Consultant to Develop Materials for the Great Blue Wall Fellowship – Kenya
The objective of this consultancy is to support the development and successful delivery of the inaugural Great Blue Wall Fellowship Programme by providing expert support in the design, documentation, and facilitation of the programme’s learning materials and knowledge products, tailored for ocean conservation leaders and local community actors from the Western Indian Ocean region (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar). The project aims to design, develop and deliver a framework for supporting local-impact ocean advocates and storytellers under the Great Blue Wall Initiative, aiming at ensuring that they are fully equipped with the tools and experience to amplify their impact through effective advocacy, and to integrate into regional and global policy discussions, media platforms and story-telling initiatives.
Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for refining the existing curriculum and coordinating its delivery, developing session content, facilitation guides and mentorship efforts, producing written and multimedia learning materials aligned with the Fellowship pillars and values, and supporting delivery and evaluation tools for both virtual and in-person engagements including workshops. This consultancy will ensure the Fellowship curriculum is robust, coherent, engaging, and accessible, while rooted in regenerative principles and reflective of the lived realities and knowledge systems of communities across the Great Blue Wall seascapes. The consultant will work closely with the IUCN staff, partners, and thematic experts to finalise a learning experience that supports ocean leadership, community empowerment, and regional collaboration through a structured, high-quality Fellowship model.
Background
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
About the Project
The Great Blue Wall (GBW) is a regional initiative aimed at accelerating ocean conservation and regenerative blue economy development across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). It seeks to establish a connected network of marine and coastal conserved areas, fostering economic opportunities while ensuring ecological sustainability. The GBW is a flagship program that integrates conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development for coastal communities.
Recognizing that the WIO is home to globally significant coastal ecosystems including seagrass beds which underpin local livelihoods, fisheries, climate mitigation and biodiversity, the Western Indian Ocean Coastal and Ocean Resilience Project, supported by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), under the ambit of the Great Blue Wall Initiative, aims to promote and strengthen the contribution of seagrass to socio-ecological resilience and the blue economy across Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The project also focuses on enhancing knowledge generation, dissemination, and use for decision-making, with dedicated funding mechanisms to empower local actors and community-led solutions.
Under the Great Blue Wall Financing Facility and its Capacity Building programme, the WIOCOR project aims to amplify the impact of local stakeholders who are undertaking a range of context-specific actions to advance coastal and ocean resilience. This programme includes a fellowship which is designed to equip local ocean conservation leaders, community actors, and scientists with skills in advocacy, storytelling, and policy engagement to support conservation of critical ecosystems such as seagrass, as well as regenerative blue economy initiatives in the WIO region. Through training, mentorship, and strategic engagement, the fellowship will empower individuals to amplify their voices and drive conservation and regenerative blue economy efforts at local, regional, and global levels.
The fellowship will support 5-10 fellows (1-2 per seascape) from Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Comoros. The programme will feature intensive training, mentorship, networking, and participation in international and regional dialogues. It will be supported by, and a key aspect of the Western Indian Ocean Coastal and Ocean Resilience (WIOCOR) project, one of the foundational projects of the GBW.
WIOCOR is focused on seagrass conservation, restoration, and governance, as well as fostering a regenerative blue economy. The GBW Fellowship will be aligned with WIOCOR objectives by developing ocean advocates who can advance policy discussions, drive local conservation efforts, and bring visibility to community-led conservation models.
Description of the Assignment
The consultant will support the IUCN staff in the design, development, and delivery of learning materials and facilitation resources for the GBW Fellowship Programme. This assignment will focus on finalizing the structure and content of the Fellowship curriculum and producing high-quality, contextually relevant materials to support the learning journey of Fellows across the region.
The Fellowship is grounded in regenerative principles, coastal and ocean resilience, community knowledge, and transformative leadership. The consultant is expected to bring strong expertise in adult learning methodologies, participatory training design, and coastal/ocean governance and conservation, and will play a key role in ensuring that the Fellowship reflects diverse knowledge systems and is accessible, engaging, and impactful.
The assignment will involve collaborative consultations with GBW partners and country teams, refinement of the draft curriculum, and the development of training materials, facilitator guides, interactive tools, and digital content. The consultant will also support the design of evaluation and feedback tools to track learning outcomes and adapt content over time.
The consultant will play a critical role in designing and developing a fellowship programme geared towards amplifying local community leaders’ voices, ensuring its effectiveness in training and empowering ocean conservation advocates and storytellers. The assignment will include:
1. Inception Phase
Conducting consultations with key stakeholders, including conservation organisations, local communities, learning institutions and policymakers to align the fellowship with regional needs. This will build upon work undertaken by IUCN on conservation leadership under the Great Blue Wall Initiative.
Reviewing existing capacity-building models and identifying best practices that can be incorporated into the fellowship.
Producing an inception report outlining findings, gaps, and strategic recommendations.
2. Programme Design and Curriculum Development
Developing and executing a structured curriculum that integrates leadership, advocacy, storytelling, video and media and policy engagement, incorporating case studies, real world conservation storytelling and media strategies, in collaboration with the Coastal and Ocean Resilience team of IUCN-ESARO, which will be delivered through an in-person workshop and through monthly virtual meetings.
If relevant, organising an immersive ocean experience, such as freediving, scuba diving, or underwater recording, to help fellows connect with the marine environment. Many individuals in the region do not have direct water exposure, and this activity will instil a personal sense of ocean stewardship and agency.
Ensuring that the programme fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and regional knowledge exchange.
Developing a comprehensive execution roadmap detailing programme phases, milestones, and monitoring mechanisms.
3. Mentorship and Networking Strategy
Supporting the establishment of a mentorship framework that connects fellows with experienced ocean storytellers, researchers, and conservation leaders.
Identifying and integrating regional and global networking opportunities to facilitate knowledge exchange and career advancement.
Co-structuring mentorship sessions to provide personalised guidance, feedback, and professional development.
4. International and Regional Engagement Strategy
Outlining pathways for fellows to participate in regional policy dialogues, global conferences, and advocacy campaigns as well as media and storytelling platforms to showcase their conservation efforts;
Creating opportunities for fellows to engage with decision-makers, investors, and conservation practitioners.
5. Delivery
Delivering the capacity building sessions through online engagement once monthly
Designing and organising a regional workshop which brings all Fellows together.
Duration of the Assignment
Six (6) months, from 16/06/ 2025 to 16/01/2026
Deliverables and Activities
The Consultant will undertake the following activities:
#-Deliverable-Description-Deadline (2025)
Inception report-20th June
Summarizing approach, timelines, consultation strategy, and framework for curriculum and materials.
2. Draft Curriculum Pack -30th June
Includes final learning objectives, core and modules, proposed readings, case studies, and suggested facilitators.
3. Facilitator’s Guide-25th July
A toolkit for session leads with timing, engagement strategies, discussion questions, and suggested activities.
4.Fellow Engagement Toolkit-18th July
Materials and templates for Fellows (e.g., templates for outputs, learning logs, participation plan).
5.Final Package (incorporating feedback)-1st August
Revised curriculum and materials based on internal review, ready for launch.
6.Presentation at Launch/ Orientation-TBD
Facilitation of the materials for internal stakeholders and Fellows.
