International Consultant to support the Sub-National Children Climate Risk Index for Zimbabwe, Harare, 40 days (Open to non-Zimbabwean Nationals Only)
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Job no: 583950
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Harare
Level: Consultancy
Location: Zimbabwe
Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
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 fair chance
UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.
Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.
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How can you make a difference?
UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an international individual consultant to support Sub-National Children Climate Risk Index for Zimbabwe.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Working closely with the National Consultant the International Consultant will lead in the development of a Subnational Children Climate Risk Index (CCRI) for Zimbabwe by building on the Child-Centred Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Zimbabwe produced in 2024, updating the analysis of the impact of climate change on children (in WASH, health, education, child protection nutrition and social protection). The International Consultant will map the exposures, hazards, vulnerability and capacities of children; providing analysis and a digital interactive map that allows the overlaying of these factors.
The local Consultant will agree with the International Consultant on the indicators to include in the CCRI; Collect the data sets for the indicators, arrange for consultations with key stakeholders, organise a validation workshop together with the International Consultancy, and support the finalisation of the Index.
BACKGROUND
The planetary crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss has put virtually every child in the world at risk. Every child in Zimbabwe (7.1 million children under 18, 47% of the population) is exposed to at least one climate/environmental hazard and at risk of climate change impacts such as flooding, drought, heatwaves, cyclones, and air pollution, yet are the least responsible.
Zimbabwe is ranked very high, especially among Southern Africa countries, in the 2021 Children Climate Risk Index published in the “The Climate Crisis is a Child Crisis” Report and the latest evidence indicates that the country will continue to warm through 2080. The warming is projected to be most significant in the western and southern sections of the country. The current and projected warming trend and reduction in rainfall, environmental degradation, coupled with the increasing frequency and intensity of floods, tropical cyclones, droughts, and heatwaves, threatens children’s lives, destroys schools, water supply and infrastructure, health care facilities and children’s play spaces. Further, the reduction and increased unpredictability of rainfall risk crops critical to livelihoods and nutrition. All these impacts can result in greater poverty and increasing children’s protection risks.
To date, there is no sub-national climate children risk index that provides detailed data and information at country level other than the summarized update of what the global report provides. The Child-centered climate vulnerability and risk assessment did not go as far as providing all the necessary indicators required with a CCRI in an interactive format. Hence there is a need to upgrade this report to provide detailed interactive data and information with clear indicators on the impacts
Given the current and projected climate situation, the availability of coherent, accessible and updated information on impacts of climate change on children is a priority to inform decision makers and promote appropriate adaptation and mitigation options that are appropriate for a particular area and sector. The generated evidence is also essential to enable effective mobilization of sustainable financing and targeting of resources and providing the climate rationale required in climate financing.
To this end UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe aims to develop a sub-national CCRI for Zimbabwe. The work produced will enable the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF and partners to understand the climate impacts, risks, and vulnerability of children and utilize that information to influence programming, policy and advocacy efforts
ASSIGNMENTS:
The purpose of this consultancy is to support the development of the sub-national CCRI for Zimbabwe. This will consist of two major pillars:
Pillar 1: Exposure to Multiple Hazards, Shocks and Stresses: This pillar captures the likelihood of children, young people and communities in an area to be exposed to various natural and human hazards, shocks and stresses (such as water scarcity, droughts, floods, tropical storms, air pollution, vector bone diseases, geophysical and conflict). It considers shocks and stresses that may occur and where children may be affected due to their exposure. It considers all major natural and human hazards that can trigger significant damage and cause an erosion of development progress, the deepening of child deprivation or disaster.
Pillar 2: Child Vulnerability: This pillar includes underlying economic, political and social factors that make children exposed, families and communities prone to the adverse impacts of natural and human shocks and stresses, and characteristics and circumstances of communities and systems that reflect their readiness and capacities to withstand their damaging impacts. Examples of vulnerability components include child health, child nutrition, education, poverty, social protection, and child protection.
The information will be used to inform future programmes to guide targeting of beneficiaries, ensure risk-informed programming, and support for increased resilience of social and basic services for children. The analysis will equip UNICEF and partners to better identify priorities for inclusive climate change-focused programming and advocacy work centered around the needs of children in Zimbabwe.
The CCRI sub-national assessment is envisaged to capture the following components:
- An updated child-centred climate vulnerability and risk assessment for Zimbabwe;
- Ensure the CCRI is placed on an interactive platform making the model an open source and publicly accessible
The following activities will be undertaken:
- In consultation with Zimbabwe Government, partners and UNICEF technical specialists; develop the workplan, define the methodology and procedures of the assignment, prepare tools and documents, and any other action identified as necessary for carrying out of the CCRI for Zimbabwe.
- Assess the existing supporting Government structures; other analyses carried out to compliment and build on; get buy-in of stakeholders.
- Conduct desk review on key related reports that provide data and information to the CCRI. Key documents include: the Child-centered Climate and Vulnerability assessment for Zimbabwe; The Zimbabwe Rural and Urban Livelihood Committee Assessment; The 2025 Global Children Climate Risk Index if out. The 2025 MICs results.
- Carry out stakeholder mapping to identify the key stakeholders to be involved in the project
- Carry out stakeholder engagement including high-level government officials to ensure political commitment and sustainability of the CCRI and define institutional arrangements and roles.
- National and subnational governments and other partner stakeholders need clearly defined roles and responsibilities in constructing and maintaining the CCRI.
- Use workshops and consultations to develop the model and continuously identify additional indicators.
- Engage Young People: Children, adolescents and youth are among the most vulnerable to multiple shocks and stresses, climate disruption, energy deficiency and environmental degradation. Yet, they are also powerful agents of change. Hence the need to engage them from the onset and empower them. In this process, ensure materials are child- and youth-friendly, age-appropriate, considerate and culturally sensitive.
- Support the International Consultant in the design and the construction of the CCRI
- Provide recommendations on programming design of different sectors (WASH, education, Health, nutrition, child protection) on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
- Organize a validation workshop of the CCRI and support the International Consultant in finalising the CCRI
- Ensure all data utilized in the assignment (climate exposure and child vulnerability) is provided to UNICEF in shapefile format
- Conduct training sessions to support use cases and maintenance of the data infrastructure
Major tasks and deliverables:
|
Develop the Model’s Theoretical Framework |
Model Theoretical Framework designed |
2 days - 5 % |
|
Integrate and Pre-process the Indicator Data |
Indicator data processed |
8 days - 20% |
|
Construct the CCRI Subnational Model Use the 2023 CCRI-DRM Guidance https://unicef.sharepoint.com/:b:/t/PD-RiskDataChildren/ETcgbcf6Ru1Kpk12Im0NiaoBjpyGyR1dd-1h80lDWP2yzA?e=3gFktZ to construct the CCRI |
|
15 days 37.5%
|
|
3. Develop interactive digital maps that allow overlays of exposure, hazards, vulnerability, and capacity of children. Integrate the CCRI model on a live portal |
|
10 days -25% |
|
Participate in the validation workshop virtually, and Review, Validate and Adjust the CCRI Subnational Model as per validation comments from stakeholders |
|
5 days -12.5% |
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
- An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: environmental/climate change studies, development studies and/or other related social science fields.
Experience
- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience related to, management, and analysis of quantitative data.
Language requirements:
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
Skills:
- In-depth Knowledge of disaster risk management, including humanitarian assistance, development and resilience with an inclusion and human rights approach.
- In-depth Knowledge of the context of climate risk management in Zimbabwe, and the functioning of related (government) institutions.
- Knowledge about the approach to children's rights, gender, and inclusion.
- Experience in researching and preparing written analytical reports in an accurate, concise, and timely manner.
- Experience in coordination of stakeholders at different level
- Familiarity with mapping/GIS
- Experience with quantitative and qualitative analysis and synthesis of information.
- Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
Desirables:
- Open source GIS skills
- Data management skills, working with tables and databases
- Communication skills and coordinating amongst different actors and working as a team leader
The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link 
TORs for CCRI International Consultant .pdf
Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.
Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.
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.
Advertised: South Africa Standard Time
Deadline: South Africa Standard Time