivity, and self-organization.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing conditions and work demands.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
• High level of integrity and commitment to UNICEF's mission and professional values.
• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility and discretion.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relationships in a multicultural environment.

Administrative details

Supervision: Regional Climate, Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk.

Duration: 120 days (4 months)

Workplace: Home based Office based

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Is travel involved Yes No

Travel: Travel is not involved.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.