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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, a champion.

This consultancy is supporting the Joint UN Programme Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina- Phase II, which is a 4-year initiative jointly implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, and FAO, with joint financial support of the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the aforementioned UN agencies. This programme supports disaster risk governance in BiH and corresponding with priority actions of the Sendai Framework, which resonate with the DRR challenges and needs in the country.

As part of Phase II, UNICEF aims to develop a comprehensive School CCDRR model, building on growing evidence that children can actively contribute to reducing disaster risks. This model is to be designed to benefit not only school children but also their families and communities, creating a ripple effect of resilience.

A core principle of this approach is ensuring meaningful participation of children—including both younger and older primary school students, girls and boys, and those in vulnerable situations—throughout the design and implementation process. Genuine participation requires trust, the transfer of decision-making power, the use of age-appropriate tools, and skilled facilitation to empower children as agents of change.

The primary objective of this assignment is to design, implement, and finalize the BiH CCDRR school model in one selected primary school and subsequently scale it up to three additional schools.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to assist in development and implementation of  a child-centered Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR) model in schools in selected municipalities/cities in  Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), guided by the principles and priorities of The Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF) 2022-2030. The consultant will work closely with four schools in BiH to enhance their capacities and empower them to better prepare for and respond to disasters. A central focus of the assignment is to ensure children actively lead and participate in risk identification, planning, and implementation of activities that strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience within their schools. The developed CCDRR model should inform further scale up and the DRR strategic planning on all levels of governance in BiH. As such, it should serve as a model for the roll out of the CSSF in BiH.

How can you make a difference? 

The lead consultant shall work in close collaboration with the junior, field consultant, providing comprehensive oversight and ongoing guidance to ensure that all field activities and deliverables are fully aligned with the quality standards of CSSF and CCDRR.

The consultant will be responsible for the following: 

1.  Development of a methodology and detailed work plan for implementing the CCDRR model - The consultant will lead the creation of a comprehensive methodology and work plan for the implementation of the CCDRR model, ensuring alignment with the CSSF. This deliverable will include a timeline and tools for school risk self-assessment and planning to establish a clear implementation framework. The CCDRR model should be tailored for primary schools, ensuring inclusivity across diverse age groups, genders, ethnic minorities, and children with disabilities. The methodology will be developed collaboratively, drawing on consultations with UNICEF's regional and global DRR resources and executed in collaboration with the consultant, working in close partnership with UNICEF's country and regional offices.  The designed methodology will be implemented in a selected pilot school and based on the insights and outcomes from the pilot phase the consultant will refine and adapt it to ensure readiness for broader scale-up. The consultant is tasked to present the final methodology together with the learnings from the piloting and scale-up on a dedicated DRR event to enable learning across local communities in BiH.

2.  Oversee the formation of school CCDRR teams in a selected pilot school – The lead consultant will oversee the formation of a multidisciplinary CCDRR team in the selected school responsible for school risk assessment, action planning, and implementation. This team will consist of school management, teachers, parents, local community representatives, and other relevant stakeholders and should be linked with the local community DRR platform. As part of the CCDRR team structure, a student-led CCDRR club will be formed, ensuring that children take an active role in identifying risks and shaping preparedness strategies. The student CCDRR club will lead the risk assessment and action planning process from a child-cantered perspective, ensuring that the voices and experiences of students drive decision-making. The lead consultant will oversee the structuring of both the multidisciplinary CCDRR team and the student CCDRR club, clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms to ensure effective engagement and sustainability.

3.  Developing and facilitating risk assessment workshop with active child participation- The consultant is to design and facilitate a participatory risk assessment workshop to support CCDRR team to conduct school risk assessment, meaning to identify and analyze risks within the school environment, resulting in a comprehensive risk assessment report.

4.  Guiding school CCDRR team in developing and implementing the DRR school improvement plan – Building on the findings of the risk assessment, the consultant will guide the school CCDRR team in developing a tailored DRR school improvement plan. The plan will ensure child-led contributions, fostering a sense of ownership among students while addressing identified risks and outlining clear, actionable steps for mitigation and preparedness. The consultant will then oversee hands-on support to the school during the implementation of the plan, which is to be intensively supported by the associate consultant. This also includes guidance in organizing at least one disaster simulation drill.

5.  Designing and delivering capacity building workshops- The consultant should design and deliver two capacity building workshops for a) school staff and relevant stakeholders and b) students, with an outcome to improve the school capacities for sustainable DRR practices.

6. Scale up CCDRR in school pilot to three additional schools- Following the pilot phase, the consultant will support UNICEF in expanding the CCDRR model to three additional schools across different local communities. This scale-up will replicate key actions undertaken during the pilot phase, including forming CCDRR teams, conducting risk assessments, developing and implementing DRR action plans, and delivering capacity-building workshops. Lessons learned from the pilot school will be integrated to enhance the effectiveness of the model across the new schools.

The consultant is expected to use their own equipment, including computer and other necessary hardware and software, for delivering the assigned. The consultant’s presence in BiH will be necessary as determined by the methodological requirements of the assignment.

The consultant shall not make use of any unpublished or confidential information obtained during the course of the assignment without prior authorisation from UNICEF. 

The products of this consultancy are not the property of the consultant and cannot be shared without the permission of UNICEF.

The consultant shall respect the local norms and refrain from interfering in the country's political affairs.

UNICEF remains the owner of the deliverables and UNICEF rules and regulations apply on intellectual property will be applicable where necessary.

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

• Advanced university degree in DRR, Education, or other Social Sciences
• Minimum 2 years of proven experience in developing and implementing DRR programmes, preferably in school settings, with a proven record of strategic leadership.
• Expertise in participatory methodologies, particularly those involving children and youth.
• Strong facilitation and training skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including school staff, students, parents, and local governance.
• Knowledge of the local context in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the education sector and disaster risk landscape.
• Strong leadership, project management, and team oversight skills, with the capacity to manage multiple tasks and strict deadlines.
• Familiarity with safeguarding and ethical standards in working with children.
• Thorough understanding of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework and its application in school-based DRR initiatives.
• Fluency in B/H/S and English.

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 here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

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.