Best Practices Review and Gap Analysis in the Provision of Education for Sustainable Development in nine Commonwealth Small Island States

Reference: STPD/HCWG/0503
Location: 4 Commonwealth small island states in the Caribbean, 4 Commonwealth small island states in the Pacific and the Maldives
Duration: 50 person days over the 6 months (Estimated)
Closing Date: 8 Nov 2011

Background

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is an essential element of the global response to environmental challenges. ESD helps young people understand and address the impact of global warming, encourages changes in their attitudes and behaviour to help mitigate environmental change, and gives them the knowledge and skills necessary for them to adapt to that change. In particular, education of girls and women has a remarkable impact on the capacity of communities to adapt to environmental change. While education can help address the root causes of environmental degradation in all countries by promoting sustainable lifestyles and development, the adaptation capacities of affected communities can be further enhanced by education programmes that explicitly prepare for disasters and promote indigenous knowledge.

In December 2002, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 57/254, which provided the basis for introducing a UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). This would span the period 2005 to 2014, and be led by UNESCO. The DESD objectives are:

• facilitating networking and collaboration amongst stakeholders on ESD
• fostering greater quality of teaching and learning of environmental topics
• supporting countries in achieving the MDGs through ESD efforts
• providing countries with new opportunities and tools to reform education.

At the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in 2009, ministers requested the Commonwealth Secretariat “to prioritise the work to take account of global trends”, including “Education for sustainable development, with particular emphasis on climate change”. ESD and climate change education have accordingly been identified as priority areas, and activities under Priority Two of the 2010-2012 Education Strategic Plan include “assess current situation at country level and provide strategies in education that would support their climate change agenda.” The Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group similarly identified climate change as a key priority for action by the Commonwealth in its draft recommendations made in May 2011. ESD also occupies a key focus for activities in STPD’s agreements with a number of international organisations, including UNESCO, and in recommendations for priorities arising from recent consultations and research published by the Commonwealth Secretariat[1].

Small island developing states in the Caribbean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean represent some of the most vulnerable countries with regard to global warming. They are already confronted with its effects, including rising sea levels, increasing drought and the increase in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones/hurricanes, etc. While current and forthcoming impacts of climate change on agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and trade put their populations in danger, these states continue to have low adaptive capacity to climate change. Consequently the need to accelerate and deepen the impact of ESD is great in these states.

The implementation of the DESD in the Caribbean was reviewed at an international conference in Trinidad in April 2011[2]. It transpired that efforts to implement the DESD have progressed relatively slowly, demonstrating at best mixed results. While a number of innovative and inspiring initiatives have arisen, coverage is fragmented, disconnected and in some cases ad hoc. ESD has yet to be fully integrated into the education systems in many countries, especially in the Caribbean. On the whole, ESD delivery has not had the required range, penetration and appropriateness to local context to demonstrate the impact required to contribute towards necessary changed behaviours with regard to environmental sustainability. With less than half of the Decade remaining, special emphasis is now being placed on those aspects which have so far not received sufficient attention, including macro issues such as national and regional ESD policy frameworks, teacher training, curriculum development/reform and disaster preparedness/risk reduction interventions, as well as practices and resources in the classroom. In this environment, although it is known that successful initiatives exist, it is difficult to scale them up and/or transfer them to ensure more consistent coverage. UNESCO reported that, whilst progress in implementing the DESD in Asia had met with more success, the Pacific region was similarly challenged.

To help address these issues, the Commonwealth Secretariat will undertake a research study focusing on a limited number of small island states vulnerable to climate change. The study will identify good practices, analysing why they are successful and how they can be adapted to other contexts, and hence contribute to linking up the delivery of ESD. The study will also assist countries to understand where shortfalls lie, how these come about, and to learn from and apply the educational initiatives which have been shown to work, so filling in the gaps. The Secretariat seeks consultancy services to research and write the study.

Aims and objectives

2.1 The overall aim of the study is to identify gaps, shortcomings and best practices in the delivery of ESD, focussing particularly but not exclusively on climate change education, and to use the findings to produce practical and realistic recommendations on how ESD may be better integrated in education policy and strategy and delivered more comprehensively. The specific objectives are:

• to identify and analyse gaps in ESD provision in nine sample countries
• the identification, collation and analysis of good practice in ESD in these countries
• to synthesise the findings to make recommendations for filling gaps and for adapting successful practices in a culturally relevant and practical way

Anticipated results

The principal immediate outcome will be the efficient exchange of high quality ESD interventions enabled by the availability of appropriate information in an easy-accessible format. This will provide policy makers with access to a wider range of contextualised examples of solutions to particular challenges in planning for and implementing ESD. The focus on the outcomes of the interventions will assist them in devising educational strategies based on demonstrable results, which will lead to a medium term outcome of higher chances of success for the selected interventions. Teachers, school and community leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders will also be able to use the study as a resource to learn from, develop and apply good practices in schools and communities. The impact of the study will thus be felt from both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ perspectives.

The study will enable policy makers and practitioners to revitalise the delivery of ESD by revisiting the policies and support frameworks necessary to implement it in curricula (both general education and teacher education curricula), classroom delivery and assessment. Through a better fit of practice to policy goals through evidence-based educational strategy, the longer-term outcome will be a higher-quality ESD experience for a greater number of students. In turn this will lead to citizens better able to understand the need for environmental sustainability, equipped with the commitment, skills, knowledge and attitude to modify their behaviour towards mitigating and adapting to environmental change.

Scope

Under this assignment, the following specific activities will be undertaken: i) conduct a mapping exercise to identify and analyse gaps and good practices in ESD provision in four sample Commonwealth small island states in the Caribbean, four sample Commonwealth small island states in the Pacific and the Maldives; ii) prepare a report detailing the findings and containing recommendations based on them.

The study will focus on a limited number of small island states vulnerable to climate change, in order to provide a concentrated understanding of what works and why. It will identify gaps in provision, the reasons for them, and the consequences. It will identify replicable good practices, analysing why they are successful and what they have achieved, and provide recommendations on how they may be adapted to different social, economic, geographic and cultural contexts. Trinidad and Tobago, being the subject of a similar study being undertaken for the European Union by the Cropper Foundation, will not be included in the present study.

Although climate change education is expected to be an important theme, it is important that other environmental issues are addressed, including resource use, deforestation, pollution and infrastructure, while maintaining the focus on education for sustainable development, rather than environmental education, education about sustainable development, or education about development.

Tasks

Task 1: Gap analysis

The purpose of this task is twofold: to set out a vision of where the nine study countries would like to see the delivery of ESD to be in terms of policy, strategy, implementation and impact; and to describe accurately where the countries are in these terms at the moment. Rather than being merely descriptive, however, the analysis should aim to reveal why gaps have come about and what the implications of the gaps are for future efforts to mainstream ESD, and to suggest solutions.

The consultant will contact ministries of education and other relevant bodies (including but not limited to schools, teacher training institutions, universities and colleges, other relevant ministries, UNICEF, UNESCO and local and international non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations, and the private sector) for information about the current situation with regard to ESD implementation and to gain a sense of the ambitions for ESD among these stakeholders. It is expected that document analysis, desk-based research, and semi-structured interviews will be the dominant methodologies, although the consultant will clarify the proposed methodology and sampling framework in the inception report. The following aspects should be covered as a minimum:

• education sector policies addressing ESD (at national, regional and local level as relevant
• other sector policies addressing ESD
• integration of ESD in*:
  • Early Childhood Education/Development curriculum and assessment
  • Primary Education curriculum and assessment
  • Secondary Education curriculum and assessment
  • Tertiary/Higher Education curricula and assessment
  • Initial teacher training curriculum and assessment
  • Continuous Professional Development for Teachers
  • Non-formal and informal provision of education

*Technical and Vocational Education and Training should be included in the above where relevant;

• practices in the classroom and communities relating to ESD;
• availability of materials supporting ESD, including teachers’ resources, students’ resources, self-learning resources, and country-specific online material;
• climate-resilient education infrastructure;
• ESD-specific monitoring and evaluation mechanisms;
• identification of key individuals and networks making change happen;
• communication strategies to promote ESD.

Task 2: Best practices review

The purpose of this task is to identify and collate information on successful ESD interventions. The main criteria for inclusion are that the interventions are able to demonstrate results either by measurably changing knowledge, skills and attitudes with regard to environmental sustainability or by contributing towards a framework which delivers such changes. Other desirable criteria include: the potential to be replicated or adapted; innovation; a participatory approach; addressing gender and inclusion issues; and the availability of reliable information about the intervention. An intervention by any agency can be included. It is expected that the best practices review will be undertaken concurrently with the gap analysis and will therefore use the same sampling framework.

The review will use a consistent structure to present each intervention to ease comprehension and to enable comparison between them. It will:

• provide a brief contextual analysis of each intervention, such that the relevance and impact of the background may be clearly understood
• identify succinctly the key features of each intervention, such that it could be easily replicated
• identify what the outcomes were and how they were measured
• describe the key challenges in implementing the intervention and how these were overcome
• describe briefly what might need to be considered in adapting the intervention to a different context
• cross-reference to other interventions in the study as appropriate
• provide contact information for each intervention

Task 3: Preparation of draft study report

The draft study report will present the findings of the gap analysis and best practices review in separate sections. It will go on to analyse the findings as a basis for practical general recommendations for policy and practice actions to improve the coverage, integration and penetration of ESD delivery. The report should be prepared in plain, concise British English suitable for an international audience. Ease of use and accuracy of information are prime concerns.

To ensure accuracy, the draft report will be circulated by the consultant to all the contributors and to the Commonwealth Secretariat, with a request that the contributors review and provide comments on the draft, including on its accuracy, readability and usefulness.

Task 4: Preparation of final study report

The consultant will amend the draft study report in the light of the comments made in the consultation, and submit the report to the Commonwealth Secretariat for review. The Commonwealth Secretariat reserves the right to request further amendments until the product is satisfactory.

Outputs

Inception Report

This report should be submitted for approval to the Commonwealth Secretariat at the end of the second week of implementation of the consultant services. The report will include the following:

• work plan and time schedule describing tasks and sub-tasks to be implemented
• details of the proposed study methodology and sampling framework
• any issues related to the TOR

Progress Report

A report describing the state of implementation of the TOR will be submitted for approval to the Commonwealth Secretariat within six weeks of the approval of the Inception Report. This report will include all completed activities related to implementation of the contract, achievements reached, substantial issues and recommendations (related to procedures, conduct of interviews, protocol format, etc.). The progress report will include the following:

• results of the contact made with ministries of education and other official bodies;
• a summary of the number and type of practices identified to date, and a list of further actions to be followed;
• any challenges found in the implementation of the consultancy and the steps to be taken to mitigate them

Draft Study Report

The draft report is expected to be fully proof-read and include all graphics etc to be included in the final copy. It is to be submitted for approval to the Commonwealth Secretariat within four weeks of the approval of the Progress Report.

Consultation Report

This report will summarise the feedback from consultees and how the consultant has addressed them in the final draft, and is to be submitted for approval within six weeks of the approval of the draft study report, together with the final draft of the study report.

Final Study Report

The revised study report is to be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretariat with the Consultation Report. Depending on the quality of the report, the Secretariat may, within two weeks of submission, request further amendments to be made. In this eventuality, the requested amendments must be made within two weeks, after which the report must be submitted again for approval.

Expected inputs, schedule of implementation and payments

The consultancy is anticipated to be for a period of 50 person days spread over six months. For the performance of the duties enumerated under the Terms of Reference, the consultant will be paid an all inclusive fee as follows:

• 25% of the fee as an advance payment on signing of the contract;
• 25% of the fee based on the approval of the draft study report;
• Balance based on the approval of the final study report and on completion of the consultancy

Deadlines on deliverables are as follows:

Deliverables	Deadline
Signing of Contract
Submission of Inception Report	Within 2 weeks
Approval of Inception Report	Within 2 weeks
Submission of Progress Report	Within 6 weeks
Approval of Progress Report	Within 2 weeks
Submission of Draft Study Report	Within 4 weeks
Approval of Draft Study Report	Within 2 weeks
Submission of Final Study Report & Consultation Report	Within 6 weeks
Approval of Final Study Report & Consultation Report

Consultant’s qualifications

The consultant must be a citizen of a Commonwealth member state. The consultant must be able to demonstrate evidence of the skills, knowledge and experience detailed in the following Person Specification:

• A minimum of a degree (or equivalent experience) from an internationally recognised institution in Education or a closely related social science, with a preference for an advanced degree, or a minimum of a degree in an environmental social science supported by relevant experience in the education sector
• Knowledge and work experience in educational research (in data collection instrument design, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and report writing), preferably with a specialised expertise in ESD gained in a variety of fields, levels and socio-cultural contexts, with the ability to articulate clearly what constitutes success, and to analyse critically how practices may be adapted. This knowledge would ideally have been gained through both academic research and practical experience
• Experience of writing similar publications combining research, analysis and report writing, and presenting the results in an accessible and engaging manner
• Accurate written communication skills, with the ability to write fluently and concisely in plain English.
• Highly developed IT skills, with the ability to present information clearly
• Ability to deal diplomatically and productively with a variety of stakeholders, including at ministerial level
• Ability to produce high-quality work to tight deadlines with the minimum of supervision.

Download the Terms of Reference