National Consultant- Capacity building for climate change adaptation through mainstreaming in public education systems at elementary, second and university levels

Result of Service Strengthening institutional, technical and financial capacities for climate change adaptation in Iraq.

Work Location Home-based

Expected duration 7 months and 21 days

Duties and Responsibilities 1. Organizational Setting, Purpose and Objective:

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) delivers advisory services and capacity building support to countries to achieve environment and sustainable development objectives.

The Republic of Iraq is considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the Arab region to the impacts of climate change. A higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as drought, sand and dust storms have been experienced in recent years. These events are leading to rising environmental degradation throughout the country, threatening Iraq’s progress towards sustainable development.

The Iraqi government considers adaptation to be a priority for the country, particularly in addressing the impacts of climate change on poor and vulnerable communities and has made some progress towards managing the impacts of climate change. However, despite short-term and ad hoc adaptation interventions, Iraq’s ability to initiate a plan for medium- and long-term adaptation to unfolding and emerging climate change impacts is facing significant challenges, such as limited institutional capacity to integrate adaptation into policies and plan and insufficient and irregular collection, analysis and dissemination of data and information. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Readiness project seeks to address these barriers by strengthening institutional, technical and financial capacities to ensure that medium to long-term adaptation needs are integrated into national development planning in Iraq.

Within the context of the NAP process of strengthening broad stakeholder engagement and capacity in adaptation planning and implementation in Iraq, including raising awareness of stakeholders of the impact of climate change, the objective of this consultancy is to contribute to the mainstreaming of climate change and climate change adaptation in elementary and secondary public-school systems and in university system (e.g. University of Baghdad and Nahreen University).

This work will be carried out in close collaboration and coordination with the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and relevant institutions engaged in elementary, secondary and university institutions, the Ministry of Environment which is responsible for the NAP process and the Sectoral Working Group on Education and Climate Awareness.

The National Consultant (NC) will work closely with another national consultant and an International Consultant (IC) and will report to the Regional Climate Change Coordinator at UNEP West Asia Office. He/she will also work in close collaboration and coordination with UNEP National Officer in Iraq and the NAP Coordinator in the Climate Change Center of the Iraqi Ministry of Environment.

¿ Duties and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of the Regional Coordinator for Climate Change at UNEP, and in consultation with the NAP Coordinator, the Ministry of Environment, NAP project stakeholders, the NC will carry-out, inter alia, the following duties and responsibilities:

Task: Contribute to the capacity building for climate change adaptation through mainstreaming in public education systems at elementary, second and university levels. ¿ Develop a workplan to undertake the integration of climate change in public education systems at elementary, second and university levels. The work plan will be based on the inception report developed by the international expert and will include a schedule and list of tasks to be carried out and will be approved by UNEP. Deliverable: Consultancy work plan

¿ Write the draft assessment report of existing curricula and non-curricula activities The outline and content of this assessment will be developed in coordination with the international Consultant and approved by UNEP. Interviews and consultations with relevant individuals, teams, and committees mainly from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to be conducted throughout the project to obtain necessary information and data to inform the assessment. The Consultant will lead these consultations in coordination with and under the guidance of the international expert who will join remotely. The draft text will cover the following: - Assessment of the existing curriculum and teaching methods to determine gaps and areas for improvement - A comprehensive needs assessment to identify the current knowledge and awareness levels of students, teachers, and administrators regarding climate change. - Input from stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, and community members, to understand their expectations and concerns. Deliverable: Assessment report sections

¿ Integrating climate change concepts and proposed adaptation actions in selected schools and universities The piloting phase of integration will be implemented in coordination with the international Consultant in selected schools and universities. The national consultant will lead the piloting process through introducing and incorporating climate change concepts including climate change adaptation in existing curriculum and teacher toolkits aimed at: - Fourth-sixth grades in elementary schools, seventh-twelfth graders in secondary schools. - Humanitarian and science curricula in university of Baghdad (ex. Engineering, Economics, Public Policy, Education) in University of Baghdad. - Practicum course for master’s students in Education in University of Nahrein. Deliverable: Evidence of updated curriculum materials, teacher toolkits,

¿ Provide teacher training and capacity building In collaboration with the International Consultant, the National Consultant will provide a comprehensive training program for teachers on climate change science, impacts, mitigation, and adaptation strategies in selected schools and universities in which climate change integration piloting phase is implemented. The training shall Incorporate pedagogical techniques and resources to effectively teach climate change concepts, including interactive teaching methods, multimedia tools, and experiential learning approaches. It should also offer continuous professional development opportunities to keep teachers updated with the latest research and best practices in climate change education. Deliverable: Capacity building sessions

¿ Facilitate a stakeholder workshop The workshop will be organized by the NAP Iraq team to present the draft piloting report on the integration of climate change and adaptation actions elaborated by the International Consultant and will collect feedback from participants. Deliverables: Stakeholder workshop organized

Qualifications/special skills Degree in public policy, environmental sciences, economics, education or a closely related field. At least 5 years previous work experience in governance, public policy, climate and environment, planning, or related field is required. Experience in curriculum development and familiarity with government processes and development planning and programming in Iraq is desirable Experience in working with government institutions, preferably with ministries of Environment, Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research and/or other relevant government bodies, in areas of policy formulation and planning is desirable. Strong organizational skills and ability to conduct research and work independently is desirable Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of international, regional and national institutions

Languages Fluency in written and spoken Arabic is required, proficiency in English is required, knowledge of any other languages is desirable

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.