Post-Graduate Diploma Curriculum Development Consultant

FOR THE CONSULTANCY CONTRACT OF: Curriculum Development Consultant

Duty Station of the Consultancy: Home-based.

Duration of Consultancy: 120 Days

Nature of the consultancy: Category B – Post-Graduate Diploma Curriculum Development Consultant

Project Context and Scope:

The 'Bor Flood Risk Management Project,' funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by IOM South Sudan in co-operation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and Disaster Management and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, is meant to increase the resilience of marginalized and climate vulnerable communities about the adverse effects of climate change around Bor Town. Specifically, this project aims to bolster the capacity of the South Sudan government to develop warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure to reduce the impacts of floods.

The proposed approach is centred on three interlinked and mutually reinforcing outcomes, as follows:

Strengthen knowledge base on the susceptibility of communities to disaster-related events.

This component aims to improve understanding of the risks associated with different hydrometeorological hazards. This will inform the programming and design of the proposed project. A strengthened knowledge base will help bridge the gap between what is known about natural hazards and disaster mitigation and help translate research into disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies. The activities will help increase understanding of the interlinkages between DRR, knowledge management and climate-informed decision-making through consultations and training workshops at community and government levels.

Strengthen capacities for effective community response to climate-related shocks through participatory disaster risk management mechanisms and early warning systems.

This component aims to facilitate broad-based community consultations to ensure that disaster risk management committees (DRMCs) are inclusive bodies that enable marginalized groups such as women, youth, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities to voice their needs. The project strongly focuses on community engagement to elevate understanding of climate risks and ensure climate information reaches a wide audience. Establishing and operationalizing an early warning technical working group (EWTWG) will ensure greater awareness on the importance of climate information services. Ultimately this will serve the communities most at risk from climate shocks and extreme weather events.

Enhance resilience to climate-related shocks through strategic infrastructural interventions in targeted locations.

This component aims to optimize and scale up water resource management infrastructure, such as dikes and drainage systems, to mitigate flood risk in the most vulnerable urban areas. Physical modification, reinforcement and upgrade of damaged water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure will also occur to minimize the risk of waterborne diseases. The project will also strengthen the local community and government's understanding of infrastructure operations and maintenance, as they'll directly benefit from the project's technical skills development and training program.

Objectives of the consultancy

Support the University of John Garang in developing the curriculum, developing the resource materials, and introducing a postgraduate diploma programme on disaster risk management and sustainable development to enhance the capacities of graduate South Sudanese job seekers.

Disaster Risk Management Postgraduates diploma proposed courses:

First Semester:

1. PGDDRMSD101 Introduction to Hazards, Vulnerabilities and Risks
2. PGDDRMSD102 Tools and techniques in DRM
3. PGDDRMSD103 DRR & community resilience, principles, and practices
4. PGDDRMSD104 Flood emergency management, principles, and practices
5. PGDDRMSD105 Project management, DRR & climate change adaptation projects
6. PGDDRMSD106 Natural resources management (biodiversity, Conservation)
7. PGDDRMSD107 Research Methodologies

Second Semester:

1. PGDDRMSD108 Environmental Economics
2. PGDDRMSD109 Development planning and sustainable development
3. PGDDRMSD110 Policies and Legal Framework of DRM
4. PGDDRMSD111 Field research methods
5. PGDDRMSD112 Crisis and Food Security
6. PGDDRMSD113 Protection, Gender, and Inclusiveness in Disaster Risk Management
7. PGDDRMSD114 Case study and report writing.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant contributes: Shelter and Settlement Unit.

Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

Under direct supervision of the Project Manager and close coordination of the curriculum development university faculty, the consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

Curriculum Development:

• Design a comprehensive and culturally relevant curriculum for the nine-month postgraduate diploma program in Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development at the University of John Garang.
• Develop detailed course outlines for each module, emphasizing the South Sudanese context, learning objectives, and practical applications.
• Integrate original knowledge, case studies, and local examples to enhance the program's resonance with the South Sudanese environment.

Resource Material Development:

• Create extensive and tailored resource materials for each course, including lecture notes, readings, multimedia content, and practical exercises.
• Ensure that resource materials are culturally sensitive, up-to-date, and applicable to the local context.
• Guide additional resources, including local literature and experts, to supplement the curriculum.

Training for Instructors:

• Develop a training program for instructors to effectively deliver the curriculum, considering students' cultural nuances and diverse backgrounds.
• Conduct workshops covering content, teaching methodologies, and assessment strategies focusing on the South Sudanese context.

Quality Assurance:

• Conduct a thorough review and validation of the curriculum and resource materials to ensure academic rigour, cultural sensitivity, and alignment with the South Sudanese context.
• Incorporate feedback from local stakeholders, including academics and practitioners, to refine and improve the curriculum.
• Ensure that the curriculum complies with accreditation and quality standards while remaining relevant to the unique needs of South Sudan.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with local academic staff, subject matter experts, and industry professionals to integrate local perspectives into the curriculum.
• Facilitate in-depth workshops or meetings to discuss and validate the curriculum, ensuring it addresses the specific challenges and opportunities in the South Sudanese context.

Timeline and Milestones:

• Develop a detailed project plan outlining timelines and milestones for curriculum development, resource material creation, and instructor training within the initial three months.
• Provide regular updates to project stakeholders, ensuring transparency and addressing any challenges to meet the established deadlines.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Presentation including a demonstration on the progress of development of the curriculums.
• Final report to IOM highlighting the achieved curriculums, methodology, data used, and recommendations.

Term of Payment and deliverables

The consultant will receive a total of USD 40,000 with a payment schedule specified below:

First deliverable (Second week of consultancy): Presentation on the methodology, data uses, stakeholder engagement plan and work schedule. First instalment (20%): two weeks upon receiving the activity report.

Second delivery (two months of consultancy): Presentation of draft curriculum, draft resource materials, and updated stakeholder engagement report**. Second instalment (40%):** Two weeks upon receiving the requirements.

Second delivery (at the end of the consultation period): submitting the finalized curriculum, approved resource materials, conducting training for the faculty on the curriculum developed, and submitting a final report. Third instalment (40%): two weeks after receiving the final report.

Education, experience, and/or skills are required.

• Professor with Ph.D. of Science in natural resources management, engineering, or a similar discipline.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, research or similar experiences.
• Fluent in written and oral English.
• Working knowledge in Arabic is a plus.

Travel required.

Not Required – Home-based consultancy

Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity respect and promote individual and cultural differences; encourage diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• Integrity and transparency maintain high ethical standards and act consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates the ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting daily challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators.

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge, and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.