National Consultant - Integration of Climate Change into Curriculum, Sindh

JOB DETAILS

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 2 - Middle

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Islamabad

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 6 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+5 Time) : 09/11/2026

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

OVERVIEW

1. OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

 The National Consultant will provide specialized technical expertise to support the School Education and Literacy Department (SE&LD), Government of Sindh, in systematically integrating climate change, environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into the provincial curriculum. The consultant will review subject-level curricula and a sample of non-formal education programmes at selected grades; identify gaps, opportunities, priority topics and learning outcomes with reference to UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance; facilitate participatory multi-stakeholder consultations to ensure that the proposed content reflects Sindh’s environmental and disaster-risk context; and provide hands-on technical support to embed the agreed priorities into the curriculum through the ongoing curriculum review process. Attention will be given to age appropriateness, progression across grades, local relevance, gender equality and inclusion, and priority risks affecting Sindh, including drought, coastal erosion, urban flooding and heat waves. While working closely with SE&LD and other relevant provincial stakeholders, the consultant will be contracted, supervised and managed by UNESCO and will report directly to UNESCO.

B. BACKGROUND

Funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), CSESI 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. The CSESI initiative in Pakistan will be structured around 7 component areas outlined further in this work program which has been developed by CSESI partners (Save the Children, UNESCO-ESD and UNESCO-IIEP) based on consultations with the School Education Departments and partners held in Islamabad in July 2025.

The UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) supports ministries of education specifically with integrating learning of climate change and environmental sustainability into formal and non-formal education. This entails reviewing and, where required, adjusting and revising national curricula and syllabi for pre-primary, primary and secondary schools as well as teaching and learning materials (TLMs) based on each country’s needs and opportunities.

UNESCO uses a holistic learning approach of ESD to address climate change from 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 (UNESCO, 2024) and ESD for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives (UNESCO, 2017) as well as other guidance on curriculum alignment produced by UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE).

In Sindh, the School Education and Literacy Department has prioritized the integration of climate and environmental education into the curriculum. Curriculum integration is foundational because teacher professional development, classroom practice, learning resources and assessment are guided by the approved curriculum framework. Strengthening the curriculum first will therefore support systemic alignment, sustainability and province-wide consistency, while providing a clear basis for subsequent work on teaching and learning practices.

To this end, UNESCO seeks to engage a National Consultant to provide technical support for the review and revision of the provincial curriculum to comprehensively integrate climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR.

ASSIGNMENTS

C. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

OBJECTIVE:  The main objective of the consultancy is to support Sindh in systematically integrating climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR into the provincial curriculum. The assignment will generate an evidence-based review of existing subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal education programmes at selected grades, identify contextually relevant priority topics and learning outcomes, and support SE&LD to embed these priorities into the curriculum through the ongoing curriculum review process. The revised curriculum should provide a coherent, age-appropriate and locally relevant progression of climate and environmental learning that can subsequently guide teaching practices, teacher professional development, learning materials and assessment.

The National Consultant will work closely with UNESCO Islamabad, the SE&LD, and other relevant provincial institutions. The consultant will also collaborate, as appropriate, with the wider CSESI team, including UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Section, UNESCO-IIEP, international experts engaged by UNESCO, Save the Children, academia, local government, communities and relevant climate, environment and disaster-management stakeholders.

SCOPE: Based on UNESCO global reference documents, particularly the Greening Curriculum Guidance, and relevant national and provincial curriculum frameworks, the consultant will undertake a structured curriculum review and curriculum-integration process. The work will cover selected subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal education programmes at agreed grades and will be closely aligned with the ongoing curriculum review led by SE&LD. The consultant will ensure vertical and horizontal coherence of proposed learning outcomes, avoid unnecessary duplication across subjects and grades, and contextualize the curriculum to Sindh’s social, environmental and disaster-risk profile.

ACTIVITIES: Under the overall authority of the Head of UNESCO Islamabad Office in Pakistan and the direct supervision of the Head of Education, and in close technical coordination with SE&LD and the CSESI team, the National Consultant will perform the following duties:

1. Review subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal education programmes

1. Conduct a desk review of agreed subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal education programmes at selected grades in Sindh to determine the extent, depth and progression of existing climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR-related content, competencies and learning outcomes.

2. Map existing curriculum content and learning outcomes against UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance and other relevant national and provincial frameworks. Identify strengths, gaps, overlaps and opportunities for stronger integration across subjects and grades, including opportunities for interdisciplinary and action-oriented learning.

3. Analyse the findings through a Sindh-specific lens, taking account of priority climate and disaster risks such as drought, coastal erosion, sea-level and coastal impacts, urban and riverine flooding, extreme heat and heat waves, water stress and other locally relevant environmental challenges. The analysis should also consider gender equality, inclusion, local and indigenous knowledge, and the needs of learners in diverse formal and non-formal education settings.

2. Identify and validate priority topics and learning outcomes through stakeholder consultation

2. Based on the curriculum review, develop a proposed set of contextually relevant priority topics, competencies and learning outcomes for climate change, environment and DRR, with clear recommendations on where these should be integrated across relevant subjects and selected grades.
3. Plan and facilitate participatory multi-stakeholder consultation workshops with SE&LD and representatives of relevant provincial departments, local government, academia, teachers and education practitioners, communities, civil society, development partners and climate/DRR institutions. The consultations should capture local knowledge, validate the review findings and prioritize the climate and DRR issues most pertinent to Sindh.

These workshops will be critical for collecting meaningful inputs and feedback from key provincial stakeholders on the curriculum review, as well as for securing consensus of identified priorities and validation of findings and recommendations. The Key highlights of the workshops are as follows:

• Workshop 1: Consultation workshop to review the findings from the curriculum review, identify priority learning outcomes, agree on the approach for revising the curriculum framework and provide a technical review of the draft recommendations for further inputs.
• Workshop 2: Co-creation workshop to further refine curriculum framework recommendations.
• Workshop 3: Validation and endorsement of the final recommendations and revised curriculum framework, including presentation of the final outputs to key provincial stakeholders.

3. Consolidate stakeholder inputs and refine the proposed priority topics and learning outcomes, ensuring age appropriateness, logical progression across grades, curriculum coherence, feasibility of classroom implementation and alignment with the ongoing provincial curriculum review.

3. Embed climate change, environment and DRR into the revised curriculum

1. Work directly with SE&LD and relevant subject/curriculum working groups to incorporate the agreed priority topics, competencies and learning outcomes into the curriculum during the ongoing curriculum review process. Provide technical drafting, revision and quality-assurance support across the agreed subjects and grades.

2. Ensure that the revised curriculum integrates climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR comprehensively rather than as isolated content; reflects Sindh’s local context and disaster risks; uses age-appropriate and competency-based learning outcomes; supports gender-responsive and inclusive learning; and establishes a clear basis for subsequent development of teaching practices, teacher professional development, learning materials and assessment. Facilitate technical review/validation of the revised curriculum with SE&LD and relevant stakeholders and incorporate agreed revisions into the final package.

D. COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION

The consultant will be supervised by UNESCO Islamabad, with technical backstopping from the CSESI team and relevant international experts engaged by UNESCO. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, and will maintain regular technical coordination with relevant provincial curriculum and education institutions.

Activities will be planned, developed and implemented in close consultation with SE&LD  and other relevant provincial stakeholders, including Directorate of Curriculum and Research (DCAR), curriculum and subject specialists, teacher education and professional development institutions, textbook and assessment bodies, local government, the Sindh Environment/Climate Change authorities, disaster management institutions, academia and other actors identified jointly by UNESCO and the Government of Sindh.

The consultant will coordinate with CSESI partners and other organizations working on climate and environmental education in Sindh to promote complementarity, alignment and knowledge sharing and to avoid duplication. The consultant will participate in relevant CSESI coordination mechanisms and technical meetings as required.

The consultant will apply a participatory and co-creation approach so that the curriculum review findings, priority topics, learning outcomes and proposed curriculum revisions are jointly discussed and technically validated with SE&LD and relevant stakeholders. Consultation processes should be documented and stakeholder feedback transparently reflected in successive drafts.

The consultant will apply the principles of gender equality and inclusion and, where relevant, an intersectional approach consistent with UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance. Curriculum recommendations should consider diverse learner contexts, including gender, disability, language, geography, socioeconomic background and formal/non-formal learning settings.

CONTRACT DURATION

Six months

DELIVERABLES

E. DELIVERABLES AND SUBMISSION TIMELINE 

The duration of the contract is six months, and the consultant will follow the indicative timeline below, which will be further elaborated through a detailed workplan developed by the consultant at the start of the assignment:

1. Inception Report - by the end of Week 2 of signing the contract

• Detailed methodology, curriculum review framework/matrix, proposed sample of subjects, grades and non-formal programmes, stakeholder mapping, consultation plan, workplan and six-month implementation schedule, agreed with UNESCO and SE&LD.
• The inception report should be approximately 8-10 pages, excluding annexes and review tools.

2. Report on provincial consultation workshop – By the end of month 2

• A report per province detailing the process, key findings, outcomes and agreed priority topics and curriculum review, and consensus on the kind of revisions needed.
• The annexes should include a list of participants (gender disaggregated)/their role/organization, concept note, agenda, presentations and draft workplan for co-creation phase.
• The report for each province should be 10-20 pages, excluding annexes.

3. Curriculum Review Report with Priority Topics and Learning Outcomes - by the end of Month 3

• A thorough review of agreed subject-level curricula and sampled non-formal education programmes at selected grades, documenting the current treatment of climate change, environment and SE&LD; strengths, gaps, overlaps and opportunities; and alignment with the Greening Curriculum Guidance and relevant provincial frameworks.
• A validated set of contextually relevant priority topics, competencies and learning outcomes, with a curriculum mapping/matrix indicating recommended subjects, grades and entry points. The deliverable will incorporate findings from participatory multi-stakeholder consultations and include a concise consultation report documenting stakeholder inputs and agreed priorities.

• The main analytical report should be approximately 20-30 pages, excluding annexes, curriculum mapping matrices, consultation records and supporting tools.

4. Report per province on co-creation workshop. – by the end of month 4

• A report per province detailing the process, key findings, outcomes and agreed priorities of the Curriculum review identified during the co-creation workshop, including feedback and inputs received for improved version.
• The annexes should include a list of participants (gender disaggregated)/their role/organization, concept note, agenda, presentations and draft workplan for next steps.
• The report for each province should be 10-20 pages, excluding annexes.

5. Revised Curriculum Incorporating Priority Climate/ Environment/DRR Topics and Learning Outcomes - by the end of Month 5

• A technically revised curriculum package, developed in collaboration with SE&LD through the ongoing curriculum review process, incorporating the agreed climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR priority topics, competencies and learning outcomes across the agreed subjects and grades.
• The package will include a change/mapping matrix showing how the agreed priorities have been incorporated; documentation of technical review and validation; and concise recommendations to support alignment of subsequent teaching practices, teacher professional development, learning materials and assessment with the revised curriculum.
• All final materials will be submitted in editable and print-ready formats, together with relevant annexes and source/reference materials.

6. Report on validation workshop. – by the end of Month 6

• A report detailing the process, findings and outcomes of validation workshop, and agreed priorities for Government’s next steps including its roll-out of the curriculum review.
• The annexes should include a list of participants (gender disaggregated)/their role/organization, concept note, agenda, and presentations.
• The report for each province should be 15-20 pages, excluding annexes.

F.  REPORTING AND PAYMENTS

The consultant will report to UNESCO. Each deliverable will be submitted to UNESCO for review and acceptance, with technical inputs from SE&LD and relevant CSESI experts as appropriate. Where requested, the consultant will submit a concise progress note describing work completed, consultations undertaken, issues requiring attention and next steps. The final deliverable will also serve as the technical completion package for the assignment.

Reporting formats and quality requirements will be agreed with UNESCO at the outset. All reports and technical products will be submitted in English in editable Word format and PDF, while curriculum text will be prepared in the language(s) and format required by SE&LD. Working files, review matrices and consultation records will be submitted as annexes or separate editable files, as appropriate.

The consultancy contract will be issued by UNESCO under a results-based individual consultant arrangement. Payments will be made in instalments upon satisfactory completion and approval of the agreed deliverables. The consultant’s financial proposal should provide a clear cost breakdown consistent with the requirements stated under the ‘How to Apply’ section.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• An advanced/master’s degree in education, curriculum development, curriculum studies, pedagogy, environmental education, education for sustainable development or a closely related field.

 WORK EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the education sector, with substantial experience in curriculum review, curriculum development/revision, learning outcomes and/or curriculum implementation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of competency-based curriculum design and experience integrating cross-cutting themes into curricula; expertise in climate change, environmental education, ESD and/or DRR in education is strongly preferred.
• Evidence of successful completion of similar assignments in Pakistan, preferably involving provincial curriculum authorities, curriculum mapping, curriculum revision and multi-stakeholder technical consultation.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong familiarity with Pakistan’s curriculum architecture and reform processes; knowledge of Sindh’s curriculum framework, education institutions and non-formal education context will be a strong asset.
• Ability to work collaboratively with government counterparts at provincial and sub-provincial levels and with national and international technical experts.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse curricula, formulate measurable and age-appropriate learning outcomes, and translate technical evidence into practical curriculum revisions.
• Strong facilitation skills for technical consultations, participatory workshops and consensus-building with diverse stakeholders.

• Experience in co-creation processes and in incorporating stakeholder feedback into high-quality technical products.
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines and manage multiple technical workstreams.
• Excellent planning, organizational, analytical and coordination skills.
• Ability to apply gender-responsive, inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to curriculum development.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation and technical writing skills.
• Strong ability in negotiating with multiple counterparts on technical content.

For detailed information please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework

LANGUAGES: 

• Excellent verbal and written skills in English and Urdu.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION

Education:

PhD in education, curriculum development, curriculum studies, environmental education, ESD or a related field.

Professional Experience:

• A minimum of 15 years of experience in the education sector, with demonstrated expertise in curriculum policy, curriculum review and revision, competency-based learning, pedagogy, education system strengthening and institutional capacity development.
• Demonstrated experience in climate change education, environmental sustainability, ESD and/or DRR, including application of international frameworks or guidance to curriculum development, would be a strong asset.

Language Skills:

Fluency in English and Urdu is required; proficiency in Sindhi or another language used in Sindh would be an added advantage.

APPLICATION PROCESS

7. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are kindly requested to click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History Form (Word file). Before uploading the Employment History Form (Word file), at the end of the document, candidates must insert the extra pages with the following required information in English:

Cover Letter: A brief statement outlining the candidate’s motivation, qualifications, expertise, suitability for the consultancy.

Technical Proposal (max 5 pages), comprising:

• Understanding of the assignment, including challenges and approaches to addressing the challenges effectively and efficiently in the given timeframe
• Proposed methodology
• Detailed workplan
• Relevant experience
• Samples of previous relevant work authored by the applicant in Pakistan or a similar context

Financial Proposal

• Proposed fees for the assignment quoted in US dollars, inclusive of consultancy fees, all other miscellaneous costs and the mandatory taxes as per the laws of Pakistan.
• The financial proposal should exclude the following costs, which will be covered by UNESCO: workshop logistical costs, translation services, printing of resources and travel cost. Any travel, if required under the assignment, will be subject to prior authorization and handled separately in accordance with the applicable travel arrangements and budget availability.
• A detailed breakdown of costs, specifying daily consultancy fees. The financial proposal must clearly outline all components of the total cost.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an online application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of consultant is based on the following key criteria:

• Qualifications: The academic background and certifications relevant to the consultancy.
• Relevant Experience and Expertise: Candidate's prior experience in capacity building training and technical expertise in gender and school-related gender-based violence.
• Quality of Proposed Approach: The feasibility, innovation, and thoroughness of the proposed methodology and workplan.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The competitiveness and transparency the financial proposal, ensuring value for money.
• References and Past Performance: Feedback from previous clients or employers and evidence of successful completion of similar assignments.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

The consultant may use generative AI tools to support the assignment but must disclose their use and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality and quality of all deliverables. AI-generated content, data and references must be independently verified and reflect the relevant national and provincial contexts.

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.