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Disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation present significant and escalating threats to the well-being of children globally. In order to protect the lives, health and well-being of children and strengthen the resilience and capacity of their communities to adapt essential social services to a changing climate, more frequent/extreme disasters and a degrading environment, a comprehensive child-inclusive subnational risk assessment along with data systems and policies that work across development and disaster management to identify and prioritize the most vulnerable children and services are needed. This data and analysis can be used to inform multiple purposes: disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, preparedness planning, and wider development agendas.

Bangladesh continues to suffer from escalating humanitarian challenges, driven by climate change and related natural disasters, and increased public health crises. Climate-induced emergencies disproportionately affect different population groups, with pre-existing gender inequalities worsening the adverse impacts on women, children, people with disabilities, and gender-diverse individuals. In 2024, a total of 18.4 million people had been impacted by floods and cyclones in Bangladesh, including 7 million children.

Overall, women and children are particularly vulnerable climate-related risks, as the crises have deepened inequalities in affected areas while the recent civil unrest weakened coordination structures. UNICEF is seeking a dedicated, proactive international consultant to work closely with the UNICEF Bangladesh country team, Government and Non-Government partners to support in developing a theoretical framework for the CCRI-DRM model, facilitating the identification of indicator data sets and the construction of the CCRI_DRM index indicators and model with government line ministries, and the preparation of tools, procedures, and documentations for the development of the CCRI-DRM. Once risk is understood and informed by data, high level sectoral briefs shall be prepared to inform sector priorities for the mainstreaming of climate resilience and mitigation/adaptation investments in Bangladesh. The objective of the CCRI-DRM is to support the establishment of a national-led, multi-stakeholder framework on the nexus between children’s climate and disaster risks and the development of their full potential in Bangladesh.

The initiative will support Bangladesh 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 with 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.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will support the Bangladesh Country Office in developing a theoretical framework for the CCRI-DRM model, facilitating the identification of indicator data sets and the construction of the CCRI_DRM index indicators and model in collaboration with government line ministries, and the preparation of tools, procedures, and documentations for the development of the CCRI-DRM. Once risk is understood and informed by data, high level sectoral briefs shall be prepared to inform sector priorities for the mainstreaming of climate resilience and mitigation/adaptation investments in Bangladesh.

The objective of the CCRI-DRM is to support the establishment of a national-led, multi-stakeholder framework on the nexus between children’s climate and disaster risks and the development of their full potential in Bangladesh. This will allow for the development of tailored preparedness, mitigation, and response mechanisms informed by subnational risk data and analysis.

The consultant will support the development and implementation of the first version of the Bangladesh subnational CCRI-DRM assessment and Geosight platform, from building stakeholder arrangements, conceptual design, consolidation of the CCRI-DRM indicator data the construction of index, including a series of consultations and trainings of key national partners. S/he will work under the general guidance and supervision of the Chief of Field Services and engage and work closely with the Programme Specialist- Climate and UNICEF programme sector focal points and Government and Non-Governmental partners during this exercise.

Scope of the Work

The selected consultant is expected to work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of Field Service and deliver the below:

• Support the establishment of a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee and Technical Working Group (TWG) to guide and facilitate the development of the CCRI-DRM.
• Conduct a participatory diagnosis of national capacities to provide reliable, objective, timely and sustainable information to feed the CCRI-DRM model and interactive platform.
• Conduct research, review existing tools, and contextualise the tools and sources of shocks and stresses, exposure and vulnerability data and information and work with respective Government and Non-Government partners to identify existing risk factors and available indicators and data sources for the construction of the subnational CCRI-DRM model.
• Facilitate and support the development of the theoretical framework of the country’s subnational CCRI-DRM model and the establishment of indicators and data sources, based on that of the global Children’s Climate Risk Index, in consultation with the TWG and other relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate and support the development and implementation of the first version of Bangladesh’s subnational CCRI-DRM model in close collaboration with the TWG, including collection, compilation and cleaning of secondary indicator data; establishing data sharing mechanisms, procedures and tools; constructing the model indices and documenting metadata; managing a review and validation process with the TWG and other stakeholders and making necessary revisions to the model; preparing documentation of the model and it’s results; and presenting and explaining the model and results to TWG and associated stakeholders.
• Support complementary sectoral analysis, including the subnational level to support sector decision-making and prioritising.
• Work in close collaboration with the TWG and UNICEF information management team throughout the process and deliver training so they can maintain the model and interactive platform and make updates and adjustments in the future.
• Support youth engagement throughout the process, enabling them to share ideas and opinions to inform practice and policy decisions as agents for change.
• Prepare all the data in a disaggregated manner (District, Upazila) to make it feasible to visualize on the Geosight Platform in collaboration with the UNICEF Emergency Officer/IM

Please go through the following TOR for more details: Consultant_TOR.pdf

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Master’s degree in Degree in Social Sciences, Data Science, Statistics, Public Policy, Development, or related degree areas of work. In lieu of an advanced degree, a bachelor’s degree may be accepted in combination with 8 years of relevant experience.
• Good background and skills in facilitating training, workshops, coaching, and mentoring others.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel or other statistical analysis software.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team and support unexpected tasks.
• Previous experience in similar activities with the UN or other international organizations will be an added advantage
• Demonstrate knowledge, experience understanding of the Bangladesh context especially in the area of social protection,
• Ability to speak and write both in English and Bangla language with a minimum level of professionalism.

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.