OVERVIEW

Duty Station: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Type of contract : Non-staff

Duration of contract : 5 months, tentatively 1 January – 30 May 2025

Recruitment open to : Cambodian National Only

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 20 December 2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background
The Climate Smart Education System Initiative (CSESI) was launched in early 2023 by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in partnership with Save the Children, UNESCO and UNESCO-IIEP and is implemented in around 20 countries, including Cambodia. The initiative seeks to enhance countries’ capacities to mainstream climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into education sector plans, budgets and strategies as well as to enhance education ministry capacity for cross-sectoral coordination on climate and environment-related policy and programming. This involves developing scalable models for this integration and fostering collaboration across all levels to create an environment conducive to building resilience among children and within the education sector.
Under this initiative, one of the objectives is that the education system integrates climate change and environmental sustainability into curricula, pedagogy and teacher training at the primary and secondary levels. The UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and UNESCO Phnom Penh office supports the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) with integrating learning of climate change and environmental sustainability into primary and secondary schools. This entails reviewing and, where required, adjusting, and revising the curricula and syllabi for primary and secondary schools as well as teacher education curricula based on each country’s needs and opportunities.
UNESCO uses a holistic learning approach to ESD to address climate change from the economic, social and environmental perspectives, and supports the acquisition of knowledge, values and attitudes to underpin practical actions by learners to contribute to climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience and sustainable development. In addition to the resources available in the countries, UNESCO will use a set of global reference documents including the Greening Curriculum Guidance and ESD for Sustainable Development Goals (UNESCO, 2017) as well as other guidance on curriculum alignment produced by UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE).
To this end, the national curriculum review and development specialist will be working with national and international experts to support curriculum review and alignment processes.

Scope of assignment
Under the overall authority of the UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, under the supervision of the Chief of Education Unit at the UNESCO Phnom Penh Office and the Education Specialist of the UNESCO ESD Unit in Paris, working in close collaboration with the CSESI national coordinator, international experts, as well as the relevant technical departments of the MoEYS, and other development partners, the consultant will be responsible for conducting a curriculum review to strengthen climate change education in Cambodia.
The review aims to evaluate the current integration of climate change and ESD across all educational levels, from early childhood through primary and secondary education, including non-formal and informal education programmes. The review will analyse and identify the gaps in curricula, syllabi, learning resources in relation to climate change, DRR and environmental sustainability. This comprehensive evaluation will provide actionable recommendations to support the mainstreaming of climate change and sustainability within curriculum, teacher training, and school practices. The review will be guided by the global reference documents produced by UNESCO ESD Section and IBE, including the UNESCO Greening Curriculum Guidance and other relevant guidelines.

Specific tasks
The consultant will be responsible for delivering a high-quality report by undertaking the following key activities:
1. Conduct a comprehensive review of subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal programmes, classroom activities for both formal education including early childhood, primary, secondary levels and non-formal or informal education including extra-curriculum programmes or official non-formal education programmes on climate and the SD related topics and learning outcomes. This work will include a review of national documents including competency frameworks, curricular frameworks, subject-based syllabi, assessment frameworks and teaching and learning resources as well as classroom and extracurricular activities to identify gaps and opportunities for further consolidation.
2. Based on the review, develop recommendations on where in curriculum, teaching, and assessment to include the elements on CCE/ESD/DRR.
3. Provide support to the MoEYS and the UNESCO Phnom Penh office to organise necessary consultation and validation for the curriculum review.

The specific activities include but not limited to:
Task 1: Comprehensive review
1.1. Develop an inception report that provides a detailed work plan, frameworks, methodology, key milestones and timelines for the comprehensive review.
1.2. Prepare lists of stakeholders, documents to be reviewed and data collection tools (i.e., desk review approach, observation and interview guides if necessary) for the comprehensive review.
1.3. Conduct an in-depth review of existing policy documents, frameworks, subject-level curriculum, across all relevant educational levels to assess the integration of CCE/ESD/DRR related topics.
1.4. In close collaboration with technical departments of the MoEYS and schools, review the subject-specific syllabi, teaching and learning resources as well as classroom and extra-curricular activities to analyse the level of integration of CCE/ESD/DRR related topics.
1.5. In close coordination and collaboration with the relevant ministry departments, conduct the primary data collection at schools in Phnom Penh and other provinces, following the pre-defined scope and methodology.
1.6. Identify and assess selected non-formal education programmes that may provide supplementary content.
1.7. Synthesise the findings by identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement and integration of CCE/ESD/DRR related topics.
1.8. Draft a quality review report based on the agreed work plan and timeline

Task 2: Development of recommendations
2.1 Based on the findings, propose recommendations for mainstreaming climate change and sustainability within curricula, teacher training, and school practices.
2.2 Conduct consultations to receive feedback and inputs on the draft recommendations.
2.3 Incorporate feedback from the consultations into the final report, ensuring that recommendations are practical, actionable, and reflect a shared vision for climate and sustainability education in Cambodia.
Task 3: Supports for consultation and validation workshops
3.1 Support in preparing workshops’ materials including but not limited to a list of workshop participants, agenda/programme of the workshop, and presentation slides and facilitating the discussions.

3.2 Present key findings/insights and recommendations to stakeholders.
3.3 Prepare key takeaway notes for integration into report to ensure the enhancement of the recommendations.

Deliverables
The tentative deliverables for this consultancy are following:
Deliverable 1 by 30 January 2025
1.1 An inception/preliminary report (approximately 10 pages) that comprises of a situational analysis of climate change education in Cambodia, existing formal and nonformal programme initiatives and identification gaps. The report shall also include the detailed workplan, frameworks, methodology, list of documents to be reviewed and targeted samples, any data collection tools, key milestones and timeframe for the comprehensive review.
1.2 An executive summary/slide presentation for the technical meeting/consultation with MoEYS and relevant stakeholders.

Deliverable 2 by 28 February 2025
2.1 A draft report- part 1: desk review of policy documents, frameworks and subject-level curriculum (approximately 10 pages)

Deliverable 3 by 30 March 2025
3.1 A draft report- part 2: Assessing the subject-specific syllabi, teaching and learning resources, pedagogical approaches, classroom and extra-curricular activities and non-formal programmes (approximately 10 pages)
3.2 A synthesis of preliminary findings and key recommendations on where and how to strengthen CCE/ESD/DRR in curricular documents to be shared with stakeholder consultation workshops (approximately 5 pages)

Deliverable 4 by 30 April 2025
4.1 First draft of the completed report (approximately 40 pages, excluding annexes) that includes key sections of introduction, methodology, findings, recommendations, list of references, and annexes.
4.2 An executive summary/slide presentation of key findings and recommendations for the technical meeting/consultation with MoEYS and relevant stakeholders.

Deliverable 5 by 30 May 2025
5.1 Final draft of the report which incorporates all necessary revisions and appropriately addresses the comments of reviewers.

Contract duration, location, and other conditions
The duration of the contract will be for a period of 5 months, from 1 January to 31 May 2025.
The consultant may be required to undertake missions in Cambodia, which will be organised in close consultation with MoEYS line Departments and UNESCO. The UNESCO Phnom Penh Office will provide support for the arrangements of missions as required. The individual consultant will be responsible for their necessary tools, equipment (laptop etc.) and software to complete the assignment. The consultant is expected to work in-person full-time at the UNESCO Phnom Penh office.

Required qualifications and experience
Education
• At least a Master’s degree in Curriculum Development, Education or other related fields.

Professional experience
• Extensive professional knowledge and at least 7 years of experience in curriculum development at the country or international level.
• Excellent knowledge of education for sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction, preferably intersecting with education sector
• Excellent knowledge of the education sector in Cambodia.

Skills and competencies
• Excellent conceptual and analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal, coordination and communication skills
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Ability to take initiative, establish priorities and capacity to work efficiently under pressure
• Ability to work in a multicultural team to achieve shared objectives
• Excellent understanding of education, curriculum and sustainable development

Language skills
• Excellent Khmer and English (both written and spoken)