National consultant for peace education landscape mapping and strategic gap analysis in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Position: 

National consultant for peace education landscape mapping and strategic gap analysis in Bosnia
and Herzegovina

You will report to UNFPA Project Manager and will maintain daily communication with the M&E Analyst of the PBF Secretariat in BiH.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive mapping and gap analysis of peace education initiatives implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2014 to the present. The mapping will apply the United Nations definition of peace education1, while also identifying complementary initiatives related to dealing with the past, transitional justice, and other relevant peacebuilding approaches. These complementary initiatives will be included to better understand the broader ecosystem within which peace education is implemented, identify complementarities and overlaps, and highlight strategic opportunities. Their inclusion does not imply that they constitute peace education.

This assignment forms the first phase of a two-stage analytical process. The present

consultancy will provide a structured overview of the peace education landscape across the

full range of actors, settings and approaches, including initiatives implemented by government

institutions, civil society organisations, United Nations agencies, development partners,

academic and cultural institutions, community organisations and other relevant actors. A

second, separate consultancy will build on the findings of this mapping to undertake a

strategic review of PBF support to peace education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The mapping is intended to document the breadth and evolution of peace education

initiatives, identify key actors, approaches, thematic and geographic coverage, policy and

institutional frameworks, gaps, overlaps and opportunities. It is not intended to assess impact

or determine the effectiveness of individual initiatives. Rather, it will establish the analytical

foundation for the subsequent strategic review and support evidence-informed

decision-making on future PBF engagement in peace education

You would be responsible for:

• The consultant will undertake a comprehensive Peace Education Landscape Mapping and Gap Analysis covering peace education initiatives implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2014 and the present. The assignment will apply the United Nations definition of peace education while also identifying complementary initiatives related to dealing with the past, transitional justice, human rights education, intercultural dialogue and other relevant peacebuilding approaches to better understand the broader ecosystem within which peace education is implemented.
  
  The consultancy will comprise the following components:
  Component 1. Landscape mapping
  
  • Map ongoing and recently completed peace education initiatives implemented between
  
  2014 and the present, including both PBF-supported and non-PBF initiatives.
  
  • Identify complementary initiatives related to dealing with the past, transitional justice,
  
  human rights education, intercultural dialogue and other relevant peacebuilding
  
  approaches, while maintaining a clear conceptual distinction from peace education.
  
  • Develop a structured inventory of initiatives, including objectives, implementation
  
  modalities, target groups, geographic coverage, duration and implementing partners.
  Component 2. Stakeholder mapping
  
  • Identify the principal actors engaged in peace education, including government
  
  institutions, education authorities, UN agencies, civil society organisations, academic
  
  institutions, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.
  
  • Analyse existing partnerships, coordination mechanisms and opportunities for
  
  strengthened collaboration.
  Component 3. Policy and institutional analysis
  
  • Review relevant policy, legal and institutional frameworks governing peace education in
  
  Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• • Analyse the extent to which peace education approaches are reflected within education
  
  policies, curricula, teacher education, institutional mandates and broader peacebuilding
  
  strategies.
  
  Component 4. Programme analysis
  
  • Analyse the thematic focus, implementation approaches and methodologies employed
  
  across mapped initiatives.
  
  • Examine trends in target groups, education levels, geographic coverage and
  
  implementation modalities.
  
  • Identify areas of complementarity and overlap between peace education and related
  
  peacebuilding approaches.
  Component 5. Gap analysis
  
  • Identify thematic, geographic and institutional gaps within the current peace education
  
  landscape.
  
  • Highlight opportunities for improved coordination, institutionalisation and future
  
  programming.
  
  • Identify strategic entry points to strengthen future Peacebuilding Fund engagement in
  
  peace education.

• Scope of analysis
  
  The consultancy will examine peace education initiatives implemented in Bosnia and
  
  Herzegovina between 2014 and the present, spanning both formal and non-formal education
  
  and implemented by government institutions, United Nations agencies, civil society
  
  organisations, academic institutions, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.
  
  The analysis will apply the United Nations definition of peace education while also mapping
  
  complementary initiatives related to dealing with the past, transitional justice, human rights
  
  education, intercultural dialogue and other relevant peacebuilding approaches. These
  
  complementary initiatives will be analysed only to understand the broader ecosystem within
  
  which peace education operates and to identify complementarities, overlaps and strategic
  
  opportunities.
  
  The review should explicitly examine how peace education initiatives interact with structural
  
  features of the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including contested narratives,
  
  segregation within education, politicisation of curricula and education governance, and assess
  
  how programme approaches navigate these challenges in a conflict-sensitive manner while
  
  avoiding unintended reinforcement of existing divisions.
  
  The mapping will cover the following dimensions:
  
  • Formal education. Peace education initiatives implemented within pre-school, primary,
  
  secondary and tertiary education, including curricula, teaching and learning materials,
  
  teacher education and training, extracurricular activities, and school-based programmes.
  
  • Non-formal education. Community-based programmes, youth initiatives, dialogue
  
  platforms, workshops, camps, volunteer initiatives, cultural and artistic programmes, civic
  
  education and other learning processes implemented outside formal education systems.
  
  • Policy and institutional frameworks. Relevant legislation, education policies, curricula,
  
  institutional arrangements, teacher training systems and other mechanisms supporting
  
  the integration and sustainability of peace education within the education sector.
  
  • Stakeholders and partnerships. Government institutions, education authorities, United
  
  Nations agencies, civil society organisations, academic institutions, development
  
  partners, media organisations and other stakeholders engaged in peace education,
  
  including existing coordination mechanisms and partnerships.
  
  • Thematic approaches. Thematic areas addressed through peace education initiatives,
  
  including dialogue, diversity and inclusion, human rights, democratic citizenship, social
  
  cohesion, conflict resolution, critical thinking, media and information literacy, gender
  
  equality and other relevant themes.
  
  • Complementary peacebuilding approaches. Complementary initiatives related to
  
  dealing with the past, transitional justice, human rights education, intercultural dialogue
  
  and other relevant peacebuilding approaches that intersect with peace education. These
  
  initiatives will be mapped to identify complementarities, overlaps and opportunities for education.
  
  • Geographic and population coverage. Distribution of initiatives across Bosnia and
  
  Herzegovina, including geographic coverage, target populations and education levels,
  
  with particular attention to underserved communities and groups.
  
  Geographic coverage and data collection
  
  Primary data collection through focus group discussions will be conducted in three locations
  
  across Bosnia and Herzegovina, selected to ensure geographic and community diversity:
  
  • Sarajevo.
  
  • Banja Luka.
  
  • Mostar.

   Key review questions
  
  1. Peace education landscape
  
  • What peace education initiatives have been implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  
  between 2014 and the present?
  
  • Which actors have designed and implemented these initiatives, and through which
  
  partnerships?
  
  • Across which formal and non-formal education settings have peace education initiatives
  
  been implemented?
  
  2. Conceptual and programmatic approaches
  
  • Which peace education approaches, methodologies and thematic priorities have been
  
  applied across different initiatives?
  
  • To what extent do these initiatives align with the United Nations definition of peace
  
  education?
  
  • Which complementary approaches, including dealing with the past, transitional justice,
  
  human rights education, intercultural dialogue and other peacebuilding initiatives,
  
  intersect with peace education, and how are they positioned within the broader
  
  ecosystem?
  
  • To what extent do peace education initiatives engage with structural and contextual
  
  challenges affecting education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including contested historical
  
  narratives, segregation within education systems, politicisation of curricula and education
  
  governance? How have initiatives addressed these challenges through conflict-sensitive
  
  design and implementation, and what evidence exists regarding risks of unintentionally
  
  reinforcing existing social divisions?
  
  3. Policy and institutional framework
  
  • How is peace education reflected within relevant education policies, curricula, teacher
  
  education systems and institutional frameworks, and how do these frameworks enable or
  
  constrain efforts to address contested historical narratives, segregation within education
  
  systems, and the politicisation of education?
  
  • What institutional mechanisms currently support, or constrain, the implementation,
  
  sustainability and institutionalisation of peace education?
  
  • To what extent are peace education approaches integrated into existing quality
  
  assurance, accreditation and teacher professional development mechanisms, where
  
  relevant?
  
  4. Stakeholders and coverage
  
  • Which institutions and organisations are the principal actors in the peace education
  
  landscape?
  
  • What is the geographic, thematic and population coverage of existing initiatives?
  
  • Which target groups and geographic areas appear to be well served, and which remain
  
  underserved?
  
  5. Gaps and opportunities
  
  • Where are the principal thematic, geographic, institutional and contextual gaps within the
  
  current peace education landscape, including gaps related to addressing contested
  
  narratives, educational segregation, politicisation of curricula and education governance,
  
  conflict sensitivity, and risks of reinforcing existing social divisions?
  
  • What opportunities exist to strengthen coordination, complementarity and
  
  institutionalisation of peace education?
  
  • What strategic entry points emerge for future Peacebuilding Fund engagement in peace
  
  education?
  
  Methodology
  
  The consultancy will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining desk-based research
  
  with qualitative data collection to develop a comprehensive understanding of the peace
  
  education landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis will draw on multiple sources
  
  of evidence to identify trends, implementation approaches, policy and institutional
  
  developments, complementarities, gaps and strategic opportunities. The consultancy is not
  
  intended to assess programme performance or establish causal attribution between
  
  interventions and peacebuilding outcomes.
  
  The methodology will include the following components:
  
  • Comprehensive desk review of relevant literature and documentation, including policies,
  
  legislation, curricula, project documentation, evaluations, research studies, academic
  
  publications, guidance materials, knowledge products and other publicly available
  
  resources relevant to peace education and complementary peacebuilding approaches.
  
  • Document review of mapped initiatives, including available project documents, reports,
  
  evaluations and communication materials, to analyse objectives, implementation
  
  approaches, target groups, geographic coverage, partnerships and key outputs.
  
  • Key informant interviews with representatives of government institutions, education
  
  authorities, United Nations agencies, civil society organisations, development partners,
  
  academic institutions, education practitioners, youth and women's organisations, and
  
  other relevant stakeholders.
  
  • Focus group discussions in three locations across Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo,
  
  Banja Luka, Mostar) to gather perspectives on the implementation, relevance and
  
  evolution of peace education initiatives across different contexts.
  
  • Stakeholder and policy mapping to identify institutional roles, coordination
  
  mechanisms, existing partnerships and opportunities for strengthened collaboration and
  
  institutionalisation.
  
  • Systematic synthesis of evidence through landscape mapping and strategic gap
  
  analysis, synthesising findings to identify thematic, geographic and institutional trends,
  
  complementarities, overlaps, gaps and opportunities to strengthen future peace education
  
  programming.
  
  The consultant is expected to apply a participatory, conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive
  
  approach throughout the assignment, ensuring that diverse stakeholder perspectives are
  
  reflected in the analysis and that the mapping adequately captures the experiences of
  
  women, youth and other relevant groups.
  
  The detailed methodology, analytical framework and data collection tools will be further
  
  refined during the inception phase and submitted for approval by the PBF Secretariat before
  
  fieldwork commences.
  
  Integration with the strategic review
  
  The findings of this consultancy will serve as the analytical foundation for the subsequent
  
  Strategic Review of PBF Support to Peace Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon
  
  completion of the mapping exercise, the final Peace Education Landscape Mapping and Gap
  
  Analysis Report will be shared with the consultant undertaking the Strategic Review to inform
  
  the analysis of PBF-supported interventions within the broader peace education ecosystem.
  
  The consultant will coordinate with the consultant undertaking the Strategic Review to ensure
  
  methodological coherence, facilitate the transfer of findings and avoid duplication of effort.
  
  The findings of both consultancies will subsequently be presented and validated through a
  
  structured stakeholder consultation process coordinated under the Strategic Review. This
  
  process will include three validation workshops in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar, followed
  
  by the incorporation of stakeholder feedback into the final Strategic Review Report.
  
  Limitations and approach
  
  This consultancy is designed as a landscape mapping and gap analysis, rather than an
  
  evaluation or impact assessment. The analysis will rely primarily on document review,
  
  stakeholder consultations and qualitative data collection to develop a comprehensive
  
  understanding of the peace education landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  
  Given the breadth of the assignment and the diversity of actors involved, the consultancy will
  
  focus on identifying the principal initiatives, implementation approaches, stakeholders, policy
  
  and institutional frameworks, thematic and geographic coverage, as well as emerging gaps
  
  and opportunities. The exercise is intended to establish a robust evidence base for the
  
  subsequent Strategic Review rather than assess programme performance or establish causal
  
  attribution between individual initiatives and broader peacebuilding outcomes.
  
  Findings should therefore be interpreted as an evidence-informed overview of the peace
  
  education landscape to support strategic learning and inform future Peacebuilding Fund
  
  engagement.
  
  Final report
  
  The final Peace Education Landscape Mapping and Gap Analysis Report will:
  
  • Provide a comprehensive mapping of peace education initiatives implemented in Bosnia
  
  and Herzegovina between 2014 and the present.
  
  • Map key actors, implementation approaches, thematic priorities and geographic coverage
  
  across the peace education landscape.
  
  • Analyse relevant policy, legal and institutional frameworks supporting peace education.
  
  • Identify complementary initiatives related to dealing with the past, transitional justice,
  
  human rights education, intercultural dialogue and other relevant peacebuilding
  
  approaches, while maintaining a clear conceptual distinction from peace education.
  
  • Identify thematic, geographic and institutional gaps, areas of complementarity and
  
  opportunities for strengthened coordination and institutionalisation.
  
  • Provide strategic entry points to inform the subsequent Strategic Review of PBF Support
  
  to Peace Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.