CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS:Supporting Climate Action in Africa Through Cultural Heritage

Deadline 11th February 2021

About the Project

In many regions of Africa, the risks from climate change are pronounced as temperature increases in these regions are projected to be higher than the global mean increase. The CVI Africa Project is providing foundational training to a cohort of six African heritage professionals in climate change vulnerability assessments of cultural heritage sites using both remote learning techniques and hands-on workshops at two World Heritage Sites in Tanzania and Nigeria. It aims to create a longer term capacity, embedding an innovative new technique and approach (the climate vulnerability index) within the heritage community and creating long-lasting, sustainable and meaningful international collaborations and relationships.

Expectations on Applicant

The CVI Africa Project welcomes applications from site custodians and stewards, heritage professionals or academics working at or with cultural or mixed​ cultural and natural African World Heritage sites to take part in training on climate vulnerability assessment.​ The project will consider six participants from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of Lower Middle Income, Low Income and Least Developed Countries in Africa^​. Successful applicants will participate in a range of activities between March and November 2021 including:

• Participation in remote training sessions – including lectures and discussion groups – provided by project partners using a virtual learning environment. April – June 2021*.
• Engaging in data collection, organisation and preparation for one of two on-site workshops to be held at, or near, the World Heritage sites of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara in Tanzania and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Nigeria, currently planned for August – September 2021.* The workshops will create climate vulnerability indices for both locations.
• Attendance at and participation in one of the two workshops for 3-4 consecutive days and collaboration with the wider team in drafting and publishing outputs to local, national and international audiences. October – December 2021*.

*Dates are currently provisional and may change. The in-person workshops are dependent on the COVID-19 travel restrictions at the time and may be conducted remotely if travel is not possible.

Travel, subsistence and professional fees will be provided during the duration of the workshop

The list can be downloaded here: http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/daclist.htm

Essential Criteria

The CVI Africa project welcomes applicants from all areas, including academia, community groups, NGOs and the state sector, with:

• Relevant qualifications or experience:​ Either a master’s degree in a relevant subject, OR relevant professional experience at heritage sites or in cultural heritage management (ideally over 5 years);
• Strong professional networks: A strong existing relationship with a cultural or mixed cultural and natural World Heritage property and support from that property for participant participation in the course;
• Communication skills: Coursework and material will be delivered in English. Candidates must have strong reading, writing and spoken English language skills;
• Access to technology:​ Access to a working device with online capability,​ as aspects of the course will be delivered remotely.

Selection Process

Selection will be a two-step process:

1. Initially, applicants are invited to complete an ​ online application questionnaire to ensure they meet the above criteria for the opportunity. They will also be required to explain their motivation for applying for the course, and its potential impact to their connected site. Further selection criteria will include:
   1. In line with AWHF policies, the project will seek to ensure an even gender, age and geographical distribution, with participants selected from around Africa with primary consideration given to applicants from country clusters around Kilwa-Kisiwani ^​and Sukur ^​.
   2. The project will shortlist selected applicants from Lower Middle Income, Low Income and Least Developed countries on the the DAC List of ODA Recipients. It will attempt to achieve equitable participation ensuring opportunities for applicants from least developed countries.
2. Shortlisted applicants will then be expected to briefly (and remotely) present their case to a selection panel and provide the names of a referee associated with their connected World Heritage site who endorse their application. Places will then be offered based on information from both steps. It is hoped that selection will take place in March 2021.

Data Protection

Information supplied by applicants during the application process will be stored by the African World Heritage

Fund (AWHF) and securely shared with partner institutions for selection purposes only. Partners include Queen’s University Belfast, Historic Environment Scotland, University of Highlands and Islands, ICOMOS and

1. Examples of disciplines include archaeology, conservation studies, heritage management, museum studies, tourism studies, environmental sciences, geography, geology, climatology or relevant disciplines in social and natural sciences in general.
2. Countries include: Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda.​
3. Countries​ include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra-Leone, Togo.

James Cook University and Historic England. More information on the partners can be found at the project’s website: https://cvi-africa.or​ g

Information on the Funder

The CVI-Africa project is made possible through a generous grant awarded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Global Challenges Research Fund. The grant was funded through a demonstration scheme arranged by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The scheme will contribute to the development of a longer-term UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) funded workstream, to respond effectively to climate change impacts on cultural heritage focused on developing countries.