RTIA-W1 / 25-GHA-A-1 / Study and benchmark on initiatives promoting teachers’ green skills_national (M/W) Full Time

Mission description

NATIONAL CONSULTANT

1. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Ministry of Education in Ghana, through the NaCCA and the NTC, sent a request for technical assistance to the RTIA Facility in May, 2025. Following the approval of the request, two experts from the RTIA Facility went to Accra in June 2025 to co-develop the Ghana Country Action Plan (CAP). One component of the CAP will focus on green skills, looking at enhancing teachers’ knowledge, skills and capacities in environmental education and protection; the other component will aim at developing a policy for teachers’ mental health and wellbeing.

1.1 MAIN OBJECTIVES

General objective

The CAP is adressing both the area of teachers’ governance and teachers’ education and professional development. The two components target teachers from KG to senior high; as both the green skills framework and the MHPSS policy include generic components for all teachers.

Discussions during the CAP development enabled to define a broader ambition for the green skills framework. The objective is not only to enhance teachers’ green skills and capacities to deliver on green components embedded in the curriculum, but also to raise their awareness on environmental issues and the necessity to act for the protection of the environment. By transforming teachers into activists, it is hoped that they will also contribute to sensitize and motivate the young generations to act for reducing the environmental damages in their immediate environment. The inclusion of a green schools’ benchmark is a first step for identifying concrete actions to implement in the school environment.

Overall, the CAP first component (“green skills”) responds to the implementation gaps of Policy Objective 2.2.2, which calls for “ensuring that environmental, social, and sustainability goals are integrated into all levels of education”, by aiming at equipping teachers with the skills, tools, and frameworks necessary to deliver green education effectively.

Specific objectives

The first step before defining the framework is to carry out a study to identify past and current green initiatives in the education sector in Ghana; as well as a benchmark of similar initiatives in the continent and globally. Given that the main purpose of the framework is to equip teachers with relevant environmental knowledge and skills, it is also important to consult them and know where they stand in terms of environmental issues. More specifically, the consultations of teachers aims at getting an insight of their level of knowledge, but also of their level of interest for environmental protection. These consultations of teachers will be carried out in country by the national expert recruited for this study. The national expert will work in coordination with the international expert in charge of the overall study.
This study will not be published but will nurture technical discussions and the framework’s design.

The study will include :

1. a desk review of studies and reports on environment-related initiatives and programmes in the education sector in Ghana
2. focus group discussions with teachers (carried out by the national expert; tools to be co-developped by the international expert and the national expert)
3. a benchmark of initiatives related to environmental education outside Ghana.

1.2 METHODOLOGY & GENERAL APPROACH

The general approach and methodology described below are indicative and non-exclusive. The expert must develop the methodology he/she intends to use in his/her application.

General approach:
The national expert will work remotely, but closely, with the international expert, and in country with the NaCCA. Consultation and coordination between the two experts will be expected throughout the consultancy, to define the division of tasks, agree on data collection and compilation and joint interaction with national counterparts and stakeholders.
A participatory approach with the NaCCA partners is essential, to ensure that what is proposed is in line with their needs. In particular, it is recommended to the experts to co-develop the tools with technicians of the NaCCA.

Methodology:
To carry out the study, the expert recruited must :

• Review the main policy documents of the Ghanean education system (in particular the sector strategy and teaching policy).
• Participate in a scoping meeting with the NaCCA focal points, the international expert and the Facility. Following this meeting, the national expert will agree with the international expert on an updated timetable and their specific and respective responsibilities.
• Contribute to development of tools for FGD, with the international expert and the NaCCA technicians
• Prepare the organization of the field work with the NaCCA and the international expert
• Facilitate the FGD in the field and collect corresponding data

Throughout the study, the two experts are expected to have technical discussions with the Facility. The deliverables will be validated by the NaCCA and the Facility.

1.3 STAKEHOLDERS

The NaCCA will be the lead implementing national partner for the component on green skills framework.
The main stakeholders involved in the study will be the ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Ghana Education Services, the decentralised education authorities, the teachers themselves, as well as the school directors and supervisors. Other stakeholders might include environmental specialists and organizations.

1.4 MAIN DELIVERABLES

The main deliverables for this consultancy work are as follows

1. Inception report – methodology note including an outline of the work to be carried out (no longer than 2-3 pages). The national expert will contribute to the inception report written by the international expert.
2. Study tools: questions and structures for FGD. The national expert will co-develop with the international expert and contextualize the tools to be used during the field work.
3. Data collection: the national expert will compile the information and data collected in the field, in a format agreed with the international expert and the NaCCA for further analysis.

The main deliverables for this consultancy work are as follows:

1. Inception report – methodology note including an outline of the work to be carried out (no longer than 2-3 pages). The international expert will agree with the national expert on respective tasks and responsibilities (to be included in this report).
2. Tools to be used for FGD with teachers (to be co-developped with the national expert)
3. Study report including:

   3.1. a situational analysis of the environment-related initiatives and programmes in the education sector in Ghana

   3.2.a snapshot of teachers’ understanding of and interest for environmental issues

   3.3. a benchmark of initiatives related to environmental education outside Ghana

   3.4 recommendations relevant to the development of the framework.

Deliverable and Planned Completion date

#1: Inception report (contribution) – 15 september 2025

#2: Study tools (co-development) – 18 september 2025

#3 : Data compilation – 5 october 2025

2. IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

2.1 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF DAYS AND GENERAL SCHEDULE

The total number of days for this consultancy will not exceed 10 days. The work will be entirely done at at distance.

• National expert:
  • Preparation (Inception report Tools) – 1 day
  • On-site work – 4 days
  • Distance work (including drafting deliverables) – No
  • Total – 5days
• International Expert:
  • Preparation (Inception report Tools) – 2 days
  • On-site work – 0
  • Distance work (including drafting deliverables) – 8 days
  • Total – 10 days
• Total Expert (International and National) days:
  • Preparation (Inception report Tools) – 3 days
  • On-site work – 4
  • Distance work (including drafting deliverables) – 8 days
  • Total – 15 days

2.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The NaCCA is responsible for :

• Providing all the documentation required for the desk review and the preparation of the field work
• Facilitating the organization of (virtual) meetings with relevant stakeholders
• Facilitating the logistics for the field work (authorization to access schools, information shared with participants etc.)
• Commenting on and approving deliverables

The RTIA Facility is responsible for :

• Contracting and facilitating the integration of the consultant by providing all available documents and resources
• Supporting and monitoring the consultant’s work from start to finish
• Acting as the consultant’s main resource person
• Ensuring quality control of deliverables in collaboration with the NaCCA’s focal points
• Acknowledging final validation of deliverables by all parties
• Evaluating the consultant’s overall performance under this mandate.

The expert is responsible for :

• Reviewing and commenting on these Terms of Reference (ToR)
• Ensuring that all deliverables comply with the guidelines set out at the scoping meeting, in line with the agreed timetable
• Informing the Facility immediately of any difficulties encountered in implementing the mission
• Ensuring that stakeholders are consulted throughout the assignment
• Behaving with the highest level of personal integrity and committing to the required standards of conduct.

Project or context description

3. PRESENTATION OF THE FACILITY

The Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA), a programme funded by the EU/EC through the Education Section (G3) of DG INTPA, aims to improve the learning outcomes and socio-emotional development of children in Africa by ensuring that teachers are more competent, motivated and inclusive in basic education.

The RTIA will particularly seek to achieve the following results over the next 6 years:

1. Improve the governance, management, attractiveness and gender balance of the teaching profession, with a strong focus on increased digitalisation and innovation.

2. Improve the quality, relevance and effectiveness of initial and continuing professional development for teachers, including through digital education, peer learning approaches and regional collaboration.

In this context, the Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) – Facility will support teacher policies and contribute to improving teacher training and professional development systems by (i) providing technical assistance for capacity building at the national level; (ii) promoting innovation and scaling up effective teaching solutions; iii) increasing the production and use of data and evidence; and iv) promoting the use of regional frameworks, evidence-based practices and joint learning at the regional level.

The Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) – Facility will achieve the above objectives through three types of instruments or “windows”: i) a window to provide technical assistance on teacher governance and teacher training and professional development based on the demand of eligible partner countries, ii) a window to test and scale up effective teacher training and professional development programmes in the thematic areas of digital skills, gender, green skills and pedagogical skills, including in the context of refugees and displaced populations, iii) a research window to generate new data and support the integration of findings into policy-making and the design of teacher training and professional development programmes.

In addition to these windows, the Facility’s knowledge management and communication activities will further contribute to the sharing of knowledge, evidence and best practices related to the overall results of the Initiative.

The Facility is funded by the European Union and co-implemented by the Partnership formed by three agencies of the Member States: Expertise France for France, Enabel, VVOB and APEFE for Belgium, and EDUFI for Finland. Expertise France has been designated as the Coordinating Agency for this Partnership. With the Facility’s governance structure serving as the governance structure for the Initiative, the Partnership is expected to work closely with UNESCO and the African Union Commission (AUC), which are responsible for the other two components of the European Union (EU) Initiative.

The duration of the action is planned from 01.02.2024 to 31.01.2027 (36 months) with a budget of EUR 46,000,000.

4. CONTEXT

4.1 EDUCATION SECTOR IN GHANA

The 2021 Population and Housing Census estimates Ghana’s population at 30,832,019 people with 46% (14,238,933) of Ghanaians within the school-going age of 4-18 years from pre-primary to secondary level. Ghana made the transition to lower middle-income status economic growth but is now facing difficult macro-economic conditions that have implications on education financing.

Despite progress in access to basic education, there are about 1.2 million children who are out of school.

185 000 elementary teachers and 147 000 JHS teachers are delivering education in public and private schools. A 2021 UNICEF study found that on average 11% of teachers are absent from school across all levels, including 15% at the pre-primary level and 10% at the primary level. The teaching profession in Ghana, like in many parts of the world, is becoming increasingly demanding. Teachers go through emotional stress, professional burnout, and psychosocial challenges that significantly impact their well-being and job performance. Many teachers in Ghana mention workload, limited support systems, and lack of professional counselling as key stressors

Ghana is advancing teacher policy and governance through targeted reforms. The National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) (2017) set competencies for pre-tertiary teachers, emphasizing digital and inclusive pedagogies. The Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), managed by the National Teaching Council (NTC), ensures professional standards. The PreTertiary Teacher Professional Development and Management Policy (2012) supports licensing, career progression, and continuous professional development (CPD) for basic and secondary education teachers.

In terms of teacher education and professional development, the 4-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program (2018) targets pre-service teachers in Colleges of Education. The National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) guide training, emphasizing literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. In-service training, managed by the National Teaching Council (NTC), includes Continuous Professional Development (CPD) workshops organized by CPD providers. The Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) program integrates gender inclusion in pre-service training.

Ghana’s commitment to integrating environmental sustainability into education is in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030, particularly under Policy Objective 2.2.2, which calls for “ensuring that environmental, social, and sustainability goals are integrated into all levels of education”. Despite this policy commitment, critical gaps remain in equipping teachers with the skills, tools, and frameworks necessary to deliver green education effectively.

Several agencies are sharing responsibilities in the education system in Ghana. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) is an agency of the Ministry of Education, mandated by the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), to develop national curriculum and assessment standards for pre-tertiary educational institutions. The National Teaching Council (NTC) is an agency of the Ministry of Education mandated by the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) to promote teacher professionalism in Ghana. His key mandates are to license and register teachers, maintain an up-to-date database of teachers, develop and periodically review professional standards and the code of ethics, conduct the Teacher Licensure Examination, and provide a framework for the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of teachers.

The NaCCA and the NTC collaborate to enhance teachers’ skills and capacities to deliver the curriculum, through the development of tools, toolkits, training modules and provision of CPD.

Required profile

5. PROFILE OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERT

Academic qualifications

• Degree in Education or other social field

General professional experience

• Proven track records of conducting educational research and consultancy for government or international organisations

Specific professional experience

• Experience in/ knowledge of environmental issues, green skills, environmental protection, specifically in initiatives, programmes or strategies promoting schools and community engagement
• Skills in developing and implementing qualitative tools and approaches (FGD in particular)

Language skills

• Excellent proficiency in English (both written and spoken)

Interpersonal and soft skills and experience

• Excellent communication and presentation abilities
• Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders from various backgrounds, including government officials, educators, and technical experts
• High adaptability and flexibility in dynamic environments

Tagged as: Expertise France, Ghana