Promoting sustainable development through UNESCO's programmes and sites

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH UNESCO’S PROGRAMMES AND SITES CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Deadline: 26 April 2023 – 23.59 CET BACKGROUND UNESCO and the abrdn Charitable Foundation (aCF) launched in March 2022 a 3-year partnership to promote sustainability through research and education with the goal of developing innovative solutions relating to the environment, water and the ocean. As part of the partnership between UNESCO and the aCF, the project Promoting sustainable development through UNESCO’s programmes and sites seeks to promote a more sustainable and climate neutral Europe by working through UNESCO designated sites to act as pilot sites for sustainable development and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDGs 6 (water), 13 (climate), 14 (ocean) and 15 (land). UNESCO’s scientific programmes, the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) and its networks will be mobilized in supporting and promoting the project. The project will focus on 3 components/expected results: Expected result 1: promoting research applied and applicable in UNESCO designated sites related to SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15 and MAB, IHP, IGGP and IOC priority areas, notably biodiversity and sustainability, geoscience, water, the ocean, the climate and disasters. Priority will be given to research scalable at ecosystem level, regionally and globally. Expected result 2: promoting and implementing Education for Sustainable Development, water education, climate change education or ocean literacy in UNESCO designated sites. Activities should be developed closely with upper primary/ lower secondary schools located in the site with the capacity to adapt and implement UNESCO guidelines/ methodologies. Crosscutting expected result 3: Innovative ‘green’ and ‘blue’ smart and technological solutions for sustainable development and climate change linked to Expected Result 1 developed with key stakeholders in the site, notably the private sector and the civil society (notably youth), scalable at ecosystem, regional and global level. ELIGIBLE TOPICS • Biodiversity and Sustainability (MAB-related) • Water (IHP-related) • Earth Sciences (IGGP-related) • Ocean (IOC-related) • Climate Change and disasters (Crosscutting) ELIGIBLE SITES Eligible UNESCO sites are Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks, and Natural and Mixed World Heritage sites. The project will work through a total of 15 sites in 3 years. Each year, UNESCO and the Advisory Board of the project will select 5 sites at the beginning of each one-year cycle. Each selected site will be expected to work on all 3 expected results and to focus on one topic throughout the project (for example, if the chosen topic is biodiversity, the site will implement research, education and innovative solutions dedicated to biodiversity). For this second year of the project, sites must be located in the Europe and North America region. Sites under the direct purview of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe will be prioritized. Multi- designated areas, i.e. areas having obtained more than one UNESCO designation will be considered favorably. Two sites (such as a Global Geopark and a Biosphere Reserve) that are situated in a same geographical area may also decide to submit a joint proposal. Each selected site will receive funding from the project to implement activities under the three expected results for a total amount of up to 25,000 USD per site. The selected sites will need to provide a detailed budget with itemized costs and an implementation plan. Sites will be working closely with UNESCO for the implementation of the three expected results on the ground. In particular, UNESCO will work with the selected sites to ensure the work proposed is linked closely to UNESCO priorities (notably MAB, IHP, IGGP and IOC) and is scalable at the regional and global levels. UNESCO will also work closely with the communities involved in the activities (for example with the schools). The 5 selected sites (per year) will have the opportunity to exchange and support each other throughout the 3-year project. Sites will be invited to present the results of their activities to UNESCO and the aCF as well as at international events organized by UNESCO. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION Managing authorities of the eligible sites will need to submit an application (see attached template of the Applica- tion form) in coordination with their MAB National Committee (if a biosphere reserve) IGGP national committees (if a Global Geopark) and/or their UNESCO National Commission (for all sites). Applications from multi-designated areas (or multiple sites) shall jointly submit the application. The proposed contractor needs to be an entity with legal personality and notably have an independent bank account, so that UNESCO can enter into contract with it. The application will be judged against the following criteria: • Completeness of Application form duly filled, dated, stamped and signed by the relevant managing authority(ies) (see attached template and below). • Proven capacity of the project proposed to achieve all the 3 expected results notably in relation to the chosen topic within a 12-month timeframe. • For the research expected result, demonstrated cooperation with a university or a research centre situated within or very close to the site(s) with proven expertise in relation to the chosen research topic (for example an existing EU-funded project, a nationally funded project or a PhD or master’s thesis). Relation with a UNESCO Chair or Centre is an advantage. • For the education expected result, previous cooperation with schools within or close to the site with experience working on sustainability, biodiversity, water, climate change or ocean literacy. Participation of UNESCO ASPnet schools is an advantage. • For the crosscutting innovation expected result, demonstrated cooperation with key stakeholders in the private sector or civil society (such as local administrations, NGOs, local businesses.) with capacity to carry out innovative projects related to the chosen topic. Involvement of youth groups is an advantage. • Quality and relevance of the application and coherence between the 3 expected results • For the research expected result: scientific originality, use of scientific methodology, potential for development of new scientific knowledge, link to MAB/IHP/IGGP/IOC priority areas and SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15, involvement of universities, research partners, and PhD students. • For the education expected result: innovative approach to promote water/ESD/climate change education/ocean literacy, proposed use of existing UNESCO guidelines and tools such as ESD and ocean literacy toolkits, capacity of the education partners and schools to implement activities, link to research expected result and to MAB/IHP/IOC priority areas and SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15. • For the innovation crosscutting expected result: innovative proposal on green/blue smart and technological solutions, link to research and education components, identification of key stakeholders in the project, notably private sector, civil society and youth. • Good balance of the activities between the 3 expected results. • Properly-structured and detailed budget with itemized costs • Clear implementation plan • Scalability of the 3 expected results within UNESCO global network • Demonstrated ecosystem value of the proposal (coastal/island/Mediterranean; mountain; forest; agriculture; river basin; hydrogeological resources, wetland/Ramsar, Natura2000) • Demonstrated impacted climatic zone • Consideration of youth and gender dimensions in the proposal is an advantage • Involvement and engagement with UNESCO site stakeholders • Consideration of interdisciplinary approaches is an advantage • Geographical location (within Europe and North America, with priority to applicants from countries under the purview of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe) SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORM Applicants (site managing authorities) must submit the application form together with the following documents: 1. Letter of support/email from the MAB national committee/IGGP national committee and/or National CoMmission for UNESCO 2. Activity reports (or links to online activity reports) and any additional information demonstrating the required criteria. 3. Curriculum vitae of the project coordinator and proven collaboration with the UNESCO site managing authority (if different from) 4. GANTT Chart (Please fill the template in Annex I of the application form) 5. Budget (Please fill the template in Annex II of the application form) 6. Outcome matrix (Please fill the template in Annex III of the application form) 7. Legal registration document of the managing authority of the designated site 8. Bank information for Vendor Creation Form duly filled in to be returned in word format 9. Bank Statement on bank’s headed paper, signed and stamped confirming the bank details The application must be submitted by 26 April 2023 at 23.59 CET as PDF file(s) in English or French, dated, stamped and signed with all necessary attachments by e-mail to the following address: [email protected]. Applicants may direct questions related to the preparation of the application to the same e-mail address. Cover picture: © Thomais Vlachogianni APPLICATION FORM PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH UNESCO’S PROGRAMMES AND SITES D eadline : 26 April 202 3 – 23.59 CET Important notice Before filling in this application form, please read carefully the Call for Application s , making sure that : it is submitted i n the correct template, fully completed , signed / stamped and dated; it is signed by the person authorised to enter into legally - binding commitments on behalf of the UNESCO designated site; it i ncludes a budget , outcomes matrix an d an implementation plan (with the templates provided ) ; it m eets the submission requirements and deadline set out in the call . It is submitted together with the 6 attachments required as described in the Call for Applications SITE INFORMATION Type of UNESCO designated site ( please tick more than one type in the case of multi-designated site or if two sites are putting forward a joint proposal ) : Biosphere Reserve Global Geopark World H eritage site Name of the site: Country( ies ) of the site: Managing authority/authorities of the site (please indicate all relevant managing authorities ): REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SITE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROPOSAL (it should be only one name and should be belonging to a managing authority of the site ): Name and Surname : Institution: Position in the Institution : E - mail: Tel: Address: PROJECT TEAM: COORDINATOR AND TEAM MEMBERS INFORMATION Role Name and Surname Profession/Position Organization name Coordinator* Member Member …. *Please attach Curriculum Vitae of the project coordinator (CV should include education, project management capacity, relevant scientific or teaching experiences and publications, any previous involvement in UNESCO and other international activities , if coordinator is different from the managing authority the CV should highlight the collaboration between the two ). Number of women in project team ( in line with previous table) : Number of young people ( < 35 years old) in project team ( in line with previous table): PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE (max imum 15 words): ABSTRACT OF THE PROPOSAL ( maximum 200 words) THEME Sustainability/biodiversity (MAB -r elated) Water ( IHP - related) Earth sciences (IGGP-related) Ocean ( IOC - related) Climate Change and disasters (Crosscutting) SCALE OF THE PROPOSAL Site level Involving different sites in the same country Transboundary level FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL (all fields are mandatory) Background and C apacity (Please d escribe the background and capacity of the site including the work undertaken in the site relevant to the proposal , and the background and capacity of the project coordinator ): One of the required document s to attach to the project proposal is an activity report (or links to online activity reports) and any additional information demonstrating the required criteria. General objective (Please d escribe the aim and rationale of the proposal including the ecosystem value of the site ): S pecific objectives relating to 3 components (Please decline the general o bjective d escrib ing the specific objectives linked to e a ch expected result [research, education, innovation] : Methodology (Please d escribe the scientific/pedagogic methodolo gy, interdisciplinary approach - if any- and use of tools, including reference to relevant UNESCO guidelines or tools , when applicable ) : I nnovation potential ( prove that this project proposal is able to implement the processes of innovation in terms of effectiveness and efficiency ) Implementation plan of the work for all 3 expected results for the 12 month time frame , includ ing a GANTT chart (P lease describe the implementation plan below and fill the GANTT chart template provided in Annex 1 ) Outcomes (P lease describe the expected outcomes and fill the Outcome matrix template provided in Annex 2 ) List of partners and key stakeholders ( Please indicate the main partner(s) for the 3 expected result s , the capacity and areas of expertise of the partners contributing to each expected result, and the role they will play in the implementation of each expected result . Please describe how the stakeholder groups from the private sector , academia, civil society, practitioners, youth and women will be consulted and/or engaged in the project . Please describe if and how UNESCO C hairs , C ategory II C entres and other relevant networks - including ASP net schools, EuroM AB networks, IHP networks, etc.- are involved in the project . ): Link to UNESCO intergovernmental scientific programmes ( Please explain the link of the project with one or more of the UNESCO intergovernmental scientific programmes MAB/IHP/ IGGP/ IOC ) SDGs ( Please explain how the project will contribut e to the achievement of the SDGs , with special focus on SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15 ) : E xpected Results ( Please demonstrate how planned activities will contribute to achieving each expected result . List of impact Indicators is welcome. D escribe how you will guarantee that the 3 expected results will be closely inter connected to ensure and promote synergies through the project. ): Risks ( Please describe the potential risk of not achieving the three expected results and the mitigation measures ) : S caling up of the results ( Please prove the potential of the project results of being scaled up to the networks of Biosphere Reserves/Global Geoparks/World Heritage sites, and also describe the plans for sustaining the project after the end of the 12 months ): BUDGET Please provide a detailed estimated budget plan using the excel in Annex 3. ( Eligible costs include personnel costs, travel and accommodation, subcontracted services, trainings and communication. ) SIGNATURE I hereby confirm that I am authorised to enter into legally-binding commitments on behalf of the UNESCO designated site and all members of the project team have agreed with the abovementioned content and will participate in this project. Date: Place: Signature: Annexes (please tick and check that each document is included in the project proposal ): Letter of support/e - mail from the MAB N ational C ommittee /IGGP national committee and/or National Commission for UNESCO Activity report (or links to online activity reports) and any additional information demonstrating the required criteria listed in the Call of Applications . Curriculum vitae of the project coordinator GANTT Chart ( P lease fill the template in Annex X ) Budget ( P lease fill the template in Annex X also provided as excel in attached to the Call for Application ) Outcome s matrix ( P lease fill the template in Annex X ) Legal registration document of the managing authority of the designated site Bank Info rmation for Vendor Creation Form duly filled in to be returned in word format (attached); Bank Statement on bank’s headed paper, signed and stamped confirming the bank details. ANNEX 1 GANNT chart Task Description of the activities M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 Expected result 1 (Research pillar): Activity 1.1 1.2 1.3 … Expected result 2 (Education pillar) : Activity 2.1 2.2 2.3 … Crosscutting Expected result 3 (Innovation pillar) : Activity 3 .1 3.2 3.3 … C ommunication and Dissemination Activity 4.1 4.2 4.3 … ANNEX 2 Outcomes matrix Project title: Outcome N° 1 ( Research component): … Output N°1: Performance Indicator (PI) * Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Output N°2: Performance Indicator (PI) Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Outcome N° 2 ( Education component) : … Output N°1: Performance Indicator (PI) Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Output N°2: Performance Indicator (PI) Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Outcome N° 3 ( Innovation component) : … Output N° 1: Performance Indicator (PI) Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Output N° 2: Performance Indicator (PI) Source and means of verification (M) Baseline (B) Target (T) PI 1. … Specify how the above outcomes could contribute to the achievement of the relevant 2030 Agenda SDG(s), SDG target(s), SDG indicator(s). Please report your contribution to at least one SDG. M ore information about SDGs is available at https://sdgs.un.org/ SDG 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) SDG 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) SDG 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) SDG 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) SDG 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) If there is other SDG to which your outcomes will contribute, please add in this row : SDG___ _ : _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please describe which SDG target(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Please describe which SDG indicator(s) will be contributed by the outcomes Baseline (B) Target (T) * Performance Indicator (PI) is a way to measure and monitor your achievement of the outcomes and outputs. There could be more than one Performance indicator under each output. Example: PI 1. # of participating stakeholders trained to use the educational package A NNEX 3 Budget template Budget template PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH UNESCO’S PROGRAMMES AND SITES Name of the site: Cost Elements Description Amount 10 - Personnel costs 20 - Subcontracted services Catering/travel/accommodation 30 - Trainings/meetings 40 - Equipment and maintenance 50 - Communication TOTAL