UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to have, clean water

Climate change threatens children’s survival, development, nutrition, education, protection, and health – all of which are children’s rights and shrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, disasters, and biodiversity loss affect everyone on the planet, but the impacts are felt the most by children and young people, especially in fragile countries and in the communities that have contributed the least on a per capita basis to global emissions and pollution. Climate change, energy access, and environmental issues are hence equity issues and addressing them is therefore vital for building a more sustainable future for children. Unaddressed, climate change will harm the poorest and most vulnerable children first, hardest, and longest. Action on climate change is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and requires integrated action across social, economic and environmental spheres.

On 28 August 2023, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child published the “General Comment No. 26 on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change”, explicitly addressing the climate emergency, the collapse of biodiversity, and pervasive pollution, outlining countermeasures to protect the lives and life perspectives of children. This marks a vital step forward in the recognition that every child on Earth has the right to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is to support UNICEF Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan in developing a sub-national Children’s Climate Risk Index – Disaster Risk Model (CCRI-DRM).

The model will include mapping of child-relevant hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience across all provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and regions (Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad Capital Territory). This will inform climate-resilient programming, prioritization of adaptation investments, and sectoral decision-making, with a particular focus on Health, Nutrition, Education, WASH, Child Protection, and Social Policy

The consultant in collaboration with data and analytics consultant will work with UNICEF and relevant government and non-government partners to identify, compile and analyze existing data sources and platforms to capture 1) climate and disaster risk and 2) vulnerability, especially for children, families, and their communities to these risks at the national, regional and district level. Subsequently, an interactive open-source visualization platform presenting the subnational risk model and underlying indicators data will be embedded or developed with support from UNICEF that will assist with prioritization and planning for risk mitigation and adaptation – as well as inform preparedness and investment priorities.

The CCRI-DRM is a composite index that helps to understand and measure the likelihood that climate, environmental and other types of shocks and stresses lead to the erosion of development progress, the deepening of deprivations, and humanitarian crisis that affect children and vulnerable households and groups. It seeks to identify which areas are at risk of deepening child deprivations and humanitarian situations affecting children as a result of their exposure to these shocks and stresses, and to understand the underlying factors that could contribute to these risks.

Emphasis will be placed on the use of the CCRI-DRM assessment model and the interactive platform, providing direct technical assistance to government institutions to include child sensitive climate and disaster risk data and analysis in their planning and programming procedures.

Once risk is understood and informed by data, high level sectoral briefs will need to be prepared to inform sector priorities for the mainstreaming of climate resilience and mitigation/adaptation investments.

The overall objectives of the CCRI-DRM are to support the establishment of a national-led, multistakeholder framework on the nexus between children’s climate and disaster risks and the development of their full potential in Pakistan. The CCRI-DRM subnational assessment is envisaged to capture the following components:

1. A subnational Children’s Climate Risk Index - Disaster Risk Model for Pakistan.
2. An interactive platform making the CCRI-DRM model and underlying indicator data, as well as other relevant indicators open source and publicly accessible.
3. A multi-stakeholder technical platform guiding the production and update of the CCRI-DRM and the analysis and use of its’ results.

A CCRI-DRM analytical report to support the alignment and coordination of planning and programming efforts of national actors with informed by identified child vulnerabilities and risks from climate, environmental and other shocks and stresses and climate changes.

The promotion and facilitation of the use of evidence on climate, environmental and disaster risks to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, emergency preparedness and response, disaster risk reduction, resilient development.

The initiative will support Pakistan to respond to the need for an integrated child-sensitive disaster risk information system and platform for governmental institutions at national and subnational levels. The CCRI-DRM platform will bring together data from different sources that already exist across various institutions and subsequently provide humanitarian and development partners up-to-date, context-specific information at subnational level on children’s vulnerabilities, including those related to health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection and social protection, and their exposure to climate, environmental and other natural and anthropogenic hazards, shocks and stresses and disasters. This will allow for the development of tailored preparedness, mitigation, and response mechanisms informed by subnational risk data and analysis.

If you would like to know about the work assignment and expected results from this consultancy, please review the complete TORs here:   Consultancy TORs - CCRI.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• A university Degree in Climate Change, Environment, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Development or related fields 

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years with bachelor’s degree and 5 years with Masters, of relevant professional experience related to climate and disaster risk management and familiarity with national climate and DRR policies in Pakistan including engagement with government stakeholders and multilateral agencies.
• Experience with the development of subnational risk analysis.
• Knowledge of national and local governance and climate change and disaster risk management, and of the systems in place to respond to risk and vulnerability.
• Experience of working with government partners including relevant line Ministries and stakeholders including UN agencies.
• Experience in facilitating inter- institutional working groups and coordination mechanisms with multiple members and associated stakeholders. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Experience in researching and preparing written analytical reports in an accurate, concise, and timely manner.
• Familiarity with subnational adaptation processes, stakeholders, and technical support teams.
• Knowledge of DRR concepts, global policy frameworks and principles and ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Knowledge of information management for humanitarian and/or development sector.
• Ability to build strong relationships with both internal and external actors.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required. Knowledge of another local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks: 

• Duration of the assignment is 2.5 months (76 Days)
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Applicants must submit a financial quotation indicating consultant fee against monthly deliverables as part of the application.
• Consultant will be based in Islamabad, will be required to travel with in-country as and when required.
• Consultant needs to produce a copy of their health insurance coverage at the time the contract is awarded.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.