Consultancy for Children and Youth engagement in climate action, Panama City, LACRO 12 months (Home-Based)

Contract

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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, health

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region is composed of 33 countries of which 16 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Most countries in the region have reached macroeconomic standards which label them as middle or upper middle-income countries. However, there is still a high and persistent level of poverty in most countries, despite sustained economic growth over the last decade. The Human Development Index (HDI) varies greatly across the region, and persistent economic inequalities translate into unequal access to land, water, adequate housing, infrastructure and services, particularly for the most vulnerable groups. Rapid urbanization rates exacerbate existing socioeconomic challenges. The probability of being affected by climate‐related events and climate change is strongly modulated by the pre‐existing conditions of poverty and inequality. For example, extreme events will strongly affect the rural and urban poor who often reside in informal settlements in high‐risk areas (e.g., flood plains and steep slopes). Besides being extremely vulnerable to natural hazards (both climate and non‐climate‐related), LAC has become increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of environmental hazards, including those imposed by climate change; according to the available scientific information the region will be severely affected even under lower levels of global warming.

The climate change crisis is no longer a purely environmental issue but, instead, a socio‐economic crisis, and, in particular, a child rights crisis. There is a collective moral responsibility to scale practical solutions to climate change with real potential to make a difference for children and youth to survive, grow, and thrive. The coming years will be critical to promote concrete solutions with the potential of securing large‐scale impact, particularly through catalysing partnerships (public, private, etc.) for climate resilience. With the recent growth in youth climate action, UNICEF and its allies have a unique role to play to ensure that children and youth voices are adequately heard and responded to by decision-makers, empowering children and youth as changemakers.

The Strategic Plan for 2022–2025, Goal Area 4, recognizes that climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive and that all levers of the organization need to work together in a coordinated fashion.

Internally, UNICEF’s Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan provides a comprehensive blueprint to achieve our ambitious vision by 2030. The action plan is built around three objectives: Objective 1: PROTECT the resilience of children and their communities by adapting essential social services to a changing climate, more frequent disasters and a degrading environment; Objective 2: EMPOWER every child with the education, skills and opportunities to be a champion for the planet and a voice for children’s rights; Objective 3: ENACT ambitious sustainability and emissions reduction commitments within UNICEF and support our global network of partners, including governments and suppliers, to do the same.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF LAC Regional Office (LACRO) will support countries to strengthen the social services that matter most to children by: a) Supporting the development of financial and socioeconomic justification for strengthening social services, highlighting the benefits of doing this across critical sectors (e.g., health, education and water), and supporting its incorporation into national budgeting frameworks b) Shaping and implementing standards for green and resilient social services in sectors c) Providing direct support for implementation, including strengthening infrastructure, building knowledge and skills with community and government workers, and updating government monitoring frameworks UNICEF’s comprehensive approach focuses on empowering children and young people with education, skills and opportunities to be champions for the planet and ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights protected. UNICEF will implement specific interventions in every country it operates in, which will be selected and customized to address the needs of children in that particular context: (i) Education and green skill, (ii) Supporting environmental action and iii) Driving advocacy for the planet.

The consultant will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the UNICEF LACRO Regional Climate Change and Sustainable Development Advisor.

Key Activities/Tasks:

Work Assignments Overview

Deliverables/Outputs

Delivery deadline

1)

• Develop a concept note for the promotion of the UNICEF LACRO Regional Climate Empowerment Action Strategy during LACCW.

  30/10/2023

10%

2)

• Develop a conceptual framework for three strategic events and an advocacy plan with LAC youth negotiators at COP 28.

  15/12/2023

20%

3)

• Identification of relevant stakeholders (groups of children, adolescents and/or youth) present in the Amazon and other LAC sub-regions

  29/02/2024

10%

4)

• Prepare an advocacy action plan from UNICEF LACRO for the 2024 climate governance processes (Escazu Agreement, etc).

  30/04/2024

20%

5)

• Develop a work plan within the framework of the Latin American and Caribbean RCOYs and LCOYs where UNICEF COs work on CEED/WASH issues.

30/07/2024

20%

6)

• Develop an advocacy plan on children and youth engagement in climate action for two UNICEF Country Offices.

30/09/2024

20%

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

• A first level University degree in areas related to climate change, administration/management, environmental policy, social sciences and public policy.
• A minimum of 6 years of professional experience related to climate, environment, and youth engagement in developing countries
• Experience on youth participation and climate action advocacy at local and regional level in LAC. Experience with vulnerable communities is an asset.
• Knowledge and technical expertise in international climate policy.
• High capacity in coordination, analysis, and synthesis.
• Previous experience coordinating with high-level spaces related to climate governance is an asset.
• Good understanding of the climate action and development context in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
• Familiarity with UNICEF programming and planning processes is an asset.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered 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.

Administrative details

Supervision: The consultant will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the LACRO Regional Climate Change and Sustainable Development Advisor.

Workplace: The consultancy is home-based. Travel may be involved. International/national travel may be required, discussed and agreed with the consultant (a separate travel line will be included in the contract).

Duration: 12 months

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: TMS application form duly completed, Cover Letter, Study certificates and Financial proposal.

Qualified candidates are requested to indicate an all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the services to be including all associated administrative costs. Consultants must have their own equipment, tools and materials needed to perform their services. They will use their own laptops/computers, any application or system needed to complete the assignment. They need to provide the full service without using UNICEF resources.

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.

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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.