Current vacancies

1. CONTEXT

The climate crisis is child rights crisis. Climate-related disasters directly affect children’s ability to exercise their rights, with immediate impacts and long-term consequences for their health, education, social ties, and psychological development. These effects contribute to perpetuating the cycle of poverty and deepening inequalities, generating structural and intergenerational impacts.

Climate-related disasters threaten the continuity of education and affect learning processes for children and adolescents. Events such as floods, landslides, droughts, or extreme heat force the prolonged closure of schools, harming learning, access to school meals, and the daily protection that these spaces provide. According to a recent UNICEF study, at least 242 million students in 85 countries have had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events such as heat waves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts. In 2024 alone, in Brazil, at least 1.17 million students had their studies interrupted due to floods and droughts.

In Brazil, the National Civil Protection and Defense Plan includes among its guidelines the continuous promotion of school-based education measures and community awareness to reduce disaster risks. The school, as a space for building citizenship and fostering community engagement, is strategic for strengthening local resilience and emergency response and can play a central role in disaster risk management and reduction. The direct involvement of educators, students, civil protection agents, and the community is essential to make schools safer, better prepared, and more resilient.

Various initiatives have been developed at the state and municipal levels to integrate civil protection and defense into the school environment. These include programs that incorporate risk reduction into the curriculum, train teachers, form school brigades, conduct drills, improve school facilities, coordinate with Community Civil Protection and Defense Centers (NUPDECs), and implement actions to ensure educational continuity during extreme events. These actions require coordination between municipal civil protection agencies, education departments, and the school community, as well as the participation of children and adolescents in the design and implementation processes.

UNICEF Commitment

The Country Programme Document (CPD) 2024–2028 prioritizes support for equitable, sustainable policies and programs aimed at ensuring the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable children and adolescents in Brazil. In this context, UNICEF will support child-centered disaster preparedness and response plans, which include strengthening capacities at the federal, state, and municipal levels; encouraging youth and adolescent participation in disaster risk management and reduction actions; and strengthening systems to ensure the continuity of public services in times of crisis and disaster.

To this end, UNICEF has been engaging with strategic actors from the federal government, as well as state and municipal governments, in the emergency and risk reduction agenda. One example is the inclusion of risk management and reduction actions in the 5th edition of the UNICEF SEAL (2025–2028), which aims to strengthen the capacities of more than 2,000 municipalities in the Amazon and Semi-Arid regions to promote the rights of children and adolescents through intersectoral approaches. Among the planned actions for this edition are training courses on the protection of children and adolescents in situations of risk and disaster and support for the implementation of municipal child-sensitive disaster risk management and reduction plans and programs.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

UNICEF will hire a consultant to develop a Guidance Manual for Civil Protection in Schools, based on the provisions of Law 12.608 of April 10, 2012, other relevant national regulations, and the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action – CCCs. The consultancy shall include the systematization of experiences, the compilation of methodologies and support materials, and the definition of guidelines to help schools and education networks incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRR Education) in a transversal, continuous, and context-sensitive manner.

The consultant will work under the supervision of UNICEF’s Emergency Specialist, in collaboration with the education and climate change teams, as well as UNICEF’s field offices.

The deliverables will be reviewed and approved by a committee composed of representatives from UNICEF and federal government agencies.

3. ACTIVITIES
4. Document review and compilation of good practices
   • Identify and synthesize international and national regulations related to Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRR Education), including the Minimum Standards for Education of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies – INEE, as well as health and safety standards and school public management regulations.
   • Systematize relevant experiences from programs such as “School Civil Protection and Defense Centers – NEPDECs,” “Civil Defense in Schools,” “Safe Schools,” “School Brigades,” “Resilient Schools,” “Safe Communities,” among others, considering aspects such as: objectives, implemented activities, pedagogical approach, target audience, institutional arrangements, intersectoral coordination mechanisms, and results.
5. Conducting structured consultations with key stakeholders
   • Carry out interviews and consultations with stakeholders involved in existing programs, including municipal and state civil defense authorities, education departments, school administrators and the school community, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education and National Civil Defense, and subject matter experts, to gather challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for structuring a guide that is applicable and sensitive to different territorial realities.
   • Conduct consultations with adolescents and youth, particularly through the Adolescent Citizenship Centers (NUCAs).
6. Development of the Guidance Manual
   • Prepare a Guidance Manual, including a proposed conceptual framework for DRR Education and its articulation with public education and civil protection policies; key areas of action (training, capacity-building, infrastructure, intersectoral coordination, etc.), including examples of existing programs; suggested support materials; and recommendations.
   • The Guide should be written in accessible language, follow a logical and practical format, and be organized to facilitate quick reference and usability by education managers. It must also include a glossary of terms and reference links organized by topic.
   • The development of the guide should be based on the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) guiding principles of UNICEF humanitarian response. :
7. DELIVERABLES

Deliverable 1: Detailed Work Plan
A comprehensive work plan outlining the research methodology, mapping of good practices and key stakeholders, timeline, and a draft outline of the guidance manual.

• Deadline: Within 25 days of contract start date
• Payment: 15% of the total contract value

Deliverable 2: Preliminary Version of the Guidance Manual
Submission of a draft version of the guidance manual and presentation to the consultancy evaluation committee.

• Deadline: Within 90 days of contract start date
• Payment: 35% of the total contract value

Deliverable 3: Final Version of the Guidance Manual
Final version of the manual, incorporating all feedback provided by the evaluation committee. The final product must include an executive summary and a repository of support materials with accessible and up-to-date links (virtual library).

• Deadline: Within 120 days of contract start date
• Payment: 50% of the total contract value

5. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERTISE, AND EXPERIENCE

• University degree in Education, Geography, Social Sciences, Political Science, Risk Management, Public Policy, or related fields.
• Postgraduate studies (specialization, master’s, or PhD) in Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRR Education), Risk Management, Education Policy, Environmental Education, or related areas will be considered an asset.
• Proven experience in programs, projects, or public policies focused on the integration of disaster prevention, resilience, or civil protection themes.
• Experience in developing technical documents, educational materials, or guidance manuals targeted at public managers, education professionals, and school communities.
• Previous experience in designing pedagogical materials or technical guidance on DRR-related topics is desirable.
• Familiarity with Brazilian public policies in the fields of education, civil defense, risk management, and social protection.
• Demonstrated ability to systematize and produce technical content in accessible language.
• Ability to conduct qualitative research, consultations, interviews, workshops, or focus groups with multiple stakeholders (educators, students, public managers, civil defense authorities, etc.).
• Prior experience working with municipal or state governments and public education networks is highly desirable.
• LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY:
  Fluency in Portuguese is required. Proficiency in Spanish and English will be considered an asset.

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The selection of the consultant will be based on an assessment of the candidate’s curriculum vitae, relevant professional experience, and financial proposal.

• Financial Proposal

• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Financial Proposal

The financial proposal must be submitted using the table below:

• The prices submitted by the applicants must be gross amounts, meaning they should include all direct and indirect costs, such as taxes, fees, social charges, and any other expenses related to the execution of the services.

• It is the applicant’s responsibility to account for all costs involved in the development and delivery of the services, including but not limited to travel expenses, subcontracted services, and administrative costs. No additional costs will be accepted after the contract is signed.

1. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• UNICEF reserves the right not to proceed with the consultancy if it determines that the proposed fees are not consistent with market rates or if the technical aspects of the proposal do not meet the requirements outlined in this Terms of Reference.
• The consultancy will be carried out off-site, with the consultant using their own hardware and software resources.
• The consultancy team may be invited to participate in meetings remotely.
• UNICEF reserves the right to approve or reject any consultancy proposal.

UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS)

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 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:

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.