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Background
According to the IPCC report, Uzbekistan “as the most water-stressed country in the region” will experience one of the strongest negative impacts of climate change with “…[water] withdrawal approximately equal to water availability”. Uzbekistan has the second from highest score in the Children’s Climate Risk Index in Europe and Central Asia. The quickly rising temperatures, glacier melting, irregular rainfall patterns, and droughts can potentially lead to food insecurity, waterborne and respiratory diseases, increased unemployment, and disrupted education.
Additionally, Uzbekistan already faces the consequences of a huge climate tragedy – the Aral Sea. Once the fourth largest inland lake in the world, it is currently down to 10% of its original size due to the diversion of Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for irrigation. The Aral Sea disaster has led to air pollution, economic hardships, malnutrition, limited clean water access, and multiple health hazards for the local population, especially children.
To mitigate the potential impact of climate change on children and adults, since 2016 Uzbekistan has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing ecological and climate change issues, prioritizing them as top national concerns. Among other measures, the Government of Uzbekistan recognizes the potent force of children and youth on climate change action. The Government has strongly committed to green skills development and engagement of children and youth in climate change action through the following measures.
In 2024 UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the International Public Foundation Zamin established and supported the work of a national network Young Climate Champions. The main objective of the network is to promote a sustainable development culture and spearhead climate resilience and mitigation interventions at the school and community levels. Upon completion of the Youth Advocacy Guide training in August 2024, the first cohort of Young Climate Champions mobilized over 17,000 young people across the country during 2024-2025 academic year. Moreover, the adolescents actively participated in high-level policy dialogues on climate change, including at the national and international levels, e.g. RCOY, COP-29.
In this context, UNICEF is looking for an international consultant who will support scaling up and ensuring sustainability of the work of the national network Young Climate Champions. Specifically, the international consultant is expected to build capacity of the national trainers to deliver the Youth Advocacy Guide in the future and facilitate training for the second cohort of Young Climate Champions, coordinating engagement of the trained trainers.
Scope of Work:
Specifically, working in close cooperation with UNICEF national consultant on youth engagement in climate agenda and the national partners, the international consultant will be responsible for the following:
- Development of a plan of the ToT for 14 young mentors and UNICEF trainers. Considering prior knowledge and experience both in facilitation and in climate advocacy of the participants, the consultant will need to develop the detailed hybrid (2 days online and 3 days in-person) ToT plan and all the teaching and learning materials required.
- Development of the plan of the Youth Advocacy Guide (YAG) training for the second cohort of Young Climate Champions. The consultant will need to develop a detailed agenda and teaching and learning materials for the 5-day in-person training of the second cohort of Young Climate Champions, taking into account that the training will be co-facilitated by the pre-trained trainers.
- Facilitate the YAG ToT. Facilitate the ToT for 14 young mentors – members of the first cohort of Young Climate Champions - and UNICEF retainer trainers so that they could perform as co-facilitators, mentors and future local YAG trainers. The 5-day ToT will be conducted in hybrid mode – 2 days online and 3 days in-person.
- Facilitate 5-days YAG training for the second cohort of Young Climate Champions. Working jointly with the trained local trainers and local experts on climate change, the consultant shall equip 50 adolescents with communication, leadership and advocacy skills with a focus on climate agenda. Moreover, the consultant will need to support the participants to develop an Action Plan on spearheading climate change awareness and climate actions for 2025-2026 academic year as an outcome of the training.
- Support the development and roll-out of self-paced sessions/courses for young people taking action to influence national policy and change; including online training packages for facilitators to roll out adolescent mental health support.
Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Timeline
1. Planning and strategizing
1.1 Develop a contextualized plan and teaching and learning materials for the ToT of 14 young mentors and local UNICEF retaining trainers - The ToT agenda, presentation slides, case studies, handouts and other relevant materials are developed and approved by UNICEF - By 8 July 2025
1.2 Working with the UNICEF national consultant and climate change expert, develop a plan, teaching and learning materials for the YAG training of the second cohort of Young Climate Champions. The training programme shall provide young mentors with a space to co-facilitate certain sessions or activities - The ToT and all teaching and learning materials, including the agenda, presentation slides, handouts, are developed and approved by UNICEF - By 15 July 2025
2. Facilitation of capacity-building trainings
2.1 Facilitate the 5-day YAG ToT, including 2 days online and 3 days in-person - At least 14 young people and 3 UNICEF trainers are equipped with the facilitation skills to deliver the YAG training and provide mentoring support - By 1 August 2025
2.2 Facilitate 5-days YAG training for the second cohort of Young Climate Champions engaging into facilitation the trained trainers and youth - At least 50 adolescents and 14 schoolteachers have increased awareness on climate change and improved communication, leadership and advocacy skills. Action Plans on spearheading climate change awareness and climate actions for 2025-2026 academic year are developed - By 10 August 2025
3. Planning and Strategizing
3.1 Support the development and roll-out of self-paced sessions/courses for young people taking action to influence national policy and change - Strategy developed, series of scripts finalized for online sessions and dissemination plan in place - By 1 December 2025
3.2 Support the development and introduction of online training packages for facilitators to roll out adolescent mental health support - Strategy developed, series of scripts finalized for online sessions and dissemination plan in place - By 1 December 2025
International Travel is applicable.
Pease submit a professional fee (in USD) to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- A University Degree in participatory methodologies, adolescent and youth development, training and other relevant fields.
- A minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience in high-level participatory training, developing training guides and materials.
- Strong experience working on issues faced by adolescents and youth, e.g. mental health, climate anxiety, etc.
- Relevant experience in UN system agency, especially with the UNICEF Youth Advocacy Guide, is an asset.
- Good communication and public speaking skills.
- Fluency English is required. Russian is an asset.
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:
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.