Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB)

Terms of Reference for International Consultant (firm) for 

Facilitation of the 

Virtual Internship Program on climate change issues in Central Asia for young professionals

 

Background

The Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) aims to enhance regionally coordinated access to improved climate change knowledge services for key stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, communities, and civil society) in participating Central Asian countries as well as to increased investments and capacity building that, combined, will address climate challenges common to these countries. 

This assignment is to be carried under the Component 1 of the CAMP4ASB project, “Regional Climate Knowledge Services”, and refers to the following sub-activity of the project: 1.5. “Capacity building”^[1]

The Virtual Internship Program on climate change issues in Central Asia in Central Asia aims to build the capacities and to enhance knowledge interactions among next generation of young professionals or PHD students in the Central Asia region and use this young talent to develop cutting-edge knowledge and analytical products for the Central Asia Climate Information Platform (CACIP). 

The internship will be focused on exploring public-domain data and knowledge resources on climate adaptation and mitigation aspects in Central Asia to develop interactive tools for the CACIP and consist of five main areas (water, agriculture, energy, climate-induced disasters, health) with specific tasks:

- Researching additional climate-related data services and development of visualization instruments/dashboards;

- Researching additional knowledge sources (e.g. full-text journal articles, reports, videos, websites, maps) and development of an interactive knowledge repositories to be applied in CACIP and hosting institution (at least one product from each group);

- Developing an overall interactive e-book (with story maps, blogs, case-studies, etc.);

- Developing the MobApps.

 

Objective

The main objective of these Consultant Services (firm) is to facilitate the Virtual Internship Program on climate change issues in Central Asia in Central Asia for 2020-2021, including following tasks: 

I. To ensure information dissemination/outreach for collection of research applications from students across key thematic areas;

II. Develop the online application forms/selection platform and facilitate selection process, including the organization of selecting committee, see Annex A “General conditions”;

III. To identify hosting institutions on each thematic topic in each country, mentors; facilitate mentorship process through online tools and assist groups in development of products, advising on modern approaches (modeling methods) and high international standards, provide international best practice and solutions;

IV. To organize online regional training on how to use related soft programs for CACIP and implementation of advanced approaches, related to GIS and remote sensing, development of MobApp and other interactive tools;

V. To arrange for and ensure presentation of developed interactive instruments during project’s regional event, and mass-media coverage.

 

Specific Activities:

      I.         To ensure information dissemination/outreach for collection of research applications from students 

Consultant will organize (substantively, logistically and technically) the whole process of Internship Program, starting from dissemination of information about Internship among state agencies of high education (Ministries of education) and universities through academic and student’s networks (incl., CALP alumni), mass-media (incl. social media), etc. Further, Consultant will collect applications according to the competition requirements indicated in Annex A.  

 

    II.         To develop the online application forms/selection platform and facilitate selection process, including the organization of selecting committee

Consultant will develop the online application forms and selection platform; and organize selection process, including determination of selection committee and criteria, and selection committee meeting. The selection committee members, selection criteria, selection procedures and the dates of committee meeting should be developed and agreed with RCU. At least one RCU member should be included into the selection committee. The selection procedures will have at least two stages of selection. 10 students should be selected from the applicants and monthly allowance will be provided. The number of students can shorten in case the lack of appropriate applicants collected. The number of selected students should be also agreed with RCU. 

 

   III.         To identify hosting institutions on each thematic topic in each country, mentors; facilitate mentorship process and assist groups in development of products, advising on modern approaches (modeling methods) and high international standards, provide international best practice and solutions

Selected students will be located in their home countries (due to travel restrictions related with COVID-19) under overall coordination of selected institution together with their mentors in host thematic institutions. Students will be divided into 5 thematic batches under strong mentorship, each by 1 mentor. Consultant will identify hosting institutions and mentors and coordinates internship. Consultant in cooperation with mentors develop a schedule of the supervising process, including the methodologies of assessment the results and description of tools for communication with students. Hosting institutions will guide and support students throughout the process, including products development and their daily work inside the organization. In close cooperation with their supervisors each thematic group will develop list of individual tasks for students.

In addition to the local mentors, who guide internship process inside of the hosting institutes, international expert will provide consultancies on using related soft programs for CACIP and existing hosting institutions` scientific tasks, implementation of advanced approaches, related to GIS and remote sensing, assist to groups in development of products that can be used in CACIP and hosting organizations, advising on modern approaches (modeling methods) and high international standards, provide international best practice and solutions.

 

   IV.         To organize online regional training on how to use related soft programs for CACIP and implementation of advanced approaches, related to GIS and remote sensing, development of MobApp and other interactive tools

Educational (trainings) component implies incorporating knowledge and skills that will help students in their practical work. For example, course on developing and collecting a global data set, GIS/remote sensing technologies. For those purposes, consultant will engage local/international trainers on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, food security and climate change, basin management to provide online training workshops for the selected applicants. The training agenda, duration of training, selected trainer should be agreed with RCU. During the training Consultant will conduct the evaluation of the participants’ knowledge on climate change issues (online questionnaires). Evaluation should take place before (diagnostic evaluation), and at the post-conclusion (summative evaluation). Implementation of practical component will be based on covering needs of CACIP and hosting institutions for each thematic group.

 

    V.         To arrange for and ensure presentation of developed interactive instruments during project’s regional event, and mass-media coverage

Consultant in 2021 will organize a parallel event during the Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC 2021), or another regional event together with RCU. Consultant will arrange and ensure presentation of interactive products developed and the ways of presentation will be agreed with RCU. Consultant will also ensure publications in mass-media and provide articles (at least 1 article for each developed product for the contracting period) for newsletters. 

Scope of Work - Tasks, Deliverables and Schedule

Proposed timetable for the process and deliverables: 

#	Deliverables:	Due date
1	Arrange for information dissemination/outreach for collection of research applications on competition across key thematic topics	November 15, 2020
2	Develop and agree on the selection criteria with members of selection committee and RCU	November 30, 2020
3	Facilitate the selection of substantive number of applications ensuring a diverse representation across Central Asian countries and proposed research themes	January 15, 2021
4	Identify hosting institutions and assign international and national mentors for selected students	January 30, 2021
5	Conduct online regional training on interactive instruments to be used for development of interactive products	February 28, 2020
6	Develop schedule for regular mentoring process and facilitate internship. Bi-monthly report	March 31, 2021
7	Provide monthly allowance for internship work	March 31, 2021
8	Facilitate the presentation of products developed during CACCC 2021 or another agreed regional event. Report	March 31, 2021
9	Ensure publication in mass-media and provide articles (at least 1 article for each developed product for the contracting period) for newsletters. Bi-monthly report	March 31, 2021

Qualification Requirements 

·      At least two experts required to be involved in the process;

·      Proven experience (at least 5 years) in working with international, regional and national networks on climate related issues and data management; 

·      Extensive experience in the facilitation of the internship program, student research work, including mentorship and organisation of trainings;

·      Administrative capacities for arrangement of payments for monthly allowance;

·      Language skills in English and Russian

 

Reporting Requirements 

·      Consultant should report to the RCU Coordinator

·      Estimated duration of the consultancy will be 15 October 2020 – 31 March 2021

Annex A

GENERAL CONDITIONS

Water, agriculture, energy, climate-induced disasters and health – are most climate-sensitive sectors in Central Asia. The internship will be focused on exploring public-domain data and knowledge resources on climate adaptation and mitigation aspects in climate-sensitive sectors of economy in Central Asia to develop interactive tools for the CACIP: 

- Researching additional climate-related data services and development of visualization instruments/dashboards;

- Researching additional knowledge sources (e.g. full-text journal articles, reports, videos, websites, maps) and development of an interactive knowledge repositories to be applied in CACIP and hosting institution (at least one product from each group);

- Developing an overall interactive e-book (with story maps, blogs, case-studies, etc.);

- Developing the MobApps.

 

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

- be enrolled in a university or graduate school, have attended courses in the last 12 months, and have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies with major in environmental sciences, policy and related fields (water, agriculture, DRR), natural resources management, geography, earth science, ICT and engineering in the sphere of climate change, meteorology, hydrology, agriculture or other related fields;

- have recently completed university studies at the undergraduate or postgraduate level;

- be fluent in Russian; fluency in English is an asset;

- be 30 years of age or younger

 

Participants will be selected through competition based on their CV, Motivation letters and interviews. Eligible are participants from the following Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Interns will receive a monthly allowance. 

 

Key Dates: 

30 of December 2020 - Deadline for submission of applications;

30 of January 2021- An announcement of winners 

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[1] For more details about the project and description of all components and subcomponents please, refer to the CAMP4ASB Project Appraisal Document 

The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia 

Attn: Sanzhar Mustafin, Procurement Specialist of CAMP4ASB project

E-mail: smustafin@carececo.org