National Consultant to Support in Development of the Environmental Education Toolkit for Children

Position: National consultant to support in development of the environmental education toolkit for children of secondary schools children around Pu Luong Natural Reserve, Thanh Hoa province.

Report: VFD Thanh Hoa Provincial Coordinator, SNV

I. Background:

The USAID Vietnam Forest and Deltas Program (VFD), from 2013 to 2018, is being implemented through Winrock International, the Netherlands Development Organisation SNV, American Red Cross, Vietnam Red Cross and Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD). The USAID Vietnam Forest and Deltas Program is embarking upon a six-year effort that supports four provinces to accelerate their transition to climate resilient, low emissions development through investments in reducing net emissions from forests, and enhancing resilience of people, places, and livelihoods to short and long-term climate impacts. In VFD, SNV provides technical leadership for the sustainable landscape component that is focusing on upland landscapes, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forests degradation, maintaining and enhancing existing forests stocks and increasing climate change resilience and sustainability of landscapes.

As a part of the effort to raise the awareness of the local communities in climate change, natural resources and forest protection living within and around the forest protected areas in Thanh Hoa, VFD is supporting Thanh Hoa in piloting the “environmental education and communication toolkit” to be used as extra-curriculum for 9 secondary schools around buffer zone of Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province. The toolkit is aimed to provide the children the knowledge of climate change issue and the need for improved natural resources and forest protection and, and  aware of the possible solutions to these problems, and motivated to give their hands solve them.

II. Consultancy service description:

1. Objectives

The objective of this consultancy is to support in development of environmental education and communication toolkit on climate change, natural resources and forest protection to be used as extra-curriculum for 9 secondary schools around buffer zone of Pu Luong, Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province.

2. Scope of work

• The geographic focus of the assignment is only Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province.
• The target schools: 9 schools located within the buffer zone of Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province.
• The thematic focus of the toolkits includes climate change, biodiversity conservation and forest protection.

3. Methodology and tasks:

• Review any existing environmental education and communication materials developed for school children around protected areas in Vietnam.
• Work closely with VFD and task force (representatives from Pu Luong NR and schools) to identify the types and contents of the environmental education and communication toolkit.
• Based on the consultant’s experience and result, develop the draft toolkit and circulate for comments.
• Consult the toolkit drafted with Pu Luong NR and schools.
• Test and finalize the toolkit and teaching guideline.

4. Deliverables

• An environmental education and communication toolkit on climate change, natural resources and forest protection with illustrative images and drawings to be used at 9 secondary schools at the buffer zone of Pu Luong NR.
• A teaching guideline developed for the school teachers to use.

5. Timeline

The assignment is expected to start from Jan 2017. It is estimated with about 12 days of consultancy work. The number of exact days will be discussed and agreed with the selected consultant later.

III.  Qualifications, skills and experience required:

An individual consultants with the following background is encouraged to apply:

• Bachelor degree on communication, environmental education, natural resources management or relevant fields.
• Proven past experiences in development of environmental education and communication materials including illustrative drawings and graphics.
• Good experience in conducting awareness raising activities for communities and in the forest protected areas in Vietnam.
• Good knowledge on issues related to climate change, biodiversity conservation and forest management in Vietnam.
• Having experience in working with local schools is an advantage.

IV. How to apply:

Interested consultant is requested to submit their technical and financial proposal demonstrating their ability to deliver on this assignment and CV to: [email protected] by 12 December 2016 with the title: “Development of environmental education toolkit for children”