Climate Smart Education Advisor

Climate Smart Education Advisor

The position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

The Opportunity

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Bhutan and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and future we share. Save the Children expects that anyone associated with it abides by its Safeguarding and other Zero Tolerance Policies.

The position holder will work under the supervision of the Senior Program Development and Quality Advisor and will provide technical guidance on quality delivery of the Climate Smart Education initiative focusing on supporting the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to enhance their capacities to mainstream climate change adaptation, mitigation environmental sustainability into education sector plans, budgets, and strategies as well as promoting cross-sectoral coordination on climate and environment-related policy and programming within key ministries. The position holder will coordinate with UNESCO and relevant ministries working in education and climate change

The position holder will support MoEST to design, implement, coordinate, monitor, evaluate and report on context-relevant Climate Smart Education initiatives that have been prioritized by MoEST in project. The position holder will be part of education team in Save the Children with expertise in policy and planning, climate financing, coordination resilience infrastructure, learning continuity, school management and curriculum and play a key role supporting the Ministry of Education Science and Technology think through what support they want from the project to further the integration of climate change into the education sector and drive the delivery of the outputs in the initiative’s workplan. The position holder will also need to work in close coordination with the UNESCO team and seek the necessary inputs and support to deliver the results.”

The position holder will coordinate the implementation of high-quality Climate Smart Education initiative at policy and other levels ensuring and demonstrating impact for children in both emergency and development programming. The position holder will be expected to facilitate documentation of the process, lessons, and best practices and use evidence to inform better programming of sustainable climate change programs in Nepal. The position holder will support with advocacy and influencing, while driving strategic partnerships for new identification of new investors in the field of climate change.

The position holder will work closely with the Senior Technical Coordinator- Education, who is responsible for budget management for this project. The position holder will also collaborate with the Climate Change Advisor and Senior PDQ Advisor and SCAuS technical team and seek technical guidance in respective thematic areas.

Overall, the position holder is responsible for providing technical leadership to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) on the Climate-Smart Education Systems Strategic Capability Initiative (CSESI). Out of the seven, Save the Children is responsible for four key areas: (a)internal and cross-sectoral coordination, (b)climate finance to strengthen resilience, supporting adaptation to the impacts of climate change,(c)safer and greener infrastructure, (d) school safety management, and educational continuity. The position holder is responsible to deliver the results in these areas. The position holder will also coordinate and collaborate with various technical working groups within SESP, including CSS, Green and Safe Schools.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITY AREAS:

Technical Leadership

• Provide overall technical leadership to the Climate Smart Education Systems -Strategic Capability Initiative (CSESI) and ensure that the initiatives are prioritized by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST)
• In collaboration with the Save the Children’s global and national teams of climate and education experts, UNESCO, and government counterparts provide technical support to the delivery of the Climate Smart Education initiative in the country, leading to government ownership and sustainability.
• Take lead responsibility for delivering project activities in coordination with the Senior Technical Coordinator, ensuring they are completed on time and to a high standard, in line with project plans
• Support the MOEST in enhancing its capacity to develop evidence-based policies and plans for climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability.
• Provide leadership to ensure that MOEST is better equipped to enhance the climate resilience of schools in the face of climate risks, through strengthened capacity in infrastructure development, school safety, and educational continuity management
• Facilitate timely data collection, access, and capacity to use climate-related data, integrating it into the MOEST’s monitoring information systems.
• Lead in providing technical support to MOEST to effectively coordinate with other sectors, such as the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Forestry and Environment (MoFE), and others, on climate and education, and to enable increased access to climate financing for education sector activities
• In coordination with UNESCO, provide technical input on the integration of climate change and environmental sustainability into curricula, pedagogy, and teacher training.
• Advocate for increased investment in Climate Education in collaboration with key stakeholders and in close coordination with the ACCM department
• Provide technical leadership and manage research to generate evidence on climate-smart education, focusing on internal and cross-sectoral coordination related to climate change and education at the federal, provincial, and local levels

Programme Quality

• Lead in ensuring that the implementation of the Climate Smart Education initiative aligns with national government priorities and the global strategic objectives of Save the Children International (SCI)
• Lead the effective and high-quality delivery of activities within the Climate Smart Education initiative
• Provide support to other SCI Nepal projects seeking to integrate Climate Smart Education to ensure implementation of best practices from CSESI and alignment with Government priorities.
• Lead the identification of the technical capacity needs of the MOEST, relevant civil society organizations, and develop capacity development action plans to address these needs, particularly in areas like climate finance and climate-smart education.
• Lead and support the integration of climate change capacity within the MOEST education system and the development of climate-friendly infrastructure through CESI’s capacity strengthening plan.
• Collaborate effectively with the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant government ministries and departments to liaise with climate change-related policy and program work at the MOEST.
• Lead in the development of Terms of Reference (TOR) for consultants and experts, ensure timely delivery of results, and oversee the technical quality of their contributions
• Lead and facilitate evidence dissemination to raise the visibility of the initiative in coordination with the ACCM department and encourage collaboration with other stakeholders.
• Lead and facilitate program learning across all relevant ministries and stakeholders to promote networking, coordination, coherence, and cross-learning.
• Ensure that the MOEST and other key education partners involved in the program are aware of safeguarding protocols and that children and adult beneficiaries are protected from all forms of abuse perpetrated by staff, partners, and other SCI representatives

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Provide leadership in development of the monitoring plan of Climate Smart Education activities, ensuring corrective actions are taken as needed
• Lead the documentation of evidence, lessons learned, challenges, and gaps, and collaborate with SCI Education and Climate
• Advisors, along with other staff, to assist in developing new project proposals and evaluating and documenting project activities
• Lead the timely production of activity/event reports, as well as monthly reports and project briefs
• Plan and host high-level donor field visits, distill key findings and recommendations, and share them with relevant stakeholders.
• Produce high quality reports on time for the donor and government

Partnerships and coordination.

• Lead and ensure the close coordination with all relevant program stakeholders, including government entities (MOEST, MOF, MOFA, etc.), UNESCO, CSOs, UN agencies, and others, to ensure complementarity, synergy, knowledge sharing, and tracking of issues throughout program implementation.
• Lead the building partnerships and facilitate regular coordination meetings between the MOEST, SCI, UNESCO, and other key ministries to enhance participation, ownership, and sustainability of the project.
• Lead the compilation and dissemination of national network and TWG minutes, reports, and data related to the project.
• Represent Save the Children in interagency working groups, including meetings, joint monitoring visits, and coordination meetings, and use this information to enhance program quality.

Advocacy and Campaigns

• Develop compelling messaging and materials in collaboration with the ACCM team to raise awareness of the Climate Smart Education initiative.
• Coordinate with MEAL and ACCM to identify and document case studies, success stories, and good practices in policy influencing emerging from the project interventions

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master degree level in Education, Environmental Sciences, or any climate related fields
• At least 7 years’ experience working in climate change or climate & education policy and planning, advocacy, coordination, and financing. Expertise in climate finance an asset
• In-depth knowledge of Nepal government and non-government actors and frameworks is essential.
• Practical experience working within MOEST preferred, alternatively with other relevant Ministries (i.e. MoFE)
• Ability to interact skillfully and diplomatically with a wide range of stakeholders, both domestically and internationally.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and intense pressure to perform.
• Proficiency in writing technical and programmatic reports that document program direction and results.
• Experience initiating programs at national level and interacting with various senior structures.
• Ability to represent and negotiate persuasively and diplomatically with multiple and varied governments and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to develop program briefs for program advocacy and fundraising.

Required No.(s): 1 (Nepalese Citizen Only)

Contract length: Fixed Term

Location: Surkhet Field Office

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Job Identification: 12734
Job Category: Programme Operations
Apply Before: 05/25/2025, 11:59 PM
Locations: AO – CO Prog (Kathmandu)