Consultant - Inventorying and Safeguarding of Yazidi Intangible Cultural Heritage in Iraq

JOB DETAILS Type of contract : Consultant Contract Level : Level 3 - Senior Hiring Unit : Culture Sector (CLT) Duty Station : Duhok Work location : Remote Duration of contract : 12 months Hiring open to : External candidates Application deadline (Midnight UTC+3 Time) : 26/06/2026 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, ProfessionalismOVERVIEW The Yazidi community in Iraq continues to bear the deep scars of the Islamic State’s occupation, during which both lives and cultural identity were targeted through the destruction of shrines, sacred artifacts and traditions. In response, UNESCO Iraq, in collaboration with the Nadia Initiative and the Lalish Cultural Centre, is stepping up its efforts to inventory Yazidi intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through the implementation of the project Inventorying and safeguarding Yazidi intangible cultural heritage in Iraq (here-after the Project). The project aims to safeguard and promote the ICH of the Yazidi community by strengthening local capacities for community-based inventorying and documentation. Through systematic training, participatory workshops, and mentoring. Building on a 2023 survey of 97 shrines and 88 related practices, the Project will focus on documenting the non-religious aspects of Yazidi ICH, with the goal of creating a searchable online database is accessible to the community, particularly young people. The outcomes will include strengthened identity, continuity and social cohesion, and the activities will focus on research, documentation and digital tools to safeguard and revitalise Yazidi heritage. The project will result in a comprehensive digital database, a finalised, quality-assured inventory of ICH and a publication showcasing documented Yazidi cultural expressions, fostering social cohesion, strengthening cultural identity, and supporting the transmission of heritage knowledge to younger generations.Long Description ASSIGNMENTS Within the framework of the Project, under the overall supervision of the Head of UNESCO Iraq Office, and the direct supervision of the Senior CLT Project Officer, and in accordance with UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and international best practices, the Senior Consultant will provide technical leadership and expert guidance under the following objectives: To build capacity of local community members in ICH inventory through the preparation and delivery of specialised workshop; To oversee the community-based inventory processes, ensuring the quality and validation of collected data To support the preparation and dissemination of a comprehensive inventory of Yazidi intangible cultural heritage. Long Description Long Description CONTRACT DURATION Total duration: 18 months Structured as two contracts: First contract: 11 months One-month break Second contract: 7 months Part-time, homebased with 3 missions to Iraq Long Description DELIVERABLES Activity/Deliverables Estimated Duration (weeks) Phase I: Inception phase and project launch Participation to the project launch meeting in Iraq (mission report) 2 weeks Submission of a detailed agenda and hands-out (English and Arabic) for the workshop on community-led ICH inventory (target: 34 participants) 2 weeks Submission of the ICH inventory methodology, raw data collection tools, and preliminary database 3 weeks Phase II: Capacity building activities and fieldwork initiation Delivery of the training on community-led ICH inventory (10 days) and a report on the results of the training (1 week) 3 weeks Supervision of ICH inventory implementation, in close coordination with the 4 team leaders (submission of monthly monitoring reports) 4-6 months Phase III: Final inventory validation and documentation Preparation and delivery of a validation workshop (5 days) for the Yazidi ICH inventory (workshop, agenda and hands-out material to be prepared in English and Arabic) 3 weeks Submission of a report on the r