Consultant - Transformative Education

JOB DETAILS

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 1 - Junior

Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station : Bangkok

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 11 months

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+7 Time) : 01/06/2026

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

OVERVIEW

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) oversees UNESCO’s programmes in education, natural sciences, ocean sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information across seven countries: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. UNESCO Bangkok also leads SDG4 coordination across Asia and the Pacific.

This consultancy supports the Education Section, in particular the Transformative Education portfolio, including  the implementation of the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) activities under the SDG 4.7 framework.

UNESCO Bangkok is implementing the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) in Lao PDR. Within the framework of CSESI—launched in November 2024 by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in partnership with Save the Children and UNESCO—the UNESCO Bangkok office provides technical support for the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Climate Change Education (CCE), and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into education sector planning, curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher development in Lao PDR.

In addition, to advance learner agency, UNESCO Bangkok supports Global Citizenship Education (GCED) through its coordination and Secretariat role of the Asia-Pacific GCED Network, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), Republic of Korea, to support Member States in implementing the 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development through regional dialogue, capacity development, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration to empower learners to become proactive citizens.

Within the framework of enabling learners to become agents of change and to address local and global issues, including the climate crisis, conflict, and rapid technological transformation, this consultancy focuses on developing operational guidance materials, knowledge products, and communication-related deliverables related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Climate Change Education (CCE), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

Long Description

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The consultant will contribute to the preparation of technical, analytical, operational, and communications-related deliverables to support the implementation of the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) in Lao PDR and selected Global Citizenship Education (GCED) activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Under the CSESI component on curriculum and pedagogy in Lao PDR, the consultant will contribute to the integration of Climate Change Education, Education for Sustainable Development, and Disaster Risk Reduction into pedagogy and teacher training. This includes contributing to the preparation of operational guidance materials and learning resources with a focus on teachers’ professional development, as well as capacity-building and pilot activities on integrating ESD, CCE, and DRR into teaching and learning.

Under GCED, the consultant will support the preparation technical, communications, and knowledge-sharing materials related to the activities of the GCED Network coordinated by UNESCO Bangkok such as regional GCED webinars and the annual GCED Network meeting.

ASSIGNMENTS

Under the overall authority of the Regional Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for Coordination for Asia and the Pacific, the guidance of the Deputy Director, and the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist in Transformative Education, the consultant will support the preparation of technical and knowledge products related to Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) activities under the SDG 4.7 framework.

Specifically, the consultant will perform the following tasks:

3.1 CSESI Tasks

• Review the draft curriculum and learning materials review report and prepare a concise analytical synthesis note identifying findings relevant to teachers’ professional development guidelines, including key implications and priority considerations by 30 June 2026.
• Consolidate and synthesize outputs from the June 2026 stakeholder consultation and prepare an analytical report summarizing key decisions, priorities, and recommendations by 30 June 2026.
• Prepare a monthly progress monitoring plan, including timelines, deliverables, and tracking arrangements by 30 June 2026.
• Provide technical inputs to strengthen the relevance and usability of draft teachers’ professional development guidance materials and learning resources by 9 July 2026.
• Contribute technical inputs to the assessment of capacity development and implementation readiness related to teachers’ professional development to integrate CCE, DRR, and ESD into teaching and learning by 15 July 2026.
• Review draft operational guidance materials and learning resources to ensure alignment with UNESCO frameworks on ESD, CCE, and DRR, and support contextual relevance and scalability by 25 July 2026. 

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• Prepare pilot testing plan for operational guidance materials and learning resources by 7 August 2026. 
• Prepare technical documentation for pilot activities by 25 August 2026. 
• Support facilitation of pilot activities and preparation of related technical documentation including focus group discussion design and follow-up communication framework by 10 September 2026.
• Undertake a 3-day official mission to Vientiane before 25 September 2026 to facilitate the pilot testing of the teachers’ professional development guidelines with Ministry of Education and partners. 
• Document pilot feedback, technical observations, lessons learned, and recommendations by 25 September 2026. 
• Consolidate pilot activity outputs to prepare a Piloting Phase Outcome Report by 10 October 2026.
• Revise operational guidance materials, tools, and learning resources by 25 October 2026. 
• Prepare communications article for UNESCO website by 25 October 2026. 
• Integrate peer review feedback and conduct quality review of revised operational guidance materials, tools, and learning resources by 25 November 2026.

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• Prepare near-final draft operational guidance materials incorporating technical revisions and peer review feedback by 5 December 2026. 
• Finalize operational guidance materials and learning resources following final quality review by 10 December 2026. 
• Contribute technical inputs for the consolidated draft project report synthesizing CSESI implementation progress and results by 25 January 2027. 
• Contribute technical inputs and supporting materials for the final CSESI project report synthesizing implementation progress and results by 25 February 2027. 
• Prepare consolidated knowledge and presentation materials related to CSESI and ESD activities by 20 March 2027. 
• Prepare draft dissemination and communications materials related to operational guidance materials and ESD outputs by 25 March 2027.
• Prepare dissemination materials for CSESI and ESD knowledge products by 25 April 2027
• Support technical editing, formatting, and quality review of outputs by 25 April 2027. 
• Consolidate final lessons learned, results, and good practices from CSESI activities by 25 April 2027. 

Long Description

3.2 GCED Tasks

• Prepare concept note, agenda, communications materials, and announcement article for GCED Annual Meeting by 20 August 2026.
• Prepare concept notes, agendas, communications materials, and webinar materials for two GCED network webinars by 25 August 2026.
• Prepare presentation materials for GCED network activities by 15 October 2026.
• Prepare technical, presentation, and communications materials for GCED Network Annual Meeting before 10 November 2026.
• Compile inputs for GCED Annual Report by 22 December 2026.
• Consolidate presentation materials highlighting network experiences, achievements, and lessons learned by 22 December 2026.
• Draft GCED Annual Meeting summary articles by 15 January 2027.
• Prepare inputs related to GCED activities for the consolidated draft project report by 25 January 2027.
• Compile and prepare inputs for the evaluation summary report of GCED network activities by 15 February 2027. 
• Prepare inputs for the GCED Network 2027 proposal package by 25 February 2027. 

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• Consolidate lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations to support consultation with GCED Network members to identify priority themes and strategic directions for 2027 programming by 7 March 2027.
• Prepare GCED consultation materials including concept note, agenda, and webinar materials by 15 March 2027.
• Prepare dissemination and communications materials related to GCED outputs and regional knowledge-sharing activities by 25 March 2027.
• Prepare final knowledge-sharing products related to GCED activities by 25 April 2027.
• Consolidate lessons learned, good practices, and analytical synthesis materials highlighting GCED network experiences, achievements, and regional collaboration outcomes by 25 April 2027.
• Prepare final consolidated GCED knowledge products and communications materials package for dissemination purposes by 15 May 2027.

CONTRACT DURATION

15 June 2026 - 14 May 2027

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The consultant will prepare technical and knowledge outputs related to CSESI and GCED activities in accordance with the tasks outlined above. Individual technical outputs may have different submission dates during each reporting period. The final monthly deliverable will consist of a consolidated progress report attaching all outputs prepared during the reporting period.

DELIVERABLES – CSESI

Long Description

DELIVERABLES – GCED

Long Description

All drafts must be in line with UNESCO’s style guide (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000141812). The consultant must provide all references to data and other relevant material/resources used for argument presented as footnotes including links to the resources where possible. In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, the individual specialist is expected to integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender analysis and mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible. 

Location and Travel:

The consultant will be based at the UNESCO Bangkok office. The consultant may be required to undertake official travel in relation to project implementation during the assignment period. All travel must be economy class, and in such a case, the consultant will receive a Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) at the standard UN rate. This rate should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC. DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out official assignments away from their usual place of residence or work.  The consultant is expected to arrange their own travel and will be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO’s rules and regulations. All travel costs (e.g., the cost of tickets, terminal fares, and DSA) must be agreed upon and fixed in advance between the consultant and UNESCO.

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

• Advanced University Degree (Master's or equivalent) in the field of education, social sciences, communication, journalism, or related areas to international development.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience in education, policy, planning, projects, teaching, or teachers’ professional development.
• Experience in developing and managing innovative programmes, networks, and partnerships
• Experience working on Sustainable Development, Greening Education, Global Citizenship Education (GCED) or related topics

Long Description

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Excellent technical drafting skills
• Excellent analytical synthesis skills
• Excellent IT skills with proficiency in the use of MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills
• Ability to take initiatives and to provide quality and timely support and services
• Ability to work under pressure and flexibility to adjust work schedules and priorities
• Ability to organize work effectively and manage multiple deliverables within agreed timelines
• Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team in a multicultural environment
• Capacity for accuracy and attention to detail in preparation of correspondence;
• Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others
• Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience with international organization, preferably the United Nations, would be highly regarded.  Experience supporting development of education-related programmes, teacher training materials, and knowledge products in areas related to SDG 4.7 particularly climate change education and global citizenship education will be considered an asset.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Submission of Application:

Interested individuals are invited to submit the application and requirements to the UNESCO Careers website at https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl.

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and download and complete the Employment History form (Word document) in ‘Employment History Form / My Documents’. Before uploading the completed form, please add the following documents as extra pages at the end of the Word file:

• An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.
• A list of past work or reports/publications written with hyperlinks to access such paper if they are available online or samples of such papers if they are only available offline
• Written technical and financial proposals (in English):

• • Approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment (maximum 2, A4 pages), a work plan and comments on the Terms of Reference, in brief, if any, and

• • The proposed consultancy fee for the assignment should be quoted in USD, indicating either a daily or monthly rates or a lump sum amount. The total consultancy fees should include a detailed broken down based on level of effort, time-on-task, or per expected deliverable/output.

UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organisation the best value for money.

Application should be done through careers.unesco.org only. In case you are unable to attach the required documents in the system, please inform us at ed.bgk@unesco.org

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Assessment

• Only applications providing the information requested in the application procedure will be considered.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants will include the review of the curriculum vitae, technical proposal, and proposed consultancy fee.
• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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.
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.