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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, HOPE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: CEED Programme Consultant

Section /Division/Duty Station: WASH - CEED Section – PG - NYHQ

Duration: 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection, and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In alignment with our commitment to protect children and young people worldwide, UNICEF is launching its Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) 2023 - 2030. The SCAP prioritises urgent climate action through systematic change in partnership with public and private sectors to prioritise children’s and young people’s needs and build their resilience to the climate threats at hand. The SCAP strives to mainstream sustainability and climate action both internally and externally, through protecting the lives, health and well-being of children and their communities; empowering children with developmental opportunities and skills; and reducing emissions and the environmental footprint within UNICEF.

The proposed assignment aims to support communication, coordination and implementation of the SCAP across the organisation with a focus on the global flagship initiative “Climate-informed risk reduction, humanitarian action and resilient recovery from disasters”. The work, led by the UNICEF Climate, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED) team, will primarily focus on programme design, capacity building and technical support. The consultant will conduct activities under the supervision of the DRR Programme Officer in CEED.

Scope of Work:

The consultant is expected to perform the following tasks for the CEED team and in support of the 2023-2030 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP):

Objective 1:  Implementation of SCAP Area of Acceleration 1: Climate-informed risk reduction, humanitarian action and resilient recovery from disasters

Tasks:

• Prepare written and designed work products such as talking points, slide decks on AoA1 for internal and external use.
• Support PPD and PFP with resource mobilization needs for AoA1, including inputs into investment cases, funding proposals and donor outreach.     
• Support the CEED team Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to design indicators and targets for AoA1 to be reported on in the internal monitoring of the SCAP.
• Provide technical and capacity support to UNICEF Country and Regional offices to implement AoA1 SCAP activities and ensure that County and Regional SCAP workplans encompass specific child responsive DRR measures, including through evidence, knowledge sharing, and guidance.

Objective 2:  Facilitate the systematic mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction in UNICEF

Tasks:

• Facilitate the delivery of a deep dive consultation on child responsive disaster risk reduction with HQ, Regional Offices and relevant CO staff focused on internal operationalization.
• Update UNICEF’s guidance materials on DRR, including programmatic check lists for five (5) sectors, in collaboration with Programme Group sector focal points.    
• Incorporate and support tracking of DRR-focused indicators in internal reporting mechanisms, including support to the SCAP, CSIs, GARR, UN Plan of Action reporting and the CEED marker.
• Provide support across the 2023-2030 UN Senior Leadership Group Recommendations on DRR and Climate Change Adaptation for the Sendai Framework, including preparations and inputs into the 9th SLG meeting and IDDRR 2024.
• Develop and contribute evidence-based advocacy materials, showcasing exemplars of best practices in child-responsive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for pivotal interagency platforms such as CADRI, UN DRR FPG, and EW4All.

Objective 3: Support the internal high-level governance mechanism for the SCAP

Tasks:

• Prepare written and designed work products such as talking points, slide decks or notes for record for high-level governance mechanisms for the SCAP for UNICEF staff (including but not limited to Steering Committee, Global Management Team and the PG Director Group);
• Support preparation of technical meetings on Areas of Acceleration (including AoAs 1-4) and contribute through knowledge sharing.
• Develop background documents for the administrative and coordination support of the internal governance mechanism for the SCAP, including but not limited to shared workplans and working group meeting templates.
• Prepare internal communications transition capacity building to members of UNICEF

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Create five (5) written work products on AoA1 for internal and external use. – By May 31, 2025

Deliverable 2: Provide at least one input into one investment case and one funding proposal for donors related to SCAP AoA1. – By September 30th 2024.

Deliverable 3: Design a set of targets and indicators to measure progress on AoA1 under the SCAP results framework. – By September 30th 2024.

Deliverable 4: Provide 2 capacity building events on AoA1 implementation to at least 2 regional or country offices (this can include bilateral meetings). – By May 31, 2025

Deliverable 5: Delivery of one (1) internal deep dive consultation on the operationalization of child responsive DRR. - By August 31st 2024.

Deliverable 6: 5 programmatic guidance checklists developed and/or updated for five (5) sectors. – By Jan 31st 2025.

Deliverable 7: At least one quality input provided into internal reporting mechanisms. – By March 31st, 2025

Deliverable 8:  Provide at least one set of written inputs for the SLG working groups and 1 briefing note for the 9th SLG meeting and IDDRR. – By October 15th 2024

Deliverable 9: Provide 3 evidence and/or advocacy materials for interagency processes/platforms. – By Jan 31st 2025.

Deliverable 10: Create six (6) written work products for corporate communication on governance mechanisms for the 2024 SCAP roadmap - By October 31st, 2024

Deliverable 11: Create six (6) written work products for corporate communication on governance mechanisms under the 2025 roadmap – By May 31, 2025

Deliverable 12: Provide at least one capacity building product on internal communications on the SCAP            - By June 30, 2024

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate and Environmental Studies, Environmental Health, International Affairs, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

Work experience:

• At least 1 year of experience in climate, environment, energy disaster risk reduction, environmental health or related topics.
• Proven experience in communication and project management
• Prior experience with a UN agency is a distinct advantage.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong organisational, planning and prioritising skills and abilities.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Familiarity with Climate, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) topics.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability.
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

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.