Case Study Co-Lead

TOR: Case Study Co-Lead 

Date of issue: February 15, 2022 

Date of closing: April 30, 2022 (updated deadline)

Location: Remote, but applicants should already reside in or near the case study site (Chicago)

Unbounded Associates are seeking a Consultant with a research background in education, youth development, postsecondary transitions, and/or adult learning to co-lead a community-based participatory research case study to understand what a New Green Learning Agenda may look like for postsecondary institutions in geographically and racially diverse communities. The consultant will co-lead this case study in collaboration with the Unbounded Associates (UA) Project Team, including other Case Study Co-Leads of other case study locations. We are open to exploring a team of consultants in Chicago who can serve together in the Case Study Co-Lead role.

Project Background:

To tackle the climate crisis we understand, as a society, the need to rapidly close the emissions gap by adapting low-carbon lifestyles and building a green economy fueled by renewable energy. But to close the emissions gap in just and equitable ways we must first close the education and training gaps. These gaps include the lack of knowledge and skills to address climate change (its causes, impacts, and solutions), as well as the lack of sustained learning opportunities that can support a consistent and diverse stream of talent for and creators of well-paying green jobs. Yet, closing these education and training gaps in just and equitable ways is dependent on closing inequality gaps that have long put underrepresented and underserved communities at heightened risk of exposure to environmental threats and have prevented them from accessing opportunities to gain necessary skills, experiences, and networks to participate in green jobs and lead green innovation.  

Postsecondary institutions play an important role in closing these gaps toward achieving a just transition. Technical and vocational training programs, community colleges, and universities are critical spaces for developing a breadth of green skills, strengthening climate resilience, and increasing adaptive capacities while building on community and cultural assets. They play an especially important role for older workers displaced by green economic transitions and for young people from historically marginalized communities of color, indigenous communities, and underinvested rural communities. 

However, most policy discussions on just transitions pay little attention to the supporting role that postsecondary institutions play in closing the emissions, education, training, and inequality gaps. Similarly, few postsecondary institutions have outlined clear policies or strategies to play a more active and central role in closing these gaps to achieving a just transition. This project aims to fill this space. 

Project Objectives:  

This project aims to bring together a diverse set of community stakeholders from across different geographies in the United States to identify pathways for postsecondary institutions to accelerate the closing of these gaps and the achievement of a just transition.  

Specifically, the project aims to advance a New Green Learning Agenda (NGLA) for postsecondary institutions. NGLA is an educational framework for systems transformation that builds in learners a breadth of green skills (e.g., from construction to communication to care)  needed to create a more sustainable, equitable, and just future for all.  

By engaging historically marginalized communities in co-constructing this agenda, the project aims to spark a “green transformation” in postsecondary teaching and learning that centers on both climate action and climate justice. 

Project Activities: 

A core aspect of this project includes a series of case studies conducted by a team of on-site Case Study Co-Leads (one Co-Lead per site). Co-Leads will use a community-based participatory research approach to understand what a New Green Learning Agenda may look like for postsecondary institutions. Through this process, Co-Leads will also aim to identify how postsecondary institutions and community-based organizations may already be implementing green learning approaches to transform their economies and communities, and what adaptations, innovations, and policy enablers could be developed further to fill critical gaps or to strengthen their approaches to such green learning.  

Each project case study location has been selected based on its unique experiences and challenges dealing with climate change, environmental racism, and climate injustices, and green economic transitions. Case studies reflect a diverse set of geographies serving racially diverse communities. 

Chicago Case Study Co-Lead Role and Responsibilities:  

The Chicago Case Study Co-Lead will lead the case study research in Chicago in collaboration with the Project Team Lead and other Co-Leads of case studies being conducted in other locations.  

•  Approx. 4 days:  
  • Co-design community-based participatory research methodology and data analysis methods with Project Team Lead and in consultation with community-based partner organizations and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with and comparability to other case study Co-Leads’ emerging methodology and the study’s overarching research questions concerning a new green learning agenda for post-secondary institutions 
  • Help identify community-based partner organizations and local Advisory Council  members, the latter in consultation with community-based organizations as needed 
• Approx. 25 days:  
  • Liaise with local community-based partner organization during design, implementation, and data analysis phases, in addition to liaising and updating Project Team Lead and study co-leads on discussions relevant to the overarching study  
  • Conduct interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, policy analysis, and additional research as needed to answer research questions  
• Approx. 10 days:  
  • Organize, clean, code data using software and methods agreed upon by the  study team, with some support from UA team  
  • Conduct preliminary data analysis in collaboration with Project Team Lead, Co-Leads, and additional UA Team 
  • Prepare data/preliminary interpretations/preliminary findings of case study to discuss with community-based partner organizations/stakeholders for input 
• Approx. 11 days:  
  • Draft and revise case study report, recommendations, and relevant sections of final report in a format and organizational structure as agreed upon by Project Team Lead and all Co-Leads 
  • Prepare and deliver presentations as needed 
  • Contribute to blog writing

Deliverables:  

1. Localized version of study research methodology and draft interview and FGD protocols, draft surveys, and other data collection tools, by March 15, 2022 
2. Clean and de-identified data from interviews, FGDs, surveys, and other data collection activities, by May 30, 2022 
3. Presentation of preliminary interpretations/findings for discussion with community-based partner organizations, by June 30, 2022  
4. Draft case study report with recommendations, in agreed-upon template/format, by July 30, 2022 
5. Draft final report sections, as necessary, by August 30, 2022 
6. Inputs to blog, as necessary, by August 30, 2022

Qualifications:  

• Experience with conducting large community-based participatory research projects  and/or research project management (either indicated by a PhD or by years of  experience) 
• Experience with community organizations working on environmental justice issues  and/or community economic development issues and/or post-secondary/workforce transition/youth development issues (indicated through previous affiliations and/or current professional networks) 
• Experience with decolonizing, intersectional feminist approaches to community-based participatory research 
• Familiarity with new economy thinking, wellbeing economics, or donut economics
• People skills (indicated through previous multistakeholder work, advocacy and campaigning, and/or strategic communications work)  
• Good communicator in multi-cultural environments (oral and written for both community trust-building and for drafting reports and briefs) 
• Values trust, transparency, collaboration, and independent work 
• Committed to being part of an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory organization. 

How to apply:

Application instructions: 

Unbounded Associates is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color. In addition to supporting the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, Unbounded Associates is antiracism and anti-discrimination organization. More specifically, we believe in fostering an authentic sense of belonging through the diversity of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, experiences, and the inclusion and equality of people regardless of their race, color, religion or creed, gender, sex, pregnancy or caregiver status, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship status, genetic information, military or veteran status, age, and physical or mental disability. 

To apply, please send your CV, a cover letter stating your daily rate and demonstrating relevant field research experience and community-based networks necessary to execute  community-based participatory research, and writing sample to:  anna.pettee@unboundedassociates.com