with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
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.
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.
Interested candidates are kindly requested to review the detailed information and submit their applications by the deadline of 5 January 2025 through UNESCO careers website with this link
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 exact deliverable due dates will be set during contracting period.
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.