National Consultant - Integration of Climate Change into Teacher Training and Learning Material
- Organisation: UNESCO
- Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
- Deadline: 9 November 2026
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
The National Consultant will provide technical expertise to support the integration of climate change, environmental sustainability, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes at the national level, as well as into relevant Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) specifically for Punjab province only. The consultant will review and map existing teacher training curricula, programmes, and materials; identify priority themes, competencies, and learning outcomes; and lead the development and/or adaptation of a contextually relevant, competency-based, gender-responsive teacher training manual for use across all four provinces. In addition, the consultant will develop and/or adapt TLMs specifically for Punjab province to support the effective integration of climate change, environmental sustainability, and DRR into teaching and learning practices.
Working closely with UNESCO, the Provincial Institutes of Teacher Education (PITEs), the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFE&PT), the School Education Department, Punjab, and other relevant stakeholders, the consultant will facilitate technical consultations, co-creation, review, and validation processes. The consultant will also develop practical recommendations for the institutionalization, adoption, and scaling of the finalized materials within existing teacher professional development systems. While the assignment will require close coordination and collaboration with relevant government counterparts and other stakeholders, the consultant will be contracted, supervised, and managed by UNESCO and will report directly to UNESCO throughout the assignment.
Important Note: To ensure a smooth application process, applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the "How to Apply" section. This section provides detailed guidance on the required documents for submission. Please be advised that incomplete applications, including any missing documents, may result in disqualification.
Long Description
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).
One of the objectives of CSESI in Pakistan is to support the integration of Sustainable Development themes into education, with an emphasis on climate change. It will involve reviewing the current provincial teacher training programmes of all four provinces and Teaching and Learning Material of the Punjab Province to identify gaps and opportunities for integration of climate/ environment/ DRR-related content. The review will inform the identification of priority topics and learning outcomes, drawing on the Greening Curriculum Guidance and applying a gender-sensitive lens. Based on this review, a set of recommendations will be developed for the integration of these priority topics and teaching and learning outcomes into the existing training and TLM frameworks.
To this end, the UNESCO seeks to engage an expert individual as a consultant to support the integration of climate and environment into TLMs.
ASSIGNMENTS
C. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the consultancy is to support the development, adaptation and/or updating of a teacher training manual for use across all four provinces, as well as TLMs specifically for Punjab, to strengthen teachers’ capacities to effectively facilitate climate change, environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction (DRR) learning in the classroom. Emphasis will be placed on competency-based and action-oriented pedagogies, gender responsiveness and inclusion, the integration of local and indigenous knowledge, climate resilience and DRR, and practical approaches that enable teachers to translate climate and sustainability learning into meaningful action by learners, schools and their communities.
The National Consultant will work closely with UNESCO Islamabad, MoFE&PT, PITEs, SED Punjab and other attached national and provincial institutions, including provincial curriculum authorities, teacher education and professional development institutions, textbook boards and other relevant government entities. The consultant will also collaborate with the wider CSESI team, including UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Section, UNESCO-IIEP, international experts engaged by UNESCO, Save the Children and other relevant education and climate stakeholders, as appropriate.
SCOPE: The consultancy will place particular emphasis on strengthening teacher training and professional development systems to equip teachers with the knowledge, competencies, pedagogical approaches and practical tools required to effectively facilitate climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR learning. Drawing on global reference documents and technical guidance developed by UNESCO’s ESD Section and the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE), including the Greening Curriculum Guidance, Green School Quality Standard and relevant curriculum alignment guidance, the consultant will review and build upon existing national and provincial pre-service and in-service teacher training curricula, manuals, professional development frameworks and related resources identified in consultation with the relevant education authorities.
Based on this review, the consultant will undertake the activities outlined below, with a focus on strengthening the integration of climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR into teacher training content, competencies, pedagogical practices and supporting materials. The work will be contextualized to the respective provincial teacher education and professional development systems and aligned with ongoing national and provincial curriculum, teacher education and teacher professional development reforms.
Long Description
ACTIVITIES: Based on the global reference documents produced by UNESCO ESD Section, including the Greening Curriculum Guidance and other national or regional resources to be identified in consultation with the SED, and in concertation with the CSESI project team and the international experts, the consultant will deliver the following tasks:
• Review and assess teacher training programmes and resources at national level
• Conduct a desk review and mapping of relevant pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes, curricula, manuals, modules and related resources across all four provinces. Assess the integration of climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR themes, competencies and learning outcomes against UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance and other relevant national, provincial and CSESI frameworks.
• Identify good practices, content and competency gaps, pedagogical limitations, implementation challenges, and institutional and capacity-development needs. Examine the extent to which existing training equips teachers to deliver learner-centred, competency-based and action-oriented climate education, with attention to gender equality, inclusion, local contexts and climate resilience.
• Recommend priority themes, competencies and learning outcomes to inform the development or adaptation of the teacher training manual. Provide practical recommendations for their integration into existing pre-service and in-service training programmes and resources.
• Present the findings and proposed priorities to relevant national and provincial stakeholders for technical consultation and agreement.
Long Description
2. Review and assess teaching and learning materials (TLMs) in Punjab
• Conduct a desk review and mapping of relevant TLMs used in Punjab, assessing the integration of climate change, environmental sustainability and DRR across relevant subjects and grade levels.