While STP is an absolute sink of greenhouse gases contributing to sequestration of CO2, it is also one of
the most vulnerable countries to the effects of Climate Change due to its geography and characteristics
including the fragility of its ecosystems and low level of social-economic development. Both islands are
already bearing the consequences of climate change. The country is impacted by natural hazards, such
as coastal and river flash floods, storms, and droughts. Climate projections indicate that these events
are set to intensify. Effective climate change adaptation planning will assist Sao Tome and Principe in
dealing with these impacts.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its COP 16 held in Cancun in
2011 approved a process to enable member states to formulate and implement National Adaptation
Plans (NAPs) as a means of identifying medium- and long-term adaptation needs and developing and
implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs. It also stated that the NAPs are to:
1. Reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and
resilience;
2. Facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant
new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular development planning
processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.
The UNFCCC’s Least Developed Expert Group (LEG) on adaptation released Guidelines for National
Adaptation Plans (December 2012). Furthermore, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has issued guidance on
adaptation planning approaches.
The Government of Sao Tome and Principe, through General Division of Environment (GDE) of its
Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Environment (MPWINRE), has
successfully obtained a grant of USD 2.96 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for a 42 month
project to build capacity to advance the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in Sao Tome and
Principe. The NAP will support a transition from the project-based traditional modus operandi to an
integrated approach to adaptation across all vulnerable economic sectors to deal with climate change in
a more coherent and efficient way. The main objective of this project is to reduce vulnerability to
climate change impacts in STP by supporting the Country’s capacity to implement an integrated
approach to adaptation planning at all levels and across sectors.
The project proposal has been developed and submitted in August 2018 and approved by the Green
Climate Fund in June 2020. A legal agreement has been signed between UNEP and the General Division
of Environment (GDE) in May 2021. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the Delivery Partner for
the project, with the role of supporting and overseeing the project implementation led by the General
Division of Environment (GDE). The UN Development Programme (UNDP) Country Office in Sao Tome
will work closely with the GDE and UNEP and provide financial management of the project.
The National Committee on Climate Change (NCCC) created in 2012, by the decree 13/2012, as the
coordinating body for climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives in STP was denominated to
play the role of steering committee of the NAP project (PSC). The NCCC holds as main comptences
coordination, management, training and sensitization of all matters related to Climate Change.
Nevertheless, it has never become fully operational. It was negatively affected by the unstable political
conditions that prevailed from 2011 to 2012 which led to the reshuffling of several ministries and
resulted in a high turnover of the NCCC’s members. Consequently, this has hampered its
operationalization and governmental and non-governmental representation in its composition is still too
limited. The operationalization of NCCC needs to be leveraged and its capacity strengthened so that the
NCCC assumes its mandate of inclusive and participatory mechanism for all stakeholders’ engagement
on climate change adaptation issues. Furthermore, the limited coordination between donor funded
projects hinders the efficient use of funds being invest in Climate Change resilience. Under the businessas-
usual scenario, the institutional and technical capacity of the NCCC to effectively coordinate and
monitor adaptation initiatives in STP remains inadequate. To fulfill its role as PSC of the NAP project and
his mandate as climate change coordination mechanism, the NCCC needs to be institutionally and
technically capacitated and strengthened.

The consultant's main objective will be to build capacities of national communication professionals on
the importance and complexity of adaption to climate change and how to communicate, inform and
sensitize around the issue and the NAP process, during a three-day training workshop.
The consultant will contribute for the development of Component 1: Actors mobilized, institutional
framework stablished, and national capacity strengthened to successfully develop and implement the
National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in Sao Tome and Principe (STP); Sub-outcome 1.1: NAP leadership,
management and institutional arrangements established, and national adaptation process launched in
STP. He/She will be responsible for the derivable of Activity 1.2.7: International expert to conduct a
three-day training session for national and local journalists to improve understanding, coverage, and
reporting on adaptation in STP.
During the workshop the consultant will build capacity on the main needs related to Climate Change
Adaptation Communication within the framework of the implementation of the NAP process. The needs
shall be assessed prior to the training with the support of the Project Management Unit and included in
the initial report.

Following is a list of potential issues that could be covered by the training:
1) Climate Change & Adaptation:
• What is Climate Change?
• How does Climate Change impacts the environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, public health,
conflicts, society, economy and development.
• Understanding the difference between hazard, vulnerability, and risk.
• Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation.
• Adaptation: knowing adaptation principles, measures, and benefits
• Climate Change in STP: assessing vulnerability, risks and impacts;
• Understanding first order and second order impacts of Climate Change.
• Equality versus inequality in climate change: what is social inequality and who are the most
vulnerable groups (youth, disabled and elderly as well as poorest and single-headed households,
women) and why.
• How climate change impacts the most vulnerable social groups.
• Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation.
2) Communication on Climate Change & Adaptation?
• Information sources: Where to find reliable data and information. Distinguish from trustable
sources and doubtful sources.
• Common myths and disinformation: Sorting Facts from Fiction.
• Writing stories about Climate Change & Adaptation scientifically accurate and simultaneously
sensitizing.
• Interviews in the context of Climate Change? How to address the same questions/issues to
different interviewees?
The main tasks to be carried out during the consultancy are listed below:
Task 1: Assess the communication gaps and journalists interests and prepare workshop content, tools
and exercises.
The agenda of the training will be developed by the consultant based on consultations
with journalists and media on their needs and interests as well as on a short review of the quantity
and quality of communication/news around climate change and adaptation in the country and the
past trainings already provided such as the Training on Climate Change for Journalist during the
project “Cumprindo a Promessa Climática em STP”. The goal is to identify remaining capacity gaps
to be filled by this training. In advance to the workshop all content, tools and exercises to be
developed and presented during the three-day retreat, shall be shared with the project
management unit. It is expected for the workshop to have theoretical content but specially applied
with real-case examples of good and bad examples in climate change communication, exercises,
and teamwork. The training needs to be interactive and adapted to the audience.
Task 2: Three-days Workshop
The consultant will capacitate journalists from the main communication channels in STP (TV and
Radio) and interns doing their degree/master thesis on topics related to the environment. The
consultants must present a proposal of methodology to evaluate the impact of the workshop to the
participants. A certificate will be prepared to be delivered in the end of the training to successful
participants.
Task 3: Workshop report of the three-day NCCC retreat
The consultant needs to present a report of the three-day retreat with special focus on lessons
learned, progresses made and remaining gaps identified during the workshop. A questionnaire
should be distributed before and after the training to assess participants learning, the training
impact and collect their feedback. Certificates will be delivered to participants based on their
attendance and learning.

III. Competencies:
• Previous experience in developing training on environment in general, climate change and
adaptation in particular is requeried.
• Good communication skills, experience of working in this field in developing countries and
Portuguese-speaking countries is an advantage.
Experience in the usage of computers and Microsoft Office software packages (MS Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, etc).
III. Competencies:
• Previous similar experience in provision of technical support to complex projects and multi-lateral
(e.g. GEF, GCF, AF) financed projects or UN implemented projects will be an added asset;
• Work experience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Africa including in Sao Tome and
Principe would be an advantage;
• Excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills and accuracy and professionalism in document
production and editing;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and
collaboratively with a range of partners, including community members and authorities at different
levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work
effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

I. Academic Qualifications:
• Advanced higher degree (Master’s or equivalent) in environmental journalism, science
communication, climate change adaptation, environment or sustainable development planning or
any related field of studies; a first-level university degree or equivalent in combination with relevant
training and/or 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced
university degree.
II. Years of experience:
• A minimum of 5 years international work experience in either institutional strengthening,
stakeholder engagement and capacity building or development/climate/natural resources
management programmes.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Portuguese speaking countries is required including at least
one previous similar assignment in these countries.
• Demonstrated experience of working with climate change adaptation and broad knowledge of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, especially in the guidelines of the
Adaptation Convention, NDC, Paris Agreement, is an asset.