Current vacancies

Explore our current job opportunities

Contract type

Locations

South Asia Region

Functional Area

Emergency

Position level

National Consultant: Implementing Child -Friendly Early Warning Systems (EWS) to Enhance Child Resilience in Nepal, 10.5 months, Kathmandu, Nepal Country Office

Apply now Job no: 579903
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Kathmandu
Level: Consultancy
Location: Nepal
Categories: Emergency

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, result

Climate change poses significant and escalating threats to children in Nepal. In Nepal, rising temperatures, glacial melting, and erratic monsoon patterns contribute to severe health challenges, including heat stress, respiratory illnesses, and malnutrition. The increased frequency of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and unpredictable rainfall endanger critical infrastructure and safe water access, directly impacting children’s well-being.
 
Children in Nepal face heightened vulnerability to climate change and are at risk of losing their lives and well-being. UNICEF’s Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) 2023-2030 aims to address this child rights crisis and intergenerational injustice. Through targeted interventions, UNICEF prioritises urgent climate action and systemic change to implement evidence-based, child-centric initiatives that address climate, environmental, and disaster risks.
 
With this background, UNICEF is seeking a technical expert to implement child-friendly Early Warning Systems (EWS) tailored to the unique vulnerabilities and needs of children in Nepal. This consultant will provide technical support to enhance the resilience of children and their communities aligning with UNICEF’s SCAP objectives. The initiative will benefit approximately 25,000 children directly and 100,000 indirectly by integrating advanced data-driven solutions, updating contingency plans, and promoting child-responsive disaster risk mitigation strategies.
 
Purpose of the Assignment:
To provide technical support to design, implement, and operationalise child-centred Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Nepal. The focus will be on enhancing the resilience of children by conducting child-centred risk assessments, integrating the Children's Climate Risk Index (CCRI) Disaster Risk Management (DRM) frameworks, and developing climate-change-calibrated scenarios for targeted interventions.
 
Objective
To design, implement, and operationalize child-centred Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Nepal, ensuring they are aligned with the latest climate change projections and address the specific vulnerabilities of children.
 
Scope of Work
The consultant will:
 
1. Conduct child-centred risk assessments
  • Conduct child-centred risk assessments using the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) Disaster Risk Management (DRM) frameworks.
  • Identify key climate vulnerabilities faced by children and develop climate-change-calibrated scenarios for targeted interventions.
2. Develop and integrate child friendly EWS
  • Design and implement child friendly EWS tailored to local contexts.
  • Enhance existing systems to be accessible, understandable, and actionable for children and youth.
  • Integrate the CCRI-DRM into visualisation tools like Geo-Sight or national platforms for enhanced accessibility.
3. Develop and strengthen contingency planning
  • Update and revise contingency plans to explicitly address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children.
  • Ensure alignment with the “Early Warnings for All” (EW4ALL) initiative.
4. Capacity Building
  • Provide technical support to country office teams on implementation targeted interventions in areas of child friendly EWS and DRR.
  • Train government officials, community leaders, and youth on the application of CCRI-DRM and EWS tools.
  • Facilitate knowledge exchange on collaboration among key stakeholder on child-sensitive disaster risk reduction.
  • Develop an investment case for child-responsive disaster prevention strategies.
  • Provide technical support for incorporating child-sensitive criteria into national disaster risk budgets.
  • Support advocacy and fundraising efforts on child centred EWS.
Duration of the Contract: The total duration of the assignment is 230 days over the period of 10.5 months.

Deliverables for the Assignment:

Tasks/Milestone Deliverables/Outputs  Timeline  Proposed Fee
Inception Report Submission of draft inception report and detailed work plan and programme implementation plan  By end of 1.5 month  
Risk assessment

2 consultation meeting with partners, FO team and stakeholders

Submission of Risk assessment report

By the end of 1 month  
Training module Develop training modules and documentation for capacity-building sessions.  By the end of 1 month  
Capacity building 4 capacity development training conducted in 4 provinces By the end of 1 month  
Early Warning System Operational child friendly EWS tailored and shared By the end of 1 month  
Contingency Plans Submission of updated contingency plans incorporating child-specific needs. By the end of 1 month  
Refresher training 4 refresher trainings conducted By the end of 1 month  
Policy Briefs and Investment Cases Submission of Policy briefs and investment cases for child-responsive risk mitigation. By the end of 1 month  

Note: Please submit financial proposal based on the above deliverables.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Education:

Advanced degree in Climate Science, Disaster Risk Management, Environmental Engineering, or related fields.

Work experience: 
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in designing and implementing Early Warning Systems. 
  • Expertise in child-centered disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation solutions.
  • Proficiency in using data visualisation tools and DRM frameworks like CCRI.
  • Strong facilitation and capacity-building skills.
  • Familiarity with climate actions and a commitment to child-sensitive approaches.
  • Experience in developing strong business cases and concept notes for fundraising and strategies to strengthen partnerships. 
  • Familiarity with and commitment to the principles and values of the United Nations, particularly in the context of sustainable development and environmental stewardship.

Skills and attributes desired:

  • Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills
  • High level of analytical ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, including using relevant software packages.
  • Demonstrated ability to produce high quality, concise, analytical and insightful reports and presentations in English.
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas.
  • Strategic thinking and critical analysis.
  • Commitment and drive, with a clear focus on results.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

Languages: 

  • Strong writing skills and fluency in the English language is required
 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

Advertised: Nepal Standard Time
Deadline: Nepal Standard Time

Back to search results Apply now Refer a friend