TOR for individual, agency, or organization to produce Guidelines for education workers (school and preschool teachers and educators) for curricular/extracurricular activities related to climate change, waste management, and disaster risk r

Terms of Reference for an individual, agency, or organization to produce Guidelines for education workers (school and preschool teachers and educators) for curricular/extracurricular activities related to climate change, waste management, and disaster risk reduction.

1.        Introduction

Save the Children believes that every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s leading independent organization for children. SC’s vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation. SC’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Save the Children in North West Balkans (SCiNWB), based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) conduct its activities in three countries: BiH, Serbia, and Montenegro and supports the implementation of regional initiatives in the area of South East Europe.               

Building on previous SC Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) work with educational institutions, as well as the first phase of the project “Schools as Green Zones” which was piloted in two schools in the first half of 2022, the proposed intervention aims to scale up and move forward with enhancing capacities, knowledge, and awareness in the area of climate change adaptation, mitigation, and prevention through different project activities at additional 8 schools (6 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools) in Sarajevo Canton.  The chosen schools will be supported to become “eco-friendly” but also to promote and raise awareness of the importance of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and measures to reduce air pollution, as well as to improve waste management, air pollution monitoring and to support children to become agents of change in their schools and communities in climate action advocacy.

2.        Background and Rationale

The climate and environmental crisis is an intergenerational child rights crisis that threatens children’s survival, learning, and protection around the world today and tomorrow, with the most marginalized and deprived children at the greatest risk. COVID-19 recovery efforts provide a crucial opportunity to address the impact of the pandemic on societies and the climate crisis simultaneously.

As a result of historic and current greenhouse gas emissions, there are apparent impacts of climate change in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country must prepare itself to respond to climate change – and maximise opportunities where they occur – by understanding vulnerabilities, increasing resilience, and building capacity. The temperature has risen at an increasing rate over the last decade. Although increases are recorded over a short period, there is a widespread concern that this may indicate that the climate is changing at an accelerated rate.

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Europe (five tons CO₂ equivalent per capita per year - approximately half of the EU average), climate change has already been observed. Bosnia and Herzegovina is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to its geographical position, the economic importance of agriculture and forestry, and its limited adaptive capacity.

Without coordinated and planned approaches to climate change adaptation, Bosnia and Herzegovina will suffer economically and environmentally, and if no strategic action is taken now the costs of future adaptation measures will increase.

Climate change has physical and mental health consequences for affected populations, and it is therefore a threat to public health. High temperatures during the summer are particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with cardiovascular diseases, while in the winter, severely polluted air can adversely affect children and individuals with heart, respiratory, and other chronic medical conditions. Reduction in river water levels can increase the potential for water-borne diseases and food poisoning. At present, there is no monitoring system nor has there been an assessment conducted for the monitoring of epidemics and diseases correlated with climate change parameters.

Children, elderly, disabled persons, migrants, war returnees, poverty-stricken community members, and the Roma minority are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because they are more likely to live in hazard-prone areas and often lack the information and resources needed to cope with these impacts. Gender can also affect vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards, due to gender-based differences in time use (concerning housework, employment, and care-provision activities), varied access to assets and loans, and limited access to policymaking spaces. Awareness-raising and capacity-building programmes targeting and tailored to disadvantaged groups can help increase their preparedness and adaptive capacity. At the same time, the involvement of disadvantaged groups in climate and disaster risk reduction policymaking is essential to develop policies that address their needs and harness their potential to help tackle climate change-related issues. Climate mitigation and adaptation policies can have detrimental impacts on disadvantaged populations. It is therefore important to assess these implications and implement strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate policy on these groups. Children are less equipped physically, mentally, and emotionally to cope with life-threatening conditions.

The role of individual citizens in contributing to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change is essential. Environmental education must be improved, enabling children and adults to understand more about climate change and its potential consequences. That is why it is important that the topic of climate change is incorporated to a greater extent into the primary, secondary, and higher education curricula and educational programs and to promote further understanding and awareness of the significance of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and measures to reduce pollution.

3.        Objective

Save the Children in the North West Balkans seeks an individual/agency/company/organization, to produce and deliver Guidelines for education workers (school and preschool teachers and educators) for curricular/extracurricular activities related to the issues of climate change, waste management, and disaster risk reduction.

This document is envisaged as a tool for all educators (in preschools, primary and secondary schools, as well as for all formal and non-formal educators within different NGOs and other organizations) to support them in obtaining needed knowledge, tools, and examples of good practices and other suggestions for working with children in preparing, organising and facilitating specific workshops as to the abovementioned topics as well as to organise campaigns in local schools, focused on raising awareness in communities on the importance of tackling climate change and recognizing its negative impact, with a specific focus on waste cycle management, air pollution monitoring, and disaster risk reduction. Specific objective is to produce a document (brochure) as a tool to strengtheneducators to adopt virtuous practices in the context of climate change mitigation actions.

This document will encompass all experiences and examples of good practices from previously implemented pilot project activities within the first phase of the project “Schools as Green Zones - increasing the climate change readiness in the education sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. This shall imply close cooperation with the Save the Children program staff and consultants engaged in the implementation of the mentioned project in order to exchange suggestions, plans, examples, and other needed information. Also, the obligation of the chosen consultant/agency will be to be engaged in the presentation of the finalized document at final promotional event (conference) organized by Save the children for other stakeholders (date will be additionally confirmed).

4.        Expected outputs 

·        A document: “Guidelines for education workers (school and preschool teachers and educators) for curricular/extracurricular activities related to climate change, waste management, and disaster risk reduction (hereinafter: the Guidelines).

5.  Timeframe and methodology

In order to perform the above-specified tasks, the consultant/agency will be engaged from February 2023 until September 2023. The consultant/agency will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and with the support of SCINWB-designated staff, in line with the proposed timeframe below.

* Timeframe can be changed in consultations with SCINWB.

The methodology should include an innovative approach to the topic for example concrete examples of preparing workshops with children, preparing such classes and proposals for necessary materials for working with children, work methodology (group, individual, etc.), learning outcomes, etc.

   6. Funding and logistical support and organisation

Funding will be provided by Save the Children in North West Balkans.

The individual/agency will design and implement the task through consultation and support from relevant SCiNWB staff.

Responsibilities and duties of the individual/agency:

•        The individual/agency is responsible for developing an implementation plan and methodology for all proposed activities

•        The individual/agency will be in contact with Save the Children staff throughout the process, regularly updating on the process/progress (on a monthly basis or more frequently, if needed) and seeking information and guidance when needed.

•        The individual/agency will abide by the timing of the agreed consultancy work.

•        The individual/agency will ensure the ethical participation of children in accordance with the Save the Children policy on child safeguarding.

•        The individual/agency will produce a final result in one of the official BiH languages.

•        The individual/agency shall perform its role in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards.

  7.Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required  

Minimum required expertise and skills:

•        At least five years of domestic experience in implementing similar tasks, with experience in the production of similar documents in the area of ecology/environmental sciences, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, waste management and air pollution.

•        Knowledge and experience working in the field of inclusion will be considered an advantage.

•        Demonstrable creative and innovative approach and ability to find cost-effective alternative methods of communication and message transmission.

•        Experience in direct work with groups of adults and children in the implementation of similar activities (training, workshops, conferences, research, etc.) related to climate change adaptation will be considered a definite asset.

8. Budget

The individual/agency should indicate the fees and costs of their services in the currency BAM, in the document "Bidding Response", and complete the form "SC-PR-10 - Request for Quotation". All budget items should be clearly described, explaining how they fit into the proposed methodology and the work plan. It is mandatory to indicate the names of budget items as well as specific budget lines within the proposed budget.

Save the Children will particularly appreciate the potential pro-bono contribution of the applicant to maximise the effects of the task, as well as its visibility, which we will be happy to announce throughout the project.

Note*

Individuals/companies/organisations/agencies should take into account all additional costs (travel costs, meals and accommodation), and all other expenses related to the performance of their tasks as they will not be reimbursed subsequently.

9. Formal Expression of Interest for Consultancy

The interestedconsultantshoulddevelopandsubmitthefinancialproposaltorespondto the above-mentionedspecifictasks.Theproposalshouldinclude:

1.        Submission of the Bidding Response document with a specified methodology and budget breakdown (Annex 1);

2.        Letter of interest with confirmation of the availability for the proposed dates and work dynamics;

3.        Resumes of each team member listing relevant experience, in SCI template (Annex 2);

4.        Reference list and at least two examples of previously designed and implemented campaigns.

Interested applicants should submit their proposals to Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than February 17^th, 2023. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Please find enclosed link with documents for application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13B2bqnbdr467iTKN9m0_yooswcTM4bXl/view?usp=share_link

Particular requirement: no person performing any task on behalf of Save the Children may, in any way, be involved in or connected with the abuse or exploitation of children.